Guidelines?

[Saffie]

Howzit guys,

I'm a 19 year old guy, who at the start of march decided it was time to get in shape, for the first time in my life. Now after all those months I sit here alot more muscular and alot thinner. Success.

Thing is though, I have never really dieted in all this time , and I train with bodyweight exercises. My fat lost has effectively stopped it feels, I think all the loss was due to exercising for the first time. Now I'm at a comfortable platua.

I can't see any abs at all, and at a guess lying down i have about a cm of fat on my abs, although they are rock solid beneath the fat. I live at home, so I have limited control over my main meals etc.

Now my goal for the end of the month is to cut down my BF by a noticable amount. I honestly dont think it would take me long with dedication, but thats probably naivety.

What are the basic guidelines I can follow, considering I can't really choose my own meals? What should I avoid?

I have cut out all foods such as packeted chips and chocolates for awhile now.

I also intend to cut out all liquid calories, barring tea or coffee. Should I cut out their sugar as well?

How bad are oven baked chips, or red meat for that matter? We tend to braai, barbecue, alot here, and often have steak or pork etc. Often with potatoes or chips.

Also in terms of cardio, I do a walk/run for about 30 to 40 minutes a day, with more walking due to fitness than running. Should I increase this? Also, is healthy post run snacking, ie a fruit or muesli a no no?

Sorry for all the disjointed questions guys, I could just really do with some pointers, links to information would also be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

 

[Adumb]

I can't say I know your situation exactly, but I think that many people have more control over their diet than they think. Cut out just about anything with sugar. This is more of a rule of thumb, but really try to eliminate liquid calories except when it comes from milk or whey protein. Skim milk is an even better solution.

Red meat is actually good protein, but it often carries fat on it as well. Pork is probably a poorer source. Potatoes are ok in moderation. Chips - terrible.

For diet: Make sure you eat breakfast. This is the most important meal of the day. I usually have oatmeal with 1 scoop of whey protein (not as good with chocolate, but good with other flavors usually).

Really, just focus on eliminating calories from bad sources. Diet is really hard to suddenly change one day and stick to it. It's better to work it in and build the habit slowly. Competition bodybuilders can make relatively sudden changes because they have two sets of eating habits: Bulking and cutting. It's not so simple for everyone else without such habits. So as I mentioned, work it in gradually.

Consider counting calories. I am a huge calorie counter and I make sure I am mathematically in at least a 200-300 calorie deficit everyday, if not more sometimes when trying to lose weight.

Definitely switch your cardio from walking to running until you can run for 45 minutes. That should be a sufficient amount of cardio for at least 3 days a week to see some results.

I am confident that you can stick to the diet, just as much self-control as humanly possible, and it will eventually become a habit to calculate calories and turn down the good stuff.

 

[Saffie]

Thanks for the prompt reply mate

Yeah, I'm really dedicated, and seeing as I leave for overseas at the end of the month, I think that would be a good test date to aim for.

My plan is to do one to two cardio sets a day, one before breakfast, and one in the evening. Walking and running, but I'm aiming to progressively increase the running. I've been plagued by shin splints, but I can now run further than I have ever been able to before. Still not that far, but I will keep pushing it.

Foods I can only give generalities.

Breakfast I aim to keep it to oatmeal or muesli, maybe a poached egg for variety, or a slice or two of toast with mar mite or peanut butter. Note those are separate meal ideas, not one feast haha.

Lunch ham sandwhich, or fruits, or meat of some kind.

Supper I can't control, but I will aim to maximise vegetables and meats, while limiting potatoes and avoiding sauces, ie cheese covered cauliflower.

So oven baked, ie, not oil, chips are worse than potatoes? Or can I have in moderation?

I can only give generalities, but I aim to avoid wrappers, and maximise salads, fruits and meats, with some potatoes and breads thrown in.

One question, how bad is cheese?

I will also drink mainly water, and eliminate sugars from my diet as much as I can. Also have some of, but avoid pastas, rices and breads.

In effect, common sense diet, and an attempt at calorie counting.

Finally, if I kept my workouts as is, on a progressively harder path, do I really need to worry about muscle loss? Granted, seeing as I use bodyweight, I'm not particularly bulky.

 

[Adumb]

You probably won't have to worry about muscle loss as much if you're making sure to work all major muscle groups and eating right. I'm still not 100% on the chips. Cheese isn't bad as it does have protein, however it also has a bunch of fat. I usually avoid cheese when cutting.

If you can stick to that diet, I think you will do really well.

 

[Saffie]

Thanks again

I aim to keep a food and exercise log for this week so I can see realistically
how I eat and exercise, and then adjust it.