Gosh This Diet is Great. Stairs? No Thanks, I'll Take the Elevator.

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 12:14 PM

Before I began the workouts and the diet, I would ALWAYS take the stairs up the 3 floors to my office. Now, with the low carbs, I just don't have energy to do that lately. I'm ok for workouts, taking carbs before and just after my workouts which gives me enough energy to make it through them. But, stairs? It's just pure torture thinking about it. So, I've been taking the elevator. People are beginning to notice, too. "You never go up that way!," etc.

JUSA · 07-20-2006, 12:25 PM

Why is your ultimate goal 5% bodyfat?

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 12:33 PM

It's a stretch goal. I basically just want to see as little fat and as much vascularity as possible. 5% is 1 percentage point less than minimum for health, so that's where I set the bar. I don't expect to stay there long, but I want some sort of benchmark that will tell me when it's time to start bulking. If it takes too long to achieve, though, I'll settle for less. For now, though, that's where it stands.

nithos · 07-20-2006, 12:35 PM

It will take your body 2-3 weeks to adjust to the low carbs. Assuming you are getting enough calories and EFAs.

P01Shooter · 07-20-2006, 12:45 PM

How much fat are you eating? I'd look at how many calories you're currently eating and then if you need to add something I'd make it fat. The good kind of course.

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by P01Shooter

How much fat are you eating? I'd look at how many calories you're currently eating and then if you need to add something I'd make it fat. The good kind of course.

You may have a point here. I'm probably not getting enough fat. I haven't really been tracking that part of my diet too closely, focusing more on the protein and carbs, while avoiding fat as much as possible. I do allow myself about a tablespoon of natural PB before bedtime (taken with protein). I also have some trace fats in the chicken and lean beef I consume. There's a little in my whey protein, and I typically consume 1 whole egg with about 3 extra egg whites per day. So there's a little more. I may not be getting enough. Oh yeah, I also take 3 capsules of fish oil.

nithos · 07-20-2006, 12:53 PM

And we have found our problem. Roughly double your fat intake.

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 01:10 PM

Thanks Nithos (and Shooter), I'll give that a shot.

gecko2424 · 07-20-2006, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nithos

And we have found our problem. Roughly double your fat intake.

Double? Double of 8 is only 16g/fat a day.

That's not how low carb works. THAT is why you have no energy.

Go read the Keto thread stickies. You're not doing yourself any good by cutting carbs & fats.

nithos · 07-20-2006, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gecko2424

Double? Double of 8 is only 16g/fat a day.

ehhh, he looked more in the 30-40g ballpark to me, depending on how much lean beef he is eating.

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 02:26 PM

I do about 1 serving of 5 oz. of london broil round and about 1 serving of 4.25 oz of skinless chicken breast per day - both grilled.

nithos · 07-20-2006, 03:24 PM

What are your stats? Sounds like your total calories are low as well.

Post your full diet with total calories and macronutrient breakdown.

CelticDeath · 07-20-2006, 08:10 PM

Ok, here it is (p/c/f):

Workout Days (3x per week):

Meal 1 (pre-workout): 1 scoop whey Protein with 16 oz. Fat Free Skim Milk (36/27/3) 290 kCal

Meal 2 (post-workout): 1 Whole egg + 3 egg whites, scrambled (using Pam spray) 1/4 c. grits, cooked, with 1/2 tblspoon of margarine
2 slices Whole Wheat toast with Brummel & Brown spread
16 oz. Fat Free Skim Milk (40/77/22) 670 kCal

Meal 3: 4.25 oz. grilled, skinless Chicken Breast (37/0/4) 198 kCal

Meal 4: 1 GNC Advance Sports Meal with water (40/20/2) 260 kCal

Meal 5: 5 oz. grilled, lean beef (38/0/25) 387 kCal

Meal 6: 1 scoop whey protein with water and 1 tblspoon natural PB (24/8/11) 235 kCal

Non workout days (4x per week) the meals are basically the same, but I eliminate most of the carbs. For instance, I drink no milk, and eat no grits or toast.

skelooth · 07-20-2006, 08:36 PM

I think that's an awesome goal. Mine is very similiar, only I plan to step on stage and flex for a crowd of people after I reach it

Rogier77 · 07-21-2006, 04:15 AM

I hate low carb diets. I'm at 7% with 60% carbs in my diet, but anyway, I'm no hater against people that like it. Though this is ridiculous, at least get some carbs in the morning. You won't have eaten for the entire night, you need to replenish your blood sugar levels. Or at least get in fat as an energy source. Right now your body is just getting used to using all that protein as energy anyway. And as you said you can't even walk the stairs, so you're messing up your calorie usage. Your metabolism is probably on it's ass too. Just get in some better energy source and see if you're getting in enough calories. Turn yourself into a calorie burning machine, not a starving ethiopian :P j/k, but you get my drift.

nithos · 07-21-2006, 05:04 AM

You will probably have better energy levels if you eat more than 1500-1800 calories a day. 2300-2600 is probably a better range, depending on your activity levels.

CelticDeath · 07-21-2006, 07:27 AM

Skelooth, thanks and good luck! I haven't made up my mind if I want to go into the shows, but I don't want to do it right away. After I cut down to my goal bf%, I want to do a few bulking/cutting cycles to strengthen my weakpoints (which I believe are my biceps, shoulders, and possibly even my back).

Rogier77, you're an ectomorph, per your sig, so the extra carbs don't hurt you most probably. I'm an endo/mesomorph, so I really have to watch them. I've tried dieting before with keeping the carbs in the program, but I've always failed that way. I do, and will continue to do, have some carbs with breakfast. I try to eliminate them (with exception of my mid-afternoon snack, because they're in the meal replacement pack) from lunch onward, though.

nithos, thanks for the guidance! I'll try and revisit my diet this weekend. I just can't help noticing my progress, though, and I do have a fear that if I add more calories, I'll quit losing the weight. For example, you can see from my sig that I was 216 at the beginning of the week. I weighed in at 214 this morning.

daburtonmaster · 07-21-2006, 08:08 AM

i just saw that too, celtic 5% is like rediculously low, theres some pics on this forum somewhere of roughty each % from like 13 on down, and 5 is like if you are cutting water right before a bodybuilding comp.

ideally, i think a guy who wants a good/great/lean appearance should be from like 7-9

CelticDeath · 07-21-2006, 08:17 AM

daburtonmaster, you may be right. But, for someone like me who's never been close to any of those numbers, I needed something to shoot for. 7-9%, to me, isn't as mentally motivating as 5%. Now, true, 5% may be extremely difficult or even impossible for me to achieve. However, I want to drive myself harder by setting my goal higher with the knowledge that even coming close would be an accomplishment. Plus, my personality is such that I easily can become complacent. So, if I set my goal at, say 9%, and I finally actually got down to 11%, my character flaw may lead me to say "hey, that's good enough," when really it isn't. Now, if I make it down to 7%, and I start to struggle to reach 5%, then when my character flaw kicks in I will still have accomplished something great.

PickItUp · 07-21-2006, 08:40 AM

My 7th grade math teacher taught me to aim high.

Set your goals higher than your expectation levels, so when you fail...you actually reach your true goal...

Also, your breakfast should have more fat in it if you plan on skipping the carbs.

The best thing you can do is add a Tbsp of cold pressed flaxseed oil to your shake...

1 oz of peanuts is OK too, but flaxseed oil is some serioulsy healthy EFA stuff...

Also, does a 5oz piece of lean beef really have 25g of fat? Damn...I never realized that.

CelticDeath · 07-21-2006, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickitup

Also, does a 5oz piece of lean beef really have 25g of fat? Damn...I never realized that.

Yep, per my wife's nutrition book.

PickItUp · 07-21-2006, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CelticDeath

Yep, per my wife's nutrition book.

So a piece of fatty steak would have 50 grams of fat?

UGH!!!!

nithos · 07-21-2006, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CelticDeath

Yep, per my wife's nutrition book.

What cut are you using?

Top Sirloin had 8g of fat for a 5oz serving, if you trim it up.

CelticDeath · 07-21-2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nithos

What cut are you using?

Top Sirloin had 8g of fat for a 5oz serving, if you trim it up.

Its round steak that's supposed to be used for London broil. No visible fat on it.

nithos · 07-21-2006, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CelticDeath

Its round steak that's supposed to be used for London broil. No visible fat on it.

That's top round. With no visible fat, I would put you at 8-10g of fat for a 5oz serving. I think the reference you were using includes the visible fat.

http://www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com...n/leancuts.asp