Trying to cut fat - diet help

#15

Hi, can anyone give me some pointers about this diet plan?
I'm trying to cut fat, I have built up some muscle in the last few months.
At the minute my calorie requirements are about 2600 per day?

Will this diet help me to cut fat - it's 2000 calories per day.

I don't want to lose much muscle if I can help it.

It's taken from the maximuscle site.

http://www.maximuscle.ie/toolsanddownloads/dietplan2000cals.html

Dotcomdolly

There's no fruit or veg *at all* in that meal plan :eek:

#15

Dotcomdolly wrote: »

There's no fruit or veg *at all* in that meal plan :eek:

Yeah, at the minute I eat a load of fruit and veg, it seems strange that the whole plan has no fruit/veg in it.
Is there anything in that plan worth following?

TommyKnocker

Hi #15

Firstly start off by listing your current daily food and liquid intake. Everything that passes you lips on a normal day. Be as detailed as possible.

i.e.

05:30 Breakfast
20g Jumbo oats, 3 almond nuts, 3 hazel nuts, 3 walnut halves, 3 brazil nuts, dessert spn of mixed seeds, 5 grapes, 8 raspberries, 6 blackberries, 3 strawberreis, dessert spn of blueberries with 200ml of no fat milk.

200ml Cranberry juice & 1 mug of green tea

1 Multi-vit, 4 Fish oil capsules, 1 Advanced C-Jointin (For joint health)

08:30 ish at desk in work
Whey shake with 1.25 scoops of Whey, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine and 400ml no fat milk.

2 oat cakes each with a heaped tea spoon of peanut butter

1 apple

11:00ish snack
1 Banana, 1 Kiwi & 125g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse


Then list the training/exercises you are doing. Again give details on weight lifted, number of sets/reps. What cardio (if any) you are doing.

Realistically, you can assume that any meal plan produced by a supplement company is going to be pushing their products.

Also if looking to lose body fat, then IMHO that diet is to high in carbs and the ratios of protein to carbs to fat is all wrong. It is 45% protein, 45% carbs and 10% fats. And a good deal of carbs from starchy sources.

What I found works for me and seems to work for lots of others is a high protein, moderate fats and lowish carb diet. The ratio I strive for is 45% Protein, 30%-35% healthy fats and 20%-25% carbs (mostly from fibrous sources (veg and some fruit))

So get your diet sorted out, lift heavy (compound lifts) and do some short but intense cardio sessions, and that should see you make good progress.


Best Regards,

M

#15

Thanks very much B-Builder, that's exactly the type of info I need.
Everywhere I looked I see 'weight loss' tips - I would prefer to burn fat and keep as much muscle as possible, most articles seem to focus on weight alone. If you get what I mean...?

Anyway,

Breakfast

Bowl of porridge, usually raisins or strawberries chopped in

Morning snack

Wholemeal pitta with lettuce and turkey

Lunch

Wholemeal pitta with lettuce and turkey (again!), and a banana.

Dinner

Usually one of: Chicken korma, codfish and veg, shepherds pie. Mostly (4days a week) its a chicken and veg combo.

Evening

Scrambled egg

_______________________________________
I occasionally have homemade brown bread and homemade veg soup for lunch.

Recently, I've been keeping away from bread as much as possible, no potatoes or pasta at all. Brown rice only.

Veg with dinner is plentiful - brocolli, peas, carrots, cabbage.

Am I eating too much every day?

Another thing that really wrecks my diet is when I come in from work, I am so hungry and I often end up having a packet of crisps or some other piece of junk. I cannot break the habit - what could I have as a healthy snack when I come in? I'm considering whey protein...? I hate ryvita and rice cakes.

Danger781

#15 wrote: »

Another thing that really wrecks my diet is when I come in from work, I am so hungry and I often end up having a packet of crisps or some other piece of junk. I cannot break the habit - what could I have as a healthy snack when I come in? I'm considering whey protein...? I hate ryvita and rice cakes.

That was a terrible habit of mine. Come home from school grab a few biscuits or buy a bar on the way home. I now haven't any junk in 4 days. The longest I've EVER gone without junk.. well proud

Honestly I'm not sure how I did it. I just started looking at the amount of calories on the packets and began realising that I could probably lose weight just by cutting out those alone!

When I wanted something sweet, I'd go for a handful of strawberries. For a summer treat on those hot days? Try freezing some grapes over night. They're lovely and form almost an ice cream texture!

When I wanted something crunchy I'd go for an apple,some carrot sticks or a handful of peanuts! Be careful with the peanuts though because they're quite high in calories!

Now this may be some corny advice, but you could try some motivational stickers. Put them on door to the cupboard that contains all the junk food! You might change your mind when you read it! Also, it will be a lot easier to resist if they aren't in the house in the first place.. I have to do it the hard way knowing they're in the kitchen waiting to be eaten! :P

It's all about willpower! I'm finding it very difficult at the moment to resist my love for chocolate Good luck!

legend365

#15 wrote: »

Hi, can anyone give me some pointers about this diet plan?
I'm trying to cut fat, I have built up some muscle in the last few months.
At the minute my calorie requirements are about 2600 per day?

Will this diet help me to cut fat - it's 2000 calories per day.

I don't want to lose much muscle if I can help it.

It's taken from the maximuscle site.

http://www.maximuscle.ie/toolsanddownloads/dietplan2000cals.html

Really? You think shreddies will get you shredded?

That diet is like sayin eat 2000kcals of crisps and you'll lose weight...because its still only 2000.

Thing is with cutting fat, you dont want to go over board or all progress is lost. I'd suggest carbs before afternoon and none after, regular 2 hour meals (nuts and all the good stuff) and lots of HiiT.

I went from bulking to cutting at the start of may and lost too much weight (what? yes im one of those freaks). That was from cutting carbs completely (the occasional piece a fruit aside).

Added some starchy carbs before lunch and the weight has seemed to keep stable while results improve

johnn

legend365 wrote: »

Really? You think shreddies will get you shredded?

That diet is like sayin eat 2000kcals of crisps and you'll lose weight...because its still only 2000.

Thing is with cutting fat, you dont want to go over board or all progress is lost. I'd suggest carbs before afternoon and none after, regular 2 hour meals (nuts and all the good stuff) and lots of HiiT.

I went from bulking to cutting at the start of may and lost too much weight (what? yes im one of those freaks). That was from cutting carbs completely (the occasional piece a fruit aside).

Added some starchy carbs before lunch and the weight has seemed to keep stable while results improve

What kind of stuff would you be eating in your 2 hourly meals man?

legend365

nuts
chicken
milk
tuna
salmon

..and the like. Mix em in a salad or eat them plain. I tend to go plain. I'd eat most my fruit and veg before workout.

TommyKnocker

Hi #15

Your diet is still fairly vague and you never posted anything about either training or fluid intake. See points in quoted text.

While on the face of it your diet does not look too bad, there are a few points I would make.

#15 wrote: »

Thanks very much B-Builder, that's exactly the type of info I need.
Everywhere I looked I see 'weight loss' tips - I would prefer to burn fat and keep as much muscle as possible, most articles seem to focus on weight alone. If you get what I mean...?

Anyway,

Breakfast

Bowl of porridge, usually raisins or strawberries chopped in

Made with milk or water? Any tea/coffee or juices consumed?
if yes to tea or coffee do you take sugar?

Morning snack

Wholemeal pitta with lettuce and turkey

Personally I would drop the pitta and have a large salad instead with olive oil and lemon juice/balsamic vinegar dressing and maybe a small serving of nuts for some extra healthy fats.

Lunch

Wholemeal pitta with lettuce and turkey (again!), and a banana.

Again personally I would drop the pitta in favour of veg or another salad. I would swap the banana for a small portion of berries.

Dinner

Usually one of: Chicken korma, codfish and veg, shepherds pie. Mostly (4days a week) its a chicken and veg combo.

Is chicken Korma homeade from scratch or is the sauce from a jar/packet. Pre made sauces are usually loaded with sugars and salt. Shepards pie can contain quite a large amount of creamed potatoes.

Evening

Scrambled egg

Probably should have something a little more substantial than just scrambled egg. However how many eggs? Just 1? half a dozen? Do you have toast with it?

_______________________________________
I occasionally have homemade brown bread and homemade veg soup for lunch.

Homemade brown bread occasionally is ok, as long as it is occasionally. Really on a fat loss diet IMHO you should restrict starch based carbs as much as possible.

Recently, I've been keeping away from bread as much as possible, no potatoes or pasta at all. Brown rice only.

I too am eating to reduce and keep bodyfat to a low level for the summer, so dinners are just a protein source and veg. No starch based carbs at all and any sauces are homemade and tomatoe based.

Veg with dinner is plentiful - brocolli, peas, carrots, cabbage.

Am I eating too much every day?

To answer this question, you need to get a note book and for a couple of days jot down everything that passes you lips. It's no good writing something like "scrambled egg". You need to list how many eggs. Did you add in butter or milk? if yes how much? This is what I mean when I say as detailed as possible.

Also, you need to work out what you maintenance calories are. Do you know this figure? If you don't know how many calories you need to simply maintain your current weight, then how are you going to create a calorie deficit to aid fat loss?

If you have a look at this thread, http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2054876750&page=2 in the third post down, g'em one of the mods and someone who knows what she is talking about gives a formula for working out your daily calorie requirements.

Another thing that really wrecks my diet is when I come in from work, I am so hungry and I often end up having a packet of crisps or some other piece of junk. I cannot break the habit - what could I have as a healthy snack when I come in?

Are you living on your own or at home?

If you are on your own/living with friends and you buy the foods you eat, then stop buying junk snacks. If they are not in the house you can't eat them. If you are living at home ask you mum to hide the junk. Out of site out of mind


I'm considering whey protein...?

IMHO you should only add supplements to your diet when you have it sorted and know your calorie requirements. Whey is not some magic powder. It is simply a powdered food source, and will add calories to you overall calorie intake. The number of calories will depend on the brand used and what it is mixed with (water/milk).

I hate ryvita and rice cakes.

I have never tried Ryvita, and personally I find rice cakes like eating crunchy styrofoam, plus rice cakes are not actually that healthy. I much prefere course oat cakes. With tuna, hummus or nut butters, they make a tasty snack IMHO.

Just to give you an idea, here is an average days food and liquid intake for me

05:30 Breakfast
20g Jumbo oats, 3 almond nuts, 3 hazel nuts, 3 walnut halves, 3 brazil nuts, dessert spn of mixed seeds, 5 grapes, 8 raspberries, 6 blackberries, 3 strawberreis, dessert spn of blueberries with 200ml of no fat milk.

200ml Cranberry juice & 1 mug of green tea

1 Multi-vit, 4 Fish oil capsules, 1 Advanced C-Jointin (For joint health)

08:30 ish at desk in work
Whey shake with 1.25 scoops of Whey, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine and 400ml no fat milk.

2 oat cakes each with a heaped tea spoon of peanut butter

1 apple

11:00ish snack
1 Banana, 1 Kiwi & 125g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse

1 mug of green tea

12:45 Lunch
400g of homemade ratatouille, 125g chicken breast, 125g fillet beef

1 dessert spoon of Peanut Butter

1 mug of green tea

16:00 afternoon snack
Whey protein shake with 1.25 scoops of whey and 400ml milk

1 200g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse

18:00 - 20:00 Gym
Strong Lifts 5x5 workout

20:10 Post workout shake
2 scoops of whey protein, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine, 1 scoop of Glucose

21:30 Dinner
350g mixed frozen veg (sprouts, brocolli & green beans), 175g turkey steak

1 mug of green tea

I will also have gone through about 3-4 liters of water throughout the day and in the gym

Danger781

Holy Sh** that's some diet you have there B-Builder :eek:

Dotcomdolly

Danger781 wrote: »

Holy Sh** that's some diet you have there B-Builder :eek:

and a helluva long day! I need a nap just reading it

Martian Martin

B-Builder wrote: »

Hi #15

Firstly start off by listing your current daily food and liquid intake. Everything that passes you lips on a normal day. Be as detailed as possible.

i.e.

05:30 Breakfast
20g Jumbo oats, 3 almond nuts, 3 hazel nuts, 3 walnut halves, 3 brazil nuts, dessert spn of mixed seeds, 5 grapes, 8 raspberries, 6 blackberries, 3 strawberreis, dessert spn of blueberries with 200ml of no fat milk.

200ml Cranberry juice & 1 mug of green tea

1 Multi-vit, 4 Fish oil capsules, 1 Advanced C-Jointin (For joint health)

08:30 ish at desk in work
Whey shake with 1.25 scoops of Whey, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine and 400ml no fat milk.

2 oat cakes each with a heaped tea spoon of peanut butter

1 apple

11:00ish snack
1 Banana, 1 Kiwi & 125g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse


Then list the training/exercises you are doing. Again give details on weight lifted, number of sets/reps. What cardio (if any) you are doing.

Realistically, you can assume that any meal plan produced by a supplement company is going to be pushing their products.

Also if looking to lose body fat, then IMHO that diet is to high in carbs and the ratios of protein to carbs to fat is all wrong. It is 45% protein, 45% carbs and 10% fats. And a good deal of carbs from starchy sources.

What I found works for me and seems to work for lots of others is a high protein, moderate fats and lowish carb diet. The ratio I strive for is 45% Protein, 30%-35% healthy fats and 20%-25% carbs (mostly from fibrous sources (veg and some fruit))

So get your diet sorted out, lift heavy (compound lifts) and do some short but intense cardio sessions, and that should see you make good progress.


Best Regards,

M

Your up at 5.30am??? Fair play to your will power.

TommyKnocker

Martian Martin wrote: »

Your up at 5.30am??? Fair play to your will power.

Actually up at 04:40. I have showered, shaved and dressed before I head down for breakfast


Best Regards,

M

legend365

5-6 hours sleep?

ouch!

Danger781

B-Builder wrote: »

Actually up at 04:40. I have showered, shaved and dressed before I head down for breakfast


Best Regards,

M

You're crazy

Martian Martin

B-Builder wrote: »

Actually up at 04:40. I have showered, shaved and dressed before I head down for breakfast


Best Regards,

M

:eek: Man, I wish I had that kinda will power.

Dazd_N_Confusd

B-Builder wrote: »

Hi #15

Your diet is still fairly vague and you never posted anything about either training or fluid intake. See points in quoted text.

While on the face of it your diet does not look too bad, there are a few points I would make.



Just to give you an idea, here is an average days food and liquid intake for me

05:30 Breakfast
20g Jumbo oats, 3 almond nuts, 3 hazel nuts, 3 walnut halves, 3 brazil nuts, dessert spn of mixed seeds, 5 grapes, 8 raspberries, 6 blackberries, 3 strawberreis, dessert spn of blueberries with 200ml of no fat milk.

200ml Cranberry juice & 1 mug of green tea

1 Multi-vit, 4 Fish oil capsules, 1 Advanced C-Jointin (For joint health)

08:30 ish at desk in work
Whey shake with 1.25 scoops of Whey, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine and 400ml no fat milk.

2 oat cakes each with a heaped tea spoon of peanut butter

1 apple

11:00ish snack
1 Banana, 1 Kiwi & 125g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse

1 mug of green tea

12:45 Lunch
400g of homemade ratatouille, 125g chicken breast, 125g fillet beef

1 dessert spoon of Peanut Butter

1 mug of green tea

16:00 afternoon snack
Whey protein shake with 1.25 scoops of whey and 400ml milk

1 200g homemade cottage cheese and mixed berry mousse

18:00 - 20:00 Gym
Strong Lifts 5x5 workout

20:10 Post workout shake
2 scoops of whey protein, 1 tea spoon of Creatine, 1 tea spoon of L-Glutamine, 1 scoop of Glucose

21:30 Dinner
350g mixed frozen veg (sprouts, brocolli & green beans), 175g turkey steak

1 mug of green tea

I will also have gone through about 3-4 liters of water throughout the day and in the gym

Just out of curiosity, how many calories roughly per day?

TommyKnocker

Dazd_N_Confusd wrote: »

Just out of curiosity, how many calories roughly per day?

Circa 2,700-2,900 calories per day.

I am 12st 2lb @ 11% BF and the Katch McArdle formula gives me a maintenance figure around 3,224 calories daily. I am looking to drop my BF to around 10%, so am working off a deficit at the moment.

And so far (touch wood) I have managed to slightly increase my squat, bench and dead lift, so I am happy enough.


Best Regards,

M

DARCHA22

#15 wrote: »

Hi, can anyone give me some pointers about this diet plan?
I'm trying to cut fat, I have built up some muscle in the last few months.
At the minute my calorie requirements are about 2600 per day?

Will this diet help me to cut fat - it's 2000 calories per day.

I don't want to lose much muscle if I can help it.

It's taken from the maximuscle site.

http://www.maximuscle.ie/toolsanddownloads/dietplan2000cals.html

Wouldnt bother with "protein bars" aka candy bars if you want to lose fat.

just my opinion on it.

For losing fat i have used a pretty basic approach, i keep carbs as low as i can(still trying to get the hang of it, its pretty tough) and keep my cal about 500 to 700 deficit, seems to do the job.