Post: #1

Guys,

Currently cutting. I'm going low-carb on non-training days and aiming for an overall weekly calorie deficit. Carbing up sometimes post workouts. Have cut out sugar and dairy etc. Seem to be leaning out steadily.

My question:

What's better for fat loss and retaining muscle mass?

1) Protein as soon as you wake up
or
2) Intermittent-fasting style compressed eating window - e.g. 12pm-8pm

I've heard arguments for both - morning protein boosts your metabolism all day, but IF burns fat in the fasted state and there are benefits for nutrient partitioning, growth hormone, etc.

So is one or the other definitively better for fat loss and muscle retention?

Thanks!

Post: #2

Test both our over a 1 month period each and see which has better results for your body type and also which you are able to maintain.

Post: #3

This is what works for me (however I don't "Cut" or "Bulk" this is my 365 everyday Routine)

Wake up @ 4:30am, exercise 45 minutes to 1 hour on empty stomach (warmup stretches, cardio, then weights)
Then I take an Ice-Cold shower right afterwards (helps with recovery and fat burning)
First meal Noon, last meal is anywhere between 6pm to 8pm (depending on how I feel)

This diet/exercise routine got me very lean and helps me maintain overall leanness year-round.
Downside is, although I still make muscle & strength gains, they happen way slower than on a traditional bulk.
I recommend you give it a shot man.

When I first started this routine, it took all my willpower & disclipline to keep it up.
A year and a half later?
This routine is now second nature to me. Like breathing.
Now I am looking for ways to up the ante.

Post: #4

Intermittent Fasting.

I have been doing it for the last month, abs are coming through nicely.

I don't take protein shakes, ever.

Post: #5

I did IF for a while and could not see any benefits. Other people have done IF and it helps them. I think you have to try things out for 1-2 months consistently and see what happens, but be sure to measure things. Weight, waist, etc.

So I gave up on IF and just do a protein shake in the morning. If you don't want to do that, then have an egg white omelette in the morning. I find fasted HIIT every day works for me in getting the fat off, in addition to strict diet and weights. I have to basically throw everything at my body to get it to do what I want.

Post: #6

my personal thoughts on IF aside, my question to you is when do you train. That would dictate my approach if I were deciding between the 2. I never want to get into a workout without fuel in my system, suboptimal performance. If you train later in the day then IF is an option, if you train early I wouldn't consider it. As far as is one definitively better than the other, not during a cut no so do the approach that is a better fit for your life and that you're more likely to stick to.

Post: #7

(03-14-2016 10:35 AM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  This is what works for me (however I don't "Cut" or "Bulk" this is my 365 everyday Routine)

Wake up @ 4:30am, exercise 45 minutes to 1 hour on empty stomach (warmup stretches, cardio, then weights)
Then I take an Ice-Cold shower right afterwards (helps with recovery and fat burning)
First meal Noon, last meal is anywhere between 6pm to 8pm (depending on how I feel)

This diet/exercise routine got me very lean and helps me maintain overall leanness year-round.
Downside is, although I still make muscle & strength gains, they happen way slower than on a traditional bulk.
I recommend you give it a shot man.

When I first started this routine, it took all my willpower & disclipline to keep it up.
A year and a half later?
This routine is now second nature to me. Like breathing.
Now I am looking for ways to up the ante.

4:30 AM? That would never work for me, but props to you

Post: #8

(03-14-2016 02:35 PM)Olav Wrote:  

(03-14-2016 10:35 AM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  This is what works for me (however I don't "Cut" or "Bulk" this is my 365 everyday Routine)

Wake up @ 4:30am, exercise 45 minutes to 1 hour on empty stomach (warmup stretches, cardio, then weights)
Then I take an Ice-Cold shower right afterwards (helps with recovery and fat burning)
First meal Noon, last meal is anywhere between 6pm to 8pm (depending on how I feel)

This diet/exercise routine got me very lean and helps me maintain overall leanness year-round.
Downside is, although I still make muscle & strength gains, they happen way slower than on a traditional bulk.
I recommend you give it a shot man.

When I first started this routine, it took all my willpower & disclipline to keep it up.
A year and a half later?
This routine is now second nature to me. Like breathing.
Now I am looking for ways to up the ante.

4:30 AM? That would never work for me, but props to you

Doesn't have to be 4:30am that is just what works for my schedule.
The basic daily principles are:
1) Workout for 45 to 60 minutes on an empty stomach
2) Eat all your food in an 8 hour window
3) Take Cold Showers
4) Whoops, I forgot to mention I eat a maximum of 100 grams of carbs per day.
5) Rock abs and vascularity year-round regardless of genetics (barring any sort of birth defect/illness/disease)

Post: #9

Great replies, thanks all. I like the advice of simply testing each approach, it sounds like it's horses for courses.

Good reminder on the cold showers Scrapper, I forgot they could be useful for metabolism/fat loss.

Post: #10

IF is the answer to all fat loss problems.

Post: #11

(03-14-2016 05:19 PM)BIG BOSS Wrote:  IF is the answer to all fat loss problems.

What do you base that on?

Why does it work better than, say, carb-cycling and a calorie deficit with protein for every meal (inc. breakfast)?

That's what not clear to me from the IF info I've read.

Post: #12

I've been losing weight simply by counting calories. Sometimes we make dieting way too complicated.

Post: #13

I find it easier to avoid for the first 4-5 hours of the day then the last 11. I try not to eat until about 1-1:30 and then eat to my program as I normally would.

Post: #14

Just did an IF day with "bulletproof coffee" for brekkie and brunch (Well. organic coffee with coconut oil + butter).

Quite surprising! I was expecting the usual fasting lack of energy/rumbling stomach...however, was totally fine and feeling full, satiated and energized until 2pm. Wasn't even particularly interested in lunch actually, had to remind myself to get it.

Not sure whether this is significantly better for fatloss than protein breakfast or straight fasting without fat, or if in fact it's worse (maybe you burn through the butter/coconut oil but not your own fat reserves?)

At any rate, feels like a damn good way to get the health benefits of fasting (autophagy etc) without the downsides. Could definitely do this regularly.

Post: #15

I do low-carb and other than making sure I don't overdo the carbs (over 20g, I stay in the induction phase of atkins) I just try to make sure I'm getting my vitamins and reaching a decent amount of protein. Some days I only have maybe 5-10 carbs and I think that's detrimental to weight loss. I've stalled before and I think it was because I was skipping the spinach salads and just eating meat/eggs all the time.

On another note, I usually don't eat breakfast. At best I'll have a protein shake. I believe I lost more weight when I started the mornings off eating a big breakfast and eating lesser as the day progressed.

6AM Breakfast:
4 eggs scrambled with spicy sausage, cheese, topped off with salsa and sour cream

9AM Snack:
Protein shake and a handful or two of almonds or shelled peanuts

Lunch:
Leftover steak/chicken with a creamed spinach or a salad

4PM Snack(Pre-Gym):
Protein shake

Dinner:
Zucchini pasta ground beef alfredo 1/2 portion. The rest leftovers for lunch the next day

Post: #16

(03-17-2016 09:28 PM)AlphaGrowthHormone Wrote:  I do low-carb and other than making sure I don't overdo the carbs (over 20g, I stay in the induction phase of atkins) I just try to make sure I'm getting my vitamins and reaching a decent amount of protein. Some days I only have maybe 5-10 carbs and I think that's detrimental to weight loss. I've stalled before and I think it was because I was skipping the spinach salads and just eating meat/eggs all the time.

On another note, I usually don't eat breakfast. At best I'll have a protein shake. I believe I lost more weight when I started the mornings off eating a big breakfast and eating lesser as the day progressed.

6AM Breakfast:
4 eggs scrambled with spicy sausage, cheese, topped off with salsa and sour cream

9AM Snack:
Protein shake and a handful or two of almonds or shelled peanuts

Lunch:
Leftover steak/chicken with a creamed spinach or a salad

4PM Snack(Pre-Gym):
Protein shake

Dinner:
Zucchini pasta ground beef alfredo 1/2 portion. The rest leftovers for lunch the next day

20g and below? Damn you are hardcore!
I have been low carbing for 1.5 years now but I typically stick to less than 100g a day.
Just like you, I notice that if I go too low on the carbs (25 or less per day) my weight loss will stall completely - which happened to me for 3 whole months one time.

So I started adding pineapple (bromelain aids in protein digestion), apple (apple peels have ursolic acid which is an anabolic substance that promotes muscle gain and fat loss), red grapes (red grape skins have resveratrol which is naturally anti-estrogenic, which increases testosterone), watermelon (lots of arginine for better penile blood flow, muscle pumps) and Kiwi (because I like the taste, haha)

Once I added these fruits I noticed my weight loss no longer stalled and my weight lifting sessions started to improve.

January 1st 2015 I weighed a fat-overly muscular 259lbs, now March 18 2016 my weight fluctuates between a very ripped 173lbs to 175lbs

I have never felt better in my life since I finally let go of the classic "Non-Competing Bodybuilder Complex"

The "Non-Competing Bodybuilder Complex" is BIGGER IS BETTER NO MATTER HOW FAT OR UNCOMFORTABLE YOU ARE

@ 259 I was extremely strong and muscular, but fuck I was super in denial of how fat I was and how uncomfortable I felt in my own skin.

@ 173-175 range I feel & look like a total Stud 24/7

Low Carb lifestyle for life man, if you start stalling try adding the fruits I mentioned (pineapple, apple, red grapes, watermelon) for the protein digestion/anabolic/anti-estrogenic/blood flow/muscle pump effects.

Also, Spinach has been shown to have significant amounts of natural very bioavailable Ecdysterone (anabolic) and just 4 Brazil Nuts per day have so much Selenium that they will increase your Testosterone.

Lastly, try to eat Oysters like once a week!!!
Everyone knows Oysters are loaded with Zinc but what most people don't know is Oysters are loaded with:
D-aspartic acid and N-methyl-D-aspartate
These are potent libido and testosterone boosters.

Post: #17

(03-15-2016 07:28 PM)RichieP Wrote:  Just did an IF day with "bulletproof coffee" for brekkie and brunch (Well. organic coffee with coconut oil + butter).

Look, do what works for you. If you feel like this method helps you lose fat, then do that. Objectively speaking, this bulletproof hustle is idiotic, for if you only have so many calories to eat on a given day and the things you eat are restricted anyways (you doing low-carb), then why would someone actually drink their calories? Bulletproof coffee is the fats-equivalent to drinking soda on a diet. It doesn't taste that great and you've just wasted a huge chunk of your daily calories on a drink instead of a good meal.
I won't claim to be right, but to me it seems like you're falling for all kinds of marketing hypes. "IF", "low-carb", "bulletproof" - those all sound so special and people who bought into it report all kinds of miracles on the web but it's actually not that impressive once you take a closer look.
Concerning the low-carb stuff: When it comes to strictly losing weight, a carb is a carb. From having tried it out and based on what I've seen many other people write about it, low-carb seems to just add extra difficulty and stress to your diet without bringing you much additional benefit. You still have to go below maintenance calories if you want to cut, so why not give your body more energy by keeping the carbs to also get an efficient workout? If you feel like the low carb intake doesn't drain you out but you lose good weight on that, then go for it. From what I've learned, the only people who really benefit from such a diet tend to be gear users as the drained energy is being compensated by the gear. The gear increases their fat-to-energy conversion rates and they don't feel down as much so they still have good energy for a workout.
I'll also add that carb-cycling with daily alternations doesn't really do much because the body fills and dissipates its stores and the metabolism always needs a little time to adapt.

Concerning your initial question: IF isn't the panacea lots of people make it out to be, but it is in fact a good method to keep your diet in check. It can really help with calorie-restriction and as such is a good tool.
But whether you do IF or not, if the question is whether to take a protein shake in the morning or not while cutting, I'd say don't drink the shake. The reason is simple: Certain amino acids trigger Insulin-secretion the same way carbs do it. The insulin will lower your blood sugar level but the shake won't have the needed carbs your body expects to replenish it with. The consequence is stronger/earlier hunger, making it harder for you (mentally) to keep your daily calorie-objective. Just get the proteins in after your first meal and throughout the rest of the day/throughout the rest of your eating window.

If you don't experience increased hunger from drinking the shake, then you can do it of course. It won't make a difference as long as your daily protein intake is at the required level.

Understanding sports-physiology can really save you a lot of unnecessary strain that certain diets put on people just to get a different method out there for marketing purposes.

Post: #18

(03-18-2016 10:22 AM)Requiem Wrote:  

(03-15-2016 07:28 PM)RichieP Wrote:  Just did an IF day with "bulletproof coffee" for brekkie and brunch (Well. organic coffee with coconut oil + butter).

Look, do what works for you. If you feel like this method helps you lose fat, then do that. Objectively speaking, this bulletproof hustle is idiotic, for if you only have so many calories to eat on a given day and the things you eat are restricted anyways (you doing low-carb), then why would someone actually drink their calories? Bulletproof coffee is the fats-equivalent to drinking soda on a diet. It doesn't taste that great and you've just wasted a huge chunk of your daily calories on a drink instead of a good meal.
I won't claim to be right, but to me it seems like you're falling for all kinds of marketing hypes. "IF", "low-carb", "bulletproof" - those all sound so special and people who bought into it report all kinds of miracles on the web but it's actually not that impressive once you take a closer look.
Concerning the low-carb stuff: When it comes to strictly losing weight, a carb is a carb. From having tried it out and based on what I've seen many other people write about it, low-carb seems to just add extra difficulty and stress to your diet without bringing you much additional benefit. You still have to go below maintenance calories if you want to cut, so why not give your body more energy by keeping the carbs to also get an efficient workout? If you feel like the low carb intake doesn't drain you out but you lose good weight on that, then go for it. From what I've learned, the only people who really benefit from such a diet tend to be gear users as the drained energy is being compensated by the gear. The gear increases their fat-to-energy conversion rates and they don't feel down as much so they still have good energy for a workout.
I'll also add that carb-cycling with daily alternations doesn't really do much because the body fills and dissipates its stores and the metabolism always needs a little time to adapt.

Concerning your initial question: IF isn't the panacea lots of people make it out to be, but it is in fact a good method to keep your diet in check. It can really help with calorie-restriction and as such is a good tool.
But whether you do IF or not, if the question is whether to take a protein shake in the morning or not while cutting, I'd say don't drink the shake. The reason is simple: Certain amino acids trigger Insulin-secretion the same way carbs do it. The insulin will lower your blood sugar level but the shake won't have the needed carbs your body expects to replenish it with. The consequence is stronger/earlier hunger, making it harder for you (mentally) to keep your daily calorie-objective. Just get the proteins in after your first meal and throughout the rest of the day/throughout the rest of your eating window.

If you don't experience increased hunger from drinking the shake, then you can do it of course. It won't make a difference as long as your daily protein intake is at the required level.

Understanding sports-physiology can really save you a lot of unnecessary strain that certain diets put on people just to get a different method out there for marketing purposes.

I am a long time Science nerd and have been following the cutting edge studies from the greatest minds in the fitness community for over 15 years.

A lot of what the Universities teach is completely dated and obsolete.
A Calorie is not A Calorie when it comes to body composition (body fat %)

Dig into the research and stop reading mainstream media/science.

If I eat a diet of 50/40/10 Fat-Protein-Carbs per day, my body composition will look much different than if I eat a diet of 10/40/50 Fat-Protein Carbs per day, even if they are "healthy" carbs.

Now if my 50% carbs comes from highly processed sugary crap, my body composition will look drastically different.

goto http://www.PubMed.com look into the Animal studies they have done at Zoo's, feeding different species an all Grain diet or a Grain/Protein mixed diet or an all Protein diet.

You'll see a quick trend. The more the diet skews towards Proteins & Fat, the more calories the animal can eat, the more muscle they have and the less bodyfat they have.

I can vouch for this in my own body over 18 years of tweaking different diets.

When I eat a mostly Protein + Fat diet I can:
Eat more calories and maintain more muscle, at my lowest possible bodyfat %

My typical day of eating, 50 to 100 gram Carbs, 150 to 175 gram Protein, 225+ grams Fat per day.

With these ratios I eat between 2,800 and 3,200 calories per day and maintain very low bodyfat % (abomdinals, serratus, vascularity) @ 175lbs @ 5 foot 10 height (without anabolics or thermogenics, although I have used them in the past)

Other fascinating things of note:
Depending on circulating hormone levels and insulin resistance, carbohydrates can just as easily be stored into bodyfat than muscle glycogen.

Also, Science hasn't yet figured out why trained atheletes who have been on a ketogenic diet for 6+ months (low carb adapted) will have full glycogen stores prior to training. Pretty amazing huh?

Makes you wonder just how much carbs are being stored as bodyfat in trained atheletes if glycogen stores are easily re-filled in bodies consuming less than 50grams a day of carbohydrates after adapation.

My conclusion: Low Carbohydrate lifestyle is not a "fad" it is the superior way to live if you want to have low body fat % year-round

Post: #19

(03-18-2016 12:00 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  

(03-18-2016 10:22 AM)Requiem Wrote:  

(03-15-2016 07:28 PM)RichieP Wrote:  Just did an IF day with "bulletproof coffee" for brekkie and brunch (Well. organic coffee with coconut oil + butter).

Look, do what works for you. If you feel like this method helps you lose fat, then do that. Objectively speaking, this bulletproof hustle is idiotic, for if you only have so many calories to eat on a given day and the things you eat are restricted anyways (you doing low-carb), then why would someone actually drink their calories? Bulletproof coffee is the fats-equivalent to drinking soda on a diet. It doesn't taste that great and you've just wasted a huge chunk of your daily calories on a drink instead of a good meal.
I won't claim to be right, but to me it seems like you're falling for all kinds of marketing hypes. "IF", "low-carb", "bulletproof" - those all sound so special and people who bought into it report all kinds of miracles on the web but it's actually not that impressive once you take a closer look.
Concerning the low-carb stuff: When it comes to strictly losing weight, a carb is a carb. From having tried it out and based on what I've seen many other people write about it, low-carb seems to just add extra difficulty and stress to your diet without bringing you much additional benefit. You still have to go below maintenance calories if you want to cut, so why not give your body more energy by keeping the carbs to also get an efficient workout? If you feel like the low carb intake doesn't drain you out but you lose good weight on that, then go for it. From what I've learned, the only people who really benefit from such a diet tend to be gear users as the drained energy is being compensated by the gear. The gear increases their fat-to-energy conversion rates and they don't feel down as much so they still have good energy for a workout.
I'll also add that carb-cycling with daily alternations doesn't really do much because the body fills and dissipates its stores and the metabolism always needs a little time to adapt.

Concerning your initial question: IF isn't the panacea lots of people make it out to be, but it is in fact a good method to keep your diet in check. It can really help with calorie-restriction and as such is a good tool.
But whether you do IF or not, if the question is whether to take a protein shake in the morning or not while cutting, I'd say don't drink the shake. The reason is simple: Certain amino acids trigger Insulin-secretion the same way carbs do it. The insulin will lower your blood sugar level but the shake won't have the needed carbs your body expects to replenish it with. The consequence is stronger/earlier hunger, making it harder for you (mentally) to keep your daily calorie-objective. Just get the proteins in after your first meal and throughout the rest of the day/throughout the rest of your eating window.

If you don't experience increased hunger from drinking the shake, then you can do it of course. It won't make a difference as long as your daily protein intake is at the required level.

Understanding sports-physiology can really save you a lot of unnecessary strain that certain diets put on people just to get a different method out there for marketing purposes.

I am a long time Science nerd and have been following the cutting edge studies from the greatest minds in the fitness community for over 15 years.

A lot of what the Universities teach is completely dated and obsolete.
A Calorie is not A Calorie when it comes to body composition (body fat %)

Dig into the research and stop reading mainstream media/science.

If I eat a diet of 50/40/10 Fat-Protein-Carbs per day, my body composition will look much different than if I eat a diet of 10/40/50 Fat-Protein Carbs per day, even if they are "healthy" carbs.

Now if my 50% carbs comes from highly processed sugary crap, my body composition will look drastically different.

goto http://www.PubMed.com look into the Animal studies they have done at Zoo's, feeding different species an all Grain diet or a Grain/Protein mixed diet or an all Protein diet.

You'll see a quick trend. The more the diet skews towards Proteins & Fat, the more calories the animal can eat, the more muscle they have and the less bodyfat they have.

I can vouch for this in my own body over 18 years of tweaking different diets.

When I eat a mostly Protein + Fat diet I can:
Eat more calories and maintain more muscle, at my lowest possible bodyfat %

My typical day of eating, 50 to 100 gram Carbs, 150 to 175 gram Protein, 225+ grams Fat per day.

With these ratios I eat between 2,800 and 3,200 calories per day and maintain very low bodyfat % (abomdinals, serratus, vascularity) @ 175lbs @ 5 foot 10 height (without anabolics or thermogenics, although I have used them in the past)

Other fascinating things of note:
Depending on circulating hormone levels and insulin resistance, carbohydrates can just as easily be stored into bodyfat than muscle glycogen.

Also, Science hasn't yet figured out why trained atheletes who have been on a ketogenic diet for 6+ months (low carb adapted) will have full glycogen stores prior to training. Pretty amazing huh?

Makes you wonder just how much carbs are being stored as bodyfat in trained atheletes if glycogen stores are easily re-filled in bodies consuming less than 50grams a day of carbohydrates after adapation.

My conclusion: Low Carbohydrate lifestyle is not a "fad" it is the superior way to live if you want to have low body fat % year-round

Scrapper, what are your typical breakfast, lunch, dinner meals? I hate talking about grams, I need specifics on what to eat.

Post: #20

(03-18-2016 12:53 PM)Chowder Head Wrote:  

(03-18-2016 12:00 PM)ScrapperTL Wrote:  

(03-18-2016 10:22 AM)Requiem Wrote:  

(03-15-2016 07:28 PM)RichieP Wrote:  Just did an IF day with "bulletproof coffee" for brekkie and brunch (Well. organic coffee with coconut oil + butter).

Look, do what works for you. If you feel like this method helps you lose fat, then do that. Objectively speaking, this bulletproof hustle is idiotic, for if you only have so many calories to eat on a given day and the things you eat are restricted anyways (you doing low-carb), then why would someone actually drink their calories? Bulletproof coffee is the fats-equivalent to drinking soda on a diet. It doesn't taste that great and you've just wasted a huge chunk of your daily calories on a drink instead of a good meal.
I won't claim to be right, but to me it seems like you're falling for all kinds of marketing hypes. "IF", "low-carb", "bulletproof" - those all sound so special and people who bought into it report all kinds of miracles on the web but it's actually not that impressive once you take a closer look.
Concerning the low-carb stuff: When it comes to strictly losing weight, a carb is a carb. From having tried it out and based on what I've seen many other people write about it, low-carb seems to just add extra difficulty and stress to your diet without bringing you much additional benefit. You still have to go below maintenance calories if you want to cut, so why not give your body more energy by keeping the carbs to also get an efficient workout? If you feel like the low carb intake doesn't drain you out but you lose good weight on that, then go for it. From what I've learned, the only people who really benefit from such a diet tend to be gear users as the drained energy is being compensated by the gear. The gear increases their fat-to-energy conversion rates and they don't feel down as much so they still have good energy for a workout.
I'll also add that carb-cycling with daily alternations doesn't really do much because the body fills and dissipates its stores and the metabolism always needs a little time to adapt.

Concerning your initial question: IF isn't the panacea lots of people make it out to be, but it is in fact a good method to keep your diet in check. It can really help with calorie-restriction and as such is a good tool.
But whether you do IF or not, if the question is whether to take a protein shake in the morning or not while cutting, I'd say don't drink the shake. The reason is simple: Certain amino acids trigger Insulin-secretion the same way carbs do it. The insulin will lower your blood sugar level but the shake won't have the needed carbs your body expects to replenish it with. The consequence is stronger/earlier hunger, making it harder for you (mentally) to keep your daily calorie-objective. Just get the proteins in after your first meal and throughout the rest of the day/throughout the rest of your eating window.

If you don't experience increased hunger from drinking the shake, then you can do it of course. It won't make a difference as long as your daily protein intake is at the required level.

Understanding sports-physiology can really save you a lot of unnecessary strain that certain diets put on people just to get a different method out there for marketing purposes.

I am a long time Science nerd and have been following the cutting edge studies from the greatest minds in the fitness community for over 15 years.

A lot of what the Universities teach is completely dated and obsolete.
A Calorie is not A Calorie when it comes to body composition (body fat %)

Dig into the research and stop reading mainstream media/science.

If I eat a diet of 50/40/10 Fat-Protein-Carbs per day, my body composition will look much different than if I eat a diet of 10/40/50 Fat-Protein Carbs per day, even if they are "healthy" carbs.

Now if my 50% carbs comes from highly processed sugary crap, my body composition will look drastically different.

goto http://www.PubMed.com look into the Animal studies they have done at Zoo's, feeding different species an all Grain diet or a Grain/Protein mixed diet or an all Protein diet.

You'll see a quick trend. The more the diet skews towards Proteins & Fat, the more calories the animal can eat, the more muscle they have and the less bodyfat they have.

I can vouch for this in my own body over 18 years of tweaking different diets.

When I eat a mostly Protein + Fat diet I can:
Eat more calories and maintain more muscle, at my lowest possible bodyfat %

My typical day of eating, 50 to 100 gram Carbs, 150 to 175 gram Protein, 225+ grams Fat per day.

With these ratios I eat between 2,800 and 3,200 calories per day and maintain very low bodyfat % (abomdinals, serratus, vascularity) @ 175lbs @ 5 foot 10 height (without anabolics or thermogenics, although I have used them in the past)

Other fascinating things of note:
Depending on circulating hormone levels and insulin resistance, carbohydrates can just as easily be stored into bodyfat than muscle glycogen.

Also, Science hasn't yet figured out why trained atheletes who have been on a ketogenic diet for 6+ months (low carb adapted) will have full glycogen stores prior to training. Pretty amazing huh?

Makes you wonder just how much carbs are being stored as bodyfat in trained atheletes if glycogen stores are easily re-filled in bodies consuming less than 50grams a day of carbohydrates after adapation.

My conclusion: Low Carbohydrate lifestyle is not a "fad" it is the superior way to live if you want to have low body fat % year-round

Scrapper, what are your typical breakfast, lunch, dinner meals? I hate talking about grams, I need specifics on what to eat.

Hey Chowder Head, I am an Intermittent Faster & a Low Carber (bout 50 to 100 per day)

Meal 1: Noon, I always eat a lot of nuts for my first meal.
Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts, Pecans, Peanuts, Brazil Nuts, Pistachios.
I add a lot of seasoning to my nuts - Crushed Red Pepper, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Sea Salt, etc...

Meal 2: Mid Afternoon (4pm'ish) Meat, Vegetables and Fruit.
Typical meal will be like, 3 Chicken Thighs (skin on, bone in), a huge pile of asparagus and a big bowl of red grapes/pineapple.

Snack: (anytime between noon and 8pm)
Canned Smoked Oysters are my favorite (super healthy), Canned Smoked Clams, Sardines, Canned Herring, Whole Avacados, Apples & Peanut Butter, Watermelon and tastiest snack of all - EGGS & BACON!

Meal 3 (7:30'ish): Usually this is just Leftovers from Meal 2 or sometimes I just eat more nuts.

8pm - Stop eating.

Basically the whole diet is Fatty Meats, Seafood, Vegetables, Nuts and Fruit.

Comes out to be Fat/Protein/Carbohydrate in that order.

Combination of IF + Low Carb (50g to 100g) is awesome for pure fat loss and muscle maintenance.

If you use Steroids, I recommend eating this same meal plan, just literally twice as much. You'll look amazing and won't ever feel bloated/fat, this is for maximum definition/vascularity.

If you go under 50g carbs a day though, I notice Vascularity kind of sucks, you need some carbs to keep those veins visible, which is why I eat lots of healthy testosterone boosting fruits.

Pineapple, Apple, Watermelon and Red Grapes are THE BEST!
Bromelain, Ursolic Acid, Arginine & Resveratrol.

Post: #21

Anybody drink water with gas in the morning to suppress the appetite?

I'd like to know if this works for anyone

Post: #22

Everyone reacts differently, but at the end of the day all that really matters is calories in < calories out. Eat less than you burn and you will lose weight. Personally, I've had decent results recently doing a hybrid of IF (mostly because of time constraints with work). I work 4 days per week and in the morning at around 530 I have a protein shake and some milk and don't usually eat again until about 12 which is breakfast for me. On my 3 off days I workout and I'm up around 8 usually. I'll have the same protein shake and some milk for breakfast along with my preworkout supps which is usually some BCAA, creatine, and a preworkout of some kind. After I workout I have my biggest meal.

Personally, I find myself a little groggy if I fast completely in the morning. Getting some protein in helps eliminate that for me. I can usually go for a while and be just fine. Fasting for part of the morning does make it easier for me to hit my nutrient goals, so there's that.

As has been said, just test both and see what works best for you. Or be like me and do a mix of both.

Post: #23

Intermittent fasting, intermittent fasting, intermittent fasting.

It makes life so much easier if you can get into the frame of mind of fasting for 16 hours...give or take. The food even tastes better and you don't feel guilty eating it.

If you don't wanna be a slave to the gym with micky mouse small meals dieting, your entire weekly routine should revolve around fasting. I have never been this ripped before/.

Post: #24

A proper diet and exercise may good enough. Below are some tips which are helps to lose weight in simple ways:
1. Add cereal in your breakfast .
2. Take Weight Loss Friendly Foods
3. Go for Walking
4. Drink water
5. Drink green tea
6. Sleep better
7. Eat every meal
8. Lose the salt

Post: #25

(03-28-2016 04:45 AM)lesathomas Wrote:  A proper diet and exercise may good enough. Below are some tips which are helps to lose weight in simple ways:
1. Add cereal in your breakfast .
2. Take Weight Loss Friendly Foods
3. Go for Walking
4. Drink water
5. Drink green tea
6. Sleep better
7. Eat every meal
8. Lose the salt

Thanks Lisa, we'll be sure to eat our cereal for weight loss. Do you recommend Froot Loops or Lucky Charms?