** The ASK GB ANYTHING thread (diet/nutrition related) **

[Brohim]

What are your thoughts on Testoserone and dieting? I have read studies that say a cal deficit can reduce testoserone level's. Wouldn't that be shooting yourself in the foot?

Also what role does T play in fat burning?

[thedawg]

The more i look at my diet and try and improve it the more wuestions i seem to come up with for you gb lol.

What id like to know now is - in your opinion in percentage terms (if possible) how much additional calories should you aim to consume as a minimum on a workout day as opposed to a rest day?

Cheers man.

[gbrice75]

What are your thoughts on Testoserone and dieting? I have read studies that say a cal deficit can reduce testoserone level's. Wouldn't that be shooting yourself in the foot?

Also what role does T play in fat burning?

Would you be able to find and post up the studies so we can have a look? Did the studies indicate how low the caloric deficits were?

I don't advocate severe caloric deficits for any length of time as that can have a negative impact on more than just test.

Test can definitely aid in fat burning. More efficient nutrient partitioning, also it's ability to bind to androgen receptors to name a few.

The more i look at my diet and try and improve it the more wuestions i seem to come up with for you gb lol.

What id like to know now is - in your opinion in percentage terms (if possible) how much additional calories should you aim to consume as a minimum on a workout day as opposed to a rest day?

Cheers man.

I don't really like absolutes as everybody has different requirements, so it's difficult to put a number on it. I'd say very generally speaking, where making lean mass gains while maintaining bodyfat is the goal, a 25% increase on workout days would be a good starting point.

[tbody66]

What are the ratio's, in percentages if you can, from increasing your daily posts if you are an extreme post-ho, comparing from when you where under 1000 total posts to over 10,000 total posts?

[gbrice75]

What are the ratio's, in percentages if you can, from increasing your daily posts if you are an extreme post-ho, comparing from when you where under 1000 total posts to over 10,000 total posts?

Lmao!!! I can't say for sure, but I can tell you the number grows exponentially!

[tbody66]

Lmao!!! I can't say for sure, but I can tell you the number grows exponentially!

I thought so. You are my hero!

[gbrice75]

Oh, I know!!!

[DESJK1]

Hello gb.. Great thread.. I am planning to follow the "Dieting 101: Cutting" of this forum to get rid as much fat as possible.. First i would like to ask if this is a good diet to follow or is there any better plan in this forum you suggest.. i would also like to ask you what is your opinion on calorie shifting ( upper and drop calories every single day ).. I looks similar with carb cycling but after some research i found out that it's not the same thing.. I apologise for my english.. I hope you you have no problem answering my question.. Thank you a lot!

[gbrice75]

Hello gb.. Great thread.. I am planning to follow the "Dieting 101: Cutting" of this forum to get rid as much fat as possible.. First i would like to ask if this is a good diet to follow or is there any better plan in this forum you suggest.. i would also like to ask you what is your opinion on calorie shifting ( upper and drop calories every single day ).. I looks similar with carb cycling but after some research i found out that it's not the same thing.. I apologise for my english.. I hope you you have no problem answering my question.. Thank you a lot!

Thanks!! If you're asking if I think the sample diet in the 'Dieting 101: Cutting' thread is good, the answer is yes, considering I wrote it, lmao!!! Note it only contained sample macros, not foods. It's a good starting point.

Re: calorie shifting as you call it - I do this by default VIA carb cycling. i.e. on my low/no carb days, I don't bump the other macros, therefore my calories are reduced by default/design. Does this make sense to you?

[jpowell]

when talking about the split 60/20/20 is this a good split for cutting? 25. 24% bf, 70 inches. i wana create my own diet. my pt has been in charge of this for the last 6 mos. but i wana see if i got the concepts. my goal short term, 8-12 weeks is to get down to 18-20% bf. as i am bigger i need more protein to feed/grow vs carbs and fats right?

[Sicko]

How is it going GB? how is the boy? and how do you feel about this thread you created? Kinda blew up hunh ???
Dont know how you have time to get to this everyday brutha. I struggle to find spare minutes in my day!! eheheheh...



*check ur box, I pm'd ya*

[Homer 8]

Haven't been on the forums in years, go loving ur work here extremely helpful to everyone.. I have a question for you!

In ur opinion how much body fat in terms of % is safe to loose for a week..

Or a person at 17-18% how long wud it take to get down to 9% in ur opinion..

Many thanks
Homer.

[DESJK1]

Yes it makes sense..! Thank you very much for your help gb !

[gbrice75]

when talking about the split 60/20/20 is this a good split for cutting? 25. 24% bf, 70 inches. i wana create my own diet. my pt has been in charge of this for the last 6 mos. but i wana see if i got the concepts. my goal short term, 8-12 weeks is to get down to 18-20% bf. as i am bigger i need more protein to feed/grow vs carbs and fats right?

It's decent, but personally I'd go with 60/25/15 if I'm splitting hairs. Better still, you should consider looking into carb cycling. I find it a way better approach vs. macros/calories the same 7 days/week.

[gbrice75]

How is it going GB? how is the boy? and how do you feel about this thread you created? Kinda blew up hunh ???
Dont know how you have time to get to this everyday brutha. I struggle to find spare minutes in my day!! eheheheh...



*check ur box, I pm'd ya*

Hey bro! I love this thread! Yea, it blew up but that's kinda what I was going for to begin with. I'm glad it's successful so far.

Man, the majority of my forum time is done while I'm at work, lmao!!!

You have a PM

[gbrice75]

Haven't been on the forums in years, go loving ur work here extremely helpful to everyone.. I have a question for you!

In ur opinion how much body fat in terms of % is safe to loose for a week..

Or a person at 17-18% how long wud it take to get down to 9% in ur opinion..

Many thanks
Homer.

Hey Homer, I'm glad you're finding the info useful!

I don't know that I'd monitor weekly fat loss in percentages, I'd simply look at weight. Generally speaking, I think 1.5lbs per week is perfect. 2lbs is acceptable, but I'd start worrying a bit with weight drops beyond that. Note people with a lot of fat to lose and/or people just starting out will typically lose much more, at least during the first few weeks. There were weeks I had lost 6lbs, although in retrospect I likely lost some lbm as my diet was horrible.

It's kind of impossible to answer your second question. There are too many variables, and people are all different. Having said that, I always approach it like this: competing bodybuilders often allow 12 weeks for their cut, and are often starting off well in the 20% bf ballpark. If they can diet down to single digits in 12 weeks, 'regular' guys like us should be able to hit a realistic goal like 10% in that same timeframe IMO. This is provided the diet, training and cardio are in check, and the person isn't at a ridiculously high bf - 30% +.

[Homer 8]

Gb thanks for that..

[thedawg]

Hey man, another question from a forum noob with too many questions lol.

What is your opinion on having carbs in the evening on a lean bulk? your cutting plan separates the carbs into 3 meals per day with none really after dinner. i've read other threads claiming carbs should be included in most meals (excluding the last). Do you feel there would be any significant difference in either of these methods on a lean bulk? Is it maybe just a case if try both and see what works best for the individual?

[gbrice75]

My cutting diet is just that - a cutting diet. You're asking about a lean bulk diet which is a completely different animal.

I would generally add more carbs to more meals throughout the day. I'd exclude carbs in the last meal for sure, and possibly the 2nd to last unless the workout is relatively close to this meal. Other than that, I'd have the bulk of my carbs still focused around my workout window, with smaller carb meals for the others.

[thedawg]

My cutting diet is just that - a cutting diet. You're asking about a lean bulk diet which is a completely different animal.

I would generally add more carbs to more meals throughout the day. I'd exclude carbs in the last meal for sure, and possibly the 2nd to last unless the workout is relatively close to this meal. Other than that, I'd have the bulk of my carbs still focused around my workout window, with smaller carb meals for the others.

Thats cool gb, just wondered as i havent witnessed too much in the way of lean bulk diets. I'll aim to spread them over 5 of the 6 meals on non workout days. On my current training days i finish at around 9pm and cram in a pwo carb/pro shake as well as a pro/light carb meal about an hour later and then another of cottage cheese before 12 bed. Ill give this some consideration as it feels like too much in that short space.

I see you have another thread for your lean bulk. Will you be posting your lean bulk diet in there soon?

[jpowell]

It's decent, but personally I'd go with 60/25/15 if I'm splitting hairs. Better still, you should consider looking into carb cycling. I find it a way better approach vs. macros/calories the same 7 days/week.

ok--thanks lol i over looked this reply, thought u were avoiding my question lol. i also just created a thread on plateau busting. wod u take time an comment on that as well for me. or maybe this advice you gave me will suffice.

[gixxerboy1]

maybe something simpler.
You have a cookbook you like?
I can follow directions and make good food. But i can reach into the cabinet and decide what and how much spices to use.

[tbody66]

gixxerboy, I love your tagline!

[gbrice75]

I see you have another thread for your lean bulk. Will you be posting your lean bulk diet in there soon?

I'll probably lay out my base diet for every one to see, although i'm bound to change things up as I get further along.

ok--thanks lol i over looked this reply, thought u were avoiding my question lol. i also just created a thread on plateau busting. wod u take time an comment on that as well for me. or maybe this advice you gave me will suffice.

lol np, i'll have a look!

maybe something simpler.
You have a cookbook you like?
I can follow directions and make good food. But i can reach into the cabinet and decide what and how much spices to use.

Not really, but then again i'm a culinary graduate from way back in the day. I stick with some very basic (boring) stuff, mainly due to time constraints - I don't want to spend all damn day in the kitchen. 95/5 ground beef, grilled tilapia, grilled and rotissere chicken, brussell sprouts, oats, etc... all staples for me. Steaks on occasion, boneless pork chops or loin, etc.

[gixxerboy1]

Not really, but then again i'm a culinary graduate from way back in the day. I stick with some very basic (boring) stuff, mainly due to time constraints - I don't want to spend all damn day in the kitchen. 95/5 ground beef, grilled tilapia, grilled and rotissere chicken, brussell sprouts, oats, etc... all staples for me. Steaks on occasion, boneless pork chops or loin, etc.

yea pretty much the same stuff i cook. But i know how to flavor it maybe 2 ways each,

[gbrice75]

yea pretty much the same stuff i cook. But i know how to flavor it maybe 2 ways each,

lol... I use alot of lemon juice, salt and pepper! Soy to a lesser extent, some EVOO, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, etc. Basic herbs and what not, real simple stuff.

[jpowell]

gb--so wat is a good high carb food that i could use pre/post workout. thas not in the list in the ur sample diet. (cutting) I'm having a hard time putting sum thing together that will give me high carbs but not take me over my other limits. marcos i have mapped out for pre/post would be 35P, 58C, 8F. based off 40/40/20 split.

[gbrice75]

gb--so wat is a good high carb food that i could use pre/post workout. thas not in the list in the ur sample diet. (cutting) I'm having a hard time putting sum thing together that will give me high carbs but not take me over my other limits. marcos i have mapped out for pre/post would be 35P, 58C, 8F. based off 40/40/20 split.

Any of the clean complex carbs really... oats are my preference although they're a tad higher in fat than say sweet potato or brown rice. You could go with any type of lentils or beans, cous cous, grits... the choices are pretty endless when you really get to thinking about it.

[jpowell]

ok thanks i appreciate ur help. i thought it wod b just a few choices but i c its not.

[DanB]

alright mate, here's one for ya if you dont mind, im planning my lean bulk now for new year(like yourself) and will be making transition from current cal of approx 2400 up to 3600 my questions are, how is best way to do this? should i bump by couple hundread cals per week until i get there or can i do it quicker? and sorry if this been asked a hundread times but does wholegrain rice meet the requirements of a good complex carb or must i use brown rice or is there much of a difference? i currently use wholegrain but its only 1 meal per day pre workout, im still finaliseing new diet but i will prob be eating wholegrain or brown 3x's day with oats being other main carb source

[gbrice75]

First, are you sure 3600 is a good number for you for a lean bulk? Do you plan on eating 3600 calories 7 days a week? I'd look into that before looking at how to implement.

Brown rice is whole grain rice. Whole grain rice is simply rice (any rice) that uses the 'whole grain'. Whole grain brown, red, basmati, etc.

[DanB]

i will be hopefully be back in full time work in early janunary (manual labour) so 3600 may even need to be increased?but i wont know until i get back to work, yes my tdee will drop significiantly on weekends but ill still be lifting, i was going to keep cals the same, would you be inclined to lower it?

[gbrice75]

I basically meant will you be eating the same calories on non-workout days, regardless of weekday/weekend.

What are your stats bro?

[DanB]

i had intended to, mabey slightly less due do smaller meals with what would of been pre and post workout, what would you advise?
stats sorry
22
5'8
160lbs
approx 12% b/f
few years training, last year or so, serious dedication and stripped b/f

[tbody66]

Dan, start your own thread here in the diet section, post some pics, your diet, and your workout routine, I'd be interested in following your progress and helping with a workout if you were interested.

[DanB]

yeah of course any help is greatly appreciated, i will get some1 to take pics in next few days and will start thread, in the mean time ill work out the particulars of diet im planning and post for critique and workouts also, thanks

[calstate23]

Okay I have a question which sounds a bit over the top with hope?

if after eating right for an extended period of time concentrating on very little sugar, would a sugar binge have the same effect as insulin? like shocking the system with an insulin spike all of the sudden? and by doing so perhaps having an anabolic effect?

Most likely this would have a carb loading effect...If your sugar levels are low then I would assume that your carb levels would be lower then normal as well...You would drive all the glycogen and water into your muscles with a sugar binge...You could also get the oh so dreadful spill over effect if you take in too much as well....So in theory, you might actually good better right after a sugar binge, but you could also look worse...Obviously, this could be good in some situations but either way it should be something that could be fixed very fast.

[gbrice75]

i had intended to, mabey slightly less due do smaller meals with what would of been pre and post workout, what would you advise?
stats sorry
22
5'8
160lbs
approx 12% b/f
few years training, last year or so, serious dedication and stripped b/f

Possibly cycle low carbs on non-training days.

Man, idk what your job entails, but calories seem awful high given your stats. JMO.

[gbrice75]

Most likely this would have a carb loading effect...If your sugar levels are low then I would assume that your carb levels would be lower then normal as well...You would drive all the glycogen and water into your muscles with a sugar binge...You could also get the oh so dreadful spill over effect if you take in too much as well....So in theory, you might actually good better right after a sugar binge, but you could also look worse...Obviously, this could be good in some situations but either way it should be something that could be fixed very fast.

Where you been Cal???

[Swifto]

In the AM (first meal), why do I get real tired (could literally go back to bed, yawning etc...) if I have a whey/oats/EVVO shake 1-1.5hours after? Or any shake at all, sometimes raw eggs/oats/fats...

But if I have a solid meal, oats/fruit, eggs, I'm fine?