Hazards of the Job: Eating Candy

I’m a snack food (okay candy) buyer… one of my job duties is knowing what the shit tastes like.

Several times weekly, I end up in tastings. I’m able to control the amount with serving size (usually keep it under 250 cals)… and even gone to great lengths (sometimes chewing/spitting it out) when in company that will accommodate…

As would be expected of my position (and behavior)… I’m a fat bastard (low to mid 20’s body fat), also not surprising, I’ve also got shitty cholesterol (high total, low HDL)… anyway working hard otherwise to rectify… just wondering if the collective wisdom here can give any pointers to combat this particular job hazard?

Would glucose disposal aids (otc like True Nutrition’s or even Rx like Metformin) be worth considering? No doubt fat = insulin insensitivity issues, right?

Or are diet tweeks (i.e. cutting back calories from my healthy food sources to stay at target), sufficient?

Thanks guys!

Dude, I eat multiple candy bars, bags of chips, and soda daily. If you get the rest of your life squared away, 200 or so calories in candy should be nothing to you, even if it’s as often as daily.

How do you train? Do you train with weights? Do any cardio? You really haven’t told us anything about the rest of your life. All I know is that you eat candy regularly, and that in and of itself, doesn’t mean you have to be fat.

3x weekly (starting strength). 30 min LISS cardio 2x weekly. I’m @ 210 mid to low twenties bf.

Currently eating between maintenance (training days) and 5% deficit (non training days), clean (aside from the candy)… with a near even distribution on macros most days.

I’ve been cutting for a long time (since 260/40%)… diet has ranged quite a bit (from low low 1400, to completely off the rails eat whatever, and everywhere in between) I’m as high as I’ve been on calories (consistently) since starting this process and my weight is holding.

If you’re eating the highest calories you have throughout this process, you’ve lost 50 lbs, and your bodyweight is now holding steady, it seems like you’ve got a pretty good grasp of how you respond to dieting. I’m honestly not sure what you’re asking for. It seems like you’ve kinda got it figured out.

You didn’t mention your height to go with your weight, so I’m just going to assume you’re about average, like 5’10ish. Correct me if I’m way off. I’m also 5’10, and I weigh right at 200, been as high as 210. 200 or so at an average height is not enormous if you get your body composition better. So based on that, you’ve got a couple options here.

  1. Start reducing calories again, and continue to cut fat. You’ve proven you know how to do this pretty well, so whatever method works for you, use that.

  2. Keep your calories the same, and train with intensity and consistency. You should be able to build muscle and shed fat at the same time doing this, although the process will be slow. I don’t really have much of a preference between these 2 options. I would say 2 is more easy to manage, since you don’t have to change your diet, you get to keep calories high, and the only variable to play with is training. But if you find yourself responding poorly to this, then it may be a good idea to cut fat until you’re at the bodyfat level you want, and then start to add quality weight.

In any event, congrats on the weight loss thus far. I’m sure it feels fantastic to drop from 40 percent bodyfat down into the 20’s.

Thanks man! It does feel good. It’s been incredibly slow, because I’m stubborn/greedy when it comes to lean mass (read: if I see more than a pound down, calories go up).

Probably just this

Otherwise yeah, I do feel like I’m headed in the right direction… just want to make sure I don’t make the process any slower (than it already is) “doing my duties” for work.

I got ya. I believe that it’s POSSIBLE that the types of supplements you’re suggesting could help. But it’s going to be such a marginal thing. It’s not going to be a game changer, in my opinion. Diet is how it’s done, particularly at the bodyfat you’re currently sitting at. I think it becomes more important to fine tune things and introduce special supplements when you get to around 10 percent and want to truly get shredded. Anything above that point can be handled with diet, though, and quickly and efficiently at that.

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