ready to diet again

[ariel]

I have been reading nonstop on this board for the past month, and have gotten some of the best info. I thought I knew alot, but after reading here, so many new things to learn..

OK, so I posted much history on myself a while back and think I am ready to start with a structured diet plan again. Right now it is structured, but the confindence in my own plan does start to wane. I posted about my blood sugar issues, and I seem to have them under control, just by going with higher fat and lower carbs. I would like to keep the diet scheme the same. 50grams or less of carbs a day. 100 grams of fat and between 200-250 grams of pro. At about 1900-2300 cals. With a carb up DAY, with a cheat meal once time a week. Kind of like an anabolic diet, but with a shorter carb up. If the cheats have to go so be it.

I am not looking to stay at the same cal level just the whole higher fat scheme.

I dieted this spring at 1900 cals, NO CHEATS for 6 weeks and had no change in body fat or muscle mass at all! I have dieted hard before on this many cals and lost mega fat, so recap went to docs and have some hormonal issues, but she said my thyroid was fine.

For the past 2 weeks I have been eating 2000 cals a day, cardio 5 days a week at 30-45 mins with heavy lifting 5 days. I have done the cheat thing each sunday, no pizza, but all bran cookies and wheat bread were on the menu.

So, I have my anavar, and test cyp coming. The anavar I am having just to have at this point as I am not sure where my diet should go. The test cyp is going to be MY OWN TEST THERAPY, and I am chucking the cream. Long term low dose, to fill in my naturally low test levels. The anavar will be used at some point for my first TRUE BODYBUILDING CYCLE.

Now, there is some doubt in my mind about what the amr, and bmr for myself is. When I look at hard numbers 1800-2000 cals is about right for my activity to have a slight deficit, and I really don't have fat loss. I have been eating at around that level, for a long time, sometimes wihtout cardio sometimes with, and it never makes a difference. Is it time to increase the cals now that my hormones will be back up, or is it just my imaginiation and that I really have to DECREASE them?

I clocked in at 15.6 percent bodyfat at about 148 pounds at 5f 6 inchs. Although I don't think I am that low in fat. I have the whole hip and lower belly jiggle(not much) I look big. I have pics but need some guidance in putting them up.

So, is my metobolism just slow?

Thanks
ariel

 

[JJFigure]

After switching to the anabolic diet, I'm using the recommended formula 11xbodyweight for cutting. For you, that would mean eating 1628 kcals/day. In other words, no, I don't think your metabolism is necessarily slow; I just think you need to drop your kcals. I've had to drop my kcals much lower than I ever dreamed, but that's what it seems to take for me to get competition lean - especially lower body. On carbloads, I eat 25% above maintenance (again, according to the plan).

If your primary goal is to lose bodyfat, you'll need to drop your kcals; if your primary goal is to gain muscle without gaining more fat, the kcal level you are at right now is a good start. You could start gradually increasing your kcals until you get to the point you are noticeably adding fat.

If you decide to drop your kcals, I think you'll find you'll hold on to your muscle much easier with your new diet approach. I keep going up in strength and my upper body measurements are holding strong, even at 1500 kcals/day. Just need to lose that last bit of lower body fat.

 

[ariel]

JJ,

Thanks for you great reply...So at 1500 you are at a comp level diet plan? I am not trying to get ready for another comp anytime soon...

One time I think it was Spatts wrote something about a maintaince program...Why do it? You need to have a goal to push for...For so long my goal had been to stay lean and it seemed to back fire. Most say I don't need more muscle, because I do carry alot, but I got swayed off the path and got stuck in the dieting muck, and have been restricting food and cals with intermintent cheating for 2 years now....

So, I guess I am just trying to figure out my goal. It is to compete again at some point. I see that being a year or so away. What do you do JJ when a contest is that far off, and also what is your offseason plan like, and do you still feel comfortable in your body when and if you do add mass in the offseason.

I read and bought the metabolic diet program and it has my cal levels for getting started on the program at 2550. I think I may put tons of fat on with that, but I know I can't eat 1500 cals forever, and maitaining just is not cutting it...What is everyones, (you too JJ), opinion on eating 2550 cals a day, low carb high fat and pro, and then carbing up on weekends with about the same cals.

Am I gonna store fat like crazy? It is OK if I can see some progress. You can't look stage ready everyday Then again I would hate to gain 10lbs all of it fat...I see some have had a bad exp with "bulking" and ended up fat. Me with my estrogen kicking high and test low the past year any attempt of going off a dieting phase and adding muscle resulted in just stored bodyfat and no muscle or strength increase.

I am trying to find a diet coach or nutrition guru to oversee my diet and training, just so I know things are going the right way. I have a training partner, but he is a guy, and he thinks if I just eat subway subs a few times a week and cut the fat I will be fine...Would'nt I just love that to be the case.

Still searching and learning.
ariel

 

[JJFigure]

Offseason, I will gradually build my way back up to averaging 2300 kcals/day. This keeps me at a maintenance weight that ranges between 135-137; a weight I'm happy with (clothes-wise) and am strong at. I was forcing my kcals up to 2700 on same days when I was bulking last season, but felt like I was force-feeding. My body likes me more when I eat lower carb, so I'm also going to stay with a modified anabolic diet - I'll just putt away the food scale and I'll bring some dairy back into my diet. This type of diet also lets me eat more kcals and stay relatively lean than a carb based diet.

Before I started competing, I maintained 147 lbs. I was comfortable with that weight, although I had more weight through the hips and thighs than I really wanted. When I felt I had the discipline to diet down, I decided to do a 12 week diet cycle and scheduled a photo shoot at the end of it. I lost 1 lb./week and got down to 135 lbs. for my photo shoot. I wasn't as lean as I wanted (or thought I'd be) at 135 lbs., so I took two weeks off, and thought about what I wanted to do. I decided to enter a competition to give me the motivation to keep dieting. I dieted for another 6 weeks and came in to my first show at 130 lbs.

I debated letting my weight go back up to ~140 post season, but I feel good at 135. I feel nice and streamlined; lift well, cardio endurance is high, and it's a lot easier doing pullups and dips at a lower weight. I just feel better with myself at a lower weight, and surprisingly, I feel more athletic at the lower weight. For me, lifting and eating a clean diet is just becoming a way of life; not a means to the next competition.

 

[fitmedic]

jj, read the "how long" thread please.