Building Blocks : Nutrition

Most of what we see pushed about health and fitness is extreme because it catches attention. When I was growing up, it was the video clips of Ronnie Coleman or Chuck Vogelpohl squatting unfathomable weights that caught my attention. This has always been the case, but what’s never shown in these videos or pictures is the framework that created that moment. Sometimes when we see these exceptional people we ask the question what are they doing to get those results, but the question we should ask is what were they doing when they started. This can be applied to a variety of things like strength, cardio, nutrition, etc. Everything has layers to becoming successful. If you want to be a great cook, you need to understand how to shop efficiently and also stock your kitchen with commonly used supplies. That’s not a cooking skill, but a preparation skill. Let’s look into building blocks that can create success for your health and fitness. 

Nutrition

Building Blocks - Grocery shopping, kitchen organization, schedule, taste preferences, nutrition preferences. 

Grocery Shopping - Understanding how to navigate your grocery store will save you time and money. At every turn there’s a distraction to try to get you to make another two dollar purchase. If you don’t fully understand what you need and over purchase, then you risk wasting money because the food will go bad. Helpful tips for shopping ; have a list and don’t shop hungry. The chips on the end cap don’t seem as necessary when your stomach is full and when you have a list, it doesn’t matter what is on sale. 

Kitchen Organization - Do you have the tools you need to cook the foods you want and are they easily accessible? Once a year go through the cupboards and organize based on your current life. This will also help to get rid of things you don’t actually use. 

Schedule - People are busy and not being aware of their schedule is what derails most progress. For us, we can generally cook Monday and Tuesday night which means Wednesday night will be leftovers and then we can prep a small dinner on Thursday. Friday night is pizza or date night. A day planner doesn’t seem that exciting in 2026, but it still helps to visually see what your week ahead looks like and where potential issues can pop up. This is where you can pack extra snacks like veggie packs, protein bars, mixed nuts etc. to stay away from gas station food choices. 

Taste Preference - When I was 19 and preparing for my first bodybuilding show, my diet was plain chicken breast and sweet potatoes five times a day. At 37, I’m not doing that. A common reason for people going off their nutrition plan is they hate to eat the same thing all the time. This just means they need more practice cooking to understand what they like. A variety of spices, sauces, oils, and veggies can really enhance a dish. Learning to cook food you enjoy is a life skill that improves your physical and financial health. 

Budget - I remember reading the muscle magazines in the early 2000s and it would highlight someone’s nutrition and all I could think was what were they doing to afford it. Luckily, it wasn’t their nutrition plan, it was the writer of the articles ideas about nutrition. The daily list would be things like fish, filets, chicken breast, etc. Like everything else in life, you have to learn to budget to make it sustainable. Buying organic foods can have benefit, but not if the extra costs means you’re sacrificing an essential for life. Try practicing setting spending limits on the grocery store each week and over time this skill will improve and lower the stress of thinking eating healthy has to be expensive. 

Nutrition Preference - This was left for last on purpose. We’re constantly told about the perfect diet. Carnivore, fasting, carb cycling etc. They all work to a degree because they create an energy deficit by pulling some lever. When you take care of the other building blocks, you naturally seem to make slightly healthier choices over time that compound. You can set your target macros and fine tune things along your journey, but far too often that’s our focus without having the support. 

I have this wild theory that if we learn the skills to structure our day around food we enjoy, that we created yourself to hit our specific taste and budget preferences that we will have a higher adherence rate leading to better long term success. This process allows us to better use internal cues and awareness of hunger, fullness, and what foods give or take energy away from us. This isn’t a pass or fail journey, rather a learning process where we can adjust each thing based on what we need at that time. 

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