Originally Posted by
tsidriver
Hey Damien, thanks for reading and taking the time to reply. I appreciate that.
To reply to your questions:
When I cheat I try to be smart about it. When I go to Wild Wings I have a salad. I don't remember the last time I had wings there. I don't do a 2000 calorie cheat meal. I was always told to have a cheat meal once a week to keep your self sane, confuse your body a bit, and keep your diet realistic. I know how to make healthy choices so that always factors in whenever I am choosing food. If it is incorrect to have a cheat meal I will stop. I just can't see how that would stop me from losing weight for so long. That is what I am struggling the most with. Good to know but I paid my way through my undergrad working in restaurants as a chef/bartender - most restaurant salads are well upwards of 1000 calories, I promise you. Not to say it isn't a good, clean cheat meal compared to what I see other guys doing but if you're concerned about a lack of progress, the best thing you can do is stop.
I will combine the protein and carb meals and go 5 meals. Do you suggest I do this at the time of the earlier or the later of the two meals? Or does it not matter? I'd just restructure the diet so that you're eating every 3 hours or so, ensuring that all meals have both a protein and energy source. I was just being convenient in suggesting 5 meals. 6 would be better but without increasing calories or having meals with only one macro nutrient.
I am being honest with what I eat. That is why I added that statement at the end where I do snack on some things when I can't get a meal in on time. If I have to eat dinner late I will have a wasa cracker with some PB on it, or a few peanuts, things to that effect. Nothing horrible. I figured adding a couple hundred calories onto my intake total would be a good catch-all for that. I am pretty good at tracking macros and I don't believe the extra I take in to be over the 200 calorie mark. But if necessary I will start tracking or cut it out altogether. I understand I need to do what it takes. Track everything. You seem dedicated, I know you can handle it. Just don't eat anything if it's not part of your meal plan. If you have to snack on something when you can't get a meal in, that's fine but have a plan. For example, if I know I'll be stuck somewhere all day, I pack a lunch-box with some chicken breasts. Wasa crackers and peanut butter are clean but carb/fat snacks should be avoided.
The P.B. I do eye up, but I don't believe I go overboard on a tbsp, but to your point, I am not scooping it out with a measure. I do use a food scale for my protiens. I measure out the rice in a measuring cup and I guess at the broccoli. It is probably less than 1 1/2 cups but figured that was negligible as there is hardly anything in it and I like to overestimate rather than underestimate. have you ever measured a LEVEL tablespoon of PB? Not heaping, but level. It's not much at all. Most guys who don't measure are eating twice as much. Brocolli can be eaten indiscriminately, the more the better.
I am not currently lifting. My cardio is on a recumbent bike, so I am working my legs, but it's just moderate HR, so I don't think I am doing enough to bulk them. Lift. You burn up to 30% more calories when sedentary when you lift. Your body needs far more calories to repair muscle tissue and as such, lifting weights is top priority. Also, even at a deficit, you'll make some gains when you start back up again just due to the "shock" factor - that lean muscle will burn calories like crazy. Also, for cardio - stairmaster, stairmill is gonna be much more involved and more efficient. If you're not lifting do to injury, I'd still do what you can - legs, core, etc. Hell, you'll see noticeable results just from implementing a good leg routine.
I had bloodwork done last year checking for diabetes and had my thyroid checked. Everything came back within range.
As far as the scale goes, I actually don't weigh myself very often at all. Last night was the first time in awhile. I am with you on the scales are for food bit. I don't even care what I weigh, I just want to look how I want to look. That is my preferred judgement of progress. I hadn't weighed myself since before I started my Clen cycle until last night. I have been taking pics though and can notice a difference. I just don't understand how that could come without a reduction in weight? Especially if I'm not weight training? like I said, it's distorting. A big glass of water is over a lb. A big meal and a couple big glasses is 3 lbs. As long as you're happy with what you see in the mirror, you're good.
As far as starvation mode, that could be a possibility. In the past I have been both bulimic and anorexic (when I was younger) and have yo-yo dieted for much of my life. I started researching and learning and asking questions and have learned a lot which has gotten me back into decent shape. In high school I was as thin as 145 lbs. and my body had eaten most of my muscle. I have gained a lot of that back and I consider myself to be at a "normal" level now. But considering what I have put my body through in the past, it could be reacting negatively somehow to that much of a deficit. I'm just not sure. Good to know. You likely have a very depressed metabolism from the eating disorders. I was briefly semi-anorexic as well and it took almost a year of slowly upping calories from 1000ish to 2000ish before I could eat normally. As such, subtract 500 from your BMR before multiplying and that's a more realistic TDEE. Now, see why weight loss is slow? Add on to that, you're not lifting and possibly over-eating on non-measured nuts/PB, you're having a cheat meal, and things come into focus. You will achieve a healthy BMR again but you're gonna have to lift weights, measure dilligintly, and slowly up calories as you reach your goals.
Thanks again for your time to read this and reply and help out. I know how time consuming that is and committing your time and knowledge to help someone else often goes overlooked and is taken for granted. I hope I answered your questions adequately and please reply back if you need more info.
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