Ok, I need some clarification. I just started a 12 wk fitness challenge this am. I am 6’3" , 262.5 and my body fat is 24.2%. I want to ensure that I lose fat and retain/build muscle while doing this challenge. I figure my ideal wt would be 225lbs, meaning I want to lose 37.5lbs in 12 weeks.
I will eat 5 to 6 “mini meals” each day, so I want to make sure they are the right grams of protein and carbs, etc. Also, any thoughts on how much fiber in grams I should take in each day. I am going to use metamusil for fiber as well as eating the vegies and fruits.
Any solid guidance out there? Should my intake be based on my current weight or my “ideal” weight? Thanks for any help that is offereed.
If you plan on losing over three pounds a week I would not count on retaining or building muscle.
I’d recommend looking for info on Layne Norton on google if you’re looking for a specific macro break down for weight-loss, he’s got a lot of great material.
There’s no optimal ratio, everyone is different. Try to get 250-400g of protein per day then play around with your fat and carb intake. I’m guessing that you need to lose fat as fast as possible. Check out the V-Diet forum or the Rapid Fat Loss thread.
[quote]Taufiq wrote:
There’s no optimal ratio, everyone is different. Try to get 250-400g of protein per day then play around with your fat and carb intake. I’m guessing that you need to lose fat as fast as possible. Check out the V-Diet forum or the Rapid Fat Loss thread.
Aim for 20-30g of fibre.[/quote]
While I normally would agree with the protein intake, in this case it might not be optimal for him. Since he has joined a “fitness challenge” the obvious definition of “fitness” is to lose as much scale weight as possible. To the original poster: to do this you can fuck up your metabolism for awhile.
Eating the lower amount of protein is advisable as you will probably keep what little lbm you have. Eating the higher end could actually build muscle (which weighs more than fat in the same sq area) and thus you will look and feel better, but you won’t lose the dreaded scale weight.
Point is, if you care about the scale so much and need to lose 3 lbs/week, you have to suffer greatly. If you don’t care about the scale weight and want to look fit and be fit, then don’t pay attention to the scale (much) and eat the higher end of protein mixed with good fats. Use carbs after lifting only as the insulin secreted from carb consumption blunts lipolysis (fat burning).
[quote]Icarus wrote:
Taufiq wrote:
There’s no optimal ratio, everyone is different. Try to get 250-400g of protein per day then play around with your fat and carb intake. I’m guessing that you need to lose fat as fast as possible. Check out the V-Diet forum or the Rapid Fat Loss thread.
Aim for 20-30g of fibre.
While I normally would agree with the protein intake, in this case it might not be optimal for him. Since he has joined a “fitness challenge” the obvious definition of “fitness” is to lose as much scale weight as possible. To the original poster: to do this you can fuck up your metabolism for awhile.
Eating the lower amount of protein is advisable as you will probably keep what little lbm you have. Eating the higher end could actually build muscle (which weighs more than fat in the same sq area) and thus you will look and feel better, but you won’t lose the dreaded scale weight.
Point is, if you care about the scale so much and need to lose 3 lbs/week, you have to suffer greatly. If you don’t care about the scale weight and want to look fit and be fit, then don’t pay attention to the scale (much) and eat the higher end of protein mixed with good fats. Use carbs after lifting only as the insulin secreted from carb consumption blunts lipolysis (fat burning).
[/quote]
Hmm, I didn’t realise that the fitness challenge’s winner is based on how much weight the contestants lose, I thought it was based on how their looks change. In that case maybe the OP can have a protein intake of 1-1.5 x lean body mass. Make sure to get your micronutrients in, supplement if you must, because it’s easy to get malnourished in such low calorie diets.
Post here again within 1-2 weeks of the final day of the competition to get more info on how to lose some more (water and glycogen) weight.
[quote]Taufiq wrote:
In that case maybe the OP can have a protein intake of 1-1.5 x lean body mass. Make sure to get your micronutrients in, supplement if you must, because it’s easy to get malnourished in such low calorie diets.
[/quote]
Agreed. With the stated scale weight and bf % that would put him at 195-245g protein per day. Which is right on the money with your original thoughts.
Thanks for the feedback guys. Very helpful. Based on what I have read, it seems to me the best approach is to focus on body fat% and not sabotaging my body by losing muscle. So, instead of focusing on scale weight as much, I’ll closely monitor my body fat % each week. That way I can make sure I am not losing muscle, but rather fat. I just want to look as ripped as possible ( I know this is a function of body fat percentage and not necessarily weight on the scale. Again, thanks for the feedback, it is apprecicated.
