Best Diet Ever?

Hey everybody, this is a 2 part question

I was just wondering, what is the best diet you’ve ever used? And is there a diet that you can use all year around?

Tryfon

It depends on your goals. If you want to get absolutely hyooge and then get ultra-ripped, then following a diet specifically geared towards those aims would be best - eg follow say Massive Eating for the 1st part then maybe the T-Dawg diet for the latter.

As a general way of eating I stick pretty close to what has recently been coined a ‘paleo diet’. Basically I stick to foods that are whole and fresh wherever possible, and haven’t been subject to lots of processing etc. Fish, fruits and veggies form the bulk of my eating, with some dairy, (whole eggs, milk, and the odd bit of cheese) added on. I deviate from this now and then when the Mrs fancies something different. The main thing I alter depending on any short term goals I may have would be the amount of fruit I eat and the number of cheat meals, (for me that = beer).

Read Berardi’s 7 Habits of Effective Nutritional Programmes. If you follow that year round I can almost guarentee you will become healthier, and with proper training you will also perform and look better.

Well we really need your goals but of course there are diets to live on. We are all on diets here and living.

Keep it simple and start by dropping all the crap if you can nail the rules in here

7 Habit
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459493

Then you are well on your way.

Other than that we really need to know what you are trying to accheive at this point. Cut, gain mass, etc. they all call for solid diets just mopre or less intake.

Here are a bunch of other great reads,

Foods That Make You Look Good Nekid
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460638

The Carbohydrate Roundtable, Part 1&2
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=461157
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459360

Fat Roundtable I&II
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=461947
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=461093

Massive Eating
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460331
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=460327
M/E Reloaded
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459429
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459431

T Dawg 2

7 days to Ultimate leanness
http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=459329

Hope that helps and come on back with more info. and any questions,
Phill

I also like a ‘paleo’ type of diet. I try to keep things as natural and raw as possible, but I don’t know how to classify protein powder. In the winter when I want to add size I simply increase the portion size. Example: for breakfast, instead of having an omlette or oatmeal/Grow! I will just have both.

This is working WONDERS for me…

I work out with free weights three times per week with a mix of powerlifting, strongman, and bodybuilding (for the ladies) stuff. On Saturday, my clients and I have a strongman day… sled dragging, farmers walk, sandbags, kegs, tires (BIG to flip and small to “discus” throw) atlas stone etc.

I cut carbs to Atkin-like levels on my non-workout days (with a bunch of Udo’s Choice oil and flax) and on workout days, I add oatmeal to breakfast, otherwise it’s Atkins-like until the evening workout where I’ll drink 1/2 my custom post w/o shake (C+P) during and finish the other 1/2 after. Later that evening, I’ll have a big bowl of cottage cheese and mixed berries b4 bedtime.

To summarize… way under 100 grams of carbs on non weight-training days and about 250 grams on weight-training days but only early am and workout time.

Is this clear enough to understand???

There’s a ton of articles here on the site regarding eating for the long haul, too. This is where it’s at. Target date type diets have their place for certain situations but modifying one’s existing diet in smaller, tailored, do-able ways is the key.

This is why you won’t see me pushing particular diet regimes. Not only do they rarely last (changes are too extreme), but they risk that extra bit of further fat regain each time they’re done.

The Zig Zag diet can be used year round. If you are trying to gain muscle, eat high calories during the week and low calories during the weekend. If you are trying to get cut up, lower the calories throughout the week and carb up during the weekends. Do a Google search for the Zig Zag diet by Dr. Squat

Why would you even consider a ‘diet’ that you could be on all year long. Eat sensibly and to meet special goals or times, pay extra close attention to detail. Really nothing more is needed.

As long as you understand the basics of food and nutrition this will work for you. Phil has given you a Bible and you should read and reread each article to see how it fits into your lifestyle and goals.

LL is spot on. Reread is post as well

For cutting for me it’s the Body Opus diet. Hands down better than any other cutting diet I’ve tried. I lose more fat and at a faster pace then the other diets but the key is I never lose muscle on it(and actually even get a little stronger sometimes).

[quote]dylan5150 wrote:
I also like a ‘paleo’ type of diet. I try to keep things as natural and raw as possible, but I don’t know how to classify protein powder. [/quote]

whey protein powder is a dairy product, and therefore non-paleo. its a byproduct of the cheese production. however i think its okay to consume when following a paleo diet as the main problem with milk is the saturated fat and sugar, of which whey has very little of. i also eat a paleo diet, and i manipulate macronutrient breakdowns to fit my goals…the paleo type foods never change though

[quote]sasquatch wrote:
Why would you even consider a ‘diet’ that you could be on all year long. [/quote]

A ‘diet’ is a way of eating. If you aren’t on a diet, you aren’t eating. Dr.Squat’s Zig Zag diet is lifelong. Actually, I don’t know if he made it up, but he “revised” it and made it simple to follow. Re-read my post and its pretty basic. No “special” supplements needed (you can choose your own protein drink, etc.) and it’s not a ‘fad’ diet where, when getting cut, you lose valuable vitmains and minerals. For an example, if you are on a “protein powder only” diet, how many vitmains and minerals is your body losing??

[quote]Lonnie Lowery wrote:
There’s a ton of articles here on the site regarding eating for the long haul, too. This is where it’s at. Target date type diets have their place for certain situations but modifying one’s existing diet in smaller, tailored, do-able ways is the key.

This is why you won’t see me pushing particular diet regimes. Not only do they rarely last (changes are too extreme), but they risk that extra bit of further fat regain each time they’re done. [/quote]

I’m not sure who this LL cat is, but he sure makes a lot of sense.

Everyone in the world is on a diet. We have misnomered the word to mean a specific nutrition program - usually to lose weight - and usually lacking nutrition. As LL said, these target type diets are usually too extreme and thus unsustainable, and the metabolic changes they cause can wreak havoc on the body when normal or worse eating returns.

This whole thing - training, rest, habits, nutrition and diet - is a lifestyle. Otherwise, it doesn’t work. Finding what works for you is the key.

Over the years I tried it all - low carb, no carb, everything and the kitchen sink, too calorically restricted, etc. Now, I know what works for me. It took time, because I was dumb and ignorant along the way. I still am, but I am learning. Now, I maintain a healthy lifestyle and still manage to get some of the good-bad stuff - chicken fingers from Jack in the Box, fried zucchini at the steakhouse, or a nice bottle of wine - without skipping a beat.

Hope that helps.

Bastard!

[quote]HouseOfAtlas wrote:
sasquatch wrote:
Why would you even consider a ‘diet’ that you could be on all year long.

A ‘diet’ is a way of eating. If you aren’t on a diet, you aren’t eating. Dr.Squat’s Zig Zag diet is lifelong. Actually, I don’t know if he made it up, but he “revised” it and made it simple to follow. Re-read my post and its pretty basic. No “special” supplements needed (you can choose your own protein drink, etc.) and it’s not a ‘fad’ diet where, when getting cut, you lose valuable vitmains and minerals. For an example, if you are on a “protein powder only” diet, how many vitmains and minerals is your body losing??
[/quote]

“Diet” in the sense he asked is not eating. Come on–that is a weak response.

And my answer clearly follows those lines. It was not a blast to your chosen nutritional regime. Have fun doing whatever you want. If it works for you great, but no reason to get your back up the wall about it.

[quote]sasquatch wrote:
“Diet” in the sense he asked is not eating. Come on–that is a weak response.

And my answer clearly follows those lines. It was not a blast to your chosen nutritional regime. Have fun doing whatever you want. If it works for you great, but no reason to get your back up the wall about it.[/quote]

If you actually read about the diet, you would probably see it isn’t like the rest of the other “diets” going around now.

Most “diets” you need to restrict something for a long period of time (weeks or months). This one, you don’t. I’m not saying this diet is the best, because I don’t even like to consider the Zig-Zag diet an actual “diet”. It’s just a regular way of eating healthy. Plain and simple :slight_smile: