PEOPLE who want to lose weight have asked certified National Academy of Sports Medicine personal trainer Jerry Diaz what nutrition approach or diet is he following.
Roland Balajadia cools down after a box and lift training session at BBJ Athletics.
Is it Keto? Paleo? Low carb? Intermittent fasting?
“Today I’ll share my surprising answer,” Diaz told Variety. “I’ll also explain how I’ve used certain ‘best diet’ principles in my coaching program to help change the lives of the men and women I train.”
Diaz said he does not belong to a single “diet camp.”
“If I could pick just one diet approach, I would. Believe me, it’d make things a lot easier. But I just can’t do it,” he added. “I don’t believe there’s a single, absolutely, positively, without-a-doubt best diet for every person to follow, always and forever.”
When Diaz creates an individual’s fitness and nutrition program, he considers several factors such as the person’s body type, dietary preferences and exclusions, budget, nutrition knowledge, environment/community and time.
“There’s simply no way I’d be able to help individuals improve their health and fitness if I tell them to follow a one-size-fits-all program,” Diaz said.
He said if Keto, Paleo or intermittent fasting works for you personally, then you should be happy you found something that is helping you reach your fitness goals.
However, Diaz said, even though it worked for you at one point in your life, under a particular set of circumstances, “I can’t tell everyone else to follow the same program That’s just silly.”
He said he creates a fitness and nutrition program based on the specific and unique needs of each of his clients.
“Which means that as a nutrition coach, I shouldn’t really belong to any specific nutrition camp at all,” he added.
Diaz noted that many of the diet camps recommend regular exercise.
“Different well-designed dietary philosophies — even when they seem oppositional and antagonistic on the surface — can all promote good health, body composition, and longevity,” Diaz said.
There is no such thing as one, universal “best” diet, he reiterated.
“Most popular diets actually have a lot in common. When done with care, attention, and a little coaching, it helps control appetite, improve food quality, promote exercise, and raise nutritional awareness.”
Diaz also believes that coaches should never lock into a single philosophy. Coaches, he added, should not waste energy bullying people into a particular way of eating — it’s not necessary.
According to Diaz, habit-based coaching is better than diet-based coaching. Long-term nutrition habits are more effective than diet plans and “rules,” he added.
“The best diet to follow is the one that’s best for you. Consult with a professional nutritionist or a dietitian to learn more about a specific diet program you plan to following,” Diaz said.
“And that’s why I don’t have a diet philosophy. Instead, I have a personal coaching process. One that helps clients find the best diet for them. One that they can follow even on their worst day — not just on their best.”
One of Diaz’s clients, Roland Balajadia, shared his thoughts on finding a diet that works for you:
“Be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Don’t be afraid to try things you haven’t tried before. Challenge yourself to reach a little further each day.”
But remember: always consult a doctor before starting a new nutrition and/or fitness program.
As for professional fitness nutrition inquiries, contact Jerry Diaz through Instagram at @BBJ_Athletics or Facebook.
