Diet program content vs. program integration: which is more important.

[The_Real_XN]

When it comes to dieting, no one will argue that the plan/program is essential. Likewise, I think most of us with experience in dietary management (if not everyone) would agree that INTEGRATION of a diet program seamlessly into your "real life" is also crucial for successful results.

Agreed. Both program content AND integration are pretty essential for success.

But, if you peruse popular media or look through forum postings it would seem (anecdotally) that emphasis is placed squarely with program CONTENT; that the majority of discussions, debates and articles discuss diet CONTENT, and few take more than a fleeting mention of diet INTEGRATION. Instead, topics range from scientific validity, proper nutrient equations, timing and purpose – all important, but all "static" in nature. None of these topics explain "best application" or "best practices. They only describe the theory.

So what about integration? Certainly those things mentioned above are crucial to learn -- not doubting that at all. But, by over-emphasizing program CONTENT, are we inadvertently downplaying the fact that program INTEGRATION is, in fact, the make-or-break factor?

isn't it MORE important for beginners and novices to focus on INTEGRATION rather than fussing with content?

Think about it. I could hand you the "best" diet in the world, perfectly suited to your physical needs and goals, but if you could not manage it yourself than it becomes useless.

Many people do exactly that: they beg and plead with professionals until FINALLY someone hands them a neatly drawn-out schedule, a list of meals, numbers and objectives . . . I will give credit and say that very, VERY often these diets are AWESOME in their content. Indeed, some are startlingly well researched. But no matter how high the quality of diet content, the fact remains that it seems seem (again, anecdotally speaking), there still people struggle when it comes to INTEGRATING that plan.

Then, because these struggles to figure out proper integration are left un-addressed or under-serviced, confusion, wrong conclusions and misinformation begin to run rampant. And sadly, most often, there is even complete dietary program abandonment.

I would conclude, then that most content-based diets -- although many have PHENOMENAL content -- nonetheless seem to mislead the process of dieatary success. They are often little more than static lists of sparse instruction, and so do not account for the robust nature of our lives.

Look, even a diet plan built of "mediocre" content, if followed loyally, will produce greater results than a diet program with "perfect" content with which one struggles.

So, are we missing the boat by focusing our diet efforts so heavily on content?

Should we at LEAST pay equal attention to how the "dietetically successful" people integrated their diets into their lives?

A diet that is fully integrated into a life is seamless with day-to-day activity and lifestyle. Integrated dieting cooperates with the NON-bodybuilding aspects of life. It doesn't require any special "extra efforts"; it just blends in.

Such thorough diet program integration is achieved both through progressive behavior modifications, and also (and essentially) via a diet program which, at it's creation, was built to best cooperative with less flexible aspects of a person's identity, like their geography, occupation, psychological food history, schedule, familial responsibilities, sense of fun, etc.

In short, integrated diet program bend to fit life, instead of demanding that life bends to fit the diet. And aren't THOSE skills WAY more valuable in the long run than arguments about nitty-gritty diet program content?

So, I submit that "white knuckling" a diet program (i.e., just changing your life around to "obey" the commands of a diet program) is only ever a short- to medium-range solution. The REAL mission of an athlete is to INTEGRATE their diet. After that, content improvements can be made more effectively by progressively incorporating those improvement WITHIN that integrated scheme.

Currently, so many diet programs involve case scenarios that are unusual from the real aspects of life. And yet, in spite of this disparity, we see scant little discussion of the journey one takes over time to integrate such diet programs. Meanwhile, that journey is not only a lengthy one, but it is very often also systematic, and therefore CAN be discussed in terms of processes, tactics, skills and methods. So, then, where is the discussion of THOSE topics?

Are we missing the boat by over-emphasizing "diet" as content instead of focusing more strongly on diet as integration?




Thoughts? Agreements? Dissents?

[bhotex]

I think I understand you correctly -- are we so focused on what is allowed in a specific diet and less focused on making the small easy changes in our daily routines that make a healthy difference over one's lifetime?

I need to give this some thought, but overall, I think I agree with quite a bit -- if not, all -- of what you are saying. I'll be back.

[The_Real_XN]

Originally Posted by bhotex

I think I understand you correctly -- are we so focused on what is allowed in a specific diet and less focused on making the small easy changes in our daily routines that make a healthy difference over one's lifetime?

Thanks for the redux! :-)


And likewise, I worry that people sing the praises of heroes too easily around the diet game.

I often watch as just too many shredded guys are blindly put on a pedestal because they are believed to have mastered the art of dieting. MEanwhile, from my assessment, they have often only merely mastered the SCINSE and not the art, as it were. I mean that, upon closer inspection, I find that they have merely memorized and applied a description of great dietary CONTENT, and yet meanwhile can not necessarily offer quality descriptions of great METHODS for integration. All science, no substance.

[TheMuzikMan]

This is absolutely fantastic knowledge.

[The_Real_XN]

Originally Posted by TheMuzikMan

This is absolutely fantastic knowledge.

Wow. Thanks.

I guess I can keep my coaching job, then?

LOL!

But really, this is just "what I do". Hopefully, folks will get the hang of "working logically" sooner or later an realize it's worth trying out for a change . . . ! In the meantime, I'll just try to put the logic out there, hoping SOMEONE figures out there's more there to learn.