I have had a long time quest for the perfect diet. It had to be
nutritious, filling and tasty. Along the way I have sampled a few diets
that didn't fill any of those requirements. Some of them helped me to
lose weight, others helped to build muscles. What is the ideal diet for
you? I can't really say, but I will comment on what I have found. All
first hand, no borrowed stories here.
Early on I was into a no sugar, caffeine or alcohol support group (for lack of a better term.) I still think that is a great idea and some of that has carried through. I still avoid sugar as much as possible and I try to limit the other two - sticking with only a couple cups of coffee (I rarely have soft drinks) and trying to keep alcohol to an occasional level. (Mostly just red wines)
The other part of that groups plan was that they were low carb and into the Atkins diet. I was overweight - at my all time high of 220 or so. After s few months of almost no carbs I dropped 30 pounds. I never felt ill and always had energy, but also felt like the diet was lacking. I really missed carbs. A downside is that diet gives you bad breath. I also didn't like doing testing to see if I was in ketosis or not.
After quitting that diet, I got into the Body for Life routine. That really seemed to work for me, and I still follow that to some degree to this day. That basically said to eat 5 to 6 meals per day (smaller meals) every 3 hours or so. The Body for Life Book also detailed a lifting regiment splitting the body into three groups and incorporating cardio three times a week. So I would do three days of weight training and three days of cardio with one day off. I've modified that into four days of weight training with three days of cardio.
I did take some time off of the BFL routine and worked with the plan from Fit over Forty. The ideas there were similar to the BFL, but more details on lifting and a more restricted diet. I thought the level of information and the details revealed in the book were fantastic. It's one of the very few products I endorse.
I haven't ever found myself gaining back too much weight, although my weight has fluctuated a bit. Even after the Atkins phase, I didn't gain much back. I had a lot of people tell me the weight would come right back, but that wasn't the case. Maybe they had turned into couch potatoes after they quit. I continued to work out.
One body for life challenge (a twelve week period) I lost 13 pounds of body fat and gained 9 pounds of muscle, so that answered the question, can you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time or should that be done in two separate phases. I will say two phases might be easier, and most serious (professional as well) bodybuilders usually have a huge caloric intake during bulking phases and then go into a cutting phase. Either way can work, I just don't want to bulk up if it means adding fat.
The most weight I ever lost wasn't through diet so much as doing ridiculous amounts of running.
While I was training for my marathon I got down to about 175 pounds. I was putting in about forty to fifty miles per week on the road, and not doing much weight training at all. I lost a bit of muscle, but I was really lean. Time constraints make maintaining that nearly impossible, and I am done with that running phase, for now. I am back up to my 'normal' weight of around 190 now, but am looking to take that down to 180-185. I actually would like to drop a little bit of muscle, so my heart doesn't have to work as hard.
The older I get the more I think about overall health, and I also check out some of the old time body builders and how their weight doesn't really compliment them anymore. I'd rather have a more sculpted lean look than bulk, but that is just my choice. My latest source for great workout information is Lose Fat not Faith, written by my friend Jeremy Likness. He is one of those detail oriented research type people, who has total integrity and I have found that book to be chock-full of value.
I really totally believe that health is more dictated by diet and nutrition, certainly a large percentage is. I will continue to lift and run and eat healthy while taking quality supplements.
Early on I was into a no sugar, caffeine or alcohol support group (for lack of a better term.) I still think that is a great idea and some of that has carried through. I still avoid sugar as much as possible and I try to limit the other two - sticking with only a couple cups of coffee (I rarely have soft drinks) and trying to keep alcohol to an occasional level. (Mostly just red wines)
The other part of that groups plan was that they were low carb and into the Atkins diet. I was overweight - at my all time high of 220 or so. After s few months of almost no carbs I dropped 30 pounds. I never felt ill and always had energy, but also felt like the diet was lacking. I really missed carbs. A downside is that diet gives you bad breath. I also didn't like doing testing to see if I was in ketosis or not.
After quitting that diet, I got into the Body for Life routine. That really seemed to work for me, and I still follow that to some degree to this day. That basically said to eat 5 to 6 meals per day (smaller meals) every 3 hours or so. The Body for Life Book also detailed a lifting regiment splitting the body into three groups and incorporating cardio three times a week. So I would do three days of weight training and three days of cardio with one day off. I've modified that into four days of weight training with three days of cardio.
I did take some time off of the BFL routine and worked with the plan from Fit over Forty. The ideas there were similar to the BFL, but more details on lifting and a more restricted diet. I thought the level of information and the details revealed in the book were fantastic. It's one of the very few products I endorse.
I haven't ever found myself gaining back too much weight, although my weight has fluctuated a bit. Even after the Atkins phase, I didn't gain much back. I had a lot of people tell me the weight would come right back, but that wasn't the case. Maybe they had turned into couch potatoes after they quit. I continued to work out.
One body for life challenge (a twelve week period) I lost 13 pounds of body fat and gained 9 pounds of muscle, so that answered the question, can you lose fat and gain muscle at the same time or should that be done in two separate phases. I will say two phases might be easier, and most serious (professional as well) bodybuilders usually have a huge caloric intake during bulking phases and then go into a cutting phase. Either way can work, I just don't want to bulk up if it means adding fat.
The most weight I ever lost wasn't through diet so much as doing ridiculous amounts of running.
While I was training for my marathon I got down to about 175 pounds. I was putting in about forty to fifty miles per week on the road, and not doing much weight training at all. I lost a bit of muscle, but I was really lean. Time constraints make maintaining that nearly impossible, and I am done with that running phase, for now. I am back up to my 'normal' weight of around 190 now, but am looking to take that down to 180-185. I actually would like to drop a little bit of muscle, so my heart doesn't have to work as hard.
The older I get the more I think about overall health, and I also check out some of the old time body builders and how their weight doesn't really compliment them anymore. I'd rather have a more sculpted lean look than bulk, but that is just my choice. My latest source for great workout information is Lose Fat not Faith, written by my friend Jeremy Likness. He is one of those detail oriented research type people, who has total integrity and I have found that book to be chock-full of value.
I really totally believe that health is more dictated by diet and nutrition, certainly a large percentage is. I will continue to lift and run and eat healthy while taking quality supplements.
Robert Britt is married and a father of four. He is a published
author and has a degree in Psychology from Albright College. Robert is a
recognized expert in the field of personal finance, self-esteem and
confidence building. He is the President of Prosperity Ventures, LLC, a
company dedicated to the success of others. Robert spent 13 years in the
military and 14 years in manufacturing prior to self-employment. Please
contact Rob at rob@prosperityventuresllc.com and check out the blog at [http://www.TheAllHealthNetwork.com]
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