*COOKIE CUTTER DIETS AND CUSTOM MEAL PLANS

More and more often nowadays I observe a very common situation where a person who pretends to be some sort of a “Guru” or “Expert vigorously
blames and criticizes any protocol more or less based on generalized approach instead of what they call individual customization. This mostly happens in the fitness industry. Usually they use the term cookie cutter diet for practically everything not based on daily calorie counting.

For the most part they have their point and it is really good, because an adequate macronutrient intake is more than vital specially when it comes to a situation with athletes or an individuals who want to improve their physique. Neglecting the importance of this might easily lead to many side effects such as nutrient deficiencies and interference with all of the recovery processes.

Consuming enough nutrients definitely should be a priority of everyone who cares about their physical fitness or just health in general.
We are all different, so as obvious we all have different requirements based on all of our daily activities and caloric expenditure. So when it comes to developing a proper meal plan this of course leads to the need of certain customization and adjustments. All of this that is true.

But nowadays I see a situation where this becomes extremely overrated. I see narrow minded people use this to neglect other parts of the equation a lot of them even 10 times more important.
But trust me, this is not the worst. Usually the same exact ignorant people use this to actually promote a lifestyle that completely destroys any relationship between optimal living, health and fitness.

Those people pretend that they will provide the solution to your better health, quality of life and of course the key to making progress with your physique by offering what the call a custom meal plan or diet.

But in the end of the day what the term customized really means? Lets ask ourselves few questions so we can easily figure this one out. So…

Is this an approach specially developed to find and eliminate all of the individual’s food intolerances?

Is it a meal plan which will show the person what are the exact foods that cause him or her cravings?

Is this the one which helps you find all of your food sensitivities?

Is the eliminating or removing all of the foods that cause cravings or hunger pains included part of the plan?

Is taking all of these foods out of the persons life a goal of this so called individually designed plan?

Since the fitness is or at least should be a healthy lifestyle what is the attitude this plan has to the dieter’s mental health and performance?

Are the boosting of things like motivation, creativity and overall satisfaction from life benefits of strictly following the plan?

How about sleep? 
Does this “Guru” , “Trainer” or “Coach” in Custom Plans pay attention to the importance of the High Quality Sleep?

Does this “uniquely” developed program teaches you how to get better sleep with (if possible) less time in bed?

Is this the meal plan that provides you both better pumps and growth while it does not interfere with your ability to stay focused on your daily work, craft or tasks as an artist, writer, entrepreneur or whatever your primary occupation might be?

Is it the one that helps you to improve your digestion and absorption?
Can this custom meal plan be in your use when it comes to meeting your daily macro and micronutrient needs. May this strictly individualized program help you not suffer from nutrient deficiencies?

Or maybe is actually the opposite?
It is a diet which only purpose is to make hit certain daily number of calories. 

Importance of buying and consuming higher quality, organic, grass fed or free range products is not prioritized and it is actually neglected/

This is a diet that based on calories in calories out type of approach.

Eliminating all of the processed junk foods is not a goal, actually is the opposite.
Eating processed garbage is highly tolerated or even recommended as long as it fits in your macros.

This guru promotes the statement that cravings are not problem and you should satisfy them, because this is the way to enjoy life a little bit … You know everybody needs it 😉

It really does not matter that these foods are packed with chemicals that will damage your cells and will interfere with the all fat burning processes and many other things in your body.

It is not important that they will produce detrimental effects on your hormones.

I hope all of those questions help you figure it out for your self. 

Conclusion and how I see things.

If you value your health, if feeling great, avoiding brain fog, performing at your best, kicking ass and living life without hunger and cravings are your priorities, than stay away from those
“custom meal plans”

If you want really figure how make the best food choices, so you can improve overall hormone balance and feel awesome 24/7 avoid them by any means.

Personally I started to develop completely different relationship with my body and way deeper understanding for food and nutrition, when I started experimenting with diets such as:

Serge Nubret way of eating, Ori Hofmekeler’s Warrior Diet, Dave Asprey’s BulletProof Diet, Vince Gironda’s Meat and Eggs Diet and others.
By adjusting them accordingly to my needs. I was able to figure out many things myself. Which is something highly recommended by all of the people I’ve mentioned, because the purpose of their methods is way more about reading the signals of your body and consuming high quality foods than hitting certain caloric intake.

But accordingly to many of the so called “Gurus” those are not custom meal plans.
In the end of the day you on your side figure for yourself out what the term “Custom” really means?
For me the answer is clear. How about you?

I hope that makes sense.
Yours Truly: PETEONTHEBEAT