The global weight loss and weight management industry is approaching USD $200 billion and is growing at 8.5% a year.

There are a lot of opinions, approaches, fads and beliefs when it comes to food.

To help the Men of Argent Alpha navigate this confusing area we developed guidelines which we call F³ - Food For Fuel.

Our POV

The nutrition component of Argent Alpha is focused on three objectives:

• Supporting Men in the pursuit of their target body fat %

• Helping Men preserve and build lean muscle mass

• Creating sustainable and informed eating habits to support the first two objectives

Nutrition is a minefield filled with dogma, good and bad science, fads and lots of opinions. While we don’t recommend a specific diet we do have a POV and guidelines proven to help members achieve the objectives outlined above.

Basics

Below are some basics that inform our approach:

• 3 Levers Of Nutrition (Dr. Peter Attia). Attia describes nutrition as having 3 levers. Always pull at least one, oftentimes 2 and sometimes all three. The three levers of nutrition are:

  • Quantity - how much you eat.

  • Quality - the quality of the food you eat.

  • Timing - when you eat.

• Macronutrients (macros) Are The Building Blocks. Protein, Carbohydrates and Fats (which together determine your total calories) are the macros that drive overall health and body composition. The quantity and quality of each are what largely determine your results.

• To Build Muscle you Need to Eat Muscle (From Young Forever by Dr. Mark Hyman). Humans have been eating a meat centered diet for thousands of years and meat delivers all the essential amino acids required for preserving and building lean muscle tissue (as well as being nutrient dense).

• Processed Foods Should Be Minimized. Processed foods which are composed of simple carbohydrates (sugar), seed oils, preservatives, and low quality ingredients are at the root of the obesity epidemic. Minimize and/or avoid processed foods.

• Prepare Your Food. When you prepare your own food you control all 3 of the levers and you decide the quality, quantity and timing of your nutrition. Men in Argent Alpha who are enjoying success report 80% of their meals are prepared in the home.

• Measure Your Food. Going back to Attia’s levers, we recommend starting by measuring your food for 2 weeks so you can understand your quantity of food as well as the quality (read the labels).

Below is a summary we use to help Men get started. Choose the column that reflects your current body fat %.

*The Strength Training track refers to different training tracks in our internal training program called Argent Alpha Athlete (A³). Move is the track for Men just getting started with strength training, Work is the intermediate track and Train is for advanced athletes. No matter your current level of fitness, we have an option. Learn more about resistance training in issue #010 of Harder To Kill.

Our coaches will help members fine tune the variables above based on their unique circumstances. This could include going into a temporary calorie surplus, adjusting their macro ratios, or adjusting the timing of meals.

Getting Started

1. Starting Line. Use the Precision Nutrition Calculator. You’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions and you’ll receive a comprehensive report on protein, carbohydrates, fat and total calories along with recommended food sources and portion sizes.
   

2. Determine How You Will Track. You can use MyFitnessPal and a food scale to track your meals or use the hand method and the tracking sheet included in the Precision Nutrition (PN) guide.
   

3. Planning. Read through the report and take note of the columns labeled “eat more, eat some, eat less” and write down the foods you will eat and avoid from each column. If you cook your own meals (highly encouraged), this list will form the basis of your shopping list.
   

4. Shopping. No need to change where you shop. Focus on high quality ingredients and lean cuts of meat. The highest quality meats are grass fed (and finished) beef and bison, free range or pasture raised poultry, pasture raised pork, wild caught fish (the smaller the fish the better to reduce mercury and heavy metals). For vegetables, fruits, grains and look for organic to avoid consuming glyphosate (the main ingredient in Roundup). If you are eating grains, focus on organic whole grains, ideally sprouted, and avoid flour.
   Costco and Trader Joe’s have numerous high quality products, fresh and frozen. Clint Murray, a member and coach at Argent Alpha and co-founder of Optimal Integrative Health has compiled a healthy shopping list for Costco and Trader Joe’s. Thanks Clint!
   

5. Prepping. Macro batch cooking is the easiest way to prepare your food. Here’s an example:
   Protein: Put 2-3 lbs of chicken breasts and 2-3 lbs of chicken thighs in a slow cooker. Add your favorite seasonings, put on low, and let it cook 4-6 hours or until it is easily shreddable with a fork.
   Carbohydrates: Focus mainly on non-starchy vegetables like cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, onions, asparagus, brussel sprouts, etc. Minimize starchy vegetables and grains like potatoes, rice, etc. unless your body fat % is <20% and you are training (earn your starch). These can easily be steamed or baked in large quantities or you can put them into your slow cooker with your meat (add them after cooking the meat for at least 3 hours. You’ll need to estimate timing).
   Fat: Think of fat as a condiment and use your thumb as a guide for portion size. Focus on high quality fats such as olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, grass fed butter and coconut oil. Avoid seed oils (aka the devil’s sweat) like canola oil, sunflower oil, vegetable oil, etc. Add fat to your meal for flavoring.
   Bowl: Measure your macros (scale or hand) and add to a bowl and you’re all set.

6. Protein powders. Initially you are going to want a high quality protein powder to help you reach your daily protein target. As you progress in the program and fine tune your nutrition, you may want to consider reducing your use of protein powders and use whole foods to reach your protein and calorie targets.
   
   When shopping for a protein powder look for a product that is high in protein and low in carbs, fats and fillers. There are two ways to assess this:
   * grams of protein per serving / total grams per serving
   * calories from protein per serving / total calories per serving
   Let’s look at a high quality product called Naked Whey:

   

   
   Here’s how Naked Whey stacks up:
   * 25 grams of protein per serving / 30 total grams per serving = 83%
   * 100 calories from protein per serving / 120 total calories per serving = 83%
   Aim for products that are 80% or higher. If your current favorite is close, stick with it.
   

7. Start Early. Most Men in our group are consuming 140 to 220 grams of protein a day depending on their weight and goals. Eat your first meal no later than 10 am and make sure every meal has at least 40-50 grams of protein in it.
   

8. Intermittent Fasting. Intermittent fasting can be a great tool for calorie restriction but it does pose a challenge for hitting your protein target. Prioritize hitting your daily protein target before IF. The benefits of hitting your protein target outweigh the benefits of a 12-16 window of fasting so if you have to choose, choose protein.
   

9. Mindful Eating. Pausing before you eat is a great habit to develop. Pause, think about what you are about to eat and ask yourself if this is moving you towards your goals or away from it.

Shut It Down. Stop eating 3 hours before bed (variable method) or finish dinner by 6:00 pm (fixed method). The intent here is to give your digestive system a break to improve your sleep quality and reduce mindless eating while you relax in the evening. If you are doing intermittent fasting, it starts your fast. Brush and floss after dinner to reduce the risk of snacking. This might be one of the most important habits to create if your body fat % is over 15%.

Summary

Nearly 80% of Men over 50 are overweight or obese. Join the 20% by following these simple guidelines:

• Make all of your meals protein-centric. Aim for 6-8 ounces of high quality lean protein at each meal.

• Eat all the veggies you want. Vegetables are low in calories and carbohydrates. Eat as many as you like.

• Limit starches. Reduce or eliminate “starchy” foods like rice, potatoes, and grains. They are higher in calories and carbohydrates.

• Remove sugar. Avoid all foods with added sugars. Read the labels of foods. Fruit is fine in moderation.

• Choose healthy fats. Extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, grass fed ghee and coconut oil are your best options. Avoid all seed oils and check labels. Corn, canola, sunflower, palm and nearly any oil not listed as “best options” are to be avoided.

• Cook Your Own Food. Cooking your own food allows you to control the quantity, quality and timing of your meals and educates you about all of the hidden ingredients in so-called “healthy” foods. The fewer the ingredients, the better.

• Order Off Menu. If you are eating at a restaurant, order exactly what you want. Keep it simple and order your protein and veggies how you want them. Example: “I’ll have the grilled salmon and a double side of steam veggies.” Ask them to avoid canola oil and other seed oils.

Argent Alpha is a community of Men over 50 who are becoming Harder To Kill.

Once you realize you need a band of brothers to get rid of the DadBod, you are ready for the next step. Apply today.