For a man like David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL, author, and high-performance athlete, he needs a diet plan that is capable of handling the rigorous extremes that he puts his body and mind through on a daily basis.
David Goggins eats a low-carb diet that is high in protein and fats. The only exceptions are during his ultra-marathon competitions and training in which he increases his carbs substantially. Also, he combines his low-carb diet with intermittent fasting for peak performance.
Goggins’s diet allows him to perform at the highest level of ultra-marathon running, including the brutal MOAB 240 mile race. In addition, he goes for record-breaking accomplishments, like setting the world record for most pull-ups in 24 hours, as well as intense fitness and bodyweight challenges.
Also see: David Goggins and Jocko Willink: Navy SEALs To Do Podcast Together?
David Goggins Diet Broken Down
For anyone trying to follow David Goggins diet, luckily, he openly talks about and it is not that complex. He follows a few simple diet principles, combined with some flexibility to meet the demands of his busy lifestyle.
Keto and Low-Carb
Goggins spends “most” of his time on a diet of low carbohydrates, high protein, and high fat – what he called a “keto” diet. He stated that the ratio of calories that works best for him, after years of getting to know his body is:
- 40% protein
- 40% healthy fat
- 15-20% carbohydrates
Goggins acknowledges that he has spent years getting to know his body. Therefore he knows how and when to switch his diet around, based off the type of training he is doing.
Also see: The Ultimate Joe Rogan Diet Guide – How To Stay on Top
Intermittent Fasting VS Breakfast
I wont eat anything until 11 o’clock…It’s all timing. That diet is all timing on when to eat and when to fast and when to stop eating.
-David Goggins
This is a really simple point: Sometimes Goggins fasts with intermittent fasting and sometimes he doesn’t. When not fasting, he eats carbs in the morning and small meals throughout the day. This decision is based off the type of training he is doing that day/week.
Goggins mentioned that he likes to fast in the morning before doing a hard weightlifting or bodyweight workout, and then eats carbs and protein right after.
Also see: David Goggins Stretching Routine in 7 Simple Steps
The caveat here is that Goggins also clearly stated that breakfast is big for him and he likes to eat many small meals during the day. He said that he likes get up early and eat right away, a breakfast of oatmeal and protein.
“As long as you’re starving you know you are doing something right.”
-Goggins on eating small meals throughout the day
The major difference between the two, intermitting fasting and eating breakfast, is which type of training Goggins is currently doing in the morning. When running high mileage to prepare for an ultra-marathon, that is when he needs to load up on the carbohydrates and eat breakfast before running.
Depending on his travel and if he’s already accomplished his workouts for the day he strives to stop eating by 6:30pm.
Also see: 8 Navy SEALs on Joe Rogan’s Podcast
Going High-Carbs When Appropriate
Although Goggins mostly tries to keep his carbohydrates low, he switches to a high carbohydrate diet when he is training and racing ultra-marathon races, like the MOAB 240-mile race.
At this point, it becomes a necessity, both for him and runners in general, to get adequate carbs or they’ll hit the wall from low-blood sugar. He still emphasizes plenty of protein and fat.
Goggins favorite carbohydrate breakfast is steel cut oatmeal with blueberries. Here he combines that with an English muffin.
David Goggins Supplements
Goggins adds ketones to his water, making it easier to get into ketosis on the keto diet. Keto Plus™ Exogenous Ketones (Raspberry Lemonade) on Amazon is a good choice for a keto supplement:
Goggins is a “big believer” in getting Essential Amino Acids (EAA) in his diet and has been shown drinking them in his water. Amazon has a great deal on EAA by Bulk Supplements.
Also see: How to Supplement Like Joe Rogan: Products You Need
David Goggins on Losing Weight
Remarkably, David Goggins route to becoming a Navy SEAL was different than most. He was fat, overweight, and needed to lose 106 pounds in just a few months in order to qualify into BUD/S training.
He did it by doing the math of how many calories he needed to burn off, combined with eating less food. His advice? “Stop eating so much food” and cut your calories down, especially junk food.
For working out, Goggins didn’t hire a trainer or get a fancy gym membership. He says, “you’re thinking too much right off the bat.” He suggests getting started by putting on your shoes and start walking, get your body moving, and eventually working up to running longer distances.
During Goggins amazing weight-loss he didn’t start with running long distances. Instead, he attacked his workouts with bike rides and swimming because he knew that running while being overweight would put too much stress on his lower body and knees.
Also see: David Goggins’s Workout Regimen in 5 Simple Steps
Does David Goggins Drink Alcohol?
No, David Goggins is not a fan of alcohol. He values his mind as his greatest asset and likes to be clear-headed. Plus, the negative effects of alcohol would put a hamper on the difficult challenges he puts his body through.
“I’ve tasted alcohol but I’m not a drinker.”
-Goggins on alcohol
Goggins was asked once by a fan, “What if I like pizza and beer?” His response was epic:
“Well Merry Christmas. If you do not want to get better, if you are happy with where you are at, I am not here to force feed you – go be David Goggins…if you’re happy (eating pizza and beer), go to town.”
-David Goggins
Be sure to check out what I think about David Goggins best-selling book, Can’t Hurt Me, and how it was life-changing for me.
Also, I just finished reading David Goggins New Book, Never Finished, and it was equally impressive as his first.
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Thanks for reading!
