Nutrition Advice I No Longer Give at FLEXX Fitness
Hey FLEXX fam,
I’ve been in this game a long time—coaching, training, and watching what actually moves the needle for real people with real lives. Over the years, I’ve handed out plenty of nutrition “rules” that I was 100% sure about… until experience, better science, and frustrated clients proved me wrong.
Here’s the nutrition advice I no longer give, and what I tell people instead.
1. “Carbs are the enemy—cut them as low as possible”
This one wrecked a lot of people. Low-carb worked great for some, especially early on for fat loss, but for others it killed energy, destroyed workouts, and made them miserable.
These days I focus on smart carbs around training. Pre- and post-workout carbs can actually help you train harder and recover better. It’s not about zero carbs—it’s about earning them with your training and choosing better sources most of the time (oats, rice, fruit, potatoes) instead of living on broccoli and chicken forever.
2. “The anabolic window is everything—get protein + carbs within 30 minutes after training or you wasted the session”
I used to time shakes or a protein bar like a mad scientist. Reality? Sometimes you forget. Total daily protein and overall nutrition matter far more than that narrow post-workout window for most lifters. If you’re already eating enough protein throughout the day, that shake can wait until you get home. On the other hand, I’ve had clients who often felt nauseous if they ate anything immediately after a workout and they still were able to achieve their results
3. “Just eat clean and the fat will melt off”
“Clean eating” sounds great until it turns into an obsessive, joyless way of eating that leads to binge-restrict cycles. I’ve seen way too many people feel guilty about a slice of pizza or a normal restaurant meal.
Now we talk about consistency over perfection. 80-90% good choices with room for flexibility gets better long-term results than 100% clean for two weeks followed by a blowout.
4. “Calories don’t matter—just focus on food quality”
This one is sneaky. Yes, food quality matters for health and satiety, but at the end of the day, energy balance still rules for weight loss or gain. I’ve had clients eating “perfect” meals but still not losing the way they wanted because they were in a surplus. You have to be in a deficit in order to help weight loss.
We now track the basics when needed: protein, total calories, and training performance. Tools like MyFitnessPal get used as a check-in, not a life sentence.
What I Focus On Now at FLEXX
Hit your protein target daily (most people do better aiming higher than they think)
Manage overall calories for your goal (surplus for building, deficit for losing)
Time carbs around hard training sessions
Build meals you actually enjoy so you can stick with it!!
Prioritize sleep and recovery (still the biggest game-changer)
The best nutrition plan is the one you can follow for months, not days. Sustainable beats perfect every single time.
If you’re spinning your wheels with your nutrition, come talk to one of the trainers. We’ll look at what you’re actually doing and build something that works with your schedule and preferences—no more outdated rules.
What’s one piece of old nutrition advice you’ve ditched? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear what’s worked (or not worked) for you.
Let’s keep getting stronger and smarter,
Your FLEXX Fitness Team