+ 1 Need diet critique and advise
Ok, I’ve recently been given advise that AAS is not for me at this point other than what I take for TRT and I’m taking the advise and running with it.
I realize trying to do this myself is dumb when there are so many knowledgeable folks on here who can help me. It was suggested that I post what I’m eating so folks can give me pointers. Do I say, “folks”, too much?
Ok, I’m on a cut because I got fluffy after a couple years off due to 2 elbow surgeries.
My diet changes from day to day to stave off a monotonous cycle of food boredom but I do eat a lot of the same things over and again for convenience.
168 lbs currently down from 182 and I’m starting week 7 of my cut so approx 2lb per week seems to be my fat loss.
I’m mostly paying attention to my protein and making sure I get at least 1 gram per pound of body weight and I often go a little over that.
I don’t drink sodas, juice, use condiments like mayo, or any added thing I don’t need and I almost rarely eat a cheat meal although I’ve been told it might set me up to get burned out or want to binge but that hasn’t happened yet as I want to finish this cut more than I want cookies and milk.
breakfast:
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Oatmeal with flax seed, banana, Ezekiel bread- low sodium type with TBSP Natural Peanut Butter, Almond milk as I have a slight milk allergy, whole hard boiled eggs - only eat them whole for breakfast, otherwise just whites.
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Synth-6 edge protein powder, blended with a banana and Almond milk.
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albacore white tuna, 2 slices of Ezekiel bread- low sodium, slice of thin Swiss cheese, and TBP of dill pickle relish to give the tuna sandwich some taste. Sometimes I’ll mix up egg whites with the tuna.
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Grilled Chicken or Baked Salmon, sweet potatoes or brown rice, beans or spinach/ steamed Celery or Carrots.
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Last meal is usually Synth-6 protein powder, banana, frozen strawberries, and almond milk blended together.
My family likes to eat out a lot so I make sure they pick places where I can get steak, grilled chicken, fish, etc. and I carry a small scale and weigh everything and yes I do get odd looks but who cares.
I use an App on my phone to keep track of everything I eat and it has me at 1880 calories based on my weight for 1.5lb fat loss per week although I’m getting more like 2lb per week.
I also drink a crap load of water but I try to cut it out in the evening so I’m not up pissing all night.
I’m in the gym 5 days average and do cardio 6 days a week from 30-60 minutes per day while on this cut.
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
Have a great day.
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Ok, it’s a lot of info to sort through but I’ve been reading about carb cycling which is similar in nature to what I do with carbs on heavy workout days versus light or off days. I like the refeeding idea too and think this may be one of the reasons I was getting so lethargic around week 3-4 on the deficit/cut. I tested my bodyfat with calipers and I keep getting right around 16-ish percent.
I do have a question about the “My Fitness Pal” app that we all seem to use. It has an area to add in workouts and it gives you e tea calories to eat for workouts? I’ve avoided inputting this while cutting but should I be doijg that? That certainly would up the calories I’m getting as Dacky suggested. I was concerned that by doing so might plateau my fat loss.
I did adjust my macros on the app as mentioned but I’m not sure what the best ratio is for cutting body fat. I have Protien at 40%, Carbs 35%, and Fats at 25%.
Thanks much, have a fantastic day
Carbs should be constantly changing and not static throughout your diet. Several routes you can go. Carbs are essentially the driving factor in weight loss so as you hit plateaus you cut out carbs. You can cut out carbs and cals or sub those carbs into protein and keep the cals the same. I would do the latter first. Start swapping out carbs for protein. So you may start out at 40/35/25 but you should be ending up with something closer to 80/10/10 or something like that depending on how far you need to go.
If you are going further now you need to start cutting cals because you can't really cut out any more carbs. Now you can get into carb cycling etc. Lots of ways to go about this but keeping macros the same throughout is probably not the best strategy. This may shed a little on the direction you want to take.
https://www.eroids.com/forum/training-nutrition-diet/weight-loss/structu...
You are loosing weight at a fairly good clip so I am kind of hesitant to recommend changing anything since the scale seems to be going in the right direction. Dropping anymore bodyweight than that per wk and I think you are in real danger of burning up lean mass and ruining your metabolism. You are on the low end of cals so I am worried about what you can do once you hit a plateau. Can't really drop more cals or you will be dipping into lean body mass losses. In the meantime to stave off that plateau for as long as possible I would recommend getting in at least 1 refeed/cheat or whatever you want to call it at least 1x/wk or even more. That will help keep the metabolism fired up and the fatloss train rolling.
Couple quick questions. How much more weight do you plan on losing and what time of day do you workout?
What makwa said about refeeds! I'll refeed every 3-4 days. Bump the Cal's up an extra 3-400 Cal's usually Cal's from carbs. But cheats I'll only do when needed.
Cut a protein shake out and eat a whole meal. You'll feel better and feel Fuller. If you can
Add in some lean ground beef/bison or lean steak.
Cut out the beans as they cause stomach bloat and gas. Unless you like it that way then let it rip lol
Personally I like white rice over brown. I feel better look better and don't feel bloated all day m I'm all about making the stomach happy! Happy stomach happy lifting!!
And eggs Max 3 whole eggs. Don't what to much cholesterol anymore than 3 could jump your total cholesterol over time. Especially for older cats like yourself.
Also check out the vertical diet. I've been pretty much using it since my cut and I feel better than ever! By Stan efferding or the rhino!
I don't know anything about a vertical diet but I agree on the egg yolks and white rice. Could be my age. I probably should steer clear of these threads because my diet is much different in my mid 50s. I forget most of the members are young..
jayisk"I forget most of the members are young.."
that's how it starts. then you forgot where your car keys are, next where you parked the car, next where you live (might not be a bad thing), finally your girl is looking for you and you're walking on the highway in your tighty whities and think you're in the kitchen. sucks getting older. lol
Thanks much, I think I need the protein shake man, I’m not a huge eater so I feel like I’m eating more than ever just to get 1800-1900 calories per day. I always feel full like I’m stuffing myself. I think I would have a hard time getting all my daily protein without it.
I train in the morning and like to take my shake immediately when I wake up. I wat breakfast about thirty minutes after I train. Cottage cheese right before bed. My fitness pal can really help manage it.
We’re both using the same App, just wasn’t sure if it was ok to post it by name.
I do workout first thing in the morning after dropping kids at school.
One thing with fitness pal if u just set it up u might want to go in and change the macros.. if I remember right it starts you at like50% carbs Lol.. you know the normal American diet lmao... set your protein carbs and fats where u want them so your chart is accurate at the end of each day.. good luck brother you'll get there u seem to be on the right track..I just finished a cut so I know how it can be.. I'm still dieting because I'm still trying to drop bf but my calories don't go below2000 now..
Protein first thing in the morning is very important. Whey digests quick so I take it then. The cottage cheese is casein protein it digests slower so I like it before bed. After workout make sure you eat within 30 minutes. Those are basics that work on or off cycle. Dackys not wrong in what hes saying but hes a long time advanced bodybuilder. I like to pick these guys brains and take what works for me or what I realistically know I'm going to be able to do. Only you know your lifestyle and limitations..
Yea, I’m goijg to have to reread these replies when I get home and take notes and see how I can adjust. So far it seems like I should add in a bit more calories to slow the fat loss down a little so I don’t get into lean muscle mass, increase protein a bit, and don’t skip the cheat meals.
Is a cheat meal just whatever you want without a portion size, like pizza, etc.
Skip taking your little scale with you when you go out to eat with the family and don't be afraid to eat the fries with your burger and order some desert.
Lol, I’ve been ordering the burgers without the bun. Are you talking about the cheat meal or all together?
Especially for your refeed but it really isn't necessary to weight stuff out at the restaraunt. You should be becoming familiar with portion sizes by now so you don't have to carry your scale with you everywhere you go.
I portion my cheats. Usually I'll keep it 1500 Cal's or a lil less. So roughly that'd be about 4-5 slices of pizza lol but I only cheat when I'm feeling drained when I do a cut. Some guys do it every week I personally only do it when needed and for me that's about 2 sometimes 3 weeks. If i have no time frame for my cut once a week would be fine.
If I have to train in the morning I'll also have a shake but usually add in peanut butter to get in extra Cal's cuz my gym sessions usually last 2 hours
Are you eating a meal and doijg the shake before heading to the gym?
No just shake with peanut butter. The way I lift I'd throw up eating a solid meal before gym.
I feel you man. Everyone's different. But keep it going bro. But really look into the vertical diet. It's a game changer for real. I've been on every diet and this one has me gaining muscle on my cut! It's awesome
Two lbs a week is great. I'd stay on this until it quits working. What's your protein looking like ?
I have it set on my app for 1 gram per pound. I’m 168 pounds and looking at the past few days the log says 167, 170, & 158. I usually don’t get above 180.
200 is pretty easy on 2000 calories especially if you do a shake a day. I only drink one a day but I do keep them at work for emergencies if I'm to busy to eat. I also think it's important to eat every three hours. I have the opposite problem I have a huge appetite.
Mate Harris Benedict has him on 3050 calories to maintain for his activity level. He needs to start this diet at 2500 per day so he has somewhere to go.
Protein 200g
Carbs cycling from 150g (3 days per week), 220g (3 days per week) to 300g (once per week)
Fats cycling to solve the equation.
Anyway that’s my two sense. This way he can smash his workouts and get he maximum out of it. He’ll lose at least 1lb per week and no muscle on these macros and he can slowly reduce calories from carbs and fats as his weight comes down. Slowly slowly wis the race here.
Drop the evening shake and replace with whole foods and some carbs to aid sleep and make sure he gets 8 hours solid sleep a night as sleep is in my view the most overlooked aspect of fat loss. Low and or poor quality sleep means fat loss stalls.
Is Mate Harris Benedict a calculation or a person? 2500 a day for me and I think I would gain weight. When I used the app to adjust to one pound of weight loss per week it had me at 2200-ish calories per day and I changed it since it was slow going plus I was struggling to eat that much per day.
Sam is right about not going for size. I’m working around the elbow surgery so can only work my arms once a week about 3 sets or that nerve gets aggravated. The rest of my body I can work as hard and heavy as I want but i don’t want to Be out of proportion so I’m more interested in the that train for physique. If not for the elbow I would probably go for size.
Harris Benedict was a person who came up with a very effective equation to calculate TDEE based on a number of variables. Look it up and there are online calculators you can use.
You will initially gain weight because right now your completely glycogen depleted. The extra food and carbs will drove some water into your muscles in the form of muscle glycogen. This is a good thing because it provides your muscles the fuel to effectively work out, enjoy your workouts, not get injured and burned out and effectively push your metabolism to do some of the fat burning work for you. Right now your activity is way to high for the amount of fuel your taking in. Sure you’re losing weight but how much of that is actually fat v water b lean muscle. The danger here is you drop 20lb but your body fat percentage actually goes up because you’ve burned a higher proportion of lean mass. This will happen given your activity level v how you are fueling yourself.
My advice take the weight gain - which won’t be fat it will be muscle glycogen and give yourself proper fuel for your metabolism to be effective at your activity level. That way you will protect you lean muscle mass and drop fat.
Your probably right but hes not useing any drugs. He didn't look like he had lost any muscle in his pic. Actually the opposite. I do agree 1 lb a week would be better and I agree on the protein. A complicated diet for a beginner can lead to burnout. Hes also said his goal isn't size.
Yes no drugs apart from trt so even more important in my view. Yes this diet is not about size but I’m sure he doesn’t want to end of skinny fat and this is what this kind of diet can lead too. I’ve seen it too many times to count. He may be ok now but like this metabolic adaptation will take place and when it does it’s a real bitch and then you’re into the complexity of having to reverse diet to get the metabolism working again.
The carb cycle is not terribly complex. He’s already tracking in MFP so he can easily plan his days for the macros. It can also provide the flexibility to be able to go out and eat a bit more freely with the family which is clearly an important thing for them.
Anyway it’s my view and the OP can take it or leave it. He asked for some advice and so that’s what he’s getting. I’m sure if Makwa stops by he’ll have some views on this too.
I think calorie restriction was a little severe to begin with. Going to be tough to cut anymore when hitting a plateau like you said without dipping into lbm. Plateau will likely happen quicker also. Hopefully not to much more to lose or might just have to bail on cutting and completely reset metabolism before going at it again. Nutrient timing and macros can still be adjusted so I think there is a little wiggle room once the plateau hits to get things back on track.
I forgot to answer another question above. I don’t really want to loose any more weight, per say, but do want to cut the body fat percentage down to where my abs come in and I get more of a defined look. I would be ok with building lean muscle during the cut and maintaining my current weight. I would feel fine around 175. I’m 5ft 7” tall, 34 pant size. I don’t know what my BF% is but I plan on getting it checked soon, my top 4 abs are showing after 6 weeks cutting but that doesn’t tell me much. When I started I used one of this electric sensor BF meters that said I was 23% but guys said those things aren’t that accurate.
Well, you are not going to build any muscle during your cut. Get down to the bodyfat % you are happy with first and then bulk smartly up to your desired bodyweight.
Those electric sensors are completely inaccurate. Get some cheap calipers and even with the 3-point test which you can do yourself with the calipers you will get a much more accurate picture of your BF.
So the plateau would be when the 1-2 lb loss stops, Fat/weight loss plateau. Also, I’m good with adding some more calories, it seems like 200 grams of protein should be attainable I will just have to meal prep better and fit it in.
I’m not familiar with carb cycling but I’m going to look it up while I wait for the kids to get out of school.
Thanks, have a great day.
Here is an example of a carb cycling plan I gave Sam over PM. It will be different for you as your starting calories and protein will be lower but hopefully you get the idea. Shout if you need help pulling one together for your specific needs:
I appreciate it !
I'd love to see your carb cycle laid out. +2
Hello mate
Can you provide the macro breakdown in protein, carbs and fats for your typical day? My initial thoughts are you are chronically under eating right now and are going to be loosing a boat load of muscle on this diet and training routine and have no where to go when you stall and you will stall. The danger is you will lose weight but end up with a worse body composition. You need to slow your roll here.
Let’s get your macros and will go from there. We need to get you eating more and carb cycling.
The last few days on my app log says:
Prot/ Carb/ Fat
Fats always seem higher on the weekends