The last time I really tracked it I was under 1500 calories every day except one day I had Zaxby’s (fried chicken place) twice in one day and that got me to 2200. Not eating breakfast makes a big difference, I inadvertently have always done the “intermittent fasting” thing as I only really eat lunch and dinner and don’t really eat from like 8pm to noon the next day, just out of habit. Growing up I wanted the extra sleep in the mornings more than I wanted breakfast, so I just got used to never having breakfast
I can’t even begin to comprehend that, lol. Imagine “striving” to hit 2000 calories…that’s nuts! Your appetite/desire to eat is 1 in a million for sure.
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If I have 4 meals of: 6oz beef, 1 cup rice, 2 cups veggie that is near 600 cals each so 2400 cals. That doesn’t seem that crazy. Given my breakfast is usually closer to 1000 cals (after peri workout drink) 2 more meals at 600 and then some snacks etc get me there. At this caloric deficit I have been losing 2 lbs a week for a couple weeks. With a very loose day on the weekends closer to 3,000. I also calculate my deficit without including exercise so I am really coming in low.
What do you sip periworkout? You lift fasted, then fuel up afterward? I’ve been playing around with that, too.
Right now its just a carb drink from Redcon1. Yes I lift fasted with just some coffee and water in me (plus L-tyrosine). I was having a preworkout meal for a while but it was a nuisance with all my other prep. I ate that for probably 3-4 months and noticed no difference except for burping through my whole workout. I dropped it and continued to get stronger so not sure. Like Ive said previously, since Ive dropped alcohol I have to revisit all my old “failed” protocols because everything is different now.
I stopped training fasted, not because I was having issues getting through my workouts, but because I would crash pretty hard(no energy, sleepy) even if I started eating within 20-30 minutes of finishing my workout. Mornings at work really sucked! However, once I stopped training fasted, this completely went away.
Maintenance for me is around 3,000. Just came off a cut and reverse dieting my way back into a lean bulk!
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Interesting. I haven’t noticed any issues with training fasted, and much like @NH_Watts I found timing up a meal beforehand could be a real logistical challenge. I really only do it sometimes because all the top bodybuilders say you have to, but I’m not sure how much difference it really makes. I’m sure it makes some difference, but how much…5%? Is that worth it?
Damn, maintenance around 3K would be incredible. What’s your height/weight/BF?
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I don’t really advocate a full meal pre workout, but I do have a scoop of C4 w/ creatine, along with about 20 grams of dextrose powder. The high GI carb loads up the blood glucose levels and I find it helps a ton with recovery between sets, and primes the creatine for super quick absorption. I can push WAY harder when I have the dextrose on every set. The C4 is really just for getting the heart rate up and to get things moving quicker, cardiovascularly speaking.
After my workout is when I have meal, which is typically a protein shake with almond milk, pb fit powder, spinach, and blueberries.
It’s funny you say that because that’s the reason I previously didn’t have a pre-workout meal! For me now it’s just a bowl of oatmeal and a piece of fruit, so pretty quick.
I’m 5’ 10”, 174, and in the low-mid teens in terms of body fat- pic in my TRT log thread as well.
Haha, yeah it’s weird. But is what it is I guess. I keep forgetting to eat because I don’t have a “lunch” time at work right now since I’m at home.
I’m going to try to track it for a few days just to see. Though today was a bad day to start. I’ve had no fast food in weeks and went all out at Wendy’s earlier. Baconator, bacon fries and a milkshake. So that’s like 1400+ there probably haha. Not my norm though.
This is a thing?!
That plus a candy bar or two is literally as much as I eat in 2 days, so it does sound pretty crazy to me to be honest, but I’m obviously not the norm and I’m sure I will need to eat more if I ever get back into the gym thing and want to get anywhere.
Me pre TRT. I’m a lot hairier now, haha
That’s usually what I have in the AM too - so good - but I found oats take a couple hours to digest. Honestly I don’t think it’s worth the logistical challenge at this point, given that I don’t want to ever be a competitive bodybuilder. Doesn’t feel like I’m leaving too many gains on the table.
I also like having more calories for later in the day. I don’t do IF, but I am hungriest in the afternoon and evening. The post-dinner snack (protein ice cream) is a must-have 
However, @bmbrady77’s dextrose drink seems like a good option for morning workouts. I haven’t been using preworkout - just coffee - but will probably reintroduce it soon. Just gives you that extra gear!
Yeah, I’d put you at 15%. At that BF, I’m probably 180 and maintain at 2400 (goes up as you get heavier, obviously). So we’re pretty similar!
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Nice man! I’d like to get up to 180-185 at around 10% BF, though ultimately more about the aesthetic I’m able to achieve than being super concerned about scale weight.
RU just talking Halo Top?
Halo Top is good, but I’d say Nick’s is better. Both give me digestive issues, though, and are expensive.
What I’m talking about is waaaay better and something I’ve seen a lot of bodybuilders make:
300g almond milk
40g protein powder
8g fat-free sugar-free Jello
10g cocoa powder
12g coconut flower
3g xantham gum
2 shaker bottles of ice
275 cals, 36P 22C 7F. I stir in PB fit and whatever other toppings desired (my go-tos are strawberries or chocolate chips). I’ve gotten a little too heavy-handed with the choco chips lately though, lol, so gotta be careful.
Got a vid? You make this each time you want it? How long does it take to make? Cuz Halo top I just open the container
It’s probably like a 10-minute deal. Check out the 6:30 mark here – WHAT I EAT IN A DAY to lose weight | How to lose weight + Healthy recipes - YouTube
Macros are better and it’s a lot cheaper!
Does the homemade one give you digestive issues? Ive gone without protein powder the past 3 weeks because I realized it was the cause of major gas. It might just be the whey protein but cut out the animal based one as well for the time being.