EAT ME! Calories Are Burned Afterwards

Mate, can you believe how fast the year flew by? I hope you’re taking a much-deserved break and spending quality time with loved ones (and yourself) this holiday season. 

The days after Christmas and before New Year’s Eve can feel a little listless. But if we change our mindset a little, we can think of it as a great opportunity to relax, reflect, and prepare for the upcoming year. 

We’re going to start 2024 strong! Keep an eye out for my next newsletter for an exciting 6-week program.

Today’s Agenda

• EAT: The pursuit of dietary perfection is the killer of joy

• PERFORM: Understand your performance better in 2024

• LIVE: Free meal plan review by Dan 

EAT 

The pursuit of dietary perfection is the killer of joy

Coming to you from the Dolomites, where the hotel concierge shared this note along with chocolates:

It made me smile, because beyond taste, one of my core beliefs about food is the joy it brings to you. And the holiday season is all about joy! This time of year is meant for cherishing moments with loved ones and yourself, so go ahead and indulge in some relaxation. If you've been traveling like me, make the most of your vacation and explore the local flavors. 

Research indicates that indulging in certain foods can have a positive impact on hormones.

Leave moderation and a balanced diet to 2024. As the new year rolls around, we'll have plenty of opportunities to be mindful and intentional. Until then, keep in mind that while calories matter, so do your hormones.

For now, let’s understand that cravings aren't a sign of weakness; they are a natural part of human experience. So, go ahead, boost your serotonin and endorphins, and don't stress too much about treating yourself. 

Which brings me to this week’s recipe:

“I’ll bring dessert!” says you, newly equipped with my Chocolate “Lava” Cake recipe. It serves 12, which means 12 opportunities to show off your baking skills.

Get the recipe → 

PERFORM  

Understand your performance better in 2024, with WHOOP

What did you learn about your performance this year? Personally, I’ve always known that being an executive chef causes strain on the body, but I never understood just how intense my days truly are and exactly how much recovery my body needs — until Whoop came in.

My Year In Review: The access of in-depth data and insights through WHOOP is game changing! You can see exactly how much Strain you averaged, how you Recovered, and what you need to do better to perform at a higher level in 2024. 

In my case, I was super surprised to find my strain so high every single day, including non-exercise days. This opened my eyes to the demands I unwittingly placed on my body and mind, and through these insights, I can do a lot to better myself — and in turn, help all you legends!

WHOOP helps you really focus on controlling the controllable. In my case, my daily strain may not change much (unless I change my career path, which is unlikely, since I love my job) but I can control my recovery intentions and daily decisions, supporting physiological and physical adaptation. 

Trust me, even if you think you know patterns… you’ll always find yourself learning something new, and that knowledge provides an objective basis to make informed choices.

WHOOP’s January Jumpstart Challenge

Join Whoop’s January Jumpstart Challenge with me, and start improving your performance, sleep, and health — plus, get rewarded.

Four plans, four weeks, straight progress. Choose your challenge depending on your goal: Sleep Right, Strong Start, In The Green or Try Dry.

In case you’re curious, I’m taking on the 💪🏼Strong Start💪🏼 challenge. I’ll be sharing my data breakdowns on my Instagram Stories all month, so stay tuned.

If you are not already a WHOOP member, sign up for the 30-day free trial.

LIVE

You tell me what’s on your plate, I help you reach your legendary goals

Thanks for completing the meal plan forms, Legends! So awesome to see so many of you actively pursuing your goals. Of the hundreds of entries we received through the last newsletter, we’ve randomly chosen the first winner of a free 3-day meal plan review: Alex H 🎉

🚨 Remember, even though this meal-plan review is customized for Alex, we can all benefit from the insights and make adjustments in our own habits.

Alex is a 6'1" male, 36 years old, weighing 213 lbs. He exercises 4-5x per week, incorporating a mix of lifting, walking, jogging and rucking. His primary objective is to lose fat. Let’s take a look at Alex’s plate.

My Analysis and Recommendations:

Alex, my man, you are pretty active and your diet is decent. As you have the active part dialed in, I want to work a bit more specifics when it comes to your food intake as you are specifically looking for fat loss, and as we know, fat loss is different from weight loss.

Carbs:Protein:Fat ratio: In order to target fat, let’s start off with a 45:30:25 C:P:F ratio.

If we look at what you are currently doing, you are hitting pretty much all forms of the energy system, and likely using a combination of fat and carbs. To burn fat specifically, we want to have a lower % of your calories coming from fat, which is why I suggest 25% noted above. 

Based on the stats you’ve provided, I would guess you’re around 2700-2900 calories per day. There are 9 calories to 1 gram of fat. So your daily intake of fat should be no more than approximately 78g. 

And remember, not all fats are equal. It's essential to focus on quality fats. Your daily bacon intake contributes 9g of fat and not the best kind: saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, monounsaturated fat and cholesterol. Alternatively, an 8oz salmon filet provides about 28g of epic fats: omega-3 fatty acids, including EPA and DHA. On top of that, the cheese paired with bacon adds another 6-10g, depending on the type. Again, not the best kind, mate!

Key Takeaways:

1. Quantify your fat intake 

2. Choose epic fats over not so beneficial ones more consistently

Try your hand at my Almond-Crusted Healthy Fried Chicken and Easy One Pan Chicken Dinner 🥘

Final Thoughts:

Remember mate, our main focus is keeping a low fat ratio to carb and protein. I added in some diversity to support your gut microbes and provide additional epic micronutrients such as iron and essential fatty acids. Never adjust too many things too early, and definitely listen to your body. 

Support your workouts. You need to support your workouts with having enough energy. So I am okay with you having additional carbs depending on the day. For example, feel free to have that extra slice of sourdough on high load days.

I want you to alternate your proteins more, and adding black beans to your lunch or breakfast can bring in that diversity. They are high in fiber, low in fat and are super cheap. You can do a half portion of protein in the bowl and add the beans or double down!

Follow my 3-day plan, rinse and repeat until you hit your goal. Crush it, legend!

Wanna go next? ⏭

Just fill out this form to win a chance to have your meal plan reviewed and personalized. It's like having your own culinary coach in the kitchen!

LASTLY

Win big with our referral program 🎁

Don’t gatekeep! Share this newsletter with other Legends in your life and help them become even more Legendary. Our referral program has lots of big prizes in store for you!

Shoutout to Abel Blanco, who’s at the top of the leaderboard by crushing not 1, not 2, but all 5 referral tiers, with a whopping 51 referrals! 🏆

Want even more? Connect with me on social media for real-time updates, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and engaging with fellow legends.