In years past, I usually have been successful in dropping ~10 pounds when Spring/Summer roll around. This year, i signed up for the NYC bike tour that was last weekend and I thought I would have no trouble getting to the lowest body fat levels in my life. I've been doing hour long cycling sessions or a few hours of pickup basketball 5-6 times a week for the past few months. I lost about 5 pounds quickly, and then sure enough I put it right back and then some. I've been fairly good about not drinking alcohol and cutting out sweets, but clearly somethings not working.
Gonna try intermittent fasting for a bit. Does this alone help without cutting carbs? Been following a lot of Joe rogan nutrition advice lately and so now everytime I eat some type of carb I feel like im ruining any progress. Today is my first day skipping breakfast (not that I usually eat much, just like an egg sandwich). I usually stay within my caloric limits too, I usually don't exceed 2500 calories on top of doing cardio (im about 6'3, 200 pounds on a good day). Wanna get to about 185 without just outright burning off muscle. Planning on resuming weightlifting after a good 3-4 months off to combat this.
Any suggestions on how to approach this diet or if my thinking is wrong? Should I go no carbs or maybe start limiting them (just stick to fruits for carbs)?
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I didn't begin restricting carbs until I started to plateau, so it's not necessary. Definitely helps to jumpstart it though.
Keep with it. It does really work.
I'm not the most mentally strong when it comes to food, I can cut out sweets but by virtue of my diet (lots of Asian and Indian food) it's hard to cut out rice, bread and potatoes. But thats not a legit excuse, I can work around it. Maybe starting off 100 g's and less at first and progressing down. I'm the type that relapses easy if I go cold turkey to begin with.
@NY16, I'm assuming you eat dinner prior to workouts? I "feel" like I need some sort of carbs before working out, especially cardio.
I eat around 6 and usually right before my workout I will eat a banana
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when and how long is the intermittent fasting?
and are casein protein shakes best and when do you drink them?
From what I have read with the fasting, some are 8 hours, 12 hours or 16 hours, and u have ready crazy ones that are like 100 calories 1 day and then eat whatever the next...
You have to be carefully drinking protein shakes because they add fat to your body, the best time to drink them are immediately after a workout BUT it could be counter productive to your weight loss, if you eat right you should get plenty of protein
Isn't that dependent on what the shakes consist of? I use whey with almond milk so no carbs or fats really, and I keep it within the daily macros. Isn't that fine?
Zucchini noodles are awesome
Just discovered these at Trader Joe's!!!
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Riced cauliflower and zuchinni noodles have been a life saver for me since i was eating a ton of rice and pasta before
Zucchini noodles are awesome
Sounds like this diet will require a trip to Whole Foods!
Probably, i haven't eaten yet today and I my stomach is killing me. This is day 1 for me though, so it can only get better hopefully.
On the other hand though you should not feel like you are starving either, because the minute you ha e a cheat day you are going to blow up
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I must be a freak of nature because I never get hungry until late in the afternoon so I rarely ever eat anything prior to dinner. I try a ton of water, which probably suppresses any hunger I might get. If I'm hungry, I'll obviously eat, but I don't eat for just the hell of it.
Probably, i haven't eaten yet today and I my stomach is killing me. This is day 1 for me though, so it can only get better hopefully.
Never workout either on day 1
On the other hand though you should not feel like you are starving either, because the minute you ha e a cheat day you are going to blow up
Yep gotta crush the gym while you’re doing all this! It’s only been two days but I’ve already seen a small spike in energy.
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I must be a freak of nature because I never get hungry until late in the afternoon so I rarely ever eat anything prior to dinner. I try a ton of water, which probably suppresses any hunger I might get. If I'm hungry, I'll obviously eat, but I don't eat for just the hell of it.
Probably, i haven't eaten yet today and I my stomach is killing me. This is day 1 for me though, so it can only get better hopefully.
Your body will get used to it & adjust.
I worked out on day 1 no problem. Day 2 I had my best workout ever though.
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I didn't begin restricting carbs until I started to plateau, so it's not necessary. Definitely helps to jumpstart it though.
Keep with it. It does really work.
I'm not the most mentally strong when it comes to food, I can cut out sweets but by virtue of my diet (lots of Asian and Indian food) it's hard to cut out rice, bread and potatoes. But thats not a legit excuse, I can work around it. Maybe starting off 100 g's and less at first and progressing down. I'm the type that relapses easy if I go cold turkey to begin with.
@NY16, I'm assuming you eat dinner prior to workouts? I "feel" like I need some sort of carbs before working out, especially cardio.
You can make passable nan, roti's and chapati's with coconut flour as a no carb substitute. There are a few recipes out there.
Personally I tend to stay away from comfort substitutes, but if you're not having rice or some form of bread with a curry you're doing it wrong.
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even light cycling?
I worked out on day 1 no problem. Day 2 I had my best workout ever though.
I was just always told be careful day 1 because it is a sudden drop in calorie intake that your body has to get used to it, especially intense workouts
What's on the menu?
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really look forward to this first meal today lol.
What's on the menu?
Have to pickup lunch today so im thinking a salad from Qdoba (no beans of course). Couldn't really prep due to Mothers Day yesterday.
i recently have been eating some carbs and i've been able to at least maintain. the IF has been working really well for me. Not hard to do.
i recently have been eating some carbs and i've been able to at least maintain. the IF has been working really well for me. Not hard to do.
I'm not a big fan of the keto diet personally given I do a lot of half marathon training and feel better when I've fuelled with carbs. the keto diet was originally designed for patients with epilepsy and I find it hard to subsist on such a high fat:protein:carb ratio. but if you do lower intensity/timed exercising, it may work for you.
I try and follow a Mediterranean diet for 75% of my intake and when I need to lose a few pounds, decrease, but not eliminate, carbs and throw in a period of IF.
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In comment 13963180 giantsfan44ab said:
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really look forward to this first meal today lol.
What's on the menu?
Have to pickup lunch today so im thinking a salad from Qdoba (no beans of course). Couldn't really prep due to Mothers Day yesterday.
Nah man, beans are the best and healthiest part. Whatever carbs beans have ignore, the fiber over rules it
One rule of thumb for IF or Keto , etc...
If it's a fruit or a vegetable, the carbs and calories don't count . (In moderation of course)
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In comment 13963202 BigBlue4You09 said:
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In comment 13963180 giantsfan44ab said:
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really look forward to this first meal today lol.
What's on the menu?
Have to pickup lunch today so im thinking a salad from Qdoba (no beans of course). Couldn't really prep due to Mothers Day yesterday.
Nah man, beans are the best and healthiest part. Whatever carbs beans have ignore, the fiber over rules it
One rule of thumb for IF or Keto , etc...
If it's a fruit or a vegetable, the carbs and calories don't count . (In moderation of course)
I’m hardly the picture of fitness and nutrition expertise, but this is bad advice.
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In comment 13963202 BigBlue4You09 said:
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In comment 13963180 giantsfan44ab said:
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really look forward to this first meal today lol.
What's on the menu?
Have to pickup lunch today so im thinking a salad from Qdoba (no beans of course). Couldn't really prep due to Mothers Day yesterday.
Nah man, beans are the best and healthiest part. Whatever carbs beans have ignore, the fiber over rules it
One rule of thumb for IF or Keto , etc...
If it's a fruit or a vegetable, the carbs and calories don't count . (In moderation of course)
Absolutely DO NOT ignore them, you look at the net amount. And completely false about fruits and vegetables as well
I've been doing IF for a month now. Lost about 7 pounds , but literally have ate garbage food and haven't done too much to improve my diet yet besides no fast food , less sugars and IF 16/8 7 days a week
I know if I just exercise and cut down the carbs 50% I'll melt off about 20 pounds of fat with ease in 8-10 weeks, just hoping to also gain some lean muscle and not lose my current muscle
With veggies the rule is if you are still hungry eat a little more veg, but you can never eat as much as you want...
You eat to much of anything and it becomes bad...
Almonds for example are a great healthy snack, but only a handful, usually 20 to 25 is the healthy amount you start eating more and then it becomes bad
With veggies the rule is if you are still hungry eat a little more veg, but you can never eat as much as you want...
You eat to much of anything and it becomes bad...
Almonds for example are a great healthy snack, but only a handful, usually 20 to 25 is the healthy amount you start eating more and then it becomes bad
I just started using My Fitness Pal again to track this and with low/no carbs im actually struggling to even come close to my goal of 2,600 calories (goal is set to lose 1 pound a week). So to get in the ball park I'd have to increase the amount of snacks like cashews in order to even get close.
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You never can eat a ton of fruit...
With veggies the rule is if you are still hungry eat a little more veg, but you can never eat as much as you want...
You eat to much of anything and it becomes bad...
Almonds for example are a great healthy snack, but only a handful, usually 20 to 25 is the healthy amount you start eating more and then it becomes bad
I just started using My Fitness Pal again to track this and with low/no carbs im actually struggling to even come close to my goal of 2,600 calories (goal is set to lose 1 pound a week). So to get in the ball park I'd have to increase the amount of snacks like cashews in order to even get close.
You are under 2600?
I mean if you can get through a day with working out and not feel jittery or starving more power to you but I think once you workout you are going to feel weak and tired...
The reason to diet and workout is to feel good and not lose too much muscle while you cut....
That is why I dont like fasting more than 10 days like a cleanse, I feel it gets to a poi t where you are not eating enough and your body adjusts for that...
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I enjoy my cup of coffee with a little cream/sugar in the mornings, does this "kill" the fast?
yes, adds carbs, especially sugar. Gotta go black.
Do you ever go back?
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I put in everything I was gonna eat today in already and it’s coming out to 1800. Not including working out. I accounted for a double scoop of protein, an apple before working out, two servings of cashews, yogurt, and my dinner too.
I mean if you can get through a day with working out and not feel jittery or starving more power to you but I think once you workout you are going to feel weak and tired...
The reason to diet and workout is to feel good and not lose too much muscle while you cut....
That is why I dont like fasting more than 10 days like a cleanse, I feel it gets to a poi t where you are not eating enough and your body adjusts for that...
This is my worry too. Lots of my protein intake came from carb sources like bread so I have to increase protein in other ways. Breakfast usually was a solid 30g's of protein normally and that's eliminated for the time being while I try IF. Cooking chicken breast is def the way to go to get it though.
It is not something you can sustain for a long period of time because once you eat a carb you blow it out of the water that is not something you can do for the rest of your life
But I dont see the need to FAST to get back down. Ive been prepping food for the week, eating the little carbs that I do at the beginning of the day and loading up on protein and veg. Now I am eating 5 times a day (two meals being protein shakes with almond milk and either peanut butter or frozen berries) and I am making them lean. I have a shake as soon as I wake up in the morning to start my metabolism and I am off.
The idea of shedding lbs= health/being in shape is a canard. Do it the hard way: Eat right, eat often, work out hard for and hour or two 3-5 times a week and limit drinking to a day or two. Watch how easy it is to drop 15-20 lbs and then add another 5-10 of muscle in a few months. Its all what you put into it.
But I dont see the need to FAST to get back down. Ive been prepping food for the week, eating the little carbs that I do at the beginning of the day and loading up on protein and veg. Now I am eating 5 times a day (two meals being protein shakes with almond milk and either peanut butter or frozen berries) and I am making them lean. I have a shake as soon as I wake up in the morning to start my metabolism and I am off.
The idea of shedding lbs= health/being in shape is a canard. Do it the hard way: Eat right, eat often, work out hard for and hour or two 3-5 times a week and limit drinking to a day or two. Watch how easy it is to drop 15-20 lbs and then add another 5-10 of muscle in a few months. Its all what you put into it.
I don't think I *need* to fast to lose weight. I've just had massive weight fluctuations for better and worse since high school. I entered college at 125 pounds and I was 6'2. Not an inch of fat or muscle on my body. Gained 15 pounds in my first month in college. Starting working out (and eating tons of garbage food) and got to about 180-190. Probably as much fat as muscle. I'd routinely order pies of pizza for myself, delivery cookies, etc. Then I hurt my leg playing basketball, had surgery and couldn't weight lift for a few months. I took up swimming and got down 25 pounds. Since college I've been on and off weightlifting but staying active by biking or playing pickup basketball. I was never overweight but I am seeking consistency. I'll eat at all times of the day, even though I can be good about limiting sweets and booze I end up replacing it by just eating more.
I wanna try fasting just to limit myself. If I have a self imposed window there's only so much damage I can do. And I wanna try limiting carbs not just for weight but trying to get my body adjusted to getting energy from better sources and have heard good experiences from people able to do so. I have heard even better things from people who have been able to cut out caffeine and meat but of the 3 I think I can take on carbs the easiest.
It is not something you can sustain for a long period of time because once you eat a carb you blow it out of the water that is not something you can do for the rest of your life
This has not been my experience
I eat carbs all the time and I've been doing IF for over a year. Like I said, only recently have a cut carbs because I plateaued.
Everybody is different though, obviously. But the general rule of IF is that you do not need to be restrictive in what you eat.
When I do a fast I feel like ahit and I never feel like I ate enough, just did not feel good on it...
If you plan on working out hard I would not fast
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No, that's not what I was saying. Eating right when you get out of bed spikes your metabolism...gets it going. Eating smaller, more frequent meals over the course of the day keeps you full and makes you feel more satiated. it also doesn't overload your digestive system and put things to waste.
I eat brown rice and eggs for breakfast before a work out. I eat a half a microwaved sweet potato post work out. Blueberries are fine. Apples are fine. Melon...
Truth is, you really are not maximizing yourworkout if you are ommitting ALL carbs
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avoid fruits, especially tropical fruits. Very high in fructose (sugars). Choose slower digesting carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
I eat brown rice and eggs for breakfast before a work out. I eat a half a microwaved sweet potato post work out. Blueberries are fine. Apples are fine. Melon...
Truth is, you really are not maximizing yourworkout if you are ommitting ALL carbs
Yup, people think you cant eat carbs, not true, you just have to eat the right carbs and in the correct portions...
Example for dinner, I had Turkey burger with a cup of whole wheat pasta and tomatoes and cucumbers
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In comment 13963635 UESBLUE said:
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avoid fruits, especially tropical fruits. Very high in fructose (sugars). Choose slower digesting carbs like brown rice and sweet potatoes.
I eat brown rice and eggs for breakfast before a work out. I eat a half a microwaved sweet potato post work out. Blueberries are fine. Apples are fine. Melon...
Truth is, you really are not maximizing yourworkout if you are ommitting ALL carbs
Yup, people think you cant eat carbs, not true, you just have to eat the right carbs and in the correct portions...
Example for dinner, I had Turkey burger with a cup of whole wheat pasta and tomatoes and cucumbers
With grilled stuff, I make a quinoa with red peppers (a little jalapeño if you like spicy), corn, cold black beans, cilantro and lime zest. I dress it with just red wine vinegar, evoo and salt and pepper. If you want it a littke heartier, add two crescents of avocado. Its awesome.
Half cup extra virgin olive oil, bartoli brand the best..
1/3 cup balsamic...
Half tablespoon of minced garlic
Half tablespoon of dijon