T Nation

Tired of Beating My Head Against the Wall, Need Advice

Supplements and Nutrition
#1

So I need some advice or direction as to where to look for some info.

Some info about me,

31 years old

6’ tall

Current weight is 256-260 lbs at about 30% body fat. Calculated with one of those hand held things at my yearly biometric screening.

Daily calories are between 2350 and 2500 per day with average macros of:

Protein: 180 grams

Carbs: 65 grams

Fats: 170 grams

These are all averages calculated with “MyFitnessPal” app.

Protein levels are doctors orders. I have had blood sugar issues for a long time and finally have them under control.

Currently doing 5/3/1 with accessory work 4 days a week as well as work a physical job.

Currently on TRT and will get my current testosterone numbers next week.

I’ve always been over weight even as a child growing up I was fat and this has continued into adulthood. At one point I was 310 lbs. I have tried low fat diets, really high protein, straight even macros, high carb and just about anything else I can find. I’ve always wanted to lean out and frankly be able to look down and see my dick while standing. At this point though I don’t care if I lean out or if I stay “fat” and just get strong AF. The issue is that I can’t seem to do either one. My TRT Doctor has suggested that I go Keto due to my high-ish a1c and some other numbers. I guess I’m just wondering if anybody has any advice or if there’s anyone who has had good luck with Keto. Or if anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation. I’m frankly just tired of beating my head against a wall like I’ve done for the past year and a half. Thanks in advanced.

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#2

What foods do you eat to make up those calories?

#3

Meal 1- 3:30 am: 1 scoop ON Gold Standard and 1 tablespoon MCT oil, coffee. Animal pak, fish oil, liver support, DHEA and vitamin D (last 3 as per doctor)

Meal 2 - 6:30 am: 1 scoop ON Gold Standard and 1 tablespoon MCT oil.

Meal 3 - 9:00 am: 2oz raw almonds, 2oz cheese. 2oz of summer sausage. I know this one is weird but I need solid food that’s dense and can be eaten easily and quickly due to time constraints

Meal 4 - 11:30 am: 4oz boneless, skinless chicken breast. 6oz of avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce

Meal 5 - 3:00 pm: preworkout shake, 1 scoop ON Gold Standard, 1 tablespoon MCT oil, 1 scoop C4

Intra-workout - 1 scoop of Gatorade powder, 1 scoop Celltech hyperbuild mixed in a gallon of water and consumed during workout as well as the rest of evening.

Meal 5 - 5:30: “Epic” brand protein bar

Meal 6 - 7:30-8:00 pm 4-6 oz of meat. Usually either carrots, green salad or sometimes sweet potatoes. This meal is where I add my variety in my diet.

#4

Just stand over a mirror.

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#5

Hahahahaha

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#6

How long have you been eating this way and what has your weight done over that period?

How often are you nailing exactly what you posted for meals? Not saying this to be a jerk, but it’s easy for a missed meal, then a snack here and a drink there to catch up

#7

You need to be staying on ketosis for keto to work properly. My guess is that with the Gatorade powder and sweet potatoes is that your jumping out of ketosis. Then you’d be eating a bunch of fats, not processing them efficiently, and probably feeling drained and like crap.

Go to the diabetes section in any grocery store pharmacy and get keto pee strips. Test daily or every other day to see if your in ketosis. Daily macros should be around 75% fat, 20% protein, and 5% or less carbs. Absolutely no sugar.

I’d say loose the Gatorade powder and sweet potatoes, give it three or four days and then test. When you first get into ketosis you will drop 5-10 lbs rather quickly simply our to the fact that you cells will carry much less water when not full of glycogen.

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#8

So this exact way has been about 6-8 weeks. I totally get the snacking thing. So these meals are Monday through Friday and I nail them about 80-85% of time. I prep all my meals on the weekends because, as you can tell by the times on everything, I’m super busy plus have a young family too. The weekends are different meals but still sticking within the same guidelines as far as the types of food. The weekends are usually less quantity of food because I’m not at work busting my ass. One of the guys I work with is a mma fighter as well as has his personal training certification. He’s in the same shop and the same shift so all of our breaks are the same time. He sees everything I eat and is baffled by my lack of progress. I eat cleaner than every guy in the shop and yet I’m one of the fattest. The other two fat guys are a 50’s ish dude and a guy that’s the same age as me and eats nothing but ice cream and roach coach burritos lol it’s a little frustrating to say the least lol

#9

Ok I’ll have to try that. Thanks for the advice. Any advice on what to replace the Gatorade with? Here’s why. I work outside in Arizona year around and in the summer I’m usually dehydrated by the time I get off work. And that’s with filling up a 2 gallon water jug at the beginning of shift and drinking it all by the time I punch out. I’ve found that I have to get some sort of electrolytes in my system in the afternoon or else I start the next day still behind. Let’s just say that heat sickness is not fun and heat strokes are deadly.

#10

Pedialyte is better for rehydration if that’s your goal. But generally water and food should be sufficient. Gatorade is mostly just marketing.

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#11

I’d agree with @aaron.griffin.

#12

I understand what you are saying, and normally I would agree with you. But, when it’s 115 to 120 degrees (and that’s the thermometer in the bay, not the weather report) you’re in a leather jacket, leather apron and swinging a 20lb hammer on a pin that just had a 5000 degree propylene torch on it. You physically cannot drink enough water. When guys try to they actually get sick from the water. I’m not sure of the physiology behind it, maybe some sort of electrolyte imbalance, but I know from first hand experience that it happens.

#13

Pedialyte is recommended by the World Health Organization for oral rehydration. It has negligable calories. Gatorade is mostly sugar water.

If you want to stay in ketosis, here’s a small thing you can change with a big impact.

#14

I’ll have to try it. Thanks for the advice. I honestly appreciate it.

#15

I am going to ask what seems like an obvious question, but if your goal is to lose weight, why are you waking up at 0330 to eat?

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#16

It’s called my shift starting at 04:30. I don’t work in an office 9 to 5

#17

This is why I ask your forgiveness in the obviousness of my question, because I too do not work an office job in a 9-5, but as I result, I train BEFORE work. You layout led me to believe your 0630 meal was your breakfast.

In a similar regard, what is the purpose of the final meal? I imagine that it is close to the time you will sleep, and since you AREN’T training first thing in the morning, I can’t imagine there is much benefit to having that nutrition. Eliminating that meal may help.

#18

Meal 5 should be his last meal ! and this guy take to much powder … is all your paid are going for you supplement ? just eat solid food if you want to loose weight. Your gatorade and celltech intra workout you should cut this shit. Eat protein and fat on your meal 1-2

#19

Swap the gatorade for some kind of bcaa /essential amino product with electrolytes

For assistance work do everything as supersets/giant sets and/or 30 second rest periods.
These are good…

Krypteia template something to look into also if really want to push it and think can recover enough for work

#20

But if you eat your last meal at 8 pm, your not in bed before 9 or 10 ? you Wake up at 3;30 am ? this is maybe if your Lucky with you sleep night 5.5 hours of sleep everyday ?

how do you think you will loose fat sleeping 5.5 hours a day ?