HELP - some advice please on a eating plan!

[ssiceloff]

I am so confused (not hard to do). Again, I'm new to this forum since my last one I think went belly-up. Short version - getting back into training hardcore and dieting hardcore to get back to at least 15-16% bodyfat (currently at least 21+). What's the best way to lose body fat, but not necessarily weight? I'm 5'7", 116-118 lbs. Low-carb, higher fat, moderate calories, just don't know. Can someone give me some help with a diet please? It looks like some very dedicated training and nutrition go on here in this forum, so I am really looking forward to getting some guidance. Thanks so much!:help:
Susan

[Erik]

I am so confused (not hard to do). Again, I'm new to this forum since my last one I think went belly-up. Short version - getting back into training hardcore and dieting hardcore to get back to at least 15-16% bodyfat (currently at least 21+). What's the best way to lose body fat, but not necessarily weight? I'm 5'7", 116-118 lbs. Low-carb, higher fat, moderate calories, just don't know. Can someone give me some help with a diet please? It looks like some very dedicated training and nutrition go on here in this forum, so I am really looking forward to getting some guidance. Thanks so much!:help:
Susan

I've got some bad news for ya. You can't lose bodyfat without weight unless you add an equal amount of muscle to offset the fat loss.

Meaning, bodyfat IS weight. To lose say 5 POUNDS of fat, you're going to lose 5 POUNDS of weight unless you actually add 5 pounds of muscle, which unfortunately is really not likely to happen while eating in a caloric deficit.

You could drop your body fat PERCENTAGE with no change in actual body fat mass, by increasing your muscle mass of course.

What's your current diet look like? Let's start there.

[ssiceloff]

Ok - current diet (not written in stone 'cause I'm still not sure what I'm doing) is low carb. I purchased a book from Borders called Protein Power which is basically a low carb plan designed with no more than 30 grams of carbs a day. However, it seems like there is a lot of fat grams in most of their recipes, which I don't mind if it's gonna help with the fat loss, but I'm just not sure. So basically my diet for the last couple of days has been alternating as follows:
Day 1: Breakfast: 2 extra large eggs scrambled (in butter) with muenster cheese and an Atkins shake.
Snack: whey protein mixed in with cottage cheese and a Fage greek yogurt with whey protein.
Lunch: tuna salad (with mayo) on a bed of spinach and oil & vinegar dressing.
Snack: the same as above
Dinner: 6 oz. salmon with spinach salad & oil & vinegar.
Day 2: Breakfast: 6 eggwhites with f/f mozzarella
Snack: same (cottage cheese or yogurt) with protein powder
Lunch: either plain chicken or tuna on a salad with f/f dressing
Snack: cottage cheese only (1%)
Dinner: lean beef and a salad.
Pretty basic. But what I've previously read about is cycling. So, what do you recommend?
Thanks.
Susan

[Erik]

Ok - current diet (not written in stone 'cause I'm still not sure what I'm doing) is low carb. I purchased a book from Borders called Protein Power which is basically a low carb plan designed with no more than 30 grams of carbs a day. However, it seems like there is a lot of fat grams in most of their recipes, which I don't mind if it's gonna help with the fat loss, but I'm just not sure.

Generally speaking low carb diets are higher fat by default. You have to eat a certain amount of calories per day for your bodyweight and you can only eat so much protein as eating beyond your requirements is simply a waste. So if the carbs are low, and you can only take in so much protein, you're left with using fat as a caloric ballast to meet your caloric requirements.

Make sense?

[Erik]

So basically my diet for the last couple of days has been alternating as follows:
Day 1: Breakfast: 2 extra large eggs scrambled (in butter) with muenster cheese and an Atkins shake.
Snack: whey protein mixed in with cottage cheese and a Fage greek yogurt with whey protein.
Lunch: tuna salad (with mayo) on a bed of spinach and oil & vinegar dressing.
Snack: the same as above
Dinner: 6 oz. salmon with spinach salad & oil & vinegar.
Day 2: Breakfast: 6 eggwhites with f/f mozzarella
Snack: same (cottage cheese or yogurt) with protein powder
Lunch: either plain chicken or tuna on a salad with f/f dressing
Snack: cottage cheese only (1%)
Dinner: lean beef and a salad.
Pretty basic. But what I've previously read about is cycling. So, what do you recommend?
Thanks.
Susan

Looks like you're eating well and making some good choices.

The key though is eating the right amount for YOUR body. Quality is always trumped by quantity. (ie. you can still over or undereat the 'right' foods).

Do you happen to have the totals determined? (ie. protein, carbs, fat and calories). That's where the troubleshooting comes in. Without that it's almost impossible to make the right adjustments (increase something or decrease something, etc).

Download and read this:

The Top 10 Not-So-Obvious Fat-Loss Mistakes (http://www.leanbodiesconsulting.com/free-report-fat-loss-signup.html)

[ssiceloff]

The last two days I have been tracking on FitDay, and the stats are:
Day 1: 1127 calories; 52 gm fat (43%); 15 gm carb (4%) and 142 gm protein (52%). Day 2: 1027 calories; 18 gm fat (17%); 29 gm carb (9%); 179 gm protein (74%). So, I guess my questions are: do I stick with low-fat, higher protein, or higher fat, moderate protein and do I cycle? Since I obviously have only been doing this for a couple of days, I really can't say as to whether there have been any changes. Thanks for your input.

Susan

P.S. Thanks, I already downloaded the Fat Loss document.

[Erik]

The last two days I have been tracking on FitDay, and the stats are:
Day 1: 1127 calories; 52 gm fat (43%); 15 gm carb (4%) and 142 gm protein (52%). Day 2: 1027 calories; 18 gm fat (17%); 29 gm carb (9%); 179 gm protein (74%). So, I guess my questions are: do I stick with low-fat, higher protein, or higher fat, moderate protein and do I cycle? Since I obviously have only been doing this for a couple of days, I really can't say as to whether there have been any changes. Thanks for your input.


Your calories are too low if you ask me. On both days.

As for the low fat vs low carb question, it's secondary to your overall calories. Do you find you feel particularly better on one versus the other? For example, some people feel great on low carb diets whereas others simply don't.

If you're going to stick to a low carb plan, you need to raise your fat on your Day 1. You could even stand to raise your carbs. Low carbs doesn't have to mean virtually no carbs.

Same with your Day 2 - too low in carbs and/or fat.

The issue with always going low carb is that depending on how your workouts are set up, your performance will likely suffer in the gym. Periodic high carb days can help offset that however.

[ssiceloff]

Thanks so much - this has cleared up a lot of the confusion. One last question, (I think), is, well, are: how often should I do the periodic high carb, and on the high carb, do you increase your calories as well? I usually do my workouts very early in the a.m. on an empty stomach (well, I don't really count that sugar free Redbull), so so far not having many carbs has not affected my workouts. Again, that may change the longer I'm on a low carb diet. But, I will up my carbs and fat a tad and see how that plays out.

Thanks again for your help.

Susan

[Erik]

Thanks so much - this has cleared up a lot of the confusion. One last question, (I think), is, well, are: how often should I do the periodic high carb,

It depends on the rest of your plan and how low you plan to keep your carbs on the other days.



and on the high carb, do you increase your calories as well?

Yep



I usually do my workouts very early in the a.m. on an empty stomach

THAT you have to stop. You're short changing your results without question.


so so far not having many carbs has not affected my workouts.

Yeah, because you're used to training on an empty tank. No wonder. You should be eating something before you lift.

[mcv]

Thanks so much - this has cleared up a lot of the confusion. One last question, (I think), is, well, are: how often should I do the periodic high carb, and on the high carb, do you increase your calories as well? I usually do my workouts very early in the a.m. on an empty stomach (well, I don't really count that sugar free Redbull), so so far not having many carbs has not affected my workouts. Again, that may change the longer I'm on a low carb diet. But, I will up my carbs and fat a tad and see how that plays out.

Thanks again for your help.

Susan

I don't think you are supposed to lift on an empty stomach....

[Audrey]

I don't think you are supposed to lift on an empty stomach....

:yeahthat:

Start eating before your workouts. If time is an issue, then a protein shake with a bit of carbs in it (Gatorade or ground oats, or even a small piece of fruit) will help a lot.

And if you do it because you think it will help you burn more fat during your workout, it doesn’t. What you are burning during a workout is irrelevant. What the total calories are at the end of the day (and whether or not you created a deficit) is what matters most. And by not eating before your workout, you are short changing your performance in the gym.

[ssiceloff]

Thank you Audrey. I actually put that into practice today - had a Fage greek yogurt with some protein powder. Gotta be honest - didn't really feel any different, but hopefully I will SEE a difference soon. Thanks!

[Audrey]

Thank you Audrey. I actually put that into practice today - had a Fage greek yogurt with some protein powder. Gotta be honest - didn't really feel any different, but hopefully I will SEE a difference soon. Thanks!

I would try to add some carbs in there... maybe a protein shake or egg whites with oats (or sweet potato, brown rice, Ezekiel bread...).

[ssiceloff]

Thanks Audrey. Can I ask you a few questions? You look very good in your picture - that is the look I am trying to achieve. That being said, what is the macros on carb grams on a daily basis - is it based on weight, what you are trying to achieve, etc. And, I have read a lot about carb cycling, where you go three days low carb and then have a high carb day. But, again, what constitutes low carb day, and what would be the difference (in grams) on a high carb day. I know I'm asking for a lot of info, but I'm really confused by all that I read, so at least if I hear it from someone who it obviously works for, I can know that it's accurate. Thanks again.

Susan