An In-Depth Look at: What is David Goggins's diet?

October 1, 2025 •

4 min read

David Goggins famously lost over 100 pounds in under three months to qualify for Navy SEAL training, a transformation heavily influenced by his diet. What is David Goggins's diet like now, and how does it fuel his extreme mental and physical performance?

Quick Summary

This article explores David Goggins's nutritional approach, detailing his low-carb, high-fat, high-protein keto diet, intermittent fasting schedule, and emphasis on whole foods. It examines how his disciplined eating fuels his ultra-endurance pursuits and builds mental resilience.

Key Points

Ketogenic Approach: David Goggins follows a high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carbohydrate diet to promote fat-burning and sustained energy.
Intermittent Fasting: He practices intermittent fasting, typically skipping breakfast and eating during a specific window, which helps control calorie intake and improves fat metabolism.
40/40/20 Macronutrient Ratio: Unlike standard keto, his split is approximately 40% protein, 40% fat, and 20% carbs, adjusted strategically based on his training load.
Whole Foods Focus: His diet emphasizes clean, whole, nutrient-dense foods while strictly avoiding processed items, refined sugars, and unhealthy fats.
Mental Discipline: Goggins views his nutritional discipline as a mental exercise, using it to build his "calloused mind" and push past perceived limits.
Strategic Carbohydrates: He strategically increases carbohydrate intake from complex sources for ultra-endurance events, demonstrating flexibility within his disciplined plan.

The Foundations of Goggins's Diet and Discipline

David Goggins’s diet is not a casual eating plan but a disciplined extension of his mental toughness philosophy. He views nutrition as a tool to fuel his body for extreme performance, not simply for enjoyment. His dietary principles are centered around a few key pillars: a modified ketogenic approach, strategic macronutrient ratios, and the avoidance of processed foods. This approach is designed to maintain a lean physique, promote mental clarity, and provide sustained energy for his grueling training schedule.

The Ketogenic and Intermittent Fasting Combination

At the core of Goggins's regimen is a combination of a predominantly ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting (IF). By following a low-carb, high-fat diet, he shifts his body's primary fuel source from glucose to ketones, which are molecules produced from fat breakdown. Many athletes and individuals, including Goggins, report that ketosis provides a more stable and sustained energy source, avoiding the energy crashes associated with high carbohydrate intake. This state of fat-burning is particularly beneficial for long-duration, ultra-endurance events, as it taps into the body's vast fat stores for fuel.

Intermittent fasting complements the ketogenic diet by restricting all daily calorie consumption to a specific time window, such as from 11:00 AM to the evening. For Goggins, this often means skipping breakfast and not consuming his first meal until after his initial morning workout. This practice is believed to accelerate fat burning and improve insulin sensitivity, contributing to his lean physique and mental sharpness.

Macronutrient Allocation: The 40/40/20 Rule

While traditional keto diets often have a macronutrient split heavily skewed toward fat (e.g., 70-80% fat), Goggins adjusts his intake to fuel his exceptionally high training volume. His personal rule is a 40/40/20 split: 40% protein, 40% fat, and 20% carbohydrates. This higher protein ratio helps with muscle repair and recovery from his intense workouts, while the moderate carbohydrate intake is strategically timed around his most demanding training sessions. This flexibility within a disciplined framework allows him to adapt his nutrition based on his current training demands and performance goals.

What Goggins Eats: Foods and Flexibility

Goggins’s diet is defined not just by its structure, but by a consistent focus on high-quality, whole, nutrient-dense foods. He avoids artificial ingredients, excessive sugars, and empty calories, instead preferring food that comes from nature rather than a factory.

Foods to Eat

High-Quality Protein: Lean meats and poultry, such as grass-fed beef, elk, and chicken. Eggs are a breakfast staple for their high-quality protein.
Healthy Fats: Avocados, nuts (like plain almonds and pistachios), seeds, olive oil, and butter.
Complex Carbohydrates (Strategically Timed): Oatmeal, sweet potatoes, brown rice, and other nutrient-dense carb sources are used to refuel, especially on heavy training days.
Low-Carb Vegetables: Leafy greens like spinach, broccoli, and other non-starchy vegetables form a core part of his meals.
Supplements: He incorporates supplements like protein shakes, multivitamins, and MCT oil to meet his demanding nutritional requirements.
Hydration: Constant hydration with water and electrolytes is non-negotiable.

Foods to Avoid

Processed Foods: Packaged and manufactured foods are largely eliminated.
Refined Carbohydrates and Grains: Items like white bread, pasta, and sugary cereals are avoided.
Sugary Foods: Candies, sodas, and desserts are out.
Unhealthy Fats: Unhealthy vegetable oils and mayonnaise are on the avoidance list.
Alcohol: Goggins either abstains or severely limits alcohol consumption, aligning with his performance-first mindset.

An Example Goggins-Inspired Day

While his exact meal plan changes, a typical day might look like this:

Morning Fast: Begins the day with hydration and an intense workout session.
Late Morning (Break-fast): A meal around 11:00 AM might consist of scrambled eggs with spinach and mushrooms, paired with avocado.
Lunch: A large salad with arugula, cooked ground turkey, hard-boiled eggs, avocado, and crumbled cheese.
Mid-Afternoon Snack: A protein shake with whey protein, almond milk, and berries.
Dinner: Grilled chicken or fish with a large portion of steamed vegetables.
Pre-Bed Snack: A slow-release protein shake or Greek yogurt with berries and nuts.

The Mental Aspect of His Nutrition

For Goggins, nutrition is more than just biochemistry; it's a mental exercise. He intentionally makes disciplined food choices not only for their physical benefits but also to strengthen his “calloused mind”. He trains himself to overcome cravings and discomfort, seeing every meal as an opportunity to reinforce his commitment and mental fortitude. His systematic approach to meal planning also helps reduce decision fatigue, ensuring he stays on track regardless of motivation levels.

Is David Goggins's Diet Right for You?

While Goggins's nutritional plan is highly effective for his specific needs, it is important to consider if it aligns with your own lifestyle and health goals. This comparison table highlights key differences between his approach and a more standard Western diet.


Aspect	Goggins's Approach	Standard Western Diet
Carbohydrates	Very low to moderate, strategically timed.	Often high in refined carbs and sugar.
Fat	High in healthy fats (avocados, nuts).	Often high in unhealthy saturated and trans fats.
Protein	Very high, prioritizing lean sources.	Can be inconsistent; often high in processed meats.
Meal Timing	Intermittent fasting, often skipping breakfast.	Regular meals with frequent snacking.
Processed Foods	Strictly avoided.	A staple for convenience.
Mental Focus	Used as a tool for discipline.	Often based on convenience and cravings.

For the average person, adopting the entirety of Goggins's rigorous diet might not be sustainable or necessary. However, embracing core principles—prioritizing whole foods, reducing processed sugars, and building mental discipline around food choices—can offer significant health benefits.

Conclusion

Ultimately, what is David Goggins's diet is a low-carb, high-fat, and high-protein ketogenic plan combined with intermittent fasting. This approach, fueled by a deep commitment to mental toughness, provides the sustained energy and clarity required for his ultra-endurance feats. While his specific macros and meal timing are tailored to his intense training, the underlying philosophy of disciplined, clean eating is a valuable lesson for anyone seeking to improve their nutrition and mindset. His example demonstrates that with unwavering focus, the right fuel can unlock incredible physical and mental potential.

Frequently Asked Questions

While Goggins follows a ketogenic-style diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in healthy fats, it is not a traditional keto plan. His macronutrient ratio includes a higher percentage of protein (40%) to aid muscle recovery for his high-volume training, and he strategically uses complex carbohydrates around heavy workouts.

Yes, David Goggins consumes a high amount of protein relative to a standard diet. His macronutrient ratio includes 40% protein, primarily from lean sources like grass-fed meat and eggs, which is essential for muscle repair and growth given his intense training demands.

To support his diet and training, David Goggins uses supplements such as whey protein shakes for post-workout recovery, multivitamins, caffeine, and MCT oil. These help him meet his nutritional needs and boost energy levels.

Yes, Goggins has mentioned occasionally indulging in cheat meals, such as pizza and doughnuts, typically after a long and grueling event. This demonstrates a balance within his rigid discipline, though his focus remains on nourishing his body with quality nutrients.

The extreme discipline and intensity of David Goggins's diet, especially when paired with his training volume, is not sustainable for most people. However, adopting its core principles—like avoiding processed foods, prioritizing whole foods, and cultivating mental discipline—is achievable and beneficial.

Unlike many athletes who rely heavily on carbohydrates to fuel their training, Goggins primarily relies on fat from a modified ketogenic approach. He also uses intermittent fasting and views nutrition as a core component of his mental conditioning, which is unique to his philosophy.

Goggins uses intermittent fasting in conjunction with his keto diet to enhance the fat-burning process. By restricting his eating window, he believes it helps accelerate ketone production, burn fat more efficiently, and provide better mental focus.