If you are struggling with figuring out what and how much to eat, don’t get discouraged. Nutrition is the most challenging part of creating a healthier lifestyle! Here’s how to get the fundamentals dialed in.

Changing any habit is hard. But eating habits are especially tough.

But the good news is that many people have been where you are before, and emerged on the other side leaner, healthier, and feeling amazing. Just take a look at some of our V Shred customer transformations for proof!

Here’s how to navigate the initial learning curve of nutrition and start eating better today!

Draw a line around your house.

You can’t keep the world from being full of junk food, but you can choose to not bring it into your house.

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “If you hang around the barbershop long enough, eventually you’re going to get a haircut.” Well, this applies to cravings, too. If you let your weakness into your home, it’s got a much better chance of finding you.

“But I can just have a little bit…” Or can you? Maybe, but maybe not… yet.

When you’re just starting out, we suggest not buying any high-calorie “trigger” foods, and getting rid of the ones that are in your house. Keep them out until you have some time behind you and are certain you can trust yourself to resist or can enjoy one serving (accounted for if you are tracking macros) and move on. For some people, this could be months down the road. or years.

In the mean time, stock up on veggies to snack on and even some Sculpt Nation Protein. You can shake it up with just water, add some fruit for a delicious smoothie, or create protein-filled treats like protein pancakes!

If you have a sweet tooth, many of our clients say they curb those cravings with our Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies. You can have up to three 20-calorie servings a day, and they taste like candy! Plus, they can help give you quick “pick-me-up energy” and provide digestion and metabolism support.

Drink Up

It’s really common to think you’re hungry, when you’re actually just thirsty or even a little dehydrated.

If you’re feeling desperately hungry, have a glass of water or another no-calorie beverage like some Sculpt Nation BCAAs, wait 20 minutes, and see how you feel.

If you need some other suggestions of beverages you can enjoy while dieting, check out the article What Should I Drink Beside Water?

And if you are wondering if it’s okay to drink things like coffee or alcohol, we’ve got you covered there too! You can read our tips for consuming these beverages and staying on track in the article Can I Drink Alcohol or Coffee?

Do some targeted meal prep

Meal prep is a popular way to try to gain control over nutrition, but not all of us are ready to prep every meal, every day — and that’s just fine!  Especially if you’re just starting out, consider just prepping the meal you struggle with the most.

You can start with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks — whichever one is your “problem meal” and tends to cause you to over-indulge or end up in the drive-thru. Then, once you feel confident preparing that meal, take that momentum and apply it to another meal.

You might be surprised how big of an effect simply fixing one calorie-bomb per day can have!

If you need some tips on meal prepping, check out the popular meal prep guide Vince Sant posted on our V Shred’s YouTube Channel.

Have A Strong Support System

Getting started can feel infinitely harder if your friends, family, and co-workers aren’t joining you and adopting a healthy lifestyle of their own. Even if you feel like you’re the only one in your circle making positive changes, it’s still important that you vocalize your goals and let them know you would welcome their support.

But it’s equally important to have like-minded people in your circle cheering you on. This is exactly why we created our private Facebook Groups for Men and Women.

It’s free to join, and there are hundreds of thousands of other clients and even our V Shred trainers and nutritionists in these groups that are happy to offer tips that will help you navigate your exercise program and diet and offer the support you need to stay on track!

Still Stuck? We’ve Got Your Back! 

Don’t be afraid to ask for help! You may not be an expert yet, but we have some team members who definitely hare.

The Custom Coaching team at V Shred have created over 1 million personalized meal plans for people from all backgrounds, and can do the same for you. No matter your situation, they’ve seen it before.

Our most dramatic transformations almost always involve custom coaching. So if you’re really confused or ready to make a serious change, you can get your custom diet plan here or learn more by emailing coaching@vshred.com.