10 Nutrition Rules for the Body You Desire

After years of training clients here in Memphis, I can tell you this with absolute certainty: you cannot out-train a bad diet. At Dexter Tenison Fitness, I spend as much time talking about what goes on your plate as what happens in the gym. These are my 10 nutrition rules that I live by and teach every single client who walks through my door.

Rule 1: Eat Protein at Every Meal

Chicken, fish, eggs, lean beef, Greek yogurt — pick one and put it on your plate every time you sit down to eat. Protein builds muscle, keeps you full longer, and burns more calories during digestion than carbs or fat. Aim for a palm-sized portion at minimum.

Rule 2: Drink More Water Than You Think You Need

Most people walk around dehydrated and mistake thirst for hunger. I tell my clients to carry a water bottle everywhere. Half your body weight in ounces is a solid starting point. If your urine is dark yellow, you are behind.

Rule 3: Cut the Processed Junk

If it comes in a box with an ingredient list you cannot pronounce, put it back on the shelf. Real food does not need a marketing team. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store where the fresh stuff lives.

Rule 4: Eat Whole Grains, Not Refined

Swap white bread for whole wheat, white rice for brown rice, and sugary cereals for oatmeal. Whole grains give you sustained energy instead of the spike-and-crash cycle that kills your workouts.

Rule 5: Never Skip Meals

Skipping meals does not save calories — it sets you up to overeat later. Your body needs consistent fuel throughout the day. I eat every three to four hours and I encourage my clients at Dexter Tenison Fitness to do the same.

Rule 6: Control Your Portions

You can gain weight eating healthy food if you eat too much of it. Use your hand as a measuring tool: a fist for carbs, a palm for protein, a thumb for fats. Simple, no calculator required.

Rule 7: Load Up on Vegetables

Vegetables are the most underrated tool in body transformation. They fill you up, deliver vitamins and minerals, and are almost impossible to overeat. I aim for vegetables at every meal, including breakfast when I can manage it.

Rule 8: Limit Sugar

Sugar is hiding in everything — salad dressings, sauces, bread, yogurt. Start reading labels and you will be shocked. Keep added sugar under 25 grams a day and watch how fast your body changes.

Rule 9: Plan Your Meals Ahead of Time

Sunday meal prep is not just a trend — it is a survival strategy. When you have healthy food ready to grab, you do not end up in a drive-through at noon because you are starving. Spend two hours on Sunday and eat well all week.

Rule 10: Be Consistent, Not Perfect

This is the most important rule I teach. You do not need a perfect diet. You need a consistent one. Follow these rules 80 to 90 percent of the time and you will build the body you want. The clients I have seen transform their lives at Dexter Tenison Fitness are not the ones who were perfect — they are the ones who never quit.

Nutrition is not complicated, but it does require discipline. Start with one or two of these rules this week, then build from there. Your body will thank you for it.