FitWit Nutrition Resource Guide

Nutrition Resource Guide

We at FitWit recommend the nutrition resources you see here. There are countless options, but we think these will take you in the right direction. While general in nature, these recommendations are tools for learning and doing that you can apply as needed to your own unique body and goals. We are always open to learning and revising; tell us what you find that works for you!

FitWit Health & Nutrition Philosophy

When it comes to health, physical training and nutrition go hand in hand. You are in charge of your nutrition, which ultimately has the greater effect on health and body composition than your workouts. We’ve chosen resources that sync with our position on what to eat and why. Here’s what we believe about nutrition:

We believe the best person to determine your diet is you. You’re the expert on how foods make you look, feel and perform. We can help you learn how to pay attention.
We will promote trusted resources and research. We will help you sift through the myths, scams and hype so you can make and trust your own decisions.
We think the best way to lose body fat is slowly and sustainably. But, aiming to lose continually for months will lead to plateaus. Take time to build as well.
Everyone is in a different place in their fitness journey. Eyes on your own journey.
Diet plans and calorie counts are tools, not dictators who decide whether you pass or fail. Use them only to inform your decisions.
A slight caloric deficit, done in a way you like and can sustain, will lead to fat loss. A caloric surplus will lead to muscle gains, along with adequate training.
We believe you can make the physical changes you want to make to be happy and comfortable. The confidence you gain at FitWit will spill over into your whole life.
What should you eat, then? Eat mostly whole foods, enough to fuel your activity. Drink plenty of water. Eat for joy now and then. Sleep and recover.

Resources

Nutrition Guidance

The Whole30 Program Rules.
Additional Whole30 resources such as grocery lists, portions, and strategies can be found HERE.

Food Tracker Apps

My Fitness Pal – our favorite app for food tracking. Customize calorie and macronutrient amounts; track water, exercise, weight; follow friends (food entries are kept private); enter status notes.
Two Grand – a food photo sharing app similar to InstaGram. It is not for counting calories or macronutrients.
Figwee Portion Explorer- A visual app showing you the actual calories and nutritional value in food.
Prefer writing it down? Try something like this paper tracker chart.

Recommended Reading to Dig In Further on Real Food

It Starts With Food, by Melissa & Dallas Hartwig (paleo, plus a 30-day program)

Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, by Michael Pollan (64 simple real food principles)

Omnivore’s Dilemma, by Michael Pollan

Real Food: What to Eat and Why, by Nina Planck (traditional food, basic & authentic)

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon (traditional food, with recipes; The Food Bible!)

What to Eat, by Marion Nestle (an excellent guide through a typical grocery store)

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) Calculators

These are for finding caloric need based on your activity level and/or body composition. It is helpful to use this calculation along with a food tracker to know what you are aiming for in terms of calorie count and macronutrients, based upon your goals.

Health-Calc
Eat To Perform (for this you need body composition numbers from a dunk tank test)
Precision Nutrition (helpful nutrition articles)

Tools to Make Real Food Work

Need help with cooking skills? See the tutorial videos at Cook Smarts.
Need pre-made meals? Try meals from Edisia Meals, healthy paleo cuisine that can be delivered to FitWit for your convenience!
Need a pre-set meal plan? We like the flexibility and pricing at Cook Smarts, but any plan that you find and will work for you is fine, just adapt it for your goals and dietary needs. More meal plan links in the next point…
Don’t have much time to cook? Get this free PDF of quick meals Practical Paleo Quick & Easy, or menu plans from 100 Days of Real Food (customize to your preferences).
See the Whole30 Program Rules and Balanced Bites Nutrition Guide for more detail about our recommended “what to eat” and “what to avoid” list below. They both contains handy printable pages to take with you shopping, to post in your kitchen or planner, and to help you track habits.