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 Zuzka (BodyRock.tv) – Zuzana (aka Zuzka) is one of my favorite fitness people. I think she’s in incredible shape, and has a perfect female figure (in my opinion). Her diet has changed slightly here and there, but her current philosophy is to follow Michael Pollan’s eater’s manifesto from the book “In Defense of Food“. That manifesto is posted right here on this site. It’s “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

“Food” means things that have a very short ingredient list, or better yet, have no ingredient list at all. Zuzana also takes a protein supplement, fish oil supplement and greens supplement.

Here’s a post about what she and her BodyRock.tv partner Freddy eat in a typical day. Now, this was at a time when they were trying to eat veggies and protein at every meal. I know that’s changed to a more balanced, relaxed, Michael Pollan approach and I don’t think they’re are as strict about what they eat and when.

I do know they eat very clean and only occasionally indulge in sweets and desserts. I believe they try not to eat many carbs. At one point, they mentioned eating carbs only in the morning, or within 2 hours of working out, but again, that approach has changed slightly.

As far as fitness goes, Zuzana does a short, but intense workout each day, 5-6 days a week and takes one day off for rest and / or has 1-2 days of active rest (bike riding, hiking, house cleaning, etc.). Zuzka says she only does the workouts from her site (there’s no extra weight training at the gym), which use interval training for maximum fat loss.

Whatever Zuzka is doing, it is definitely working! Don’t you think?

Zuzka diet synopsis: 
- Yes to carbs, but in small quantities and mostly in the morning (possibly? Not sure if that’s still true)
- Yes to clean foods (avoid boxed, packaged “food”)
- Yes to a balanced approach to eating
- Yes to meat, but smaller portions

I saw an interview where Jillian Michaels basically said that it’s all about the calories! You need to burn more calories than you take in to lose weight. So, I put Jillian’s philosophy as “Calories, calories, calories.” Except, as you’ll read later, it is important to avoid junk food! (Duh?)

So, let’s see what Jillian eats in a typical day. This is from an interview from Self.com.

Breakfast: To start the day off right, Michaels stocks up on carbs for long-lasting energy. “Breakfast is usually whole-grain Ezekiel English Muffins with almond butter,” she says. “And I eat two whole English Muffins, about 500 calories.”

Lunch: “For lunch, I’ll usually have some sort of fish and veggies,” says Michaels, who usually eats with her Biggest Loser contestants. “Salmon carpaccio and a vegetable or salad. But if it comes with cheese, I won’t eat the cheese.”

Snack: For a quick afternoon pick-me-up, “I’ll have hummus and carrot sticks or chips and salsa or an orange and raw almonds or Brazil nuts,” she says. “A little bit of protein and a little bit of carbs.” No matter what she’s munching on, you can bet it’ll be the healthiest option. “The things that are in Doritos! That thing is like a cancer wafer. I’ll pass. I’ll have baked corn chips instead.”

Dinner: “I try to cut out carbs whenever possible,” Michaels says of her final meal. “And I eat organic whenever possible. I work with organic chefs who help me on my website and we create recipes and test them out. I eat fish a lot.”

Other: “I try to get my dark chocolate in somewhere throughout the day,” she admits. “I have to have it. I work it into my calorie allowance and I will always have 200 calories of chocolate…always!”

This is from Washingtonpost.com:

“I actually do not believe in a one size fits all approach to diet / nutrition. Here is the deal, all these fad diets: South Beach, The Zone, Atkins, Pritikien etc. are nothing other then a reinvention of the macro-nutrient ratio. Macro-nutrients are FAT, CARBS, PROTEIN.

For example: Atkins is all protein and fat with no carbs. Pritiken is all carbs, no fat with some lean protein only. The Zone is equal portions of carbs protein and fat. All these diets are doing is reinventing the wheel to sell you something.

The truth is that you are as unique on the inside as you are on the outside. That is why some diets will work for some people and not others. In order to figure out what is the best macro-nutrient ratio for YOU you have to understand how your body processes what you eat. Their is a test on this in my book to help you identify what is the best macro-nutrient ratio for you.

One thing I can tell you definitively about these fad diets is that they don’t tell you the truth. At the end of the day weight loss is math. It’s all about watching your calorie intake and increasing your energy expenditure. ok your thinking, then why not eat garbage and just count calories. The reason I help people identify the ideal foods for them is so they will have more energy, better overall health, and better body composition which helps rev up their metabolism.”

Jillian Michaels diet synopsis:
- Yes to carbs, but earlier in the day – avoid at dinner
- Yes to meat, but mostly fish
- Calories matter, but you can’t eat garbage and just count calories

Bob Harper (Trainer on The Biggest Loser) – Bob Harper looks pretty darn good! He used to be a vegetarian (although I don’t know exactly when he became one) and then turned vegan in 2010. That means he eats no meat and no animal bi-products such as cheese, butter and eggs.

I found an interview on iVillage.com with Bob Harper that explains his eating philosophy.

NSD: What does Bob Harper eat on a regular day?
BH: Well, they all know that I’m a vegetarian now. I tried to keep that under wraps for a while. It’s different for everyone, but I always try to hit three basic food groups and protein is number four in my book. I’m wanting people to get their fruits, vegetables and their grains and that to me is a well-balanced diet. Yes, your body needs protein, but it doesn’t need as much protein as everybody thinks it needs. I’m just trying to get people to eat their vegetables again. I’m like everybody’s father in America right now going “eat your vegetables.” It’s so sad that in 2009, people are still scared of carbohydrates. It’s sad that people are still thinking that you’re getting fat from eating carbs.

So Bob is very much into grains and veggies. He believes protein is not as important as most people think it is. And he looks good, so whatever he’s doing is working for him.

Some other notes on Bob Harper (these are taken from WashingtonPost.com):

On olive oil: “Olive Oil is a great heart healthy food to incorporate in your daily routine. One tablespoon has 120 calories which is really high but the benefits are GREAT!!”

On working out: “Changing your workout routine is a great way to give yourself a new boost. If you feel like you are in a running rut, try changing the intensity of your run or incorporate hill runs….they will do the trick.”

On High Fructose Corn Syrup: “There is a lot of studies out there when it comes to HFCS. I say STAY AWAY!!! It is concentrated calories that the body does not need or want.”

On losing belly fat: “It is all about what you eat and don’t waste your calories on high fat foods. People seem to struggle alot around that 3pm time so I encourage people to chew Extra Sugar Free gum because research shows that it reduces sweet cravings. You also have to increase your cardio so you can burn the fat off the belly region.”

On soda: “I try to tell people to cut out diet soda because what it does is makes you crave sweets and there is no nutritional value to drinking soda whatsoever. Drink sparkling water instead with some fruit.”

On Bob’s personal workouts: “I workout every single day. I have my own trainer, I take spin classes, yoga and I love to run. I’m a workout freak!!!”

Bob Harper diet synopsis:
- Yes to whole grains
- Yes to olive oil
- No to fake sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, diet sodas

As I mentioned in my last post, sorting through all of the diet information out there is pretty much a nightmare. Studies are done all the time, and they all say something different!

Some say meat is bad, some say meat is good and carbs are bad. Some even say fruit is bad! Some say different foods are good or bad depending on your blood type. Some say go back to how your ancestors used to eat (um, minus actually going out an spearing your dinner).

Since there’s so much different information out there, I thought I’d take a look at some very fit people, and examine what their exercise and nutrition philosophies are and see what they do or don’t have in common.

I’m going to examine the diets of:

Bob Harper
Jillian Michaels
Zuzka (you may not know this name, but trust me, she’s FIT)
Mark Sisson
Rip Esselstyn
Bill Phillips

These are the people that I can think of off the top of my head who I know of and know are very fit. Because adjusting your diet isn’t just about losing weight or fitting into a certain pair of jeans. Personally, I am always trying to figure out the best diet approach because I want to feel and look fabulous. I don’t want to be skinny and flabby (kind of my current state), I want to look fit and have energy out the wazoo.

That’s why I don’t think things like Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig are good for me. (I’m not sure they’re good for anyone, honestly. But I suppose they could be a good place to start for those who just need to start somewhere.) Those programs focus on calories, but not on nutrition. Yes, you can work those 100-calorie crackers into your day because they’re only 2 points, but do you really want to do that? Are you going to end your day feeling satisfied? In my personal experience, no.

Deep down, I think we all want to feel good and make the best of this one body and one life that we have. It’s not just about losing weight. It’s about feeling fantastic. That is why I continually read and explore and drive myself absolutely insane with too much information. That’s why I have this web site. It’s about cooking, but it’s also about exploring those foods that make us operate at our best.

And I will continue to read and explore and research and discover. I can’t not do it! Sometimes I wish I could stop because I really go crazy. But I can’t.

Anyway, on to my research… Bob Harper is the first fit person that I’m going to examine. What are his diet philosophies? How does he stay so fit? Find out here.