Hey guys, haven’t posted in a long time but I’m back. I’m taking to the forums for some solid diet advice. First off, I have no clue how to even start putting together a solid diet plan. Currently, I’m 6’3", 287 lbs. I’ve been lifting very consistently now for about 8-9 months. I’m not a novice lifter, been lifting and working out for close to 10 years now but its time to get serious about a diet. I want to shed the fat and get to around 230-240 but looking good. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Do you keep track of what you eat everyday?
Do you know about how many calories you eat to maintain your current weight?
No one can give good advice here without knowing what you are currently doing, or what you have tried.
There are so many options in terms of diet. You will find people here who have been successful on a number of diet plans. There’s no one correct answer - “The One True Diet”. Anabolic, Zone, Paleo, Get Shredded, Atkins, Low fat, Low Carb, Intermittent Fasting, Carb Cycling, Targeted carbs on workout days and around workouts, eat a lot of cabbage soup, don’t eat after 7, re-feeds at various schedules, whatever…
Honestly, I think the two biggest factors for someone who wants to gain and maintain muscle are:
-Adequate Protein. At least 1 gram / lb BW.
- Total Calories.
Also don’t make a diet you can’t commit to. IMO, a new diet plan should have that kind of spark like a new romance – you should be kind of intrigued by the diet itself and looking forward to see where it goes in weeks and months. In other words, you need the motivation to start the diet but the diet itself should drive your motivation up as well. Just as Powerpuff said there is no one single diet that works. Why? Because everyone has different preferences and are motivated by different ideas.
If you have NEVER tracked calories before do it. You need to learn portion sizes and how many calories and grams of protein and carbs are in the things you eat. Once you do it for awhile and bump into the foods you eat most commonly you’ll be able to do it mentally. Even for restauraunt items! I can tell you how many calories are anything I would normally order from McDonalds (on the rare occasion I go)
- Define your macros
- Pick “a diet”. Meaning: meals in a day, nutrient timing, food selection etc
- Build an your own personal menu of things you can eat based on schedule, food availability, and budget.
- Start today rather than tomorrow.
- Track your stuff and stay on course
5.5 if you feel like complete shit on the diet maybe rethink it through. - Look at results objectively as you can 2-4 weeks later.