Meal Prep vs. Flexible Dieting: What Is Better for You?

People are often confused about choosing a dieting plan. Whether one should go for meal preparation or flexible dieting is a question that haunts many. But the 43-year-old IFBB Pro bodybuilder Marc Lobliner is here with a solution to the matter. He recently uploaded a video on his YouTube channel, Tiger Fitness, sharing his diet plan and what plan one should go for.

Meal preparation is the traditional approach followed by bodybuilders, but the 2000s changed everything. IIFYM, aka flexible dieting, which means eating whenever you feel hungry has taken over the industry. But there are some flaws to this plan that the IFBB Pro bodybuilder unveiled in his video.

Every human body works on rhythms or habits formed by our daily tasks. Lobliner gave the example of the circadian rhythm, which focuses on sleeping and waking up. “When I am just eating to fit my macros willy-nilly, I am hungry, and I’m constantly grazing, and I tend to go over on my macros, or I’m constantly like, man, I need to snack on something,” explains the host of Tiger Fitness based on his experiences.

But when the Pro bodybuilder follows meal plans and has six meals daily, he sees astonishing bodily benefits. “I look better; my body is just flushing it better; my digestion is better; my visits to the bathroom are better; even my poop consistency is better,” says the 43-year-old bodybuilder.

Lobliner sheds light on the fact that the human body “likes the consistency.” According to him, meal timing gives your body rhythm, making it consistent for your body. The bodybuilder also shared that “if you’re struggling with your diet and you do a flexible diet, I recommend you try the meal plan.“ This is not the first time the 43-year-old bodybuilder has expressed his thoughts on a confusing topic. Earlier, he chimed in on whether one should do creatine loading or not. 

Is creatine loading bad for you?

Lobliner directly cut to the chase and explained that the need for creatine loading depends on your goals. Creatine has a “build-up effect” as compared to caffeine, which has an acute effect and wears off easily. “Creatine builds up in your system,” says Lobliner.

If one wants to feel the effects of creatine loading, then one should at least consume five grams of creatine for a minimum of twenty days. The Pro bodybuilder highlighted that “the loading phase is only necessary if you’ve never taken creatine and you’re so excited to get the benefits about creatine that you’re willing to take extra for a few days.” “I never recommend it, but is it bad? No, it’s not,” he revealed.

Lobliner has thus, showcased that the meal plan has clear benefits over flexible eating. Which of these dieting approaches do you follow? Will you change your approach after knowing about rhythms? Let us know in the comments.