Keto. Intermittent Fasting. Glycemic Index. Low-Carb. Caveman Diet.

You uncover so many dieting strategies and exercise methods and philosophies when you Google search for fitness and health advice.

I've tried all of them.

Some of them didn't work for me.

Some of them were only optimal for certain circumstances that I never dealt with.

Some of them worked for others around me.

To start, I believe it's all noise: let's worry about the "extras" down the line. It's unnecessary stress. In the beginning, we focus on making better habits and eating better.

Here at Reforged, we believe that simplicity is key: if you can get into better habits and they work for you, everything else will fall into place.

Over time, you will find things that do or do not work for you.

Here are some simple nutritional guidelines that you may follow to get started in eating better.

Hydration

Hydration is a habit that should be prioritized, especially when it comes to improving brain power and mood, believe it or not. Staying hydrated also helps move nutrients, regulates body temperature, cleanses your body, and more.

It is essential to consistently drink water - especially when you engage in exercise.

Here are a few recommendations you can do in staying hydrated constantly:

• Recommendation is 8 Cups of Water, or shoot for the higher 1 gallon a day.
• Keep a flask like a hydro flask on you at all times. This will prioritize the habit of drinking water.
• Drink water at the beginning of your day. For some reason, whenever I do this, I typically drink more water than intended.
• When it comes to what type of water is better, there aren't really any studies that tell you what water is superior.
• No need to worry about mineral or alkaline water for now:focus on getting into the habit of hydrating yourself before diving into a specific type of water.

As I write this, I have this obnoxious 64oz Hydroflask right next to me. 

Keep it simple, and keep water on you at all times. 

Fiber and Micronutrients

Eat your fruits and your vegetables. These provide us the fiber and micronutrients necessary for overall mind and body health.

Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals: they help with providing you energy, immune function, cognitive health, bone health, and more.

Fiber keeps you full and allows you to properly use the bathroom. As a result, we improve our cholesterol health, maintain blood sugar, and more. 

We live longer because of it.

To hit our micronutrient and fiber goals, a practical recommendation is having 3–5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day.

• 1 serving of fruits is a 1/2 cup.
• 1 serving of vegetables like broccoli or asparagus is 1/2 cup.
• 1 serving of dark leafy greens like spinach is 1 cup.

Simple and practical.

I recommend having a fruit as a snack, along with a protein bar or shake, which we will discuss in the following section.

Prioritize Protein

To start, most of us don’t consume enough protein in our diets, especially when we start exercising.

Protein helps keep you full for longer periods of time, providing you a satiating effect. While there are mixed studies on how much protein one could consume in a sitting, it’s recommended you split your protein into your meals throughout the day in order to keep yourself satiated and focused.

When focusing on work, I like to carry a protein bar and a protein shake on me daily. If I need to snack before lunch or after, I have something that’ll keep me satiated.

If you want to understand why you should consume protein in-depth, you can read our article here.

PFFT Method

The PFFT Method is the Palm-Fist-Fist-Thumb portion control method. 

If you don’t track calories or macronutrients in any way, this method will help you build great habits in nutrition.

PFFT is defined as follows:

• Palm = Protein:Your major protein source can be Chicken, Fish, Tofu, etc. Typically this is two palm servings for men, and one palm serving for women.
• If choosing a higher fat content like steak or salmon, make sure not to use the “thumb” serving of fat, as your protein source will be more calorie-dense.
• Fist = Carbohydrates:Our first fist serving will be carbohydrates like rice, potatoes, oatmeal, etc. Two first servings are optimal for men, and one first serving will be optimal for women.
• Fist = Veggies:The next fist serving should be used for Vegetables. Two fist servings for men, and one fist serving for women.
• Thumb = Fat: This can be any type of butter or dressing (peanut butter, almond butter, etc)

In giving yourself a meal of this proportion 4–6 times a day, you can potentially be able to build a consistent habit in nutrition, and covering fiber and vegetables. 

You can read more about PFFT and other methods in our Flexible Nutrition article. We cover some fat loss dieting strategies on this as well.

Concluding Thoughts

There you have it: some simple guidelines that will allow you to slowly craft and build your own Fit Habit.

Start small, master these basics, then add to it over time.

Any other practical tips you would like to add to reinforce habits? Throw them in the comments below!

Until next time legion!