Get lean during travels, track your food like this, and plant protein boost
Apr 03, 2025
Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.
You'll receive one personal health insight, three actionable tips, and one concrete action step. Let's dive in.
What's in store for today:
- A simple way to drop fat and build muscle even during busy travel seasons.
- Track your food like this (even if you can't count calories).
- Boost your plant protein using this easy nutrition preparation tactic.
How easy is it to give up?
I’ve worked in the fitness industry for ten years. I’ve lifted weights for 15 years. I’ve been an athlete for 25 years.
No one begins something to quit soon after.
“Let me get married... and divorce in six months.”
“Let me start school... and quit after five months.”
“Let me get in shape... and quit four months later.”
Yet, this is what many do.
That’s why we designed our VFR Curriculum to last for life—not just a few months or years but decades.
It’s built on a simple system used by universities worldwide. You can apply it to health, wealth, or relationships.
Here’s how it works:
- Habit development: 30–120 days
- Lifestyle integration: 12–18 months
- Identity transformation: 2–3 years
Most should focus on identity transformation first. Only then should they think about leadership and embodiment.
That’s the system.
If you focus on health and fitness, looking toward the future, you will win the fitness game.
It’s game over, and you’ll be fit for life.
But creating your new health and fitness identity will not be easy. There will be challenges and times when you want to quit.
Whether you go it alone or have a guide, remember two things each day:
- Your big 5-year vision of health
- Your deep why (your real reason for changing)
You'll go far with these two things and a focus on momentum over perfection.
You’ll need a telescope to reflect on your life in just a few years. That’s how much you’ll change.
After working with hundreds of high-performing, plant-based clients worldwide, I've seen a critical trait in the best: persistence.
They are stubbornly committed. They don’t give up.
If you don’t give up, success is inevitable.
Our modern world doesn’t build persistence. It offers comfort, luxury, and ease.
While those are nice, they don’t develop character.
That’s why lifting weights builds character. It’s not just about getting lean and strong; it’s also about who you become along the way.
It’s up to you to write the next page in your life’s book.
Lesson: Who you are speaks so loudly, I can’t even hear what you’re saying.
Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:
1.) How I'd stay lean while traveling
Traveling this summer taught me a key lesson:
Fitness MUST be flexible.
I’ve always known that flexibility matters when traveling. However, I felt its importance during the past few years of trips.
Asheville, Arizona; Austin; Puerto Rico; Estonia; Greece; Poland; Colorado; New York; Hawaii; Los Angeles; back to Asheville; and Colorado again.
Across 6 time zones and back.
Here are two strategies to help you stay toned while traveling:
1. Eat to 80% Fullness
Many of us tend to overeat and rush meals.
Eating to 80% fullness helps you to slow down and enjoy your food.
The best part?
You don’t need to track macros or calories. Just listen to your hunger and fullness signals.
When you eat to 80% fullness, you also create a caloric deficit by reducing your eating by 20%.
You need to drop 400-500 k/cal daily to hit your net loss of 1 pound of body fat per week.
Without tracking your calories. Calorie tracking is helpful, but it can be tough to hit macros while traveling.
That’s why eating to 80% fullness can be a great tool in your fitness toolbox.
Bonus tip: Divide your plate into â…“ vegetables/fruit, â…“ vegan protein, and â…“ healthy carbs.
2. Lift Weights 3 Times a Week for 20 Minutes
Ideally, I’d suggest doing it four times weekly for 45-60 minutes to maximize results.
While traveling, workouts change.
20-minute sessions with 2-4 main lifts, such as squats, pushups, deadlifts, and rows, work best for keeping muscle and losing fat.
It’s not perfect.
It’s not glamorous.
But it works.
Here’s a quick workout template for your next trip:
- Dumbbell squats: 4 x 12 at RPE: 7-9
- Dumbbell bench press: 4 x 12 at RPE: 7-9
- Dumbbell Bulgarian split squat: 4 x 12 at RPE: 7-9
- Dumbbell bent-over row: 4 x 12 at RPE: 7-9
If you lack weights, use these substitutes:
- Replace squats with bodyweight squats.
- Swap bench presses for pushups.
- Change split squats to bodyweight split squats.
- Use heavy objects, like a backpack or books, for bodyweight rows instead of bent-over rows.
Staying fit while traveling is possible.
We all have the same amount of time. It’s how we use it that counts.
Doing something for your health is always better than doing nothing while traveling.
2.) Use this simple food tracking tool
One of the easiest ways to track food isn’t by counting calories.
It's by taking photos of your meals.
Let me explain.
Taking photos does two things:
- It raises awareness of what you eat.
- It lets you see what foods you’re eating (or not).
After coaching hundreds of people, I've seen that some love tracking food, some hate it, and others don't care.
No matter where you fall, nutrition awareness is a skill everyone can benefit from.
Photo logging can enhance fitness results, especially with helpful feedback.
While calorie tracking is useful, combining both methods can lead to better outcomes.
A simple way to use photo logging is to set a mini-challenge:
- Track your food for at least 30 days (90 days are even better).
- Each week, improve one meal.
- Focus on addition, not subtraction.
Let me clarify the third rule.
Rule #3 is simple. Just add more beneficial foods without cutting out your favorite indulgences.
For example, if you eat a fast food vegan burger and fries for dinner, add nutrition instead of restricting.
Add an apple or a banana to your meal for the first week.
Then, include a kale salad with lentils and avocado.
Consider adding chickpeas or a bigger fruit salad next.
Maybe top it off with air-fried tempeh or tofu.
After a month, your dinner can completely transform.
One more note:
When focusing on addition, eat the new foods first before your usual choices.
Without restrictions, you’ll notice the less nutritious foods beginning to fade away.
Not because you restricted yourself (you can still have them).
You're putting nutrition first and tuning in to your body's hunger cues.
Remember: addition over subtraction.
Keep this in mind next time you track your food.
Let me know how it goes.
3.) Boost your plant protein intake using this method
Many people ask me how to get more protein on a vegan diet.
First, let’s set a quick guideline:
You don't need much protein if you focus on HEALTH (not weight loss or muscle gain).
Most Americans (and people worldwide) eat too much protein and fat.
Protein is often overhyped when it comes to health.
Fitness is a different story.
Your protein needs can be higher when aiming for fat loss or muscle gain.
For fat loss, 1.0 to 1.5 grams per pound.
For muscle gain, I recommend 0.8 to 1.0 grams per pound.
*Note the numbers above from this Precision Nutrition graph are in kilograms
For fat loss or weight loss, your protein needs increase.
When you lose weight and fat, your body may also lose muscle.
Eating enough protein and lifting weights signals your body to keep that muscle.
Here are two easy ways to boost your protein intake:
a. Start your day with protein.
Have a protein-rich oatmeal bowl or a smoothie to kick off your morning.
Aim for at least 25 grams of protein per meal.
If you weigh 170 lbs, target 35 grams per meal.
If you're 120 lbs, aim for 25 grams per meal.
Break your meals into smaller goals. This way, you won’t feel overwhelmed if you fall short later in the day.
b. Plan your meals ahead of time.
This is one of the simplest ways to get more protein without stress.
- Outline your menu for the week before it starts.
- Choose high-protein vegan meals. Click here for free access to our VFR High Protein Meals with low calories and fat.
- Block time on your calendar to eat. If it's not scheduled, it might not happen.
*This last point is crucial. As a busy high achiever, I understand how easy it is to get caught up in work.
Set aside time to eat.
It makes a difference.
1 Action Step
Simplify your fitness, meals, and health. Choose one area to simplify and stay focused on for at least 14 days.
One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power.
- Tao Te Ching
Headed to CO this week.
I'll be offline for the next 7 days.
I'm taking off next week's letters to reduce the overwhelm.
I'll be back in here by the 15th.
Who else is looking forward to the summer?
Catch up soon,
|
Whenever you're ready, there's 3 ways I can help you:
|