Hi guys, I thought this would be the correct forum to post my question. I’m into powerlifting, but decided that I want to ’ flush’ away some fat, but maintain my current weight. In other words : melt the fat, but add muscle. What should my nutrition look like.
Currently I am trying to cut carbs and do some cardio on top of my powerlifting training. When cutting carbs, I get hungry faster so I just increase my meal frequency, but only lean meat, tuna , that sort of stuff, but no rice or pasta, maybe some bread. is this a good plan to transform my fat into muscle staying AT THE SAME BODYWEIGHT? I don’t need to look like a bodybuilder, just take of some ‘tyre’ off my waist and increase a bit general definition.
Hanban, so you’re saying I should actually eat LESS? But that would most likely damage my training results. Though, on the other hand, you can’t achieve both at the same time can you…? So the only way to get more definition and loose some belly is to actually LOSE some weight, as in, maintaining the same bodyweight and try to get ‘sharper’ will not work…?
Yeah, I’m natural. I’m 194 cm 121kg. I’m currently eating anywhere from 6 to 8 times a day. A meal will consist of chicken thigh ( my local supermarket does not have ready cooked breasts ), some bread and milk. Next meal might be around 200 g of canned fish or canned meat. This is how I eat all day long.
In order to lose fat you are going to need to:
A. Eat less calories.
B. Do more cardiovascular work.
C. A combination of both.
You cannot turn fat into muscle.
Do you have a picture of yourself?
If you are quite fat, which I am assuming you are based on your posts, then you should concentrate on leaning up and then slowly build your way back up to your current weight by adding muscle and keeping far gain at bay.
Yolo84,
I expressed myself in a wrong way. What I mean is, lose fat, but gain muscle and as a result stay at approximately the same weight. When I say approximately, I mean maybe 5 kg here or there,no more. When it comes to powerlifting, the numbers are humble,I’m an amateur who trains purely for himself with no intention to go into a meet anytime soon, but I always trained according to powerlifting template,cause I like it.
The reason why I asked whether the only way to lose weight is to eat less is because sometimes I hear athletes say that to get yourself in shape might not necessary mean cutting your food intake, but rather change WHAT you eat. Thats what I trying to do now, I’ve cut on carbs and all sorts of fatty and replaced them with leaner, healthier option, but DID NOT DECREASE the amount or frequency that I eat.
[quote]devoted wrote:
The reason why I asked whether the only way to lose weight is to eat less is because sometimes I hear athletes say that to get yourself in shape might not necessary mean cutting your food intake, but rather change WHAT you eat.[/quote]
Don’t know where you heard this, but it is wrong. In order to lose weight you must be in a calorie deficit either through food or exercise or both. Maybe you mean they stopped eating pizza and drinking coke and ate chicken and rice instead or something. Either way, they are consuming less calories/food by doing this if the result is they are losing weight.
What is your height and weight and condition (how fat are you?)
Going from eating pizza and burgers to chicken breast and vegetables usually results in eating less calories. The fact that they aren’t focusing on the calories doesn’t mean they’re eating the same amount.
As a natural lifter, adding 5lbs of muscle is a pretty big deal, but losing 5lbs of fat is next to nothing unless you’re very lean already. If you want to lose any significant amount of fat, some weight is going to come along with it.
Read everything you can find by Shelby Starnes. He has a lot of experience with bodybuilders and powerlifters - people who want to retain size and strength while getting lean, or better yet shredded as FUCK.
Really though, boiling it down to the basics - eat food from good sources, keep your protein intake high, move more, and don’t completely eliminate carbs unless you need to.
Going from eating pizza and burgers to chicken breast and vegetables usually results in eating less calories. The fact that they aren’t focusing on the calories doesn’t mean they’re eating the same amount.
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This. Think about most “healthy” foods. Usually not very calorie dense (except peanuts/peanut butter). Think about “unhealthy” foods. Generally much more calorie dense, so same volume of food going in, much more calories being consumed though.
Try eating 3000 calories of vegetables and chicken breasts. Pretty hard. Then try to eat 3000 calories of McDonalds/snickers/chips/pizza/whatever. Pretty easy.
I can feel pretty full after downing 16 oz of vegetables and a chicken breast, but I only ate like 400-600 calories. It’ll take a lot more then 600 calories of junk food to get me full. Like 1000+ from McDonalds.
Your goals are your own but based on your posts, you are likely carrying a large amount of fat while weighing 121kg as a natural. What are your lifts? If you are a relative beginner, if you eat a cleaner diet and do cardio 3-4 times a week you can easily still keep gaining strength and lose alot of fat over the course of 1-6 months.
), some bread and milk. Next meal might be around 200 g of canned fish or canned meat. This is how I eat all day long.