November 17, 2019

By: drivengolf

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RP Q&A

ABOUT THIS DIET

1. What if I need help navigating my Weight Loss Templates? We’ve got you covered: check out the How-To doc that came with your templates. This Frequently Asked Questions doc is also here to help shed further light on the most common inquiries our template users have. The template, How-To and FAQ are all designed to work in tandem to ensure that you have a great experience with these templates. Moreover, the RP Simplified Diet Templates Facebook group another great resource for dis- cussions and support from RP staff and fellow dieters.

2. What should I expect in the first week? It’s not uncommon to feel hungry and tired the first week. The reason: You may not be used to eating regularly, and instead have either gone long periods of time without eating, grazed throughout the day, or a combination of both. Your body needs time to adapt, but it will definitely adapt. Stay patient and stay the course.

3. How important is it to eat at the times suggested? The times provided are merely suggestions. If there is a +/- 2 hours to best accommodate your schedule that is A-Okay. Do your best to eat your meals in a roughly even spacing through the day to maximize energy, fullness and fitness.

4. How do I know how many calories I am taking in each day? We’ve already counted the calories for you, so you don’t have to! Just by sticking to the portions in the diet, your calories are taken care of and results will come!

5. Why do I have to take a break from the Weight Loss Diet plans every 12 weeks? The purpose of abstaining from dieting regularly is to normalize/restore your metabolism and hormone levels after a long period of weight loss dieting. Your body views weight loss dieting as a stress. In order to conserve energy to minimize the calorie deficit, your metabolism slows (hunger increases) and hormone production (testosterone and thyroid hormones in particular) is downregulated. To begin reversing these adaptations, just use the New Base diet plan for at least 3 months after every 3 months of Weight Loss Dieting. This will also serve to provide you with a mental break from the rigors of dieting.

6. How long can I use my template? When do I need a new one? You can use this template indefinitely if you’re within 25lbs of the healthy weight you want to be at. If you’ve already lost 25 lbs or more on your current template and would like to lose more weight, it is our recommendation that you purchase a new template, entering in your current body weight during the purchasing process so that your new template can reflect your updated needs and goals. More Info here.

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

7. I’m hungry during the day. Is that normal? Hunger can sometimes be inevitable when dieting, especially if you’ve opted to cut out your snacks. However, there are several strategies you can use to help reduce hunger:

• Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate Fluids will fill your stomach, which expands it. This creates a signal to be sent to the brain that you’re not hungry. Try drinking 12 – 16 ounces of water before meals to help curb your appetite.

• Eat Slowly It takes roughly 20 minutes for your body to send signals to your brain that you’re full. By slowing down, you allow ample time for this to occur, while simultaneously eating less. By the end of the meal, you will have eaten less, yet feel fuller than usual. This is great and rare when dieting!

–  Cut food into tiny, bite size pieces

–  15 – 20 chews per bite

–  Place utensil down in between bites

8. I’m hungry at night, what can I do? Move all of your meals up an hour or two, and your dinner will be later and keep you fuller at night. Saving your snack for the evening works too.

9. What if my day is longer or shorter than average — can I eat more or fewer than 3 meals and a snack? It’s usually a very good idea to eat all of your meals every day, unless you really just aren’t hungry enough. If you have shorter days, you can eat your meals with less time between them. For longer days, you can spread the meals out more.

10. I am traveling this week/weekend. How do I stick to my plan? You can absolutely still work towards your goals while trav- eling. Do your best to utilize the hotel fridge/microwave (call ahead) as well as the hotel’s breakfast to grab specific items such as fruit, oats, bagels, and peanut butter.

Convenient, easy-to-travel with snacks include: whey/casein protein, Quest protein bars, Quest protein chips, beef jerky, lean deli meat, low-fat Greek yogurt, oats, fruit, nuts, seeds, and nut butters.

11. I missed a meal. What should I do? For starters, eat a meal as soon as possible. If it’s already late and you’re too full to eat the meal you missed or have a meal left over, don’t sweat it. But if you’re still up and hungry, feel free to eat the remaining meal right after or even combine the two meals into one.

12. It’s time for my next meal and I’m not hungry. What should I do? First, consider waiting an additional hour and reassessing your hunger. If you’re still not hungry then, just push all of your remaining meals back. You don’t ever HAVE TO eat if you’re not hungry.

13. Do I HAVE TO eat the daily snack if I don’t want to? Nope. You only have to eat it if you feel like it.

14. Do I have to eat breakfast? It’s recommended that you eat within an hour of waking. If you do not feel hungry upon waking,

its ok to wait longer, so long as you get your healthy meal in as soon as you get hungry and don’t turn to junk instead.

15. Will eating before bed make me gain weight? No. The change in your weight is directly related to the relationship between the food you consume and the energy you burn throughout the day. As long as you’re taking in less than you’re burning, you will lose weight. This is regardless of when you eat.

16. What if I don’t eat my snack every day and save up a couple of days’ worth of snack calories; could these saved-up calories be used to eat a big cheat meal? Yes, but we highly recommend limiting the saving to at most 3 days at a time. So if you have 500 calories per day as snacks and you don’t eat your snack for 3 days straight, you can totally have a 2000 calorie whopper of a meal on the fourth day (1500 from 3 days plus 500 for that day). But remember, while saving up snack calories is ok, please DO NOT save up whole food meals. Eat those only as described.

CAN I…

17. Mix and match foods for the same meal? Yes! If you can’t decide on how to eat your 100g of lean protein for meal 2 and you’re thinking chicken or steak, you can just have both! So long as they add up to a combined 100g of weight for that meal, you’re good. Same applies to veggies, carbs, and fats. Combining fruits and breads with grains or nuts with oils can get tricky, and you can do the math if you like, but we advise keeping it as simple as possible, especially when you just start. If you’d like more variety, consider making each meal a bit different instead of making things more complicated by trying to have too many foods per category in each meal.

18. Eat the same foods at every meal? Yes, but this is a highly flexible plan and there’s no need to. We understand that in some instances it may make meal prep easier, but even adding different veggies, spices, and herbs for the week goes a long way. We strongly encourage you to rotate in a few staples for each major nutrient. Sample rotation:

19. Have foods for my main meals that are not on the provided list? Yep, you sure can. But there are some general rules to follow:

  • Lean protein foods must not contain more than 35% of their calories as fats. So while bison burgers are ok, full-fat sau- sage is not. The only exception to this is fatty grilled fish like salmon. So long as it’s grilled and not fried, any fish is ok.
  • Any kind of veggies are ok, so long as they are not starchy. If they are, they go in the “healthy carbs” category.
  • Any kind of fruits, grains and whole grain breads are ok for your healthy carbs. White rice is ok, regular pasta is ok. The only thing you want to avoid here is processed carbs loaded with fat, such as dessert treats or croissants. Save those for the snack!
  • Any kind of nut butters and most kinds of oils high in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are ok. If you’d like to eat eggs, cheese, butter, coconut oil or bacon, you can use those as your fats but for best health effects we recommend only to have an average of one meal per day from those fat foods and sticking to the recommended foods for the other meals.

20. Have a “cheat meal?” If you’re at your healthy weight and maintaining it on the New Base Diet, you sure can. Even several cheat meals a week are well tolerated by most. But if you’re on the Weight Loss Diet portion of the template, we recommend waiting until you’re done to do any cheat meals.

21. Have as much sodium (salt) as I like? Yes. Unless you’ve been specifically told by a physician that you need to reduce so- dium intake due to high-blood pressure/another specific medical condition, there’s NO reason, or need, to limit sodium. Your body loses a lot of sodium via sweat, especially if you live in a warm climate. It’s important to replenish sodium to support re- hydration and for proper execution of essential functions within the body. A healthy person is able to rid all the excess sodium he or she consumes efficiently.

22. Add condiments to my food? That depends.

  • Additions such as mustard, soy sauce, and vinegar do NOT need to be counted.
  • If using a low-calorie/carbohydrate dressing or condiment, you do NOT need to count it if one serving is less than a tea- spoon in size per meal. We don’t recommend you add high calorie condiments like Ranch dressing or Mayo during the weight loss phases of the diet. If you’d like to use them sparingly on Base and New Base, that’s fine.
  • If you’re using a full-fat salad dressing or condiment, count the fats by weight just like you would oils.

23. Have herbs and spices? Absolutely. There is no limit or restriction here. Herbs and spices don’t contain calories.

24. Still drink coffee and/or tea? Yes, just remember to consistently drink other fluids throughout the day, too. More info here.

25. Add creamer, or milk to my coffee? Yes. If you need a tablespoon of creamer or milk, that’s perfectly fine. Stick with low calorie creamers and sweeteners, and sugar substitute instead of actual table sugar.

26. Drink diet soda? Yes, you may. There’s no realistic limit on how much.

27. Have artificial sweeteners and sugar alcohols? Yes. There is an overwhelming amount of research on the safety of con- sumption of artificial sweeteners. As long as you don’t eat them by the pound with a spoon, they are safe – and diet-friendly – to take in through the day.

28. Still dine out / eat meals that aren’t homecooked? Absolutely, although we recommend keeping dining out to a minimum for the time being. Key tips to stay on track include:

  • Look at the menu online ahead of time and narrow down a few options.
  • Match your meal plan recommendations with your ordering options. Example: If your plan calls for protein, veggies, and healthy fats, but very few carbs, do your best to keep healthy carbs to a minimum (unless you’re using this as a “snack” meal).
  • Only drink water or a zero-calorie beverage like diet soda
  • Skip out on appetizers (unless it’s a salad!
  • Focus on eating protein and veggies first, as this will help to keep you full, and prevent over-indulging elsewhere
  • Pull up your templates and look at the sample plate size in the top left hand corner. If your plate looks pretty similar (err on the side of LESS), then you’re good

Here are some keywords to look for to help you choose the lower calorie, lower fat options on the menu. www.calorieking.com is a great website that has the nutritional information for most restaurants.

29. Drink alcohol on this plan? It’s recommended that you don’t drink while dieting to maximize progress. If you do decide to drink, drink no more than 1 – 2 drinks per week. In the Weight Loss Diet phases, alcohol consumption will significantly delay progress. When on the New Base Diet, you can drink up to 2 drinks per day and still get loads of health benefits from the diet, so long as you watch your weight and keep it from climbing back up. This should be in the alcohol section further down, no?

30. Be on this diet if I have food allergies? Of course! This plan offers extensive flexibility, and the sample meal plan provided is only meant to serve as an example of what a day could look like. YOU get to choose all foods (within their allotted potions, of course) from the list of recommended foods, which will ensure you don’t eat anything that will make you ill.

I WANT TO DO MY OWN MEAL PREP BUT…

31. I’m out of recipe ideas! RP cookbooks to the rescue! Here, you can find hundreds of RP-friendly recipes divided by category (proteins, fats, carbs, veggies and complete meals), with nutritional info for each recipe!

You can also get recipe tips on our RP Recipe Portal on Facebook and tune into RP Cooking by Lori Shaw, RP cookbook author.

32. Cooking all of this food is tough! Any alternatives? So long as you get your portions right, you can eat out at many places. For example, places like Chipotle, Qdoba and Pancheros can easily make you a burrito bowl or salad that fits very well within your healthy meal plan. Subway is another good alternative when you’re out. One of the best alternatives is to try a meal- prep service such as Trifecta Nutrition. Trifecta will take your order online and will deliver fully cooked, nutritionally dense bulk proteins, carbs, and vegetables right to your door every week. Check them out here!

MORE ON… PROTIEN

33. How is protein implicated in weight loss? A high-protein diet helps suppress appetite, save hard-earned muscle and increase the number of calories burned— a winning combination for weight loss.

• Muscle and Strength Benefits

  1. – Dietary protein stimulates the cellular processes that instigate muscle growth. Taking in adequate protein in a timely manner throughout the day maximizes the muscle-building response.
  2. – High protein helps keep hunger at bay and helps feed your muscle, helping you hold onto it!

• Weight Loss Benefits

  1. –  Protein digests slowly, which helps you to feel full and ultimately eat less.
  2. –  Protein stimulates the release of specific hormones that signal the brain to make you less hungry, which can help
  3. you stick to your weight loss plan more easily.
  4. –  By saving more muscle tissue as you lose weight, a high-protein diet maintains metabolic rate (which typically
  5. decreases during a diet), further increasing calories burned per day.
  6. –  By maintaining more muscle mass while dieting, you burn more calories and end up with a more “fit” body mass
  7. composition, vs shrinking in size but getting no less “flabby”.

34. Can I use whey protein or some other kinds of protein shakes in place of lean protein throughout the day? Yes, you can substitute a protein shake for lean protein at a meal, but it should NOT be your primary protein food throughout the day. Variety is key to make sure you consume ample vitamins and minerals. If you are in the habit of having shakes to replace meals, mixing Whey and Casein proteins together is probably best to meet meal-replacement protein needs (just mix 1/2 of one and 1/2 of the other).

35. How do I measure protein from egg whites? Whatever your weight instruction says for each meal, multiply that by 3. For example, if you have 150g of protein to eat, that’s 450g of egg whites, while only 150g of other foods.

36. What’s the difference between cow’s milk, almond milk and soy milk? Cow’s milk is a complete protein, meaning it con- tains all 9 essential amino acids (EAAs) that the body is unable to make. Without the 9 EAAs, protein is unable to carry out its specific function. Soy milk is also a complete protein; however, almond milk is an incomplete protein, meaning it’s missing more than one EAA.

Protein per 8 ounces:

  • Cow’s Milk- 8 grams
  • Soy Milk- 7 grams
  • Almond Milk- 1 gram

Cow’s milk and soy milk are your best options for health and fitness because they are complete proteins. If you tolerate and enjoy cow’s milk, this is your best option as it’s higher in the amino acid specifically responsible for “turning on” muscle building (Leucine). Almond milk is a fine addition as a snack, but do not rely on it as a sole protein source.

37. Can I eat protein bars? Yes, you can eat protein bars. We recommend you find a protein bar that contains whey protein as the primary ingredient, or a combination of whey and soy, and not just soy. Quest bars are an excellent, delicious option. You can use a protein bar to replace a meal, but don’t do this more than once every few days for the diet to have its best effect.

38. Won’t a high-protein diet make me bulky? No. A high-protein diet (defined as consuming more than 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight) will not make you “bulky.” A high-protein diet has been shown to be superior for building muscle, gaining strength, and losing weight compared to a low- or moderate-protein diet.

HEALTHY CARBS…

39. How do I measure my carbs? For grains, you cook them, and then measure out a cup or any fraction of a cup you need. Same thing for fruits, though if it’s whole fruits, we can usu- ally say a single piece of fruit is about a cup and not sweat the small stuff (for fruits like bananas, apples, peaches, and pears). For bread, you just measure in slices! No, not all bread slices have the same calories and carbs, but unless they are super-sized, all the variation will even out in the end and you’ll get results. For wraps, just assume that each wrap is compa- rable to a slice of bread.

40. Will eating carbs late in the day make me gain weight?

No: the change in your weight is directly related to the relationship between the food you consume and the energy you burn. As long as you’re taking in less than you’re burning, you will lose weight. This is regardless of when you eat.

Weight Change = Calories In vs. Calories Out

Several studies looking at carbohydrate distribution throughout the day in overweight individuals trying to lose weight demon- strated that skewing carbohydrate consumption to the latter half of the day (eating almost 80% after work) actually further promoted weight loss and reduced hunger during the day (which means increased adherence to a diet) compared to a group eating carbs evenly distributed throughout the day. This is further proof that the “no carbs after 6:00pm” myth has been de- bunked — if anything, it means you could benefit from saving your daily snack for the evening.

41. I don’t like vegetables. Any workarounds? Vegetables contain many essential vitamins and minerals that work to optimize health, immune function, energy, exercise performance and more. Plus, they’re rich in fiber, which supports digestion, fullness, and long-lasting energy. We strongly encourage you to eat them. Here are a few strategies to “sneak in” vegetables throughout the day:

• Omelets: Sauté peppers, onions, tomatoes, broccoli and/or spinach into an omelet. The fluffy eggs, herbs, spices, hot sauce, ketchup and/or potential cheese you add will certainly mask the taste.

• Smoothies: Add spinach or kale to smoothies. You will NOT taste the greens (though kale may have a slight taste), but beware it will turn your smoothie green. Try mixing whey protein, Greek yogurt, spinach and fruit regularly. Carrots even work well!

• Sandwiches: Sneak a piece of dark, leafy green lettuce between your protein and bread—you won’t notice it! Pile on any other vegetables you can tolerate too, because if you’ve packed your sandwich with protein and delicious bread, you’ll only notice the vegetable’s texture, not so much the taste.

42. Can I just take a “greens” supplement or multivitamin? Although these two options are beneficial, nothing replaces the combination of essential nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fiber that vegetables provide. We strongly suggest focusing on whole foods, and only treating a “greens” or multivitamin supplement as “icing on the cake” to a solid food-first foundation.

HEALTHY FATS…

43. How do I measure my healthy fats? If you’re consuming nut butters or oils, just measure out in tablespoons or fractions of them. If you’re eating nuts or avocados, just throw them on the food scale and measure the weight. For avocados only, use 3x the weight of nuts. So if the plan calls for 20g of nuts, that’s 60g of avocado.

44. Do I need to count the oil I used to cook with, e.g., coating the pan, or roasting meat/ veggies with? Yes. Please measure out the oil used during cooking for optimal results.

HYDRATION

45. How much water should I drink every day? Your thirst does a very good job of keeping you adequately hydrated unless you’re in a very extreme exercise training situation. Drinking a glass of water with each meal and drinking to thirst at any other time of the day is a good practice.

46. How can I tell if I am hydrated? The best method to assess hydration status is to monitor the color of your urine. Your urine should be “light like lemonade,” NOT “dark like apple juice.” The darker your urine, the more dehydrated you are. “Clear like water” isn’t desirable either, as this is a sign you’re low on electrolytes (sodium and potassium).

47. What are the consequences of dehydration?

  • Headaches
  • Irritability
  • Inability to focus
  • Slower reaction time
  • Decreased speed
  • Decreased strength
  • Decreased coordination

48. I’ve noticed frequent headaches since starting this plan. Why may this be happening? It’s common to skimp out on hy- dration habits when starting a new diet plan because you invest all of your time and energy into getting the food right, allowing hydrationt to fall by the wayside.

But dehydration is a major cause of headaches during the day (in addition to its other negative side effects, listed above). Your brain itself is 80% water, so a lack of water leads to irritability, decreased cognitive function, inability to focus, and ultimately a nasty headache. Reassess your hydration habits moving forward to help reduce headaches.

ALCOHOL

49. How does alcohol affect my weight loss goals?

• Increases Calories: Drinking alcohol contributes to your daily calorie intake. Plus, you’re more likely to indulge in high-cal- orie, high-fat foods, which further drives you into a calorie surplus. 1 standard beer (12 ounces), 1 standard shot (1 ounce), and 1 standard glass of wine (5 ounces) each contain well over 100 calories. This doesn’t include mixers used in many drinks.

• Stops weight loss: Alcohol literally puts a pause on weight loss by decreasing fat utilization, and increasing fat storage while it dedicates time and energy to rid the alcohol from your body. This isn’t a recipe for weight loss.

50. Is there a “best” type of alcohol? Yes. Red wines and colorful beers are probably a bit better for health than liquors, so long as you drink them sparingly.

51. How does alcohol affect my health? At 1-2 drinks per day, it will probably not harm your health, and might even enhance it. If you’d like to drink more than that on occasion, that’s just fine. But much more than that on a regular basis is not a great idea for your health.

MISCELLANEOUS

52. Is dairy ok on this diet? Yep, sure is. If it’s lean dairy, count it towards your lean protein foods. You can have fatty dairy foods on occasion, but we recommend you save those for the Base and New Base diets only, when you’re not actively trying to lose weight.

53. Will caffeine dehydrate me? No. Caffeine is a mild diuretic, but if you drink enough over a 24-hour period it has no meaningful effect on total hydration.

54. Can I buy frozen protein? Yes, you can buy protein fresh, frozen, and even canned.

55. Doesn’t cooking protein “ruin” it? No, cooking your protein doesn’t negatively impact protein quality or quantity. More info here.

56. Is grass-fed protein better for me? Grass-fed protein offers subtle, yet distinct nutritional advantages: It contains more omega-3 fatty acids, CLA, and potentially less total fat versus traditional grain-fed animals. HOWEVER, whether or not you choose grass-fed or grain-fed protein will not be the reason you are, or are not, successful. In the grand scheme of dieting, it’s a TINY difference. Buy what works for YOU and what YOU prefer. More info here.

57. I heard I should avoid tuna because it has mercury. Is this true? Mercury may be found in tuna in miniscule amounts. If you eat tuna in moderation, your risk for mercury poisoning will be very small. Moderation is key. However, if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or thinking about becoming pregnant, you should aim to have no more than two servings of fish per week.

58. Are frozen vegetables okay to eat? Yes. You may have fresh, frozen, or canned—whichever you prefer.

59. Do I need to be on a gluten-free diet? Most likely, no. A gluten-free diet is required for those diagnosed with Celiac Disease. People with Celiac disease have an autoimmune disorder that causes a severe allergic reaction to gluten—which is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Side effects include severe GI distress, bloating, headaches, and diarrhea. HOWEVER, it’s esti- mated that 1 – 1.5% of the population has Celiac disease, meaning very few people actually need to follow a gluten-free diet. The reason so many people report “feeling good” when going gluten-free is because they eliminate a lot of the junk and processed foods they were eating beforehand.

A small percentage of people have a gluten intolerance, meaning they may experience minor symptoms as discussed above when eating too much gluten. Proper follow-up with an allergy specialist is necessary to further confirm.

60. Should I be eating or drinking organic or non-GMO foods? There is no nutritional difference between organic/non-GMO and non-organic/GMO produce, meats, milk, eggs, etc. Choosing to eat organic/non-GMO is purely an individual choice based on your values and beliefs.

61. What’s the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance? A food allergy is characterized by an immune system response that results in antibodies attacking your own cells. A food intolerance is generally met with minor side effects, most notably GI distress, such as bloating and potential diarrhea.