Coach Thib's Nutrition Log/Thoughts

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

@KMax

Try to bulk or just take lean and ripped which is way easier? Bulking now is so much harder!

One thing I always say is that bulking is a young man’s game.

There are a few things that come with aging (hormonal balance changes, systemic inflammation, anabolic resistance and lower insulin sensitivity, for example) that make “bulking” a lot less effective (meaning that it will not contribute as much to added muscle and will lead to more fat gain than in younger populations).

Not to mention that bulking, especially if using processed foods or a very large surplus, can lead to higher blood pressure, poor lipid profile, and worse insulin sensitivity. Things that will hit an older population a lot harder.

Finally, a caloric surplus (especially if its large) can speed up cellular aging via a constant mTOR activation due to insulin.

It is my belief (read my Eternal Warrior article) that as you get older you should focus more on leanness than “getting hyouge”. That doesn’t mean not focusing on lifting, quite the contrary. But focus on improving overall function (strength, power, endurance, resistance, mobility, etc.) not just building muscle.

It does require a mental shift which isn’t always fun to do and, to be honest, most can’t do it.

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

@trucker23

Hi Chris, I read that most of the time you don´t track or weigh your food, but when you track because you are on a strict diet or preparing for a shoot etc.

-do you always weigh your protein cooked or raw, regardless if you eat lean chicken breast or lean sirloin or fattier cuts like beef shanks, ribeye whatever (on carnivore for example)?

Honestly, I don’t think it matters much FOR ME as long as I do it the same way every time.

But to be totally honest even when dieting down I don’t always weigh my food. I’m a repetitive eater: I always eat the same things day-in and day-out when I diet down, so it is very easy for me to adjust my intake even without measuring it.

With most people I do recommend logging in your food when dieting down. Especially if you have variation in your diet.

I’m not gonna lie, it’s just a huge annoyance for me. It isn’t for everyone and honestly, if you can measure and log in your food intake when dieting down without it impacting your motivation, it will be very beneficial. But for ME the drawback surpasses the benefits. I will normally do it for the first 1-2 weeks. But after that I’m pretty accurate with estimating measurements. And really, since daily caloric expenditure varies WIDELY from day to day, even if you seemingly do the same things, I question the benefit of being accurate to the gram or calorie with your food intake. Being “in the proper ballpark” is likely enough.

Anyway, back to your question, in theory it would be better to weigh your food cooked as even two pieces of meat of the same raw weight can be different once cooked due to slightly different water content.

BUT:

1. If you are anal about hitting your exact macros and calories (which I am not… again… ballpark) then it can mean having to either throw away some of the cooked food or having to cook some more after the fact.

2. While there are some minor differences in water content between pieces of the same meat, that difference is very likely insignificant. For example, let’s say that you have two 200g pieces of tenderloin. When they are cooked one might be 175g and the other one 182g. Worrying about the 15kcals, 1.5g or fat and 1.3g of protein difference is a borderline mental disorder.

3. And even then, the caloric/nutrient content given on the label or chart is an estimation for that type of meat and cut. It’s an average. In reality, the pieces you buy from the grocery will be off in calories, fat and protein by several percent compared to the label. IMHO this makes it even more pointless to be precise to the gram since you don’t even know the exact nutrient content of that specific piece.

4. The food labels (either on the package or online charts) for meats are calculated (estimated, really) from RAW weight. While the actual protein, fat, and caloric content might vary slightly once cooked, it is insignificant.

For those reasons, when I weigh my food, I weigh it raw.

[trucker23]

thanks for your response. I never expected such a detailed and precised answer. I appreciate you! thank you!

I watched a few other videos on this topic and did research on google because there are two different claims

Claim one

always track your protein like chicken raw, because during the cooking process it evaporates water. Use the nutrition facts from raw weight

Claim 2

when possible base off of cooked weight with meat. Way too many variables with uncooked as water content varies so much, so you can never be certain of end weight. Weigh it after cooling and use nutrition facts from references for cooked weight

Ethan Chlebowski, a famous YouTuber inspired me to do a test.

I cooked two identical chicken breasts at the same time, with a temperature thermometer to an internal temperature 155, both 100g, from two different brands. Everything was exactly the same, temperature before cooking, NO SALT (which makes a hell of a difference in the end depending when and how much you salt) etc.

One chicken breast lost 12% water

The other breast lost 20% water

Like I said, both breast weighed 100g RAW before cooking

When I track these measurements into my calorie counting app, then obviously, they don’t match and when I log in breast one cooked weight and then breast two cooked weight, I will get two different numbers, different calories, protein, fat because one lost 12% and the other 20%

Basically everything you said makes perfect sense, as always! At the end of the day consistency matters I think. I was just interested what you personally do.

I appreciate taking you time

[KMax]

CT, just listened to the DeFranco podcast you did awhile back, “how to get fit after 40”. Really good stuff and more solid common sense that cuts through a lot of the junk out there. Thanks again for sharing as much as you do, everyone willing to listen and absorb the info is better off for it. Young bucks should listen to it as well, especially the nutrition info. Get it right early and it’s easier to maintain.

[trucker23]

Hi @Christian_Thibaudeau ,

regarding your recent Instagram reel:

I have a question please.

Why is it “better” to eat carbs and fats on it´s own and not fats and carbs together when calories in calories out is all that matters at the end of the day?

And no, I´m not talking about french fries or cake, I talk about oatmeal with almond or peanut butter or a “complete” meal like chicken, rice, veggies and olive oil or avocado etc.

From what I understand and heard is that its more optimal if you have some fats with carbs, for example a serving of white rice with a tablespoon of coconut oil, because fat slows down the process how fast glucose goes into the bloodstream and therefore there are less blood sugar swings and the insulin level is nice and steady!?

I would really appreciate if you can elaborate on this topic because I want to learn more.

Thank you very much

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

@trucker23

Why is it “better” to eat carbs and fats on it´s own and not fats and carbs together when calories in calories out is all that matters at the end of the day?

Ok, first calories in vs calories out being the ONLY thing that matters is completely false. I know it is a popular thing to say and makes it easy to sell diet services as you essentially tell them that they can eat whatever they want, but it is incorrect.

Other factors matter although it does all come down to caloric balance WHEN IT COMES TO WEIGHT GAIN OR LOSS… which is NOT the only important thing with diet… what about health? When it comes to health, food selection matters a lot. I actually wrote an article about that.

But even from a body composition standpoint other factors matter,

For example, a lower insulin level overall leads to a faster metabolic rate (or more specifically a higher insulin level leads to a slower metabolic rate). I recommend that you look up the work of Dr. Ben Bikman on the subject. He is a specialist in metabolic health, as in his job is doing research on metabolism.

It does NOT go against the calories in vs calories out theory, BUT if you slow down metabolic rate (by often having high insulin levels) your calories out decrease so it is harder to be in a deficit.

And that’s just one example.

As for your specific question, do a search about the Randle cycle.

Professor Bart Kay did a short video on it (and a more complex one too).

In 5 Minutes Or Less - The Randle Cycle

Dr Ryan Attar Discusses the Randle Cycle with Prof Kay.

Essentially when the cells are filled with sugar the cell becomes inefficient at utilizing fat for fuel and vice versa (when it’s filled with fats, it is inefficient at using carbs for fuel) and that can lead to some issues (like either fat accumulation/high blood lipids or high blood sugar).

Furthermore, having both high fats and sugar in the bloodstream is what can lead to cholesterol issues. There is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol (even LDL cholesterol). Cholesterol becomes BAD when it becomes damaged by sugar/glucose through a process called “glycation”.

The damaged cholesterol molecule is incapable of delivering the fat to its destination properly and can get “stuck” in the arteries, which can become plaque.

But fat/cholesterol without the presence of a high level of sugar at the same time is not an issue.

[trucker23]

@Christian_Thibaudeau

When it comes to health, food selection matters a lot. I actually wrote an article about that.

thank you so much Christian for the detailed response. Thats very interesting

What´s the title of the article? I want to read it.

I appreciate you. Thank you very much for sharin your knowledge

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

One Big Problem With Flexible Dieting

[LordofPillage]

@Christian_Thibaudeau

Furthermore, having both high fats and sugar in the bloodstream is what can lead to cholesterol issues. There is no such thing as “bad” cholesterol (even LDL cholesterol). Cholesterol becomes BAD when it becomes damaged by sugar/glucose through a process called “glycation”.

The damaged cholesterol molecule is incapable of delivering the fat to its destination properly and can get “stuck” in the arteries, which can become plaque.

How would you approach this from a health perspective for the 1A/3 that has found he functions much better mentally with carbs 2-4 times per day?

If you address that in the article you just posted, then thank you, I will read when I have the chance

[Christian_Thibaudeau]

@LordofPillage

How would you approach this from a health perspective for the 1A/3 that has found he functions much better mentally with carbs 2-4 times per day?

Just have a more carbs-dominant diet, ideally, a good amount coming from fruits and higher fiber starches.

[LordofPillage]

So what would you suggest as an upper limit on fat intake for higher carb meals/days?