Dairy, Dairy, Dairy….
I always hear so damn much talk and questions about it and honestly, it confused the hell out of me when I first started getting into nutrition as well.
So many fat loss experts or “Online Guru’s” preach about not having it in the diet when trying to lose fat or its effect on digestion.
Others say it’s an excellent source of protein and when it’s grass fed it has tons of benefits in it, like all the calcium, potassium, vitamin d, etc.
So which is it? Good or Bad?
Or more related to what I would assume most of us are wondering….
Does it hinder fat loss? Will it stop you from your goals?
The answer is simple and frustrating as hell, to most.
“It Depends.”
It depends on who YOU are. You see everyone is very different.
We all have different guts, digestive issues and abilities, different nutrient absorptions, different sensitivities, hormonal balances, and so much more.
So you cannot declare one thing as bad or good, especially in nutrition.
Now my main purpose of this article isn’t to give you an answer to your dairy problem, but because I brought up the topic and you’re probably eager to know – I’ll do my best to help you come to a personal conclusion.
I would do the 30-day test, in every situation, when it comes to a client’s reaction to specific nutrients or food groups.
This is a super simple system and way to determine your ability for a foods digestion, absorption, and ultimately if it is holding you back from reaching your personal goals.
In the case with dairy, remove it completely for 30 days. Record the progress. Do you sleep better? Have more clean focused energy? Is your digestion better? Do you feel better in the gym?
Maybe none of that happens at all and you feel no difference or it is too close to determine. Regardless of what the signs tell you, let the full 30 days go by with following this because that is the ideal amount of time to really see and feel a difference.
Then if you don’t notice a better or positive reaction to the removal of dairy, add it back in. You will either continue to not see any difference, which would be the best situation possible, or you will start getting some not so friendly symptoms and then you can come to the conclusion that it’s not best to have.
For me personally, dairy doesn’t bother me in small amounts. I can have a little cheese if I decide too, I eat a bit of Grass Fed Butter almost every single day, and when I go out for a slice of pizza I know I will survive the meal.
But if I go overboard… I don’t want to get in to details, so I’ll just say it’s “No Bueno!”
Here’s a quick story of how going overboard got the best of me…
‘Mansformation is an awesome transformation challenge we do for men of all ages and body types, it is the ultimate program when it comes to getting lean, adding strength and building some dense muscle.
Guys change so unbelievably much in not just the physical aspect, but mental as well.
[Click here if that intrigues you and you’d like to get in that program]
It’s a 61 day challenge and after day 61, I always a have a celebration with my team to reward their huge accomplishments. We have an awesome training session where I jump in and lift with them, then we all head to go grab a “MAN MEAL”.
Most of the time, this “Man Meal” ends up being at Salty’s on Alki Beach because they have a brunch buffet with an incredible amount of delicious foods and the view of the water and city is unreal.
Now these foods, some are healthy and fresh… Others, not so much.
So a couple of Mansformation Challenges ago I went all in on my favorites.
Starting an omelet, with cheeses inside, then onto a plate full of eggs Benedict’s, multiple different meat and seafood dishes, and then finally.
A MASSIVE plate of their famous Macaroni and Cheese, which is stuffed with bacon and sausage… Topped with bread crumbs… AND another extra layer of cheese.
It’s unbelievable, but as you can see – I ate a TON of dairy.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention, I was eating a cookie each time I walked up to the tables to reserve myself and I even washed my meals down with MILK!
I have no idea what the fuck I was thinking… So much dairy food! Could not be good.
So before even leaving the restaurant, I already went to the bathroom not feeling well.
Got home, laid down because I could not move without horrible pain in my gut, and within at most 30 minutes I got up and ran to the bathroom to throw up. I yacked and yacked, then took a nap… Ruined my Saturday night, to say the least.’
So moral of the story… Dairy isn’t bad, in fact it may help you gain more muscle because the protein profile of the food is actually great, but it can be over done.
The key is truly knowing your limits, what doesn’t sit right with you, and what does.
And this goes for every single food group out there.
Beans can be very healthy, filled with fiber, have a quality protein, and even serve as a good post-training carb. But with me, they don’t sit right. I feel like shit when I eat them, so I rarely eat them.
You don’t need a doctor, a nutritionist, a blood panel, or a allergy test to tell you that something makes you sluggish and have horrible digestion!
If you don’t process it well, you wont receive good nutrients from it and that means you will not receive good results with it in your diet.
Simple. As. That.
During digestion, you’re not just getting rid of what you ate… Your body is processing and absorbing nutrients, which will then be used for energy, recovery, and, most importantly of course, GAINZZZZZ.
So my advice to you, coming from someone who has tested every style of dieting on myself personally and many clients just like you….
Listen to your body!
No food is bad and no food is good. It all depends on YOU and whether it fits YOUR body and the results you desire will come from continuing to eat that nutrient or food group.
My second piece of nutrition advice for this article…
Eat For Performance.
If you eat to feel good, have better hormonal balances, better digestion, better mood, and better energy in the gym, then you’ll have much better results and be much happier, I guarantee it.
That’s all from me today; hope this answers the question of “Does dairy affect my fat loss?”
P.S. – If you’ve tried this, had more trouble with your diet or just need a structured nutrition system and accountability to get the results you want, which 99.9% of us do, then please click HERE and find out if you’re the right fit for my program.
