David Goggins Diet: Food List and Meal Plan

What Is David Goggins Diet?

David Goggins Diet is a variation of the Keto Diet that focuses on eating healthy and nutritious foods along with regular and daily exercise. But what does David Goggins eat?

He avoids processed foods and eats mainly whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. The David Goggins weight loss plan is simple. He consumes fewer calories than he burns to create a calorie deficit to lose weight.

Goggins recommends eating smaller and more frequent meals throughout the day, which prevents feeling hungry and boosts metabolism.

You can have a variety of foods in this diet to provide moderate carbohydrates and higher levels of healthy fats and protein.

Learn More: The Carnivore Diet vs. Keto Diet: Results, Meal Plan and Food List

Foods to Eat

On the David Goggins Diet, you can consume:

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• Fruits and Vegetables: Fresh fruits (apples, berries, oranges), Leafy greens (spinach, kale, collards), and other low-carbohydrate veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.)
• Lean Proteins: Chicken breast, Turkey, Fish (salmon, tuna, tilapia), Eggs, and Plant-based proteins (lentils, beans, tofu)
• Whole Grains: Brown rice, Quinoa, Whole wheat bread/pasta, and Oats
• Foods with Healthy Fats: Nuts (almonds, walnuts), Seeds (chia, flax), Avocados, Olive oil or Avocado oil

However, processed and refined foods are not allowed in this diet.

Learn More: What Is The Gary Brecka Diet? How to Follow The 30/30/30 Method?

Foods to Avoid

The David Goggins Diet excludes:

• Processed Foods: Fast foods, Processed meats (hot dogs, sausages), Packaged snacks (chips, crackers), Sweets (candy, cookies, cakes)
• Refined Carbs: White bread, White rice, Pastries, Sugary cereals
• Unhealthy Fats: Fried foods, Foods high in saturated fat, Butter, Margarine
• Sugary Beverages: Sodas, Fruit juices, Sweetened teas/coffees
• Alcohol

The main reason for excluding these foods is that they contain high calories and carbohydrates, which are against the goal of this diet, i.e., reducing the calorie intake.

How Many Calories Are in David Goggins Diet?

David Goggins consumes around 750-1000 calories daily by eating small and frequent meals throughout the day. You can follow this range or tweak it based on your needs.

But it is recommended to consult a healthcare professional or nutritionist to make sure this diet and calorie range are suitable for you.

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Consuming these numbers of daily calories that come from healthy foods combined with regular exercise can provide many benefits to your body.

Learn More: Jordan Peterson’s Diet: What Is It and What Are Its Results?

The Benefits of David Goggins Diet

David Goggins Diet can help:

• Improve Digestion and Eliminate Toxins
• Boost Energy Levels and Promote Weight Loss
• Enhance Mental Clarity

Improving Digestion and Eliminating Toxins

The David Goggins Diet focuses on whole, unprocessed foods that are nutrient-rich and easy to digest. It also includes drinking plenty of water to help digestion.

By eliminating processed foods and toxins, the diet helps your body's natural detoxification processes through urination and bowel movements [1] [2].

Learn More: The ABC Diet: A Dangerous Method to Lose Weight

Boosting Energy Levels and Promoting Weight Loss

The David Goggins Diet is based on eating nutritious foods and at least 30 minutes of moderate daily physical activity.

Exercise helps boost your metabolism to burn more calories, and as a result, combining a nutritious diet with frequent exercise allows for healthy and sustainable weight loss [3] [4].

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Enhancing Mental Clarity

The David Goggins Diet can help boost brain function, as it is high in protein and moderate in carbohydrates, which has proven to enhance mental clarity and focus.

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants like vitamins C and  E, and flavonoids that protect brain cells from oxidative damage. For example, blueberries and leafy greens are excellent sources of these protective antioxidants [5].

Lean proteins like chicken, fish, and beans provide the amino acids needed to create neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that regulate mood and focus [6].

Low-fat dairy, like Greek yogurt and milk, contains vitamin B12, crucial for red blood cells and myelin sheath formation around neurons for efficient cognitive function [7].

Along with these benefits, there may be risks and side effects you should consider before starting the David Goggins weight loss diet.

Learn More: The Rina Diet: 90-Day Meal Plan to Lose Weight [Carnivore Method]

Risks or Side Effects of David Goggins Diet

In some cases, especially if you have an underlying disease like diabetes, the David Goggins Diet can cause the following side effects.

• Keto Flu: Since the David Goggins Diet is a high-protein and low-carb approach, those starting it can experience symptoms known as the keto flu. These can include fatigue, headaches, nausea, and sleep difficulties as the body adapts to using fat instead of carbohydrates for fuel. However, these symptoms are usually temporary [8].
• Dehydration: The exercise routines recommended alongside the Goggins Diet can lead to excessive sweating and fluid loss, increasing the risk of dehydration, especially if you don’t drink enough water and electrolytes. So, it is important to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and electrolyte imbalance [9].
• Overtraining or Injury: Avoid sudden, extreme workouts without adequate rest and recovery because these can result in an overtraining syndrome or injuries like muscle strains, joint pain, etc. Your exercise routine should be designed based on your body’s condition and needs [10].

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So, if you have decided to follow the David Goggins weight loss diet, you can use the following sample 3-day meal plan to get started.

Learn More: What Is Paul Saladino's Diet? All You Should Know

ِDavid Goggins Diet Sample 3-Day Meal Plan

Here is a sample 3-day meal plan for the David Goggins Diet. You can modify it based on your body's needs and health goals, but you should watch how many calories you are consuming and stick to the foods allowed in the diet.

Day 1

• Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with spinach and diced tomatoes
• Lunch: Grilled chicken breast, quinoa salad with mixed vegetables (bell peppers, cucumbers, and carrots)
• Dinner: Baked salmon, steamed broccoli, brown rice
• Snacks: Greek yogurt with mixed berries, and mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios)
• Optional Supplements: 1 multivitamin, 1000 mg omega-3 fish oil supplement

Day 2

• Breakfast: Oatmeal with half of a banana and a drizzle of honey,1 hard-boiled egg
• Lunch: Turkey and avocado wrap with a whole grain tortilla, mixed green salad with olive oil and lemon
• Dinner: Stir-fried tofu with mixed vegetables (broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas) in soy sauce, and quinoa
• Snacks: 1 apple sliced with 1 tbsp of almond butter, carrot sticks with ¼ cup of hummus
• Optional Supplements: 1000 IU Vitamin D, 200 mg magnesium supplement

Day 3

• Breakfast: Smoothie made with spinach, banana, berries, almond milk, protein powder, whole grain toast, and almond butter
• Lunch: 1 serving of lentil soup with vegetables, 3 whole-grain crackers
• Dinner: Grilled lean steak with a medium roasted sweet potato
• Snacks: Cottage cheese with pineapple chunks and edamame (steamed soybeans)
• Optional Supplements: 1 scoop of protein powder and 5 grams of BCAA (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) supplement

The following table shows the calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat you can get from this meal plan.

Learn More: Joe Rogan's Carnivore Diet: Benefits, Side Effects and Food List

Summary

The David Goggins Diet is a version of ketogenic diet for weight loss with a focus on healthy and nutritious foods and daily exercise.

This diet is popular and used by many people, but since there is not enough academic research on the David Goggins Diet, it is better to consult a nutritionist or healthcare professional to ensure it is safe for you and aligns with your needs and health status.