nutrition guide
SIMPLE MEAL SYSTEM
King Athletic believes a happy life begins with good physical and mental health. When these two aspects are taken care of, you will naturally elevate the other parts of your life. The one area most people struggle with is maintaining a healthy diet. What to eat? And how much of it?
This nutrition guide is straightforward, easy to follow and even leaves room to indulge. It’s true - you can stay fit, look great and even have room for the good stuff. Let’s get started! King Athletic Head Coach and Trainer |
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King Athletic is a brand that focuses on promoting health and fitness as a main source of well-being and happiness We believe that motion, sports, exercise and fitness are essential in living healthy, joyful and satisfied lives. We strive to achieve our mission through the design and creation of high-end fitness equipment, and workout programs It is our top priority to help individuals and athletes of all skill level reach their top performance. This ultimate nutritional guide is a collaborative guide to mastering the two core habits we preach: eating delicious, healthy meals and engaging in an active, fit lifestyle. Each aspect will help and encourage you to do the other better, eventually becoming routine and second nature. It’s worked for us and we know it will work for you too. Thanks for allowing us to take this journey with you. Now let’s get started improving your life. |
Eating to obtain a lean body is actually quite simple. With a few scientific principles and an easy-to follow system, making delicious, nutrient-rich meals that help the body lose fat faster becomes mindless and enjoyable, rather than bland and tedious. King Athletic has teamed up with personal trainers, Zen Dudes Fitness, to create the ultimate Fitness Simple Meal System. It is the exact system The Zen Dudes used to collectively lose 130 lbs, and continue to use to help their clients obtain their ideal physique (and keep it) all year round. These are simplified guidelines that will help most people lose body fat faster and, more importantly, keep it off. We are more concerned with simplicity as opposed to perfection, because most people are better off using simple strategies they can actually implement rather than specific, time consuming strategies that are ultimately unnecessary. For example, eating plain chicken and broccoli for 12 weeks might help you get a six-pack fast. But if you hate chicken and broccoli (or eating the same thing every day) you will never keep your six pack. PROBLEM: Time - “How do I cook and eat delicious, nutrient-dense meals required for a ripped physique, having more energy, living longer, and generally feeling better while on a busy schedule?” SOLUTION: - Simple Meal System! FREEDOM TO EAT WHAT YOU WANTSaves time because you know what you’re eating. As you become familiar with our system, creating meals you love will take less time. You know exactly how many calories/ macronutrients are being consumed. As time passes, you will stop needing to log your food because you will develop an understanding of its nutritional content. This simple approach to nutrition leaves you more freedom to eat what you want while still maintaining your fitness and health. YES YOU STILL LOSE FAT AND WEIGHT. No restrictions “Diets” restrict things. This is not a “diet” so much as it is a system for feeding. We only recommend using this system for 70% of your calories. The other 30% can be saved for booze, chocolate and all that good stuff. (Yes, you still lose fat and weight if you consume those things as long as they fit into your macros.) A FACT! On average, you need to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of fat GRILLED TERIYAKI CHICKEN WITH SPANISH RICE!? Hell yeah You still eat a variety of kick ass food. Steak and eggs with hot sauce and goat cheese one night, and gilled teriyaki chicken with Spanish rice the next night? Hell yeah. Don’t want to eat pork, rice and asparagus every night? Good, we don’t either. Sirloin steak, sweet potatoes and spinach will do the same awesome stuff to your body (awesome stuff = lose fat). LESS STRESS LOWER CORTISOL LEVELS Less stress, more energy. Say goodbye to constantly wondering if you’re eating right or how many calories are in your food. Less stress = lower cortisol levels. Cortisol (considered by health experts to be a huge threat to health and well-being) is the hormone involved in fat storage when stress levels are high. When you lower your cortisol levels, your body naturally sheds some extra weight and boosts energy levels. Why would you not want to feel more energized, look younger and even live longer? Oh yeah… and an increased sex drive too.
THIS SYSTEM AFFORDS YOU FREEDOM
Satisfaction and freedom - When your body gets the nutrients it wants, it doesn’t nag you into constantly being hungry. This means less money spent on food and more cash spent on the things you love to do. Most importantly, this system affords you freedom. Eat what you want and stay within your calories/ macronutrients. Consume whole, unprocessed foods from this list 70% of the time and have fun the other 30%. |
STEP BY STEP GUIDELINESCalories & macronutrients are king - Fat loss and maintaining a lean physique is mainly dependent on how much you are eating (calories) and what those calories consist of (macronutrients like protein, carbs and fat). IMPORTANT: Use the Figuring Out Calories & Macronutrient Guide to figure these numbers out first! 1. Log food using MyFitnessPal. -You don’t have to be exact (this is impossible anyway) but you need to be within range on a daily and weekly basis. Use the Logging Food in MyFitnessPal guide. Also available on Google and iPhones as apps. 2. Food scale - Buy food scale to measure everything you eat. Weighing food may seem tedious at first but this is how you learn to visualize how much food you are consuming. It won’t take long before you will be able to simply eyeball portion sizes. 3. Cook and repeat your meals - This is most effective way to stay within your calories, get the right amount of macronutrients, and ultimately get lean. Use the Quick Cooking Guide (pg. 23) for easy instructions on cooking meat, fish, veggies and carbs. Repeat the same meals often. Once you find combinations you enjoy, repeating those meals increases convenience and decreases body fat4. 70% of total food intake - Calories/macros should come from the whole, unprocessed foods found on the Approved Foods List .We recommend trying to hit that 70% goal Monday through Friday every week. Don’t go crazy and wreck yourself on the weekends, but feel free to indulge in some foods not on this list. We believe it’s better to eat a small portion to satisfy a craving than wait until later and risk binge eating an entire tub of Ben & Jerry’s!
IMPORTANT: Use the Figuring Out Calories & Macronutrient Guide (pg. 10) to figure these numbers out first! The other 30% - What about that other 30% of total food intake? We can’t be perfect ALL the time. In fact, in order to maintain a lean figure, you have to eat some junk food (yes, we are serious). See the Other 30% Guide (pg. 14) for tips. Eat nutrient rich food - Don’t think of this food as “healthy” or “unhealthy.” Just focus on consuming nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense means more nutrients per calorie. Basically, more bang for your buck. By consistently eating these types of foods, your body will feel more satisfied and nourished, and consuming these superfoods will prevent you from overeating. HOW IT WORKSEAT TWO MEALS PER DAY- Meals will be “feast” size(roughly 1,000 calories each depending on your personal macro number) so if you need to split them up into 3 or 4 meals that is fine, too. These are guidelines, not hard rules. Pick 1-3 items from each “base” category (a protein, a carb and a fat) keeping in mind your recommended macro number. If you have questions on serving size, please see the Nutrition Quick Guide (pg. 16). Remember to log all “base” foods in MyFitnessPal.com. Next, pile your bowl/plate high with unlimited veggies, sauces, and seasonings. Why? These foods barely contain any calories and are all around great for you. Lastly, make things unique and interesting to your taste buds by adding some of the suggested spices, seasonings and dressings we suggested in the Nutrition Quick Guide (pg. 16). FIGURING OUT calories & macronutrients - The best way to get the most out of this system is to calculate your calories and macronutrients online through the Zen Dude Fitness Calorie & Macronutrient Calculator. This is an essential step in this nutrition system and you can not proceed into the next section of this book without it. GUIDELINES AND SCREENSHOTS FOR HELP: Fill out the below criteria: Age, Gender, Weight, Height.
STOP! Do not go any further in this book until you have used the macronutrients calculator above. It is essential to this system and you cannot successfully continue without it. click here to go to the calculator. TIP: As a quick reference guide, use this chart to track your caloric intake based on food intake amount. ADJUSTING MACROS FOR BODY TYPEIn addition to understanding how many calories and macronutrients you should be eating to lose fat, it is also important to go one step further to ensure ultimate success: Eating the right macros based off of your body type. There are three types: |
Body type means more than “how you look.” Body type is also associated with how your body responds to certain types of nutrients. Some people lose more fat/weight on higher carb diets. Some people lose more fat/weight from eating more protein. Some people cannot gain weight no matter how hard they try. Understanding your body type and how it responds to certain nutrients is an integral part of understanding how to achieve and maintain a lean figure. Below we've broken down each of the three body types and given you a suggested macro intake percentage. It is important to note that this is a guideline for getting more specific with your eating habits, and many people can be a mix of all different body types. Knowing your body type ensures that you understand the right exercise and nutrition protocols to follow in order to achieve a lean, healthy figure. So, what’s my body type? ECTOMORPHS - Suggested macronutrient percentages for this group: Thinner individuals characterized by thinner bone structures and limbs. Think of someone like a long distance runner. Typically skinny, right? Ectomorph physiques are correlated with a fast metabolic rate and higher tolerance for carbs. Essentially, these are the folks who can take five trips to the buffet without much weight gain (everyone has the skinny friend who loves to brag about his/her ability to consume two pizzas without consequence). In terms of fat loss and maintaining a healthy, lean figure, this group responds better to higher carb intake, moderate protein, and low fat. For simplicity’s sake, think “more carbs, less fat.” MESOMORPHS -Suggested macronutrient percentages for this group: Characterized by a medium sized bone structure and more lean mass. This group typically has more of an athletic frame if active. Think of sprinters, soccer players, gymnasts, or NFL running backs. Mesomorphs tend to be more dominant in growth hormone and testosterone, making muscle gain easier along with a leaner body fat percentage. Dan is a mesomorph. Although he can achieve a very low body fat percentage and gain muscle easier, it is VERY difficult for him to maintain a low body fat percentage without extreme focus on exercise and nutrition. On the other hand, if he takes a few weeks off and doesn’t focus on maintaining muscle mass, he gains body fat faster resulting in a constant need to stay active and being aware of how much he eats. This group responds better to a balanced macronutrient strategy. Although Dan typically characterizes himself as a mesomorph, his body responds much better to lower carb, higher fat such as an ectomorph. This is what we meant when we said many people can be a mix of different body types so it is important to constantly measure progress and make changes as needed. Dan’s macronutrient breakdown: 30% carbs, 35% protein, 35% fat. ENDOMORPHS - Suggested macronutrient breakdown: 25% carbs 35% protein 40% fat Endomorphs do better on a higher fat and protein diet with low carbohydrate consumption.Additionally, it is important that carb consumption is properly timed (post exercise). For simplicity sake: high protein, pretty high fat, low carb (if you like eggs, red meat, and nuts, being an endomorph is awesome). Note: Regardless of body type, your ability to handle carbohydrates is greatly improved the more active you are. This means that the most optimal time to consume carbohydrate rich food is around (before or after, though we prefer after) the time you are most physically active. |
SUMMARY OF MICRONUTRIENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ECTOMORPHS - High carb need especially around the time of exercise. High protein to avoid the loss of muscle mass. MESOMORPHS - Moderate carbs with a majority consumed around exercise. More experimentation with protein and fat intake until you find what ratio is optimal for muscle gain and fat loss. ENDOMORPHS -Low carb consumption with almost all carbs being consumed around exercise. High protein and high fat necessary for muscle gain and fat loss. THE OTHER 30% - So, if 70% of your food intake should come from whole, unprocessed foods on the approved food list, what about the other 30%? ANSWER: It doesn’t matter. Remember, the most important factor in losing fat is calories and macronutrients, not food “type.” We are not suggesting you attempt to eat McDonald’s for the other 30% of your food intake. However… this is the reason why, yes, you can still booze, eat chocolate, and eat burgers. As long as most (70%) of your food intake 1) comes from whole, unprocessed nutrient-rich food (real food), and 2) you stay within your Personally, we have found that eating more “indulgent food” is a better strategy for the other 30%. Why? Eating “healthy” sweets won’t satisfy your craving. You will end up eating more low quality “healthy” dessert food vs. eating a small portion of sugary “unhealthy” dessert food. It’s like drinking expensive, high ABV% beer vs. cheap, light beer. Sure, Bud Light per bottle is cheaper, but we’d have to drink 20 to get drunk AND get bloated. We’d rather pay double per bottle for two IPAs that taste amazing and get us a good buzz, without making us feel bloated. Make sense? To add to our point above, stop trying to eat “healthy food” at restaurants. You are already not eating healthy because guess what… you are in a restaurant. The Zen Dude Fitness Simple Meal System was designed so you can be super particular and make awesome, unprocessed, whole food meals during the week (that make up 70% of food intake) while still going out to eat, drink and have fun with friends and family (those who are beginners still need to log it!). Don’t get us wrong, the system does require discipline, and you have to be strict with yourself when you are alone so you can be indulgent when you are out. Losing fat and getting fit wouldn’t be worth it if you couldn’t enjoy yourself! |
APPROVED FOODLIST
QUICK NUTRITION GUIDEWe have categorized foods that have a similar calorie and macronutrient content. This is the bread and butter of how to create delicious, repeatable meals. We suggest using at least one ingredient from each section of this chart. Pay attention to the macros keeping in mind your unique suggested intake. (Figure that number out here.) There are hundreds of ways to prepare delicious, healthy meals with this chart. For example, although 8 oz. of chicken and 8 oz. steak do not contain identical calories/macronutrients, they are similar enough that you can substitute them to eat a variety of delicious meals that will all deliver similarly awesome fat loss results. |
FILLING IN THE REST
PROTEINS
CARBS & FATS

VEGGIES
THE REST: LOG IN EVERYTHING

LOGGING FOOD IN MY FITNESSPAL
Once you have calculated your calories and macronutrients, logging food intake in MyFitnessPal is the easiest way to ensure you are getting the right amount of nutrients to lose fat faster while maintaining your muscle mass. Here are a few guidelines for setting it up:
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30 MEAL RECIPES
STEAK, SWEET POTATOES & ASPARAGUS ingredients macros |
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ROSEMARY CHICKEN, SWEET POTATOES & BROCCOLI chicken breast: 8 oz, boneless macros cals: 700-750" |
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SOUTHERN SWEET POTATO SCRAMBLE ingredients eggs: 3, large, scrambled |
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JAMAICAN JERK PORK LOIN OMELETTE ingredients |
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SEARED AHI TUNA STEAK SALAD ingredients |
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STEAK, SWEET POTATOES & ROASTED BROCCOLI ingredients |
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ROSEMARY CHICKEN, SWEET POTATOES & ASPARAGUS ingredients |
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TURKEY TACO SALAD ingredients |
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CHICKEN APPLE NUT SALAD chicken breast: 6 oz, boneless |
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STEAK, EGG & ASPARAGUS OMELETTE ingredients |
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CHICKEN PROTEIN AND VEGGIE BOWL ingredients |
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MEXICAN STEAK, RICE & BEANS BOWL ribeye steak: 6 oz, grilled |
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MEXICAN SHRIMP, RICE & BEANS BOWL ingredients |
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MEXICAN CHICKEN, RICE & BEANS BOWL chicken breast: 6 oz, boneless |
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CHICKEN & CHICKEN CARB BOWL |
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TURKEY SAUSAGE & VEGGIE BOWL turkey sausage: 8 oz |
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STEAK, SWEET POTATO & VEGGIE BOWL ingredients |
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STEAK, EGG & GOAT CHEESE BOWL sirloin steak: 8 oz, grilled macros |
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CHICKEN CARB VEGGIE BOWL chicken breast: 8 oz, boneless |
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TURKEY SAUSAGE & SWEET POTATO SCRAMBLE turkey sausage: 8 oz macros |
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KITCHEN SINK BOWL (TURKEY SAUSAGE) turkey sausage: 4 oz |
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KITCHEN SINK BOWL (STEAK & CHICKEN) ingredients sirloin steak: 4 oz, grilled |
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STEAK & EGG VEGGIE SCRAMBLE ingredients |
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STEAK BACON AND BEANS BOWL ingredients |
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TUNA STEAK VEGGIE BOWL ingredients |
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POULTRY & VEGGIE BOWL ingredients |
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TESTOSTERONE BOWL |
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MEDITERRANEAN TUNA STEAK BOWL ingredients |
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SPRING TUNA STEAK & STEAK BOWL |
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LEAN BALSAMIC TUNA STEAK BOWL tuna steak: 8 oz, seared |
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RECOMMENDED SNACKS & SUPPLEMENTSCreating nutrient-rich meals using the Simple Meal System is priority #1 for eating to lose fat. While we might not always have time to eat delicious nutrient rich foods, all hope is not lost. In fact, having a few of the right snacks and supplements handy is a great way to make sure your body is getting the nutrients it needs while also providing your taste buds with some “hell yeahs!” throughout the day. Here are some recommendations for snacks and supplements that keep us satisfied and hitting our macronutrient goals when we are on the road or just too busy.
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SNACKS
SUPPLEMENTS
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ABOUT THE ZEN DUDESThe mission of Zen Dude Fitness is to help young ambitious individuals get ripped in less time by applying a simple and fun methodology to exercise, nutrition and lifestyle. |