So many people say so many different things

[JDogg]

Sometimes you hear exact diet plans, when to eat what and how much like at the top of this forum, others say screw that, all that counts is to burn more calories than you eat and limit sweets. Some say do cardio on an empty stomach, others say you need to do cardio after a workout when the glycogen reserves are depleted cause otherwise you dont burn fat. Really, everyone says something different. Its crazy. I know that what I have done has worked for me in the past(Essentially cutting down on calories and sweets while doing more cardio, nothing more) but I always wonder if maybe my cutplan could be improved, but there are so many different opinions, and most of them make sense, how can I possibly know what is right?

[daman1]

There is nothing that is "right" for everyone. It what's right for you. I may be able to get cut taking a pro/fat meal post workout while someone else may benefit more if they take a pro/carb meal post-workout. I hope that makes sense bro.

D

[fritz2435]

The best way to get the perfect program is through trial and error. If you try something and it works, keep on doing it. Otherwise, change it up. This forum is only a guide, do not take it too literally.

[Kim2884]

There are so many different opinions out there, and I've found myself very frustrated at times too. What I've come to believe is that, eating right isn't as complicated as people make it out to be. There are some basic guidelines to follow, and everything else is basically just superfluous meticulousness that will only drive you crazy, and you'll never know if your progress is a result of being obsessive-compulsive about macronutrients and timing or just from eating well and exercising in general. I think it is the latter most of the time. The basic truths of fat loss I've found to be more or less indisputable through much research and thought are the following:

1. You need to be in a calorie deficit. This is the single most important aspect of any diet. This will almost guarantee weight loss. Other factors contribute to what the weight loss consists of (fat/ muscle).

2. Exercise of any sort, anything that burns extra calories will help ALOT. The more exercise contributes to your caloric deficit instead of calorie restriction, the more fat you will lose and the more muscle you will maintain. Studies have shown that people who burned 500 cals. per day through exercise lost more fat than people who cut 500 cals. a day out of their diets, and the exercisers actually gained muscle, while the dieters lost muscle.

3. Cardio is the best exercise for fat loss because it causes the most calorie expenditure. Low-intensity exercise burns mostly fat during the exercise period, but high intensity exercise burns more calories overall, increasing total caloric deficit, and increases metabolism for hours after exercise, when the body is burning mostly fat for energy anyway ( yes, the body burns primarily fat for energy at rest. I've read this about 20 times in various publications.. and this is regardless of the amount of carbohydrates in the diet). It is my opinion that timing is relatively unimportant. Any cardiovascular activity at anytime will aid in fat loss.

4. Resistance exercise is just as important as cardio because it increases metabolism for hours after a workout and builds muscle, which further increases metabolism. Also, being a trim, muscular person is simply more attractive than being a skinny fat person.

5. In general, it is best to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day to keep energy levels and metablism up and insulin levels stable.This contributes to fat loss and prevents overeating.

6. Fats should be mostly unsaturated, and should be present in enough quantity to provide satiety and prevent slowing of the metabolism (20-30%). Very low fat diets are simply not as effective as moderate fat diets. However, I think any more than this is excessive. Your body does need fat, but it does not need as much as some people think. Keep in mind fat is the least thermogenic macronutrient, and is the least costly to be stored as body fat. ( the body uses 25% of calories from carbohydrates in the process of converting them to fat, while it only needs about 3% of calories from fat to store it).

7. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, and is also useful in a dieting situation because it increases satiety , is the most thermogenic macronutrient, and also costly to store as body fat (though not as costly as carbohydrate). However, it is my opinion that protein is often used in excessive amounts by bodybuilders. This is counterproductive because excess protein will only be converted to glucose and used as energy or stored as fat. The body does not need as much protein as many people think. I think 1g/lb. body weight is more than sufficient for weight lifters...but to each his own.

8. carbohydrates are a controversial macronutrient group these days. I have come to love and embrace them...but my relationship with carbs has not always been this way. I threw them out and did a no-carb diet like most of us have at one point or another, I did a semi-low carb diet focusing on timing more than anything, and now I am on a more moderate carb diet (although it is still low by food-pyramid standards). The brain uses glucose for energy all the time. If you don't supply it, your body will make it from the protein you think is going to your muscles ( unless you are on a keto diet that is high fat and low to moderate protein). Carbs are necessary post-workout, and i think everyone agrees with me on that, but i don't think they are UNnecessary other times in the day. Your body is designed to use carbs for fuel no matter what time it is or what you are doing, and contrary to popular belief, fat CAN and will be oxidized even when glucose is present in the blood. The body uses all 3 macronutrients for energy all the time. It doesn't exclusively use carbs until there are no more available. I bought into this principle for a while, but after learning as much as i could about it, it now goes against all logic for me to continue to believe that. Restricting carbohydrates also lowers the overall quality and healthfulness of one's diet. Carbs are the primary constituents of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains - all full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other disease-fighting properties. I think the idea of insulin control that low-carbers cling to IS important for fat loss...but insulin can be controlled by eating low-glyemic carbs and not eating a lot all at once. Limiting them to post workout or eliminating them altogether is just taking insulin control to the extreme, without any added benefit.

Well, that's my 2 cents...i didn't mean for it to be that long. sorry!

[daman1]

There are so many different opinions out there, and I've found myself very frustrated at times too. What I've come to believe is that, eating right isn't as complicated as people make it out to be. There are some basic guidelines to follow, and everything else is basically just superfluous meticulousness that will only drive you crazy, and you'll never know if your progress is a result of being obsessive-compulsive about macronutrients and timing or just from eating well and exercising in general. I think it is the latter most of the time. The basic truths of fat loss I've found to be more or less indisputable through much research and thought are the following:

1. You need to be in a calorie deficit. This is the single most important aspect of any diet. This will almost guarantee weight loss. Other factors contribute to what the weight loss consists of (fat/ muscle).

2. Exercise of any sort, anything that burns extra calories will help ALOT. The more exercise contributes to your caloric deficit instead of calorie restriction, the more fat you will lose and the more muscle you will maintain. Studies have shown that people who burned 500 cals. per day through exercise lost more fat than people who cut 500 cals. a day out of their diets, and the exercisers actually gained muscle, while the dieters lost muscle.

3. Cardio is the best exercise for fat loss because it causes the most calorie expenditure. Low-intensity exercise burns mostly fat during the exercise period, but high intensity exercise burns more calories overall, increasing total caloric deficit, and increases metabolism for hours after exercise, when the body is burning mostly fat for energy anyway ( yes, the body burns primarily fat for energy at rest. I've read this about 20 times in various publications.. and this is regardless of the amount of carbohydrates in the diet). It is my opinion that timing is relatively unimportant. Any cardiovascular activity at anytime will aid in fat loss.

4. Resistance exercise is just as important as cardio because it increases metabolism for hours after a workout and builds muscle, which further increases metabolism. Also, being a trim, muscular person is simply more attractive than being a skinny fat person.

5. In general, it is best to eat small, frequent meals throughout the day to keep energy levels and metablism up and insulin levels stable.This contributes to fat loss and prevents overeating.

6. Fats should be mostly unsaturated, and should be present in enough quantity to provide satiety and prevent slowing of the metabolism (20-30%). Very low fat diets are simply not as effective as moderate fat diets. However, I think any more than this is excessive. Your body does need fat, but it does not need as much as some people think. Keep in mind fat is the least thermogenic macronutrient, and is the least costly to be stored as body fat. ( the body uses 25% of calories from carbohydrates in the process of converting them to fat, while it only needs about 3% of calories from fat to store it).

7. Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair, and is also useful in a dieting situation because it increases satiety , is the most thermogenic macronutrient, and also costly to store as body fat (though not as costly as carbohydrate). However, it is my opinion that protein is often used in excessive amounts by bodybuilders. This is counterproductive because excess protein will only be converted to glucose and used as energy or stored as fat. The body does not need as much protein as many people think. I think 1g/lb. body weight is more than sufficient for weight lifters...but to each his own.

8. carbohydrates are a controversial macronutrient group these days. I have come to love and embrace them...but my relationship with carbs has not always been this way. I threw them out and did a no-carb diet like most of us have at one point or another, I did a semi-low carb diet focusing on timing more than anything, and now I am on a more moderate carb diet (although it is still low by food-pyramid standards). The brain uses glucose for energy all the time. If you don't supply it, your body will make it from the protein you think is going to your muscles ( unless you are on a keto diet that is high fat and low to moderate protein). Carbs are necessary post-workout, and i think everyone agrees with me on that, but i don't think they are UNnecessary other times in the day. Your body is designed to use carbs for fuel no matter what time it is or what you are doing, and contrary to popular belief, fat CAN and will be oxidized even when glucose is present in the blood. The body uses all 3 macronutrients for energy all the time. It doesn't exclusively use carbs until there are no more available. I bought into this principle for a while, but after learning as much as i could about it, it now goes against all logic for me to continue to believe that. Restricting carbohydrates also lowers the overall quality and healthfulness of one's diet. Carbs are the primary constituents of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains - all full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other disease-fighting properties. I think the idea of insulin control that low-carbers cling to IS important for fat loss...but insulin can be controlled by eating low-glyemic carbs and not eating a lot all at once. Limiting them to post workout or eliminating them altogether is just taking insulin control to the extreme, without any added benefit.

Well, that's my 2 cents...i didn't mean for it to be that long. sorry!

I agree with everything but number 6. I do not think fats should be higher than 25%. Any higher than that you would be cutting into the amount of protein you could ingest. A good ratio is around 15-20f/25-30c/50-55p

[Kim2884]

Then you also disagree with #7 because 50-55% protein is what i would consider excessive. I think 30-40% is sufficient. But i don't expect anyone to agree with me on that because it's been ingrained in everyone's heads that protein intake has to be astronomically high to build muscle and despite lack of evidence supporting that belief, most bodybuilders aren't about to change their minds.

[SwoleCat]

Protein intake would depend on who the person is and also what they may be utilizing to help assimilate that protein intake. For me it has to be quite high from the get go.

Then again that's my body, so all others may differ.

~SC~

[daman1]

Then you also disagree with #7 because 50-55% protein is what i would consider excessive. I think 30-40% is sufficient. But i don't expect anyone to agree with me on that because it's been ingrained in everyone's heads that protein intake has to be astronomically high to build muscle and despite lack of evidence supporting that belief, most bodybuilders aren't about to change their minds.

Well we don't change our minds because we GET results USING that ratio of protein. I would say that 90+% of the members here have been successful using that ratio and are achieving great results, but hey even though it may be some odd thousand members on one forum, that isn't evidence enough I guess. Back to the drawing board...

[Rampage Jackson]

Good thread guys. I personally believe that for 90% of the population just limiting what are percieved as bad foods while increasing exercise will help tremendously. All this stuff is really trial and error though.

PS. Thats a wicked looking back swole. Keep it up!

[SwoleCat]

Why thank ya brutha, much appreciated!

~SC~

[JoeB]

Great post Kim.. thanks

[SwoleCat]

Co-signing I see!


~SC~