After Fat Fast

I need some advice. I will be completing Fat Fast in 2 days. The first few days were rough but now I actually like not having to spend time “eating”. I have acheived (and surpassed) the goals that I set out for myself at the start of fat fast. Anyways, I am now going to focus on gaining mass and strength, mass being the main focus. I would like some suggestions on caloric intake, percentages of macronutrient ratios etc. I’m looking for some specifics if anyone has time. Here are my “stats” : 19 years old, 6 feet, 186lbs this morning, I would guess 12-15% body fat (i really have no idea on don’t care, I just wanna look good), I have experience in the gym but am less experienced with nutrition which is why I’m posting this. Thanks in advance for any help.

Moe,

I know this doesn’t answer your question, but could you give us more info on the diet. What did you eat, how many times per day, how long did you do it and before/after stats. Any idea how much muscle vs. fat was lost?

Thanks

Moe,

I know this doesn’t answer your question, but could you give us more info on the diet. What did you eat, how many times per day, how long did you do it and before/after stats. Any idea how much muscle vs. fat was lost?

Thanks

Here it is:
On fat fast I ate around 1300 calories per day. It came from 150-180 grams of protein and a couple of table spoons of Udos blend. Occasionaly I had some cheese or tuna, I aslo had some diet juices and some diet jello; I also supplemented with a multivitamin, vitamins e and c. I “ate” at least 5 times a day and have been on the diet for 9 days and will end at 11 days. I started at 200lbs and have gotten down to 186 (a couple of days ago). I’m sure about 5 lbs was water loss due to ketosis and I have not been able to track fat vs lean body mass loss but I suspect at least 6lbs fat loss by looking in the mirror. I wish I had but I didn’t take any measurements at the start as far as waist, arm size etc. But I have tightened my belt 2 notches which traslates into about 2 inches off my waist. My mirror shows me that my arms, legs, chest etc are near the same size (obviously a bit smaller from fat/water/lbm loss). I didn’t really train that hard during this time, only went to the gym twice but at my job I literaly walk briskly back and forth all day long - a decent cardio/fat loss “workout”. Hope this helps you out.

I’d make sure (very sure!) that you don’t fall
into the trap of rebounding after the diet,
after being quite deprived.

Keep calories to 15 cal/lb/day. Overall,
pretty much isocaloric (equal calories protein, carbs, fat.)

A way to keep things under control is
to still definitely have it classified
as another week of dieting: but dieting
at 15 cal/lb/day, with only specific things
allowed: e.g. MRP’s and some very specific
foods in specific quantities that you have
planned out beforehand, to keep your
calories per meal what they should be (
1.5 to 4 cal/lb/meal, averaging about 2.5,
assuming you eat 6 meals per day).

No potato chips, no Ding Dongs, no Ho-Ho’s,
no Ring Dings, no chocolate bars, no pizzas unless you can order just 2 slices and it’s
a nongreasy pizza, no ice cream, no peanuts,
NO DONUTS, no cakes, no pies, no binge food
period.

After a week back on 15 cal/lb/day but with
a controlled diet, your body will no longer
be convinced that it ought to binge, and you
can open up your food choices again.

Good luck! Sounds like great results so far,
you definitely want to keep them.

Bill, thanks for the advice… Does this mean that I should avoid the planned binge meal of all I can eat fish and chips that I have been looking forward to for the last week. I’ve only got one more day to go, and man do I want those fish and chips. Is there any way I could go about it in a “sensible” manner?

Eating “X” number of extra calories at the conclusion
of the Fat Fast is as bad as X calories
any other time. Maybe even worse because your metabolism is slowed down.

I am not sure but I think fish and chips
are very greasy food?

But if you can order a reasonable take
out portion that is NOT all-you-can-eat,
sure you could have fish and chips!

I’ve just seen it happen too often that
guys (or women) get great results on a diet
and then swiftly wind up erasing a lot of
hard-won benefits.

It’s easily defeated
by “extending” the diet by a week, except
that the extra week is really maintenance
calories so it’s not any kind of tough
dieting at all.

That is, it’s easily done if you are just
as serious about this maintenance-calorie-dieting week as you were about all your other weeks. Only planned
foods in reasonable amounts.

Having lost 2 inches off your waist, wouldn’t
it be a shame to gain an inch back for no
good reason? You paid in blood, sweat and
tears to lose those 2 inches… I’d make
sure not to blow it! :slight_smile:

Say I did eat the fish and chips. What would be the expected rebound? I’d probably eat a couple plate fulls; could I do it but hold back? I LOVE fish and chips!

Thanks for the help Bill. Just wondering about the rebound possibilities a bit. Say I put off the fish and chips for the next week, in the mean time sticking with what you described in your. Would this allow my body time to get rid of the binge instinct and reduce rebound. I know that too many calories is bad at any time, I just curious to learn more about how things work coming off a diet. Anyone who has suggestions they would be appreciated!

Moe, it really depends on what is the
driving force for wanting the food. For
everybody, after a diet, the body is saying
it wants food and lots of it, and it wants
it N-O-W!!! :slight_smile:

For this situation, taking a week at controlled
maintenance calories, 15 cal/lb/day, completely fixes that problem. You won’t be
going to wherever you’re going with your
stomach carrying a little sign, “Will Work
for Food.”

But, for many people an even bigger driving
force is psychological dependence on food
as a substitute for other things, trying to
find the love they did not find elsewhere
or something. It isn’t physical hunger. For
this, the week at maintenance calories does
no good. The individual who associates
eating an entire German Chocolate Cheesecake
and then washing it down with a few quarts
of ice cream milk shakes with emotional
satisfaction, and not having these things
as emotional deprivation, will still have
the cravings sad to say.