My Food Plan for Constructive Criticism

[IronClydes]

Hey guys,

New to this thread and can definitely appreciate and use any advice on my diet as I post. Just finished week 3 of my blast and am running a 2900 net calorie diet (after accounting for burned calories in gym). This is about 1000 less than my last, my first, blast; 500 less than what I was at 6 weeks ago, 3400. Trying to cut down to 8-10%. I have NEVER seen my abs. lol

Current Diet follows daily nearly the same:

PreWorkout (Fasted Training)
2 scoops Legion Pulse or Assault
5g creatine
5g leucine

PostWorkout
1.34 scoop whey pro
1.5 cups Rice milk
banana
5g creatine

If I have more time before I need to head to work, then I have meal 1 before heading in and it is more appropriate for a post workout meal:
300g Jasmine Rice
120g chicken
1 tsp garlic

[UIf I am not working out this day, then just:[/U]
2 slices Ezekial Bread with 2 tbsp Natural PB
230g egg whites w/ scoop of whey pro
Coffee, stevia, non-dairy creamer

Meal 2
150g Brown Rice
150g Chicken Breast
1 cup Broccoli
15 almonds

Meal 3
150g Brown Rice
150g Chicken Breast
1 cup Broccoli
15 almonds

Meal 4
150g Sweet Potatoes
150g Chicken Breast
1 cup Broccoli
15 almonds

Bedtime
I adjust this depending upon what I have left in my daily macros. Usually:
230g egg whites
1 scoop whey pro
and Maybe some Ezekial bread with Natural PB if I have extra macros

Please let me know your thoughts on this! I will begin posting my meals as I go, but just wanted to set my current meal plan out there beforehand. I basically eat only these meals daily, aside from the occasionally weekly high carb cheat meal to through the metabolism off a bit. That results in one day being about 500 calories over limit.

[Bio-Active]

Why are you so low on carbs?

[IronClydes]

Why are you so low on carbs?

Its not much of a choice. I wanted at least more than my bodyweight in protein, a minimal amount of fat to support anabolism, the remaining is all carbs:

2900 calories
64g fat
290 carbs
290 protein

40/40/20 split

What is your suggestion? You think 290 is too low?

[Bio-Active]

Its not much of a choice. I wanted at least more than my bodyweight in protein, a minimal amount of fat to support anabolism, the remaining is all carbs: 2900 calories 64g fat 290 carbs 290 protein 40/40/20 split What is your suggestion? You think 290 is too low?

sorry brother I looked at it wrong. That's plenty. Are you trying to bulk or cut?

[IronClydes]

sorry brother I looked at it wrong. That's plenty. Are you trying to bulk or cut?

No problem, thanks for looking at it.

I am trying to cut the midsection....need to see under 12%, want to see under 10%. Still hanging around 14-15%.

I am hoping the blast helps me still add at least a little lean muscle in the process.

[IronClydes]

Bio, you were my only feedback so far. Thanks bro. Need to get more eyes and advice on this.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[MR-FQ320]

Bio, you were my only feedback so far. Thanks bro. Need to get more eyes and advice on this. 225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

Your above calculations had you eating at TDEE, so you wouldn't have lost or gained weight.

Let's work it out !

225 lbs * 0.86 = 193.5 Lean Body Mass
193.5 * 15 = 2902 cals
So let's lose 1lb a week - less 500 cals per day
Target 2400 cals

Personally I like to cut on 50/30/20
1200 cals from protein, so 4 cals per gram of protein = 300g protein ( maybe a bit more than you actually require if we go off 1.5g per lb of lean body weight )

Next - fats - 20% of 2400 is 480
8cals per gram of fat, 480/8 = 60g of fat per day

Carbs 2400*0.3 = 720
720/4= 180g of carbs per day.

So that's your basic food plan for the day.
6 meals a day gets u 50g of protein per meal, put most of your carbs after your workouts, some for breakfast, some pre workout.

Or play about with the carbs, you have 180 a day, or 1260 a week, you could have four days at 150g and three at 200g. This is called carb cycling. Take it a little more extreme, four at 100g three at 250ish.

Hope this helps.

[IronClydes]

Your above calculations had you eating at TDEE, so you wouldn't have lost or gained weight.

Let's work it out !

225 lbs * 0.86 = 193.5 Lean Body Mass
193.5 * 15 = 2902 cals
So let's lose 1lb a week - less 500 cals per day
Target 2400 cals

Personally I like to cut on 50/30/20
1200 cals from protein, so 4 cals per gram of protein = 300g protein ( maybe a bit more than you actually require if we go off 1.5g per lb of lean body weight )

Next - fats - 20% of 2400 is 480
8cals per gram of fat, 480/8 = 60g of fat per day

Carbs 2400*0.3 = 720
720/4= 180g of carbs per day.

So that's your basic food plan for the day.
6 meals a day gets u 50g of protein per meal, put most of your carbs after your workouts, some for breakfast, some pre workout.

Or play about with the carbs, you have 180 a day, or 1260 a week, you could have four days at 150g and three at 200g. This is called carb cycling. Take it a little more extreme, four at 100g three at 250ish.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for taking the time MR FQ!

I really appreciate your breaking it down like this.

To tell you the truth, I knew I was at maintenance, but I was under the assumption that this would be ideal for a blast. Especially being that my first blast (which was my last one), I was at 4000 calories and building while cutting bf. It was quite a transformation....one I hadn't achieved my entire 20 year history of recreational lifting and 2 years of serious lifting. No doubt the blast helped substantially as I was low t (140-270 avg) for some time prior.

Considering the effect blasting has on muscle growth and such, I thought a maintenance of 2900 intake on a blast would be equal to 2400 off a blast. This was only an assumption. I want to make the most of the blast.

Have you any practice with blasting and how to cut while doing so? I was following advice from another member that a maintenance intake would suffice while blasting. As I just completed my 3rd week into my blast, testosterone cypionate 500 weekly, it should be fully kicking in soon (long ester). Do you still recommend following your advice with this in mind? I'm all for it, just wanted to be sure you have all the facts first I want to minimize muscle lost from cutting too many calories...granted ive never seen my abs before, I am obviously overly concerned here.

I have been wanting to try carb cycling, and I like keeping my protein high around 300 as you recommended. What is the exact weekly breakdown of how to divide high to low carb days for cycling?

Thanks again

[MR-FQ320]

Am I right in saying that you wish to burn bf while putting on muscle ? To put on weight on weight you will have to eat more than TDEE, to burn fat eat less than TDEE, to do both you will
Have to carb cycle, if you have a net zero calorie surplus at the end of the week you may have burnt fat and gained muscle, this gets harder to do the lower bf you become, choose your priority lose bf or gain muscle. The more extreme your diet the better the results will be.

You should have sorted all this out before you started your cycle.

It's person dependant on which should be high carb and low carb days, I switch it up and keep the body guessing. I'm moving to four low and three high so my muscles look full on a Sunday.

[IronClydes]

Thanks MR FQ,

I did sort it out prior. I started my diet to 2900 calories just over 6 weeks ago. My blast started 3 weeks ago. Prior to my calorie change I stayed in a constant state of about 500 over, which was 3400. I only brought this up because my plan was not working. After 6 weeks I have lost maybe a pound, if that.

My priority would be to cut; however, you just said I could do both by carb cycling with a net zero by weeks' end...that means staying at my maintenance, no? My body fat is somewhere between 14-16%. I had a BodPod done a month ago at 13.8%, but there is a 2% margin for error....and I would personally add that full 2% as I look closer to 16%.

I would definitely like to try this carb cycling as I want to keep building with the blast but desperately need to lose 5% bf as my end goal. If you can help me do that I owe you a solid. I have never seen less than a small keg where others see a 6 pack. I have good build elsewhere, but the cuts and striations hide. Endomorph...

Sounds simple enough:

Stay at 2900 calories?

four days at 100g?
three at 250ish?

[IronClydes]

Attachment 156747

[MR-FQ320]

If you want to lose 5% - 12lbs ? How long have you got ? Go extreme ! Drop to 1900 cals net.

Where's the cardio ?

[IronClydes]

Cardio isn't perfect, still a little short I think.

Doing between 20-40 minutes 3-4 days a week...aiming for more though, would like about 30-45 minutes 4-5 days a week.

Well, my blast will be fully realized in about a week, at the end of week 4 into it. After that, I am at blast for another 10 weeks...so, that is my ideal window of time since it will best prevent muscle loss.

Thoughts?

Will there be any metabolic or muscle damage done at 1900?...that's 1000 below my current, maintenance dose.

So, at 1900 and carb cycling?....what should be my cardio goals at this?

[IronClydes]

Looking at the calories, for 1900, a 50/30/20 (pro/carb/fat) split would be:

237 protein
142 carb
42 fat

I have read that you should have at least 1.3g protein per pound when dieting to preserve muscle, that 290. Would that come from my carbs? Fats are already quite low aren't they?

How long would I run this low of a diet? Seems like it will be a nightmare to resist eating that much.

We are talking net calories, correct?

[MR-FQ320]

Have you worked out how many calories you burning through cardio ? It's net , so if u burn 300 cals in cardio, you can eat extra

[IronClydes]

Have you worked out how many calories you burning through cardio ? It's net , so if u burn 300 cals in cardio, you can eat extra

I track all my calories and working out in MyFitnessPal. So, It will give me the extra calories when I work out, I can just set the goal as 1900 with the 50/30/20 split you specified.

Carb cycle still?

Cardio goals?

[MR-FQ320]

Run the diet till you're happy with your body !

Protein ideal 1-1.5g per lb lbm
Fats should be 0.4g per lb lbm so you can increase fats. Good fats only though.

[MR-FQ320]

Yes set cals to 1900 after cardio, 50/30/20

Yes still carb cycle, but you will have to manually sort / figure that out with the weekly tracker.

Start cardio with your plan and increase as required when fat loss stalls, or readjust cals and macros.

[IronClydes]

Yes set cals to 1900 after cardio, 50/30/20 Yes still carb cycle, but you will have to manually sort / figure that out with the weekly tracker. Start cardio with your plan and increase as required when fat loss stalls, or readjust cals and macros.

I'll give it a go starting today. Thanks for your help and taking the time. Much appreciated.

With this new calorie goal, what should my low and my high days represent while cycling?

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[MR-FQ320]

New cals 1900 - 250g pro - 1000 cals
50g fat.
145g carbs a day, (1000 percent) so go with 100g four days, 200 three days, either consecutively or high low high low, two low one high etc etc,


Keep me posted via this thread.

[IronClydes]

New cals 1900 - 250g pro - 1000 cals 50g fat. 145g carbs a day, (1000 percent) so go with 100g four days, 200 three days, either consecutively or high low high low, two low one high etc etc, Keep me posted via this thread.

Thank you! Will do.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[IronClydes]

New cals 1900 - 250g pro - 1000 cals 50g fat. 145g carbs a day, (1000 percent) so go with 100g four days, 200 three days, either consecutively or high low high low, two low one high etc etc, Keep me posted via this thread.

Just put it all into myfitnesspal. I was able to real down day to day changing goals with the premium upgrade. See pics below:



Attachment 156763

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[MR-FQ320]

Just put it all into myfitnesspal. I was able to real down day to day changing goals with the premium upgrade. See pics below: <img src="http://forums.steroid.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=156763"/> 225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

Cool ! We don't have an upgrade Option :-(

[IronClydes]

Cool ! We don't have an upgrade Option :-(

Just became available today for the iPhone apps.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[MR-FQ320]

Just became available today for the iPhone apps. 225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

And it lets you plan carb cycling ?

[BG]

Good advice. If yo want to cut/build I would increase cardio to ED, like Mr.FQ said it would allow you to eat more enabling gains. Gain/cut is the hardest thing to do, it take total dedication and more work imo. But if your up for the challenge, hit it hard.

[NACH3]

[QUOTE=BG;7045339]Good advice. If yo want to cut/build I would increase cardio to ED, like Mr.FQ said it would allow you to eat more enabling gains. Gain/cut is the hardest thing to do, it take total dedication and more work imo. But if your up for the challenge, hit it hard.[/QUOTE/]

^^^ this is not easy but if your diet is dialed in its a great way to put on a lot of mass while dropping bf! This is what I've been able to do this cycle... I primed down to 175 at 12ish Bf now I'm probly 10 but 20lbs heavier(194-196 atm 194.6 Yhis am b4 anything)... You just have to be very dedicated and don't expect everything to happen over night - it's taken me about a yr of eating right to finally start seeing what I'd like(needs to be better but that's why I'm here too)!

[IronClydes]

And it lets you plan carb cycling ?

Yep. You can plan which days get which macro breakdowns

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[IronClydes]

Good advice. If yo want to cut/build I would increase cardio to ED, like Mr.FQ said it would allow you to eat more enabling gains. Gain/cut is the hardest thing to do, it take total dedication and more work imo. But if your up for the challenge, hit it hard.

Thanks BG! More cardio it is.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[IronClydes]

Great. I'll definitely and keep you guys updated through this thread.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[IronClydes]

Hey Nach, you said you could gain a lot of lean mass doing a cut like this? That seems hard to believe! How can you make lean gains in such a deficit? Simply because I'm eating a lot more as result of the additional calories afforded to me from doing daily cardio?

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[MIKE_XXL]

I start my cut usually around 210 215lba...i eat about 150gm of carbs and once a week refeed with about 600gm of carbs...when i get further into the diet i introduce the carb cycling and will do 100, 150, 200 and still one day of re-feed...my fat lose calories are about 2200cal per day...this works for me and has for a long time, but now that i am gettin golder i fid it harder to make progress at these numbers...

[IronClydes]

I start my cut usually around 210 215lba...i eat about 150gm of carbs and once a week refeed with about 600gm of carbs...when i get further into the diet i introduce the carb cycling and will do 100, 150, 200 and still one day of re-feed...my fat lose calories are about 2200cal per day...this works for me and has for a long time, but now that i am gettin golder i fid it harder to make progress at these numbers...

Hadn't considered a refeed day during my cut, but it makes sense.

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[IronClydes]

Hadn't considered a refeed day during my cut, but it makes sense. 225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

For me, at 226 and about 15-16% body fat, doing a 1000 calorie cut from my 2900 maintenance, what manner of carb refeed day is advised?

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

[kelkel]

My (little) brain hurts reading this stuff. Don't know how you guys do this.

[IronClydes]

My (little) brain hurts reading this stuff. Don't know how you guys do this.

I wish I didn't have to, my midsection and current body fat % demands it. This is something I have definitely never tried and, being that I've never seen my abs, it may be what is needed. One way to find out...

[MR-FQ320]

My (little) brain hurts reading this stuff. Don't know how you guys do this.

Unfortunately mate, we are not as genetically gifted as you.

[kelkel]

Unfortunately mate, we are not as genetically gifted as you.

Never under-estimate yourself. My statement was actually a back-handed compliment. It is truly impressive how some of you guys can manipulate these things so effectively.

[MR-FQ320]

Never under-estimate yourself. My statement was actually a back-handed compliment. It is truly impressive how some of you guys can manipulate these things so effectively.

Ahh, I guess we are all envious of the next guy..

For anyone else reading this, your body really can do magic with food when it's fed in the right quantities and macros ! I don't ever see the need for T3 again ! It drains muscles and makes you look flat, who the hell wants that ? Too much emphasis on drugs sometimes. Yeah it's hard, but with time, education and patience results come. It might have taken me years, I may have learnt the hard way, idk, but it's made me who I am and what I know today. Rant over. Thank you and good night and God bless. Lol

[NACH3]

Hey Nach, you said you could gain a lot of lean mass doing a cut like this? That seems hard to believe! How can you make lean gains in such a deficit? Simply because I'm eating a lot more as result of the additional calories afforded to me from doing daily cardio?

225, 6', 34, 13.8% bf, bench 320, squat 435, dead 465.

T, I didn't say a lot of mass I said LBM which is different but better(quality of gains) if you carb cycle like MIKE is saying it's possible but hard... Remember I also talked about using Primo... if you go back and read our PMs I said primo is a great compound for building LBM on a calorie reduced diet! Great compound... But as many have mentioned carb cycling seems to be the way for me as well

But sure I've been bulking this whole time but eating clean which in return(+ gear ) I've been able to gain roughly 20lbs but have dropped about 2-3% in that time(I didn't think it would go thst way but diet is the biggest role player!