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When it comes to long-term progress, consistency plays a huge role. And whether you’re trying to build muscle or lose fat, you need to keep your nutrition in check.

But despite that, many folks never develop the habits necessary to make progress. Usually, they’ll obsess way too much over their training and put little thought into what they eat.

But seeing as training is only one aspect of fitness, we also need to pay attention to our nutrition if we want to make the best possible progress.

The general misunderstanding is that, to build muscle or lose fat, you need to eat 100 percent clean.

Today, I’d like to discuss a more liberal (or flexible, if you will) approach to eating, why I feel it’s superior to all other diets, and how I use it.

Without further ado, here are my thoughts on flexible dieting.

One of the most prevalent ideas in fitness today is that of quality vs. quantity:

The amount of training volume we do and its relation to quality parameters like training form.

Several great studies from recent years have pointed our attention toward the importance of volume for gym progress. In other words, doing more work tends to deliver better results. To a point, of course.

And while I wholeheartedly agree that volume matters a lot, I don't necessarily agree with the methods and habits some folks use to get the work in every week.

Have you ever found yourself dieting longer than you should have? Have you ever spent days, weeks, or even months debating yourself on what you should do next - diet or not? Have you ever finished one diet, only to find yourself in a calorie deficit a week later?

If that is the case, then you might be suffering from chronic dieting syndrome.

You see, successful dieting comes down to a few basics - a caloric deficit, enough protein, and strength training. Over the weeks and months, with enough consistency, that leads to fat loss. It’s as straightforward as it can get.

But dieting can turn into an obsession for some, derailing them from their initial goals, and making it difficult to go back to having a healthy relationship with food.

I’ve been there myself, and I understand the struggle. So, if you’ve ever found yourself in that spot, unable to shake the need to keep dieting - despite your better judgment - then you should read on.

You know that feeling in a dream when you’re running toward (or away from) something, but you can barely move, no matter how hard you try, like you’re knee-deep in mud?

That’s me right now. The bad news is, I’m very much awake.

For the most part, I’m pretty consistent with my schedule. I never skip workouts, I always stretch and meditate in the morning, I make (mostly) good food choices, I always make sure to read before bed, and I make it a point to write every day.

But occasionally, I lose some of my momentum, and things get a bit out of control. I guess it’s part of being human.