I’m just getting started. Finally losing weight now (while continuing to gain muscle) after deciding to eat 2500 cal/day (75% of estimated total caloric use) with 200-260g/day of protein.
Logging everything has given me more clarity about my diet and where i was failing (too much rice and such). Getting sufficient protein has significantly reduced hunger (and am rarely hungry at 2500 cal/day).
So, basically, after 9 months of extensive research, testing, and analysis I’ve determined that a good way to lose weight is to eat less.
That’s a bit tongue in cheek, but I’ve been trying to land on a general diet that is acceptable to me for the long run, not something that requires excessive short term commitment or discomfort. I don’t even have to log calories every day, as i now know what to eat and how much.
Eat 70-80% of TDEE based on logging ALL consumption. Eat 0.7-1g protein/lb per day. (For me this is 2600 cals, with 1000-1200 cals (250-300g) from protein.) [Bought 48 eggs, among other things, at Costco today.]
Lift weights 3x week to increase muscle mass and TDEE. Add other exercise/activity to extent possible.
Weight is staying pretty steady (going down like 1-2 lb/wk) but I keep getting stronger and more muscular. When muscle gain slows i expect weight will go down faster.
To be clear, time restricted eating is not identical with intermittent fasting. No difference in daily calorie intake, no weight loss compared to control group. That’s hardly surprising.
On Sunday I ate a “giant” supreme sub at Jersey Mikes. It was about 2000 cals, which was fine because I made 2 meals of it and still was under my 2600 limit for the day. (Sub and a large coke is close to daily caloric allotment.)
However, the important point was that the caloric breakdown for the sub was about 500 for mayo, 500 for oil-based dressing, 500 for the 15in roll, and 500 for the the meats and veggies. Take off the mayo and oil and it goes from 80% of my daily calories to 40%, or just go half on both for a 1500 cal sub.
Also, speaking of mayo, I’m running low and got some at the store today. Standard 30oz best foods mayo is 90 cals per tablespoon. There’s 60 servings in a bottle. So that’s 5400 cals in a jar of mayo. Oil is similar. Beware.
My research indicates that this is false. I cited a study above where subjects at like 2000 cal/day, with the study group eating high protein and the control eating lower protein. Both groups lost like 10 lbs in 4 weeks, but the high protein group gained like 3lb vs 1lb of lean muscle.
This is all well and good, but it’s lot easier to monitor calories than hormonal levels, and it’s not clear what to do with hormonal data vis a vis behavior.
I’m finding no difficulty staying in calorie deficit while not being hungry. Maybe it helps that as a 6’2" 300lb guy my TDEE is about 3400 cals, so 2600 is a solid deficit. It’s not necessarily “easy” for me to eat 2600, but I basically have like a 600 cal breakfast (big bowl of cereal with milk or similar), a protein shake/bar for a snack, a 1000-1500 cal dinner, and like some protein late night. That and just avoid temptations like muffins and cookies and cupcakes and ordering pizza and such.
I guess it more or less just takes planning. I did a $300 costco shopping today and bought a lot of high protein foods and nothing that was just heavy fats or carbs. I used to at least browse the cookies, bagels, and such, but just noped out on them today. Same with pasta–when I make it I make too much and I am trying to get my cals mainly from protein. (Bagels with cream cheese or hummus is fine, but that’s the whole breakfast and equals like 5 eggs in cals.)
I’ve lost like 5 lbs the last 3 weeks, but today I put on an “old” shirt because it’s fitting better again, as mass is moving to chest and thighs and back instead of gut.
I think this is “fine”, but some of the things ive been reading and watching from weight lifters indicate negative reactions to low carbs (less energy). Everything I’ve seen is fairly anti-keto. You can not eat sugar, and that will likely reduce caloric intake, but really, if calories are fine then there’s really no reason not to each sugar.
My current diet is 1000-1200 cals from protein as the only real metric (aside from 2600 total). I’m trying to get maybe around 800 cals in carbs, but I’m not concerned about that really and let the carb/fat balance fall where it may as long as I’m at around 2600 with enough protein.
Regarding carbs:
Here’s a discussion of a journal article that compares the effects of four very different diets. The net conclusion was that the particular form of diet didn’t matter. Just need fewer calories in than out to reduce weight. (Discussion starts at 8:50)
Hormones are important but there’s a ton of them and they all have their specific paths and effects, many we don’t fully understand.
Two things I know, increasing muscle helps with insulin regulation because larger muscles have additional insulin receptors and use more glucose from the blood for energy. That’s partially why that Dr. i keep linking thinks strength training is best for diabetics.
Also, he got into lifting after studying cell death in the brain after stroke and cardiac resuscitation. Turns out cells die even with nutrients in the absence of growth factors (as discussed in 1 hr lecture linked above), and compound joint lifts like squats and deadlifts release growth (and other) hormones. Thus, he believes progressive strength training is good for hormonal balance.
I don’t know if I’d blame this so much on hormones, as general mood and recent proceeding events, illness or pain, and other factors often influence subjective judgments and short term planning.
4-3. The lessons learned over three decades of combat operations renewed the Army’s focus on the strength and power requirements for ground combat. In 2013, under HQDA directions, the Army began two major physical fitness assessment studies: (1) Army Required Actions in Support of the Elimination of the Direct Ground Combat Assignment Rule (DGCAR), and (2) Comprehensive Study to determine the reliability of simulated physical soldiering tasks relevant to combat arms Soldiers. The studies demonstrated that muscular strength and power drove 60 percent of the variability in physical demands. In other words, endurance-centric approaches to training and testing did not support all of the baseline requirements of being a Soldier.
I cite this because I regard it as another move away from the “fad” of excessive endurance training generally. This is also taking place among the medical community.
Quick update - been keeping up the good work for the last three weeks, with the caveat it was my birthday last week which lead to a couple of meals out, and someone sending a case of IPA’s which I worked my way through during the course of the week.
Weightloss has been steady rather than spectacular, but I hit 2 stone lost his morning which was nice.
Also managed to get rid of three binbags worth of clothes that were too big, or that failed to bring me joy as Marie Kondo might say, which felt very good
All in all feeling much healthier than I did a couple of months ago
Still not losing much weight but continuing to get stronger. I think I look a bit slimmer in this pic than is real. Would love to get down to 290 in a month but hovering around 310, have recently dropped down to about 2300 cals/day from 2600. Would like to get to 290 and ramp up the weight training/exercise more.
