I am a fat old man, and I need your help.

[oldnsedentary]

46
6 feet
215 pounds
16% bodyfat according to member estimates here (see link for pics - Bodyfat estimates? )

Here is what I ate yesterday, cut and pasted from My Fitness Pal (calorie totals are at the bottom and readable):

 Tuesday, June 24, 2014  

Breakfast
Egg - Fried, 7 Egg large
Quaker Oatmeal - Old Fashioned Oatmeal, 1/2 cup 
Arnold - Whole Grain Wheat - Toast, 1 Slice 
Butter - Unsalted, 1 pat (1" sq, 1/3" high) 
Milk - Reduced fat, 2% milkfat, 6 fl oz

Lunch
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz 
Rice - Brown, long-grain, cooked, 0.5 cup 
Brocolli - Cooked, 0.5 cup

Dinner
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 10 oz 
Rice - Brown, medium-grain, cooked, 1.5 cup 
Eggs - Scrambled (whole egg), 1 cup 
B - Green Beans Boiled, 1 grams 
Oil - Olive, 1 tablespoon

Snacks
Gnc - 100% Whey Isolate Protein Chocolate Supreme, 2 Scoop (36 g) 
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz
Rice - Brown, long-grain, cooked, 0.5 cup 
Breakstone's - 4% Cottage Cheese, 234 g (1/2 cup)
Nuts - Almonds, 0.25 cup, whole

Totals 3,319 202 142 313


Calories 3319 Carbs 202 Fat 142 Protein 313


Now this is about what I have been eating for months. I lost seven pounds and more than an inch off my waist. I now seem stuck where I am, which, as I said above, I am told is 16% bodyfat.

I am sick and tired of being a fat middle aged guy like every other gym rat my age.

I want to be ripped.

Help me out with my diet.

This week I started a High, Low, and No carb day. Three days, and start over. Yesterday was the "Low" day, and today is the "No" day. I do not yet know if this will work.

GOAL = 10% bodyfat, maintaining as much muscle as is humanly possible. It is not an unreachable goal; I just do not know what I am doing.

[Times Roman]

PM me and i'll send you the macro calculator

you are not losing much weight due to your eating at or above TDEE. You need to reduce caloric intake and keep your protein where it is at. the calculator will allow you to make calculations on the fly, and allow "what if" analysis.

[RaginCajun]

Also, I would drop the nuts and some of the eggs. Replace some of the eggs with whites.

142g of fat is a lot

[Back In Black]

With looking only at your macro's I'd be cutting that fat content in half. It's a very simple way of several hundred cals off your total.

[oldnsedentary]

With looking only at your macro's I'd be cutting that fat content in half. It's a very simple way of several hundred cals off your total.

To be honest, I am not sure where all the fat is coming from. Those numbers come from My Fitness Pal. I plug in what I ate, and My Fitness Pal spit out the calories, protein, carbohydrates, and fat. I was unaware my diet was so fatty.

Looking at what I ate yesterday, what "foods" should I cut out of the above to cut the fat content in half as suggested?

[Times Roman]

of the total calories in a whole egg, there is more from fat than from protein - like the others said, go to Costco and get the liquid egg whites. makes a huge difference
totally eliminate the butter. pointless.
eliminate/reduce the olive oil. I actually like olive oil, but if it kills your macros, it is better to lose the oil
the nuts, although tasty, only provides a partial protein profile, and unless you offset it with some legumes, then your body will not fully utilize the protein. in addition, rich in fat. consider eliminating the nuts too, until you get your fat macros down to where they need to be.

[oldnsedentary]

of the total calories in a whole egg, there is more from fat than from protein - like the others said, go to Costco and get the liquid egg whites. makes a huge difference

WOW! That is expensive, like many multiples of just buying eggs. I think I might just take the yolks out.

totally eliminate the butter. pointless.

Suggestion for cooking? The butter is put in the pan to cook the eggs.

eliminate/reduce the olive oil. I actually like olive oil, but if it kills your macros, it is better to lose the oil.
the nuts, although tasty, only provides a partial protein profile, and unless you offset it with some legumes, then your body will not fully utilize the protein. in addition, rich in fat. consider eliminating the nuts too, until you get your fat macros down to where they need to be.

I will try to follow all of your suggestions.

[Rusty11]

As usual, these guys are right on the money. PM TR and he'll send you that macro calculator. I'm finding it very useful. Btw, 1280 of your cals are coming from fat alone!

[oldnsedentary]

Rusty11, he already sent it to me, and I am trying to figure it out now. Excel and I do not get along. Excel hates me and thinks I suck. But I will do my best.

Times Roman, I cannot believe the amount of work you put into this calculator. Thank you!

[Times Roman]

WOW! That is expensive, like many multiples of just buying eggs. I think I might just take the yolks out.

..

REALLY?
6 X 16OZ OF egg whites at Costco is $9.40, that's about $1.50/lb or about ten cents an ounce.

Costco Business Delivery - Kirkland Signature 100% Liquid Egg Whites, 6/16 oz

and I think the price is less in the actual store.

[Times Roman]

now, at Costco, you get 18 eggs for what? $3?

now, a large egg is 1.75ounces
but the yolk is .75 ounces
which leaves a white of only 1 ounce per egg.
so you get 18 ounces of egg white for $3.

that comes to what? about 15 cents an ounce

AND YOU have to do all the work.

Mate, I think you should rethink the math.

Egg whites at Costco are a bargain

[oldnsedentary]

I thought it was 16 oz total!

[Times Roman]

^96 ounces total for $9.40

[RegularBro]

Eggs can be cooked pretty easily without oil.
I prefer to scramble because it is easy. But you could also hard boil, soft boil, microwave... I'm sure there are more ways I'm not a professional cook.

[oldnsedentary]

Remember, 3 days, one high, one low, and one no carb day, then start over.

Today was no carb day, although I still ended up with 21 carbs. Please keep in mind that some of the fat was from before you all posted your advice!

Times Roman, 00ragincajun00, and Back in Black, I did go buy some liquid egg whites!

RegularBro, I also talked to my wife about cooking the eggs in the pan with no butter. She is confident that she can do it just fine, since apparently that is the way she cooks her own eggs after she cooks mine (hey! was she sabotaging me? LOL!) Tomorrow is high carb day, so I will have to remember no butter on the toast!

Anyway, here is how I ended today (no carb day), and I fried the whole eggs before reading your advice:

Your Food Diary For:  Wednesday, June 25, 2014  

Breakfast
Egg - Fried, 8 Egg large

Lunch
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz 
Green Beans - Steamed, 62.5 g (1 cup)

Dinner
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz
Spinach - Raw, 2 cup

Snacks
Gnc - 100% Whey Isolate Protein Chocolate Supreme, 2 Scoop (36 g) 
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz 
Green Beans - Steamed, 62.5 g (1 cup) 
Spinach - Raw, 0.5 cup
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz


Calories 1,753 : Carbs 21 : Fat 66 : Protein 268

[Chicagotarsier]

My 2 cents. If you have been stuck for months at a weight and you are eating below TDEE then one of three things are occurring.

1. You are recompisitioning
2. You have over estimated your activity level for TDEE calculations.
3. You are stuck due to low carbs and/or stress not allowing for recomp/loss .

Number 3 is most likely. When I would "cut" for weight in the military it was a 45-day process. 3.5 mile run 2x a day with high protein low fat and minimal carb. I would lose maybe 10 pounds during the 45 days and immediately on the 46 day i would do a carb loading day. Over days 46-50 I would lose 20-30 pounds. Just my experience. If you are not doing cardio to any degree then do not expect losing bf under 15% to be easy.

[oldnsedentary]

If you are not doing cardio to any degree then do not expect losing bf under 15% to be easy.

Thank you for adding your advice, Chicagotarsier.

I do 2 - 3 x a week on the elliptical, intensely, 20 - 30 mins, like this, a pace of 125-150 for 3 minutes, then 60 second blast of 300, then three minutes of 125-150, then 60 second blast of 300, and so on. I also turn the resistance up as high as I can stand it and have the machine auto adjust from stepping up high to low at various intervals. It burns. I scare women and kids I am so intense upon it.

The lying Precor 546 machine says I burn anywhere from 330 calories (20 minutes) to over 440 (thirty minutes).

I have been considering hitting cardio more frequently, like daily for a week or so, and increasing the length of time, for up to 40 minutes, to see if it helps, but I want to sort out the diet first before messing too much with adding in more cardio. Obviously, I have some work to do on the diet.

[oldnsedentary]

It is high carb day, and I am about to have breakfast, Woo Hoo!

Ok, one cup dry measure of old fashioned oats. Check. Cinnamon for flavoring. Check. QUESTION (1) A tablespoon or so of 2% milk ok in it?

Avoid all that fat, remember, remember. No butter in pan or on toast. Check.

QUESTION (2) Eggs: Two whole eggs, right? Liquid egg whites for 3/4 of a cup, which approximates about 4 eggs? Does that seem right, or would you eliminate all of the yolks? And just the tiniest little drip of 2% low fat milk in my tea (something I skipped altogether, drinking unflavored tea, yesterday, but used big splashes totaling 6 oz the day before - got to get that fat out of the diet).

At least three meals during the day of chicken (boneless skinless, grilled or baked), a cup of brown rice, and some sort of fibrous vegetable (broccoli or spinach are most likely today, asparagus is out of season, green beans raised fresh at a neighboring farm are also a good possibility). No real fat here.

QUESTION (3) What about my usual cup of cottage cheese at bed time? I will cut out the almonds, as suggested. Should I also cut out the cottage cheese? Last night (yesterday no carb day), I had a grilled chicken breast at bed time.

[Times Roman]

I cook my eggs in the pan. no butter. I use "Pam", a vegetable oil spray that helps prevent the eggs sticking to the pan. Virtually no calories

[RaginCajun]

It is high carb day, and I am about to have breakfast, Woo Hoo!Ok, one cup dry measure of old fashioned oats. Check. Cinnamon for flavoring. Check. QUESTION (1) A tablespoon or so of 2% milk ok in it?Avoid all that fat, remember, remember. No butter in pan or on toast. Check. QUESTION (2) Eggs: Two whole eggs, right? Liquid egg whites for 3/4 of a cup, which approximates about 4 eggs? Does that seem right, or would you eliminate all of the yolks? And just the tiniest little drip of 2% low fat milk in my tea (something I skipped altogether, drinking unflavored tea, yesterday, but used big splashes totaling 6 oz the day before - got to get that fat out of the diet).At least three meals during the day of chicken (boneless skinless, grilled or baked), a cup of brown rice, and some sort of fibrous vegetable (broccoli or spinach are most likely today, asparagus is out of season, green beans raised fresh at a neighboring farm are also a good possibility). No real fat here.QUESTION (3) What about my usual cup of cottage cheese at bed time? I will cut out the almonds, as suggested. Should I also cut out the cottage cheese? Last night (yesterday no carb day), I had a grilled chicken breast at bed time.

you don't want to avoid all fat. we were just giving you examples of ways to reduce the amount of fat you already have in your diet. cottage cheese is fine, i love the stuff! did you figure out your tdee and maintenance cals yet? are you carb cycling?

[oldnsedentary]

did you figure out your tdee and maintenance cals yet?

No. But I will.

are you carb cycling?

I think so, lol. That is what the three days, one high, one low, one no is about, I think. I just started this, however, and I am on day 4 of doing so.

[RaginCajun]

No. But I will. I think so, lol. That is what the three days, one high, one low, one no is about, I think. I just started this, however, and I am on day 4 of doing so.

once you figure all that out, you just need to eat on those numbers. it is not easy but looks like you have all the right foods and mind set to make it happen. go read the carb cycling stickie, it will help you out.

[tarmyg]

46 years of age and consider yourself old. That is all in your mind IMO ;-)

[oldnsedentary]

When I posted this yesterday, I weighed 213. And I weighed 213 the day before that, but I had been bouncing around from 215 to 217 for some time before that, so in the original post, I put 215.

Today I was 211 . . .

So it was . . .

215
213
213
211

I guess things are headed the right way. I added weight to all my leg exercises today, so things are headed the right way there, too.

46 years of age and consider yourself old. That is all in your mind IMO ;-)

tarmyg,

I hear what you are saying, but you see it, too, when you are in the gym. All the guys in their forties and fifties in the gym get decently big, especially if they are on gear, but they all look like crap because of their body fat. They are just big and flabby and have guts.

I do not want to morph into one of those guys. Hence, it is time to correct the diet.

[RaginCajun]

when are you weighing yourself? you need to weigh yourself every morning at the same time, same everything. my weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day.

[oldnsedentary]

00ragincajun00, I weigh myself when I am at the gym, which is middle of the day after two meals. I am just noting the trend, not claiming it is accurate naked in the morning after pooping and peeing but not eating or drinking.



I went a little over yesterday. 2761 calories. Work got in the way of my regular food intake, and the wife through the almonds into the cottage cheese before I had a chance to protest. I suppose I should have just quit eating in the evening . . . oh, well.


Your Food Diary For:  Thursday, June 26, 2014  

Breakfast
all Whites - 100% Liquid Egg Whites, 0.75 cup 
Eggs - Hard-boiled (whole egg), 2 large
Arnold - Whole Grain Wheat - Toast, 1 Slice 
Quaker Oatmeal - Old Fashioned Oatmeal, 1/4 cup

Lunch
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 8 oz
Rice - Brown, long-grain, cooked, 1 cup 
Peas - Green, frozen, unprepared, 0.25 cup 
Oil - Olive, 0.2 tablespoon

Dinner
Starkest - Tuna In Water, 2 container (4 oz ea.) 
Arnold - Whole Grains (12 Grain) Bread, Pre-sliced, 2 Slice (43g)
Cheese - Cheddar, 1 slice (1 oz)

Snacks
Chicken - Baked Breast - Skinless & Boneless, 12 oz
Gnc - 100% Whey Isolate Protein Chocolate Supreme, 2 Scoop (36 g)
Rice - Brown, long-grain, cooked, 1 cup
Peas - Green, frozen, unprepared, 0.25 cup
Oil - Olive, 0.2 tablespoon
Kroger - Lowfat Cottage Cheese, 1 cup
Nuts - Almonds, 0.2 cup

Calories 2761 Carbs 199 Fat 75 Protein 310

[RaginCajun]

I weigh myself right after I poop and pee when weighing in everyday. That way you can see/graph it to see if you need to change some things in diet, or do more cardio.

[RaginCajun]

And that isn't a bad day, just do more cardio! Maybe some more bedroom gymnastics since the wifey got you with the nuts! (See what I did there!)

[oldnsedentary]

And that isn't a bad day, just do more cardio! Maybe some more bedroom gymnastics since the wifey got you with the nuts! (See what I did there!)

LOL! I do see. I will probably do more cardio. I think the diet suggestions being made here are helping.

I updated pics in the thread linked in the first post in this thread.

[RaginCajun]

LOL! I do see. I will probably do more cardio. I think the diet suggestions being made here are helping. I updated pics in the thread linked in the first post in this thread.

get trucking along, it's a marathon not a sprint!

[oldnsedentary]

I'll spare you all the details of what I ate (looks a lot like the other days) and just post the bottom line info for yesterday.



Calories 2,137 Carbs 149 Fat 64 Protein 243

Not too bad. Today is "no" carb day, though, so I am going to be dragging. Hopefully it will not affect my deadlifts too much.

Fasted cardio this morning; 318 calories according to that lying Precor machine.

[oldnsedentary]

When I posted this yesterday, I weighed 213. And I weighed 213 the day before that, but I had been bouncing around from 215 to 217 for some time before that, so in the original post, I put 215.

Today I was 211 . . .

So it was . . .

215
213
213
211

Today 210.

when are you weighing yourself? you need to weigh yourself every morning at the same time, same everything. my weight can fluctuate up to 5 pounds in one day.

I guess I am still within the 5 pounds of fluctuation, but the trend has a definite direction to it.

[oldnsedentary]

As usual, these guys are right on the money. PM TR and he'll send you that macro calculator. I'm finding it very useful. Btw, 1280 of your cals are coming from fat alone!

did you figure out your tdee and maintenance cals yet? are you carb cycling?

Ok, Rusty11 and 00ragincajun00, the macro calculator says TDEE is 3,062, but right below that is a line that says calories to TDEE, and that says 2242, so I am not sure about that. It looks like it might be left over from somebody else's diet entries for the day (Times Roman's?).

I used the moderate activity level (1.55) to calculate the TDEE even though I am in the gym 6-7 days a week, cardio and weights, with an intensity that frequently has others stopping by and commenting (leave me alone, it's time for my next set!). The reason is that when I am not at the gym I am sitting down (desk job).


At a TDEE of 3,062, I am well under every day now, (by a 1000 calories on no carb days) but if you look at the top of the thread I was over by almost 300 calories before listening to the advice of others here in this thread.

[oldnsedentary]

Just to summarize:


3062 = TDEE

3319 = 6/24 = 215 pounds
1753 = 6/25 = 213 pounds
2761 = 6/26 = 213 pounds
2137 = 6/27 = 211 pounds
2258 = 6/28 = 210 pounds

So that is quite a change. Today is zero carb day, but two T-bone steaks are sure to drive my fats high enough to get my calories over 2000 this time around. I am SO looking forward to high carb day tomorrow.


Done eating today:

Calories 2,258 : Carbs 43 : Fat 93 : Protein 397

But the two steaks were excellent. Steamed Broccoli with the first one and grilled asparagus with the second. Somehow I ended up with 43 carbs on no carb day . . .

[oldnsedentary]

Update: Down to 209 pounds today. I am outside of the "five pounds of fluctuation," indicating a definite trend toward a harder, leaner appearance. June 24 was 215, and June 30 is 209, for a total weight loss of six pounds in six days. At the same time, I am actually stronger in the gym.

Anybody think I am doing this too quickly now?

Yesterday's numbers:
Calories 2,911 : Carbs 277 : Fat 82 : Protein 260

Today's numbers:
Calories 2,470 : Carbs 282 : Fat 42 : Protein 239

[Diesel37]

Just a suggestion or an idea, but wouldn't it help to also post how many calories you are burning while at the gym?

[oldnsedentary]

Just a suggestion or an idea, but wouldn't it help to also post how many calories you are burning while at the gym?

Well, I am not sure how to do that.

For example, I did not feel like my usual intense cardio on the elliptical machine, so I just did 150 strides per minute for 35 minutes and turned up the resistance on the machine until it hurt a little, and that clever, lying Precor EXF 546 machine said I burned 505 calories. Now, how could I post up that exaggerated nonsense with a straight face and preserve any credibility here?

Arm day last night, Preacher Curls with an EZ bar and put the 45 pound plates on, did 10 reps, 8 reps, 7 reps, and 6 reps. How many calories did that burn? I have no clue. Or the hammer curls with 50s after that? Again, I dunno. Arnold dumbbell curls? Dunno. I did lying tricep extensions with an EZ curl bar, 45s, 10s, and 2.5s on each side. 12 reps. No idea on calories. Tricep pushdowns? They can't burn much. Wrist curls? Probably negligible.

In short I would not know how to calculate it to post how many calories I am burning at the gym.

[oldnsedentary]

I saw abs this morning in the mirror! Relaxed!

That is the first time ever in my entire life I have seen abs while relaxed.

The more experienced among you will point out that it was morning, and we always look leaner in the morning, but, hey, this is great news. I have reached a point I have not ever before reached.

Hooray!

Things are headed in the right direction.

I added weight to my arm exercises last night, so I am still preserving or adding strength.

[oldnsedentary]

Today is no carb day, and I have consumed only 13 grams of carbs and 1300 calories, and I already had dinner (and two steaks! one for breakfast and one for dinner). I need to get in another meal before bed.

[oldnsedentary]

3062 = TDEE

3319 = 6/24 = 215 pounds
1753 = 6/25 = 213 pounds
2761 = 6/26 = 213 pounds
2137 = 6/27 = 211 pounds
2258 = 6/28 = 210 pounds

The scale said 207 this morning before I hopped on the elliptical and supposedly burned 591 calories in 40 minutes (stupid lying machine).

That's what, like 8 pounds in one week?

Hmm . . .

Excessive hormones seem to be keeping strength high, which I assume translates into "I am keeping muscle."