smart nutrition -> losing fat and building a lean physique

[Jono]

in this post i shall tackle some myths and some truth's to fat loss and gaining lean muscle mass.

the first mistake people make is with how much they eat. i've seen people on this bored consuming less than 1500 calories a day. that is just plain DANGEROUS. sure your going to lose weight, but your body is using your lean muscle tissue as a fuel source.

cutting calories is not the answer to lose fat. when you reduce your calorie intake, you infact slow down your metabolism. your body is a very smart machine, it knows how much and what you need. and when you reduce your food intake your body begins to "hold on" to its resources, primarly fat, using muscle as a first resort.

the "smart" way to lose fat and build a muscular lean phyqiue is to reduce your maintenance caloric base by 200-300 MAX. this is how many calories you consume per day to lose no weight, or gain weight.

an example from me. i needed around 2100-2200 calories per day to not gain any weight.

18 years old
5'8"
BF % unknown, was 18%

currently i consume 1990ish calories per day.. this is slightly less when i do not lift weights or do cardio. in a couple weeks i have been slowly losing fat. 2-3 lbs a week.. in 3 weeks and a bit i have gone from 179 lbs to 170 as of today while increasing my strength ENORMOUSLY.

there is this big theory that consuming fat with carbs = more fat on your body. this is half true. when you consume a food with a high glycemic index it causes a very rapid response from your insulin and spikes it like crazy. this undoubtly will store the carbs/fat as fat on your body.

consuming a carb with a low glycemix index (grapefruit, beans, oatmeal, etc) causes a steady and slow insulin release into your body. consuming low gi meals in every meal, 5-6 times a day is crucial. it will keep your insulin levels steady and consistant.

consuming fat with a low gi carb will furthermore slow down the insulin releases and digestion. however, this is not an excuse to load up on saturated fats! this all being said, when insulin isnt spiked rapidly, carbs/fat will not be stored as FAT, they will be used as fuel for energy.

it is suggested to consume a high gi carb when you wake, before a workout and after a workout.. from my expirementation and advice from nutrtionist/human biologist that consuming a high gi carb only after a workout is the most beneficial. doing this myself, it works!

supplements i consume post workout
1.5 scoops whey protein isolate
4/5 scoop micronized creatine with dextrose
5 g of glutamine
1/8th tsp salt

this gives me about 320 calories, 50g of protein, 30 g of carbs, and .5g of fat.

the DONTS.

do not do intense cardio on an empty stomach, this is very catabolic! if you do cardio in the morning, avoid running and stick to a bike or eliptical machine, stair master etc. and do not exceed 75% max heart rate. i stay around 68% which i find optimal.. between 65-75% is best, NO HIGHER

max heart rate = 220 - AGE..
220-18 = 202
65% = 202 x .65 = 131.3
75% = 202 x .75 = 151.5

if possible, do not do cardio directly before or after a workout. if at all possible do them at least 8hrs apart.

doing cardio before lifting weights pre fatigues your muscles, and burns up invaluable resources carbs/protein which will greatly help during lifting. doing cardio after a workout when your blood sugars are so low and your muscle's are craving nutrients you will push your body into a catabolic state, consuming your lean muscle tissue.. its kind of pointless doing cardio right after you workout.. its like running on the tred mill for 1hr, than eating a large pizza.

you simply cant spot reduce. and its unfortunate that the belly is the last thing to go

--------------

who cares about a food scale or body fat calipers.. i dont

get your food in order and make a daily meal plan

consume your body weight times 10-11 at least in calories a day.

aim for at least 1.2-1.5g of protein per lb and 1.0g of carbs per lb.. and some good fats

[Victor]

From now on, I won't be doing any cardio before weight lifting. Thanks!

A very good text overall!

[gravityhomer]

The 75% max on heart rate for cardio in the morning kind of contradicts the whole HIIT method. So you shouldn't do HIIT after not eating for eight hours (ie right when you wake up.

If this is true, what's the minimum you should eat to stave off the catabolic process.

oh and what does catabolic mean? Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Jono

the DONTS.

do not do intense cardio on an empty stomach, this is very catabolic! if you do cardio in the morning, avoid running and stick to a bike or eliptical machine, stair master etc. and do not exceed 75% max heart rate. i stay around 68% which i find optimal.. between 65-75% is best, NO HIGHER

[Jono]

catabolic = break down..

when i say catabolic, i refer to the break down of muscle bein used as a fuel source for the body

i did hiit for 2 weeks.. first thing in the morning i ate 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with water.. mixed in with 1 scoop whey isolate and 1 tsp flax.

i need to know your stats.. to make a suggestion

but for 2 weeks now i am trying doing cardio on an empty stomach at 68% of my max heart rate for 45min.. and so far, it seems to work alot better than HIIT for fat loss. i think HIIT training is for endurance mostly

[dnx]

Hi Jono,

Can you give us a rundown of your daily meals for your intake of 1900 - 2000 calories?

cheers

[gravityhomer]

So currently I am 207 lbs, with 29% BF, not good. I really prefer the HIIT to a longer steady workout as it is more fun and breaks up the monotony. How much would I need to eat before hand to avoid the catabolic process? Also I'd like to point out that John Stone's method for fat loss was HIIT in the morning before eating anything. He's sort of gospel right now with all the data he has to back it up. Thanks for the help.

Originally Posted by Jono

i need to know your stats.. to make a suggestion

[Jingo]

HIIT is as good as traditional cardio for fat loss, it all depends on the person, it's certainly not just for stamina, a lot of people use very high resistance and actually use HIIT to compliment their leg work outs.

Also it seems your info was very much slanted towards someone looking to bulk up and lose some fat. Going catabolic isn't the end of the world for a lot of people, somtimes the trade off is acceptable for people focused on fat loss. If someone is working weights for the first time, even if they're doing cardio on an empty stomach before lifting all the time, they are going to gain muscle and they are going to lose weight, assuming they are eating well.

Not saying your info isn't good, but just remember different people have different goals, i don't like to tell people not to do something, rather tell them the consiquences and the benefits and let them decide, unless it's something dangeous like under eating, unsafe lifting etc.

[Jono]

this is my diet for cardio and weight training days with HIIT training. in bold below is the changes i made to incorporate with morning cardio on empty stomach

Description Calories Protein Carbs

Meal 1 (6:45am) Pre-cardio

1/3 cup oatmeal w/ water (cooked) 114 4.2 20
1 scoop iso xp whey protein powder 140 33 1.5
1 tsp flax oil 42 0 0

since doing cardio on an empty stomach i now consume 1/2 cup oatmeal after cardio insted of 1/3.. and 2-3 hrs after i consume a protein shake with water and 1 tsp flax oil

Meal 2 (8:15am) (Post cardio)

1 red grapefruit 85 1.8 22.4
1/3 cup oatmeal w/ water (cooked) 114 4.2 20
1 scoop iso xp whey protein powder 140 33 1.5

Supplements

1000 mg vitamin c
1 calcium/magnesium tablet (citrate form)
multivitamin with no more than 10mg of iron

Meal 3 (12:15pm)

1 grilled chicken breast 140 26 0
1 green pepper 25 1 4.8

Meal 4 (3:45pm) Pre-workout

1/3 cup oatmeal w/ water (cooked) 114 4.2 20
1 scoop iso xp whey protein powder 140 33 1.5
6 almonds 42 1.3 1.8

Workout

Meal 5 (6:00pm) Post-workout

2 cups water
4/5 creatine w/ dextrose 119 0 29.6
1.5 scoops iso xp whey protein powder 210 49.5 2.25
1 tsp glutamine
1/8th tsp salt

Supplements:

1000 mg vit c
1 calcium/magnesium tablet (citrate form)
400 IU Vitamin E

Meal 7 (7:00pm)

2/3 cup cooked brown rice 175 3.3 38
1 grilled chicken breast 140 26 0
1/2 large red pepper 35 1 8

Meal 8 (10:00 pm)

1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese 102 16 6
1/2 green apple 40 0 21

Total 1959 237.5 198.35

[Jono]

Originally Posted by Jingo

HIIT is as good as traditional cardio for fat loss, it all depends on the person, it's certainly not just for stamina, a lot of people use very high resistance and actually use HIIT to compliment their leg work outs.

Also it seems your info was very much slanted towards someone looking to bulk up and lose some fat. Going catabolic isn't the end of the world for a lot of people, somtimes the trade off is acceptable for people focused on fat loss. If someone is working weights for the first time, even if they're doing cardio on an empty stomach before lifting all the time, they are going to gain muscle and they are going to lose weight, assuming they are eating well.

Not saying your info isn't good, but just remember different people have different goals, i don't like to tell people not to do something, rather tell them the consiquences and the benefits and let them decide, unless it's something dangeous like under eating, unsafe lifting etc.

thats the key. EVERYONE is different. you DO NOT want to catabolize muscle tissue if you wanna lose fat, that is the most ineffective way! the more muscle mass you have, the faster your metabolism, the more efficiently you will burn fat!

my advice is hardly for bulking

[Jono]

HIIT is not only for endurance.. thats what i found the greatest benefit.. it increased my cardiovasular endurance alot.

HIIT will speed up your metabolism no doubt, but so does moderate intensity (70% max heart rate) which will induce lipolysis.

HIIT training is anerobic.. how can you burn body fat without air? how do your muscles grow and function properly without air..

HIIT on an empty stomach is catabolic. and i for one would never personally do a catabolic exercises regardless of what my goals are. im not going to try and put on lean muscle tissue and than turn my anabolism into catabolism

[dnx]

Thanks for your daily intake jono,

I'm going to try the following until i get some protein supplement. Weight training days (mon-Wed-Fri) it will be as below. Cardio days (Tue-Thur) will do cardio and then combine pre/post meals together.

Pre workout: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna. 283 cals/3 fat/ 18 carbs/43 protein.

Post workout: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna, 1/2 lge banana. 346 cals/3 fat/34 carbs/44 protein.

1000mg vitamin C, 1 multivitamin, 2 caps metamucil.

Meal 3: 1 cup tuna, 1 cup celery. 198 cals/ 1 fat/ 4 carbs/ 40 protein.

Meal 4: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna. 283 cals/3 fat/18 carbs/43 protein.

Meal 5: 9oz chicken breast, 2 cups green beans, 1 cup brown rice. 676 cals/10 fat/63 carbs/81 protein.

1000mg vitamin C

Meal 6: 1/2 cup low fat 1-2% cottage cheese, 1/2 lge banana. 145 cals/1 fat/19 carbs/15 protein.

1/2 multivitamin.

Total: 1928 calories, 22 fat (11%), 157 carbs (29%), 267 protein (60%).

Water: 4 - 5 litres throughout the day.

A lot of tuna at the moment (4 cups) but will replace some with Whey protein when i get it.

cheers

[Jono]

dnx, what are you personal stats and goal?

give me some information about that and i can help tailor something to your needs

[dnx]

Originally Posted by Jono

dnx, what are you personal stats and goal?

give me some information about that and i can help tailor something to your needs

5' 11", 104kg, 26.8%BF.
Goal is to loose weight while keeping muscle (and improving), hopefully to 85kg in six months.

I'm at the gym at 6:30am after walking there 25 minutes. Cardio days are 20 min treadmill @ incline, 10 min stepper, 10 min cycle.

Weights day at the moment to get used to weights is 40 minutes doing all body parts @ 2-3 X 15 in each exercise. This changes at end of next week (4 weeks done). Since starting 3 weeks ago, i've lost 4 kilo and increased my weight training on each excersise by 1 - 3 plates. I have also been doing 15 min treadmill prior to weights but i think i'll stop this.

I haven't gained/lost any weight for past week but waist is down 1.5" and thighs are smaller going by fit of jeans.

cheers and thanks for your help.

[BradR]

Thanks for trying to help other folks out. Clarence Bass at www.cbass.com has been maintaining a bf in the single digits for about 30 years now and he seems to prefer HIIT. If you go thru all that he's written, it basically comes down to calories in vs calories out. He maintains that HIIT is better simply because it burns up more calories. Simple as that. If low intensity is what works for you however, go for it. Best wishes in reaching your goals!

[Jono]

in CAPS below

Originally Posted by dnx

Thanks for your daily intake jono,

I'm going to try the following until i get some protein supplement. Weight training days (mon-Wed-Fri) it will be as below. Cardio days (Tue-Thur) will do cardio and then combine pre/post meals together.

Pre workout: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna. 283 cals/3 fat/ 18 carbs/43 protein.

EXCELLENT

Post workout: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna, 1/2 lge banana. 346 cals/3 fat/34 carbs/44 protein.

EXCELLENT

1000mg vitamin C, 1 multivitamin, 2 caps metamucil.

Meal 3: 1 cup tuna, 1 cup celery. 198 cals/ 1 fat/ 4 carbs/ 40 protein.

GOOD

Meal 4: 1/3 cup oats in water, 1 cup tuna. 283 cals/3 fat/18 carbs/43 protein.

Meal 5: 9oz chicken breast, 2 cups green beans, 1 cup brown rice. 676 cals/10 fat/63 carbs/81 protein.

TO MUCH FOOD, BODY CANT UTILIZE 81G OF SOLID PROTEIN IN ONE SITTING. TAKE 3 OZ CHICKEN BREAST AND SWITCH IT TO MEAL 6

1000mg vitamin C

Meal 6: 1/2 cup low fat 1-2% cottage cheese, 1/2 lge banana. 145 cals/1 fat/19 carbs/15 protein.

DROP THE BANANA AND HAVE THAT 3 OZ CHICKEN BREAST AS SAID ABOVE. YOU DONT WANT TO CONSUME A HIGH GI CARB AS YOUR LAST MEAL. MAKE THE COTTAGE CHEESE 1%

1/2 multivitamin.

Total: 1928 calories, 22 fat (11%), 157 carbs (29%), 267 protein (60%).

Water: 4 - 5 litres throughout the day.

A lot of tuna at the moment (4 cups) but will replace some with Whey protein when i get it.

cheers

you are definatly on the right track bud!

[Jono]

Originally Posted by BradR

Thanks for trying to help other folks out. Clarence Bass at www.cbass.com has been maintaining a bf in the single digits for about 30 years now and he seems to prefer HIIT. If you go thru all that he's written, it basically comes down to calories in vs calories out. He maintains that HIIT is better simply because it burns up more calories. Simple as that. If low intensity is what works for you however, go for it. Best wishes in reaching your goals!

im not saying HIIT doesnt work. i am just saying on an empty stomach it is a horrid idea.

currently i am trying this 45min cardio in the morning on an empty stomach to test it out myself. i AM and still AM an avid HIIT fan, but i am merely trying to find the best way to burn the fat.

HIIT training will no doubt kick your metabolism fast and hard.

after another week of cardio for 45min in the am, i am going to go back to HIIT for 2 weeks and see if i can make a conclusion to which one works best for me

[dnx]

Thanks JONO, i'll give the changes a try and see how i go.

cheers

[Jono]

bump

some people need to read this again, lots of questions asked twice

[Idoc]

Hey Jono. Good stuff. I have a question for you. You said that the body can't process 81g of protein at one sitting. So, what is the approximate max protein load for a sitting? Thanks.

[Jono]

i am not 100% sure.. but around 30-40 seems reasonable..

everyone is different.. and you have to realize that there will be some protein gone down threw digestion..