July 19, 2025 · VIVR
The 20% of nutrition that drives 80% of your results in the gym is boring, unsexy, and profoundly effective.
Protein: hit the number
Roughly one gram per pound of goal bodyweight. Spread it across three or four meals. Prioritize whole food; supplement when convenient. This alone will change how you look and how you recover more than any other single lever.
Carbs: earn them, then eat them
Carbs are the primary fuel for hard training. On training days, eat them liberally — a fist of rice, potatoes, oats, or fruit at most meals, and a pre-workout snack an hour before. On rest days, dial them back to appetite. Low-carb dieting during hard S&C is a fast track to feeling like garbage.
Fats, timing, and hydration
Fats: eat what's on your plate; don't chase them, don't fear them. Timing: eat within an hour of training when possible, but don't obsess. Hydration: half your bodyweight in ounces daily as a floor; more when it's hot or you're sweating a lot.
What to ignore
Almost every supplement, every fasting protocol, every food villain of the month, and every 'clean eating' rule that isn't grounded in one of the levers above. Pick one or two of those things if you enjoy them. Do not confuse them with the work.