Redesigning My Diet to Lean Out

Nutrition
1

Hey everyone.

I’ve been thinking of redesigning my diet to lean out as a main goal.

I have an extremely high metabolism and would be classified as an “ectomorph” I guess, I can pretty much eat whatever and not get fat. I’ve always been a skinny kid so when I started training I’ve always been lean, maybe around 15%bf, but I’ve had the same small amount of belly fat under by belly button that I’d like to shed (My abs show, but it’s like that abs under the small layer of fat thing).

Current stats are 5’10", 195lb.

For the past 4 years I’ve been eating the same thing every day. I went from 165-185 after I started powerlifting and so I ate as a power lifter and have been fluctuating between 185-195 last year.

I’ve been on a bodybuilding program for the past 4 months so currently I sit at 195 maybe a bit less. When I started the program I cut wheat from my diet so now its only rice and I also cut carbs from 2 of my meals (before I ate carbs with every meal). My current diet is still working, but I think with the amount of carbs I eat I’m starting to maybe get fatter since I’m not 18 anymore, current age 26.

Meals are every 2 hours. Fresh vegetables are always a mix of standard salad stuff (tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce) and also lots and lots of kale, broccoli, watercress, onions and green beans. I also used to eat a lot of fish, but currently I don’t, planning on adding that back in.

Meal 1: 3 eggs, bagel, broccoli.
Meal 2: 150g chicken, 150g rice, 200g fresh vegetables
Meal 3: 230g ground beef, 200g fresh vegetables
Meal 4: 150g chicken, 200g fresh vegetables
Meal 5: 230g ground beef, 150g rice, 200g fresh vegetables
Meal 6: 150g chicken, 150g rice, 200g fresh vegetables
Meal 7: (pre workout): 150g chicken, 150g rice
Peri-workout: Carbs-BCAAs-Creatine
Post Workout (before bed): Casein shake

So my questions are:

Is it really as simple as cutting carbs?

Which meals should I cut carbs from?

Does my late training and all the meals throughout the day impact my fat levels?

I can technically train in the daytime again, but I’d have to change my schedule around and I’d rather not. Would it make that much of a difference (considering I train at the same time every day and my body is used to it)?

2

Since you are on this site, read articles.

Peri workout nutrition, the six meals a day thing and how it isn’t a good thing anymore and probably the 5/2 diet all from TC

Fast metabolism means you are not eating enough or you just hit puberty.

Chris Colucci has an article on your “morph” problem. Read that one twice.

Once the basics are there, we can talk more.

3

Yeah I’ve read all the articles and forum posts.

The “morph” problem isn’t a problem, I just used that term to describe my body type cause that’s a good term for it. My diet and training is based on how my body responds, not on body types. 2 years ago I switched to 4 meals a day for 3 months and lost weight (around 10 lb) and felt much weaker that’s why I stayed with the 7 meals. I also feel much weaker during the days where I eat less, something I forgot to mention, I also started doing the whole 5/2 thing when I started my current program and those days suck, I guess because I’m not used to it.

But the only reason I eat 7 meals is because I don’t feel like stuffing myself with 4 or 5 meals, I can’t really eat huge meals and somehow I feel like that’s what I need.

I haven’t really experimented with meal frequency again because I’m afraid to lose my gains (stupid, I know), but I think I might.

I know that much food can’t be good overtime, but its worked for my goals so far, and now my goals are kind of changing so I’m trying to figure out where to take this diet. I’ve been doing it and its been working for so long, I don’t really know where to take it at this point. Lower carbs? Lower frequency? Add extra supps? Obviously I have to experiment, but maybe someone can weigh in as to what’s a better option in my particular circumstance.

4

Is your total intake of fats for the day those 3 eggs and the meat?

If that’s lean meat, I’d start by adding some fats and possibly dropping some carbs. Supplement with fish oil.

5

@tsantos

Yes and also peanut butter, avocados, and olive oil. The ground beef also has a ton of fat in it.

How often for the fish oil? Like a tablespoon a day?

So far, I’m planning on dropping to 5 meals a day (without increasing meal size), dropping carbs to 300g per day, 2 meals with no carbs and extra fats instead and stay on the 5/2 regimen.

6

Sounds likea solid approach. Let us know how you go.

7

I gave you the answer. You are choosing not to listen and do your own thing.

Loosing weight is not that hard, but your mentality is wrong and nothing will happen until that changes.

If only there was a few articles you could read…

8

If your idea of an “answer” is “go read articles” you really shouldn’t be giving people advice. In case you’re too thick to figure it out (most likely), I’m asking for people to evaluate what I’m doing and give me suggestions based on their experience. For example, instead of coming off with a pretentious, holier than thou attitude you should help people by either sharing knowledge or posting links or maybe tell me exactly what I’m doing wrong in your view. You seem to me like the type of guy that only hears what he wants to hear:

“Since you are on this site, read articles. Peri workout nutrition, the six meals a day thing and how it isn’t a good thing anymore and probably the 5/2 diet all from TC”

Yeah thanks for telling me what I already know.

“Fast metabolism means you are not eating enough or you just hit puberty.”

Did you skip the part where I eat over 2 kilos of food a day and am 26?

“Chris Colucci has an article on your “morph” problem. Read that one twice.”

I never mentioned having a “morph” problem.

“Once the basics are there, we can talk more.”

Basics of what? Nutrition?

“I gave you the answer. You are choosing not to listen and do your own thing.”

You literally gave me nothing of value.

“Loosing weight is not that hard, but your mentality is wrong and nothing will happen until that changes.”

Didn’t say I want to lose weight. What mentality and why is it wrong? How should it change?

“If only there was a few articles you could read”

Which ones? Specifically? Since you seem to know so much.

Go reread what I wrote and respond with something useful.

9

You are redesigning your diet to lean out. I believe that would be loosing weight.

I like the peri and post workout.

Switch your bagel to oatmeal.

Read up on why 6 meals a day is not the way to go anymore. TC has written on that subject. Just click on articles, choose TC and start reading.

Keep your carbs around your workouts. The rest should be protein, veg and fats. Most people forget about the days when cutting.

The above us some basics.

The fact that you didn’t read a single article doesn’t mean I gave you nothing of value. Reading just one article would have given you something to ponder. You were waiting for a handout, you didn’t get it, you blame me. Whatever makes you happy.

You started with high metabolism and ectomorph. Sorry, those are warning bells for anyone that has been on this site for more then a month. Did you read Chris’s article?

Two kilos of food? That’s it? I’m 50 and eat about that much. I don’t weight the chicken. It’s half and a salad from the mixing bowl. If you can, sit with a bodybuilder one day for lunch. Tell him it’s on you. Bring lots of cash.

Anyway, have fun. I clearly got under your skin. That show some passion. Now stop writing and start reading.

10

Apart form pre workout cut the rice out and as mentioned replace with good fats like greek yogurt/salmon/ slop olive oil all over veggies etc

Also another option is to keep doing what you’re doing but get on a really high volume program…

11

If you’re trying to lean out, start with small changes and take pics, log weight and see what happens. I’d recommend maybe take the bagel out of breakfast, and have a protein/fat breakfast instead of carbs. Dr. Jacob Wilson has recently been doing research showing that your energy source for the first meal of the day is what your body will favor to keep using as energy. So, if you start out with a protein/fat breakfast, your body will be more likely to use fat as fuel throughout the day. This will help you burn more fat until your first carb meal. Keep the eggs, and add some avocado or cheese and maybe some bacon with the broccoli. This will take out about 60-80g carbs per day (depending on how the bagel is). Start with that for a couple of weeks and see how it goes. If you’re very consistent with your nutrition and training, which it sounds like you are, that may be all you need. Make sure you don’t change too much too soon, make one adjustment at a time so you can really see what’s working.

When trying to lean out, always best to keep quality carbs around your workout window. So, if you take out the bagel and after a couple weeks need more adjusting, trying having a P/F meal for meal two instead of the rice, or take the rice out and just have meat and veggies. It’s hard to say if it’s as simple as just cutting carbs, every person is different and responds differently, which is why it’s important to make small changes and keep data.