Alright, so now it is May and I will officially be cutting for the first time. It is truly a jungle out there of inspiration, advice, advice, and more advice. Don’t run, walk instead, no carbs, lots of carbs, etc. I am so confused already and I’ve only just started. I can understand the frustration a lot of people will feel when they for some reason need to lose weight.
I’m pretty lucky in the sense that I don’t have much to get rid of. I obviously want to keep those sexy muscles that I’ve worked so hard for, just get a little bit leaner. It would be ideal if I could lose the fat on my tummy since that is the only place where it is bothering me, but I hear that you only lose overall bodyfat, which is completely sane and logic. There are some places I would love to keep the fat... I don’t really have a well-worked plan of action, but I’ve started to do more boring cardio and HIIT training.
So not fat
I’m actually cycling to and from the gym (no more laziness!), which is about seven kilometres. Then I try to do some walking or cycling on my off days as well, but not with the same intensity as when I’m really working it. I cycled 20km in 45 minutes a couple of days ago before breakfast, and I didn’t die. Maybe cardio isn’t so evil after all. Cycling is probably better than running for someone like me. While running you don’t get to rest a single second, even downhill is a pain in the ass. On the bike I get small breaks so I can enjoy the beautiful nature and appreciate the unevilness in cardio. And also catch my breath.
My big frustration is what food to eat. I wish I lived alone, and not with people who lives off sweets. I do like sweets, and I also happen to be world champion in mudcake baking. It is one of my well-hidden talents. I’m thinking that someone (me) really needs to make a Delicious Protein Desserts cookbook. The most difficult meal of the day
by far is breakfast. I’m a really fussy eater, so it’s difficult to find something that makes me full AND tastes nice. At the moment there’s a lot of avocado, cottage cheese and protein shakes going on. I always try to have my dinner before my workout, as I’m having trouble eating when finished. Post workout shakes are definitely the best option.
A favourite on the lunch and dinner menu is bacon, bacon and more bacon (quality, mind). I love RED meat, especially super lean, like fillets and escalope. Chicken and other birds are welcome too. I don’t eat any bread, rice or pasta. I could eat potatoes and fruit 24/7 (I think I was meant to be Irish), although not at the same time. I also make sure to get my vegetables and a lot of milk and cheese. I could never ever cut out dairy.
I love bacon.
I have a thing for making bacon artwork, and I’ve actually made a fully
functioning bacon mug. I will happily accept any bacon challenges.
The general food intake is pretty good; I just need the self-discipline to not eat sweets/cakes etc. I know I’m not the only one with that problem. Most people seem to cut out all their carbs and walk and/or run. Sensible. But I am not sure whether I should take an eat-twenty-times-a-day-approach, or an intermittent fasting approach. And also, how do I know how much I want to lose?! How much is one kilo fat?? omg numberz so hard.
It is crucial for me to set goals to be able to follow any kind of changes to my daily life. It is difficult to know what would be a realistic goal for me to lose, as I have no idea how much difference one kilo of body fat would do. Some people tell me I should go for 0.5kg fat loss per week; other people lose as much as two kilos a week. I have no idea how that could be even remotely healthy, but I can imagine that there is a difference for huge men and small women. Are there any other good ways of measuring fat loss than measuring your actual body fat percentage? Do people use measuring tape? Or should I go for pictures? I have to set a realistic goal for myself so I can keep up my motivation.
In my search for different diets and strategies I have come across the ketogenic diet. Apparently this diet, consumed in an “intermittent fasting sort of way” (omg vague), has proven to reduce seizures in people with epilepsy, which I have. And after reviewing my food diary it seems like I eat better on the days where I eat bigger meals less often, and I find it easy to accidentally eat too much if I eat many meals. I think I just need to try different things and see how well (or unwell) my body responds to it.
As a confused soul in the fat loss jungle I would love some advice!
By:
Isa Olsson
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4 comments
You're in the right place.
Before I go any further, forget about losing 4 kilos per week. that is not the way to go!
First of all, I know it's easy to get hung up on numbers. All of us have and still do at some point. The main thing to remember is that all of these numbers are just estimates, anyhow. The food labels, etc, are never perfect. And you'll never know exactly how many kcals you burn daily - that, too, is just an estimate.
But what we have to work with are pretty good estimates.
I am a fan of intermittent fasting. And it seems from what you've stated, that it's probably a good fit for you, considering you 'eat better' when eating less frequently.
So first, you need to establish your maintenance intake. if you're riding the bike to and from the gym, you're already a bit more active, so you need to think about this when establishing maintenance. For most who are active, anywhere from 14-15xBW in kcals is a good starting point. If you're absolutely sedentary and only workout a few times per week, it may be as low as 12xbw. It's all variable and this is where tracking your intake will become imperative to whether or not you get the results you want.
So find your maintenance and then aim to eat a bit less daily. how much less? 300-500 kcals is a good starting point.
Start with setting your protein at about 1.2x lean body mass. Then set your fats anywhere from 3. - .4xbw to get grams and then fill in the rest with carbs. I personally like to set my protein, set calories and then allocate about 20-30% of my diet to fat and the rest to carbs. just a personal preference.
Once you've gotten the macros to go with, then it's all about monitoring and adjusting as time goes on.
No need to worry about the measuring tape. I tell my peeps to focus solely on how their clothes are fitting and what they see in the mirror - we're looking for positive changes to your shape. I tell clients to stay off the scale for the most part. once per week is enough. it can really eff with your head after a while if you step on it daily and see all kinds of weight swings as a result of water weight, glycogen, etc.
I think I've said enough - if you need more, just respond and we'll iron out all the wrinkles!
JC 'Clean Eating is a Scam' Deen
P.S. You ain't fat. :D
I agree with most of what is said above. I am a big fan of calorie/carb cycling and would definitely do that - since I bet you plan on working out real hard, even though you're cutting :-)
No need to over complicate things but you can eat the same as on rest-days but just add for example 100 extra grams from carbs (equals to 400cal or so) around training.
Also try to set weekly goals, write every single on of them on post-its and put them somewhere where you clearly see them (like your bedroom door). that will help to motivate you to. And you can take one post-it down every time you reach the digit on it. Just make sure you are loosing in the pace you want to , and most importantly, stick with it, dieting is never a lot of fun, but you will sure like the results!
Feel free to ask if you're wondering anything else!
I've taken some time to experiment now, and thought I'd do this one step at a time. I started eleven days ago at 68.4kg and two days ago I was down to 66.3. That's a 4.6lbs loss! I didn't think this stuff was gonna be so easy :D
What I have done so far is working as hard as ever with the weights, added a little bit of cardio after (tabata mostly) and a 16/8h split. I still eat pretty much the same stuff. So by reducing the time I eat I've lost 2.1kg. That says something about how much extra I used to eat before.
Now that I know that my body agrees with the 16/8h split, my next step is to improve the diet part. Eat BETTER, and a girl just can't get to much protein ;D
So far I just can't see anything negative about it. I have no hunger attacks or guilt about eating anything. This is awesome, because now I can skip breakfast and get straight to dinner (omglovesteak) :D I also drink a lot more water, which I was really bad with before. This is even more important now when summer's coming on and my epilepsy just don't like dehydration all that much.
I'm kinda scared to put up any weight goals, partly because I don't want the pressure, (with pressure comes difficulty) and also because I don't have that much to lose, everything that defines those super awesome muscles are just a bonus. I need to post a quad pic cause they look pretty good now :D
Thanks again guys! I really appreciate it, and I'll keep you posted :]