The Perfect Diet Plan. Part II

Great job Rusty! Another helpful post

Rusty,

Great work again! I love the flexibility of the plan. Everything seems to clear, but i have one question. What do you consider a low and high carb day?(In terms of grams)

Can't wait for the e-book!

So when's the book coming out? I want to see you on Oprah!

Thanks for getting Part II up tonight. You had me (and probably everyone else who read Part I) in total suspense. I have heard about this kind of cycling before by reading Tom Venuto's book. I found it very hard to complete this task while trying to eat the 6 meals a day that the "fitness community" states is an absolute must.
After following your 1 meal a day plan on and off for most of the last couple of weeks, I think the cycling will be much easier for me while sticking to 1 meal a day (200 cal breakfast then nothing till night time).
Thanks for taking the rigid structure out of the equation and adding flexibility. Trying to follow any kind of inflexible plan when it comes to diet always ends poorly for me (eventually). I think this plan combined with less meals on top of the flexibility regarding cycling days, will be much more manageable.
Thanks also for your response to my previous comment regarding meal frequency. Being your height and formerly 185 a year ago, but now 210 is kind of frustrating, but I'm already benefiting from HIIT and Warrior-based diet. I went out in the 20-something degree temperature here in NY today and ran 4 miles per your suggestion of 1 day a week static as I was getting a little too submerged into HIIT. I don't want to lose that endurance I built up last year while training for my first marathon.

Rusty, your site is terrific. It's the first fitness source where there is no agenda other than sharing the wealth and helping people achieve their goals in a realistic manner. THANKS!

Tesa,

Thanks…did you like the video? Not sure why the guys are wearing Pocahontas stuff, but they are in great shape and have a good "look" going.

Bobby,

I don't really count grams of carbs, but eat nothing but protein and vegetables along with healthy fats…avocados, almonds, flaxseed oil, a minimum amount of butter. I will allow one serving of fruit. Even though it is a carb, the fiber makes it to where it slowly absorbs into the bloodstream.

On higher carb days, I eat plenty of fruits during the day. I also will eat a chicken breat with rice or potatoes or yams. If I eat a salad it will be with rice vinegar. As long as the calories are kept under control this works really well. Some nights I'll even throw in vanilla yogurt for dessert…or I'll snack on a little bit of granola.

John,

Yeah it will be a while, for sure! I have to make it more than worth the price. I give out so much free info here, I have to have A LOT of content in the book to justify a price. There is so much fluff out there. My goal is to offer tremendous value.

Ron,

Let's face it…Oprah would HATE my site…LOL! If you are an author and get featured on her show it is basically like winning the lottery. Oprah is slowly taking over the world.

Dash,

Thanks for the compliments. You will get back to 185 pounds for sure. I'm impressed that you jogged in 20 degree temperature! That is outstanding. I'm rooting for the Giants to win the Superbowl!

Cheers!

Rusty

Nice post Rusty! i await your book with anticipation (although i may have to get a US copy shipped over to oz.)

I love this, I am one of those people where if theres too many rules and guidelines I will just give up. This is simple and makes complete sense!

Rusty,
I have actually tried a diet like this. I am sure that you have heard of it - Fatloss4idiots. It was like $27, so I decided to try it and it really did work! I lost 7 pounds in 7 days. The only hard part was that I got tired of 4 meals a day. I am a very low maintenance person, so the one meal a day is great. 4 meals is too much hassle. Plus, if you are broke then you can't really do the diet. You have to follow it to the tee if you want to see results. The great thing about his diet is that you are not required to work out and you will still get results.

Carbs, carbs, carbs…You can control your calorie intake in the most part by eating less or more of them. some days I feel stuffed altough i didnt eat much that day. Reason is i ate a lot the day before. This way i can tell when I'm carb overloaded or depleted.
You just feel it…
You wrote this principle down in a very good way.Simlicity is the biggest strength of it!
Keep writing Rusty!

I really enjoyed your post Rusty, once again you got it right. Two main principles to be taken from your post, the first, know yourself (your body), and the second, flexibility. I always read in other sites how training is an individual thing, that's true, but when they talk about diets they seem to have a one solution to all, but the truth is that like training, diet is also an individual thing. You're ahead of them, again. Flexibility is the main key for sucess, i believe it will prevent most people from failing, because when, no matter for what reason, we're unable to follow a rigid plan, we tend to quit. Cycling carbs seems to be an excelent plan, and i will try it, i've been on low carbs for some time, and i'm starting to feel a bit down, with no energy, and i believe i'm losing a little muscle too. Thanks for another very good article.

Hulbs,

I will probably just sell in as an ebook. I want to reach International readers, since I have a huge reader base outside of the US.

Tee,

We all hate too many rules. Long term success is about flexibility.

Kprice,

I know I am not the first to talk about carb cycling. I think I can explain it in a way and set it up in a way where people will get much better results than they have in the past. Plus I'm realistic and want to talk about what to do before picnics where they may eat chips, hot dogs, beer, etc. Most diet books really ignore the foods that many people like to eat. I want people to have a life and reach their goals at the same time.

Tyler,

Yeah…this will be fun. Carbs aren't the enemy if they are eaten somewhat strategically.

Helder,

You put it well. Time to adjust if you look bloated, feel weak, look soft, etc. It is all about paying attention to your body.

Rusty

Rusty,
Isn't this one of the many methods that Tom Venuto talks about in his book, "Burn the fat, Feed the Muscle"?

Thanks for sending Part 2 I've started today, I'll let cha know how it goes.I also have been hitting the gym in the mornings on an EMPTY stomach for the last few days mixing spinning and eliptical and jogging and lifting and I've lost 3 inches on my waist and hips!!! I swear!! Im still working on the thighs which are not losing as quickly i only lost 1.5 off the thighs (but thats always the last 2 go)..I have all this energy throughout the day that I have not felt since i was 20..I think that slight adjustment of the "working out on empty" has Huge payoffs! thanks:))

Rusty,
You are right, if a diet is not realistic it is really hard to stick with it. If there if there is flexibility then it could be more of a lifestyle change. When I was really skinny I ate a candy bar almost everyday (I am not saying this was good). But the reason I stayed so skinny is because I was pretty active and I barely ate anything during the day and had my big meal at night. I didn't know it at the time, but I was kind of doing what you do. I always felt guilty for eating so much at night, but I never really gained much weight until I started dating my husband. You know how it is… he wined me and dined me and we both gained about 10 pounds. We gained even more when I got pregnant. Now we are really overweight. It sucks.
Well, I got off the subject there. Anyway, when I was skinny I never felt like I couldn't eat anything. I ate whatever I wanted, but I made sure that I was hungry for a good part of the next day. This is how I thought about it. Whenever I get hunger pangs I just tell myself that I am losing weight.
Anyway, thanks for this info. Its good to know that eating late isn't that bad for you.

p.s…what are your feelings on supplements? (Hydroxycut, Creatine, etc. )Have your tried any that work? or are they absolute no-no's for you?..Im sure you have covered this in the past, so to save you some time you can also just send me a link that you have posted on the subject or I can also wait for the book…

I've never tried them, but sometimes the ads look so damn tempting..

I'm tall and lean and my overall body fat is low, But I have problem areas where I felt that supplements can help. I want a more sculpted shape, on the upper thighs,obliques and high hip area…

so far the PLANKS you suggested on a previous post have been kicking my butt, in my core but not so much on the obliques(at least not yet).I'll be patient though.

Sorry if this is an elementary question for the fitness-ly intelligent, but what are examples of healthy fats?

Far too complex and not required for 99% for those who want to improve there physique by losing some weight/bodyfat and improving muscle mass and for general health.

Simply create a calorie deficit from diet and cardio to lose 1 - 2 lb a week, lift weights and eat a quality healthy balanced diet including fruit and veg, wholegrain carbs, lean proteins and good fats. Enjoy wholesome food regularly throughout the day to maintain energy levels and keep hunger at bay.

No need to overcomplicate matters when its fairly simple.

Rusty
Great stuff! so much great info here…no matter what the goal is, there is info on how to train/eat for that goal…i've been having simple breakfast, simple lunch and a normal relatively healthy dinner and that seems to be working well with the training i've been doing..
keep it up!!

Rusty,

I like your idea of efective dieting being a 'skill'. I completely agree, the ability to control or change your physical composition is based on knowledge and experimentation as much as exercise. I would consider the golden age of bodybuilding in the 70's as the time when the ability to make tremendous changes in the body through diet were fully understood by professional bodybuilders like Franco Columbu and Arnod Schwarzenegger.

In my opinion the main problem with a strict diet of any form is psychology. The dieter eventually reaches a point where he/she has to rely on willpower to attain the goal that is set while eating that 'final meat feast pizza'… It's easier to remain strict if you are an olympic athlete where diet relates directly to performance, or a bodybuilder where low body fat while maintaining muscle glycogen (for muscle fullness appearance) is important in competition.

I ike your idea of cycling the low carb/high protein 'fat loss' days with a carbohydrate loading day. It effectively gives your body a chance to refuel on carbs from a depleted state, which will satiate the carb cravings and store glycogen in the muscle tissue. I would suggest a hard high volume rep day session at the gym or a long endurance run would be best timed for the day after the high carb eating day when you can train for improving strength or endurance while the muscles have stored glycogen and ae functioning at optimum performance. What do you think?

I think Tinfoil Girls 'Achilles Heel' would be a large magnet, which might rip all her tin clothes off. Is tin magnetic? I hope so.

hey rusty I love they articles this one is great. I think thatis is awesome info you give out but why write an e book when your giving this awesome info out for freee! haha the question i have is ive falling into the trap of the 5 meal thing the last couple year but the thing is ive gone from 200 to 173 and around 5 % body fat so i see no reason to change but I love your take about how you dont need 5 or six meals and changing it up is such a great idea look at all the college athletes there so skinny and have no fat and its all high intensity workouts that give them a low body fat. I just wanted to get a take on my diet i have been using. I know it isnt what you agree on but here is my diet . I wanted to know if you think its a low carb diet.
breakfeast oatmeal with some protein shake
mid mourn pretin bar/shake
lunch chicken/salmon/veggies
mid afternoon protein bar/protein shake
dinner chicken veggies
also once you get there cuz thats where i have got I have some loose skin and i read your aricle about that Do you have to remain real strict for those 2-3 months just wondering. Cuz i was talking to someone the reason your skin might be like is becaus eyour diet is to low carb but i wanted to get your opion on that.

thanks first post but ive been reading forever

jonny jon

Trey,

Tom brushes over carb depletion and carb loading. It isn't close to the level I would like to cover. Plus, I don't necessarily recommend 6 small meals per day, etc. I want to focus deeply on this subject on a level not seen before in any book to date.

ladylonglegz,

This is one of the bigger tips I talk about on this site. Glad you are getting great results! As far as supplements go, I'm not against them for "fine tuning". I actually think they are great when someone is 5 pounds out from their ideal weight…or if someone is already in incredible shape, but wants to reach a new level for a vacation or an event. I think that if someone has a lot of weight to lose, then major changes in diet and exercise will do the trick.

One last thing. I'm all for nutritional supplements like vitamins and minerals. I like vitamins that come from "whole food" supplements more than traditional vitamin pills.

Alethea,

Basically non-saturated fats for the most part. I certainly need to cover this in more detail in a future post. Olive and canola oil for cooking, flaxseed oil, nuts, avocados, fish oils, etc.

Saturated fats are to be limited…butter, margarine, lard, etc.

You can eat a certain amount of naturally occurring fat in beef, pork, and chicken…it is still healthy in moderation. This is a really complex topic that I certainly need to cover in more detail when time permits.

Mr Ben,

People who's body naturally holds onto carb energy are limited in their ability to get really lean unless they force their body to dip into their fat reserves a bit. The diet I am going to outline "gives your body no choice but to burn fat". The way of eating you described can work for some people. For the majority of people it will work and then their body will reach a sticking point. This sticking point will be different for each individual.

Also…the benefit of the diet I'm describing is that you can include days of junkier eating every now and then and still make forward progress. I'm all for eating healthy 90 percent of the time, but I like to occasionally eat chips, dips, burgers, etc. If I go into a day like that in a carb depleted state, this type of eating will not affect my body composition in a negative way.

Gators,

Yep…the key is to be flexible and also become a master at how diet and exercise affects your particular body.

Steve P,

Great points. Yeah…the high carb day and the day after are the days to focus on performance. If you want to get stronger at lifts this would be the day to lift more. If you want to increase endurance this would be the day to do that. If body composition is your goal, I still think I would recommend hitting cardio or endurance type lifting on low carb days and a heavier focus on lifting on the higher carb days. That way you get stronger when you are at your peak energy levels and burn fat when you are in a state of carb depletion. Note: I don't think tin is magnetic. Darn it!

Jonny,

I'm not really against eating 5 times a day. I just like to let people know that there is an alternative. I think eating fewer times a day works great for people who are more prone to storing carbs. Almost everyone who struggles with weight never get the carb levels low enough in their body to access stored body fat. Skipping meals is a great way to lower these levels and use fat for energy. It works extremely well when people go 4-5 hours without eating and then hit cardio in this low carb condition. If people eat all day long they will have a tougher time getting really lean in my opinion, unless they do an insane amount of cardio.

If you are 5% body fat, then don't change a thing! Seriously…you have mastered your body. You found out what works for you and that is incredible. The skin will get tight if you can hold that body percentage for a long time. Your skin is in the slow process of shrinking to fit your new size. That is why I don't recommend that people do the yearly "bulk up in the winter and lean down for summer". Hold that size and you will look even better year after year. Awesome job!

Thanks for the comments!

Rusty

Rusty, this is the first time I have to completely disagree with you. You told Dash you were rooting for the Giants to win the Super Bowl….I'm a life long Pats fan, go Patriots!
Just kiddin with ya, I'm a huge Pats fan but if I wasn't partial to either of these teams I always root for the underdog so I'll look past that whole Giants thing.
Anyways, I like this article and this method does work. I first read about this method of 3 low carb days vs 1 high carb day in Tom Venuto's ebook. I suggest being careful while doing this. If you do this low carb cycle for to long you might eventually crash. I did this for 2 months and that was way to long for me. I'm sure everyone responds differently but I could barely function anymore and workouts became extremely difficult. I was always tired, fatigued, and would get dizzy very easily especially when walking upstairs. I couldn't believe how dizzy that made me.
I don't doubt that I will carb cycle again when I'm trying to burn those last couple pounds but I definitely need to adjust and either add more carbs on the low days or add in a higher carb day more often.
One thing I've learned over time is that you have to experiment to see what works for you.
Lately I've been trying you're old method of eating 3 meals per day rather then 6. So far it's working just fine. I'm also lifting for strength rather then hypertropy and really focusing on HIIT cardio with some steady state cardio afther my HIIT session is over.
I've done some homework on Laird Hamilton and he only eats 3 meals a day as well and he is obviously extremely lean and fit. His 3 meals are very healthy though. I'm eating 3 healthy and well balanced meals per day and if I get a little hungry in between meals I just eat some unsalted almonds and maybe a couple saltine crackers. Drinking lots of water and some green tea really help to keep my appetite in check.
It is so nice not planning my day around my next meal. I will go on like this as long as I continue to lose bodyfat. If and when this meal plan stops working and I stop losing fat then I will ultimately go back to eating 6 smaller meals per day until I reach 6% bodyfat again. Then I will try and maintain it with 3 meals per day again.
Anyways, I definitely enjoy losing bodyfat with only 3 meals rather then 6. It's much more practical, and you were so right, it's easier to keep calories down eating 3 times rather then 6. I will keep doing this as long as I can keep getting results. It would be great if I could just do this meal plan until I get as lean as I want. I will find out through trial and error.
Thanks Rusty, Go Patriots!

PS - all you New York fans, I still wish you the best of luck with you're fat loss goals, take care everyone!

Brad,

If I was a betting man, I would bet on The Patriots. More than anything, I'm just rooting for the "underdog". My Seattle Seahawks got crushed by Green Bay, so I figured I'd pick a long shot.

I did the 3 meal per day thing to get really lean on several occasions. I'm trying the Warrior diet right now, to give my honest opinion about the diet. It has been a few months now. It is pretty tough at times, but does work at keeping me lean. The issue is that I haven't had the drive to hit the gym as much. I think I will eventually switch back to 3 meals per day with the occasional "Warrior Day" when it seems convenient. I can't do the 6 meal per day thing ever. I never get very lean when I eat that way, but it is probably because I like to eat decent size portions of food.

Have a great one!

Rusty

Of course an e-book, I should have thought of that! Any time frame when it is likely to be available?

Hulbs

Rusty if you don't mind me sharing a bit of my experience on creatine. ladylonglegz asked about creatine, well based on my experience i say creatine sucks, creatine keeps more water in your muscle cells, it's a bit like the hypertrophy you gain from training with higher reps. If you want to achieve muscle definition don't take creatine cause it will make you a bit bloated and it will take your definition away. For anyone wanting to gain muscle mass, creatine simply creates the ilusion of bigger muscles, once you stop taking it, that extra size goes away. Some doctors also say that the excess of creatine can damage the kidneys, so personally i believe you get all the creatine you naturally need when you eat meet. I only took it for a short period of time, i didn't like it. This is an opinion based only in my personal experience, i'm no expert. I hope it helps.

Ups sorry i meant to say, when you eat meat, obviously not "meet"

Rusty, I appreciate the honesty about the Warrior Diet. I remember you recommending the Warrior Diet on several occassions. I haven't tried it yet because I wanted to give the 3 meals a day approach a shot, plus I like to eat! One meal a day doesn't sound like something I could stick with for very long.
However, I absolutely think I could throw in a "Warrior Day" once in a while like you recommended. Just not every day.
I love you're 3 meal per day approach though. It doesn't at all feel like a job to lose bodyfat using this approach like it does when I eat 6 times per day. It's just such a pain to plan my whole day around my next meal.
Like I said before, the only way I'll do that again is if it's my last resort to getting rid of the stubborn bodyfat. When it comes down to it, I guess I always end up doing whatever it takes. Until then, I'm enjoying getting leaner eating 3 meals per day. Thankyou for opening my eyes to that!
Rusty you're site is great. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I can't thankyou enough for opening my eyes up to the fact that its just a better look to have decent muscle size and be really lean rather then trying to get huge muscles. I'm so much more confident now, I love going to the gym again, and I don't have to stress about how many calories I should be shoving into my mouth only to see so much of those calories just added to my waisteline. I don't know about you, but everytime I used to bulk up I almost felt guilty about eating so much food when I didn't need it. It just felt wrong to me. Anyways, just thought I'd throw that our there. Take care man, keep up the good work!

Brad

Another great post. I have been following my version of the Warrior Diet since just before the holidays.

I workout in the morning on an empty stomach, then I have a protein shake and oatmeal with a little honey. Throughout the day I have fresh fruit or freshly made fruit and vegetable juices ( when I have the time to make them). Then I have my main meal around 7 or 8pm, which is usually wild salmon, broccoli, asparagus and wholegrain brown rice with extra vergin olive oil.

It works really well for me. I am 6' , 154lbs with 5% body fat.

One thing I have noticed is that sugar disrupts body fat reading. I have experimented with my theory on this. I measure my body fat before I eat sugar then the next day and it generally comes out as 11.5%. I don't eat sugar the next day then measure my body fat the next day and its back to 5%. I know you can't gain 6.5% body fat and loose it in the space of a day. Anyway I just thought it was interesting.

Rusty,

How could you do this carb cycling thing being a vegetarian? You see, I'm a vegetarian and everything I eat is really carb based (eg: fruit, veg, soy, etc). How can I make this carb cycling work for me?
Thanks.

Rusty,

You have convinced me to try this 3 day low carb, one day high carb idea a go. I understand our point about the last day of low carb eating being the best time to hit a brutal cardio workout for maximum fat loss. Then you have a day of contented high carb eating (within reason…) combined with a strength-gain oriented weights workout.

I'm off to Spain in early March for an active outdoors holiday with my girlfriend, so I have just over 5 weeks to really get my body fat down and become visibly leaner. I'm in good shape and train every day but I could stand to lose about a stone to be in really lean good shape. The experiment begins tomorrow morning with an omellette for breakfast and fat free yogurt, small fruit lunch, chicken salad for dinner. I will run at 7am every morning in a carb-depleted state for maximum fat loss. Am I insane, or have I found the way to really change my body composition, thanks to you Rusty? I will be cursing you tomorrow by mile 4 i'm sure. You have inspired me!

The other day I was in Books-A-Million and I bought this book called "The Special Ops Workout" by Mike Mejia, CSCS and Stewart Smith, USN(SEAL). It has a 12 week workout program which as of the first week is amazing, but it also has 3 different 6 week workouts for the SEALs, Green Berrets and Rangers, and the Air Force Pararescue. It also has a lot of good info on nutrition like how to use the Food Pyramid, and how to read nutrition info labels, and what all the vitamins and minerals are actually good for/ what they are naturally found in/ how much is really needed.

Overall it is an awesome book and I would advise everyone to check it out.

Hey Rusty:

I was reading the Warrior Diet website and I wanted to share with you that long before I even knew this diet existed, I was already practicing some of the core concepts and as a result losing bodyfat rapidly.

Let me explain: When I first decided to lose weight, the thought of eating 6 mini meals was very appealing to me. Afterall, who does not love to eat?

I followed the 6 meal concept strictly and workout every evening. BIG MISTAKE. Though I had not cheated or skipped workouts, I only lost a mere 5 pounds in 3 months! So I decided to change my strategy. I guess common sense told me that I would never burn sufficient body fat if my blood sugar levels were always high so I went against convention and made two major changes: I worked out first thing in the morning. I ate nothing until 5p every evening. I actually let myself eat as much as I wanted, provided it was low fat and healthy.

I kept this up for two months and guess how much weight I lost? 25 lbs. And it was mostly fat as I went from a size 16 to a size 10. I kept this up until I reached size 6. Then I got too relaxed and let myself start eating 3 meals a day. I have not stopped working out or gained any weight but I do not like the way I look and would like to lose 20 more pounds. So I am resuming the diet again. I will be getting the book soon. Thanks for listening.

Lorna

BTW, I want a body just like tinfoil girl.

Hulbs,

I am not sure yet. I am still on the fence if I will charge for it or not. If I do it for free, then it will be great but won't be completely exhaustive. I have a few great ideas for books…so little time!

Helder,

I don't like creatine for the exact reasons you mentioned. It is more of a temporary illusion…plus I hate the look it creates. Great, great comment!

Brad,

Thanks for the compliment. I was out on a date last Sunday with a super cool and deadly attractive woman. I told her about my site and one of the big messages…to look "toned" but not "look like someone lives in the gym". She was really excited about this message and was pumped that my goal was to spread this message. Women have been telling us this for years! If you think about all of the male sex symbols, none of them are excessively muscular…not one! I'm glad I helped you get out of the mindset that you have to endlessly get bigger and bigger. Now more women will find you attractive, you will feel better, and live a more balanced and healthy life.

David,

That looks great buddy. You have to do it differently, because you workout in the morning. You came up with a great strategy that will work for sure!

Jay,

That is a tough one. I guess you would eat more nuts and fibrous carbs on the low carb day…and more fruit and grains on the higher carb day. I am not great with the vegetarian diets because I don't have experience with it…just being honest!

Steve P,

This will work for sure. There are so many ways to get lean…I can't think of every variation and post it, but I know a winner when I see it. This will work for sure…you will look incredible in Spain. Your trip sounds awesome!

DangeRuss,

I'll take a look at this book. You know I'm a big fan of Special Ops type workouts! Sounds great.

Lorna,

Get back to what works. That sounds like a good plan. You want a body like Tinfoil Girl? Well…many many guys hope you reach that goal. She is a great role model.

Cheers!

Rusty

Hey Rusty,

This looks like a great diet plan to me, but i'm stickign to the one-meal-a-day thing for now. As I said before, I still live with my parents so I cannot decide what, and how much, I eat for dinner. Since I cannot make my meals larger to eat more calories, I must resort to things like fruits, nuts, cookies, and even chocolate to add up. Most of those additions are pretty carb-loaded, so I want to look for stuff that I can eat on a daily basis, but contains more protein. Protein shakes are quite expensive IMO, so have you got any suggestions for stuff which contains lot's of proteïn or at least are low carb/fat? And, affordable? Lol…

Cheers,

Remon van der Pol

The Netherlands

Remon,

The Warrior Diet certainly works. I've been on it for a few months now with great results. Anyway…cheap protein sources. In college I used to live off of eggs. I would make an omlette with 4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs…and put a variety of things in them…onions, cillantro, leftover meat, salsa, etc. See if your parents will buy a big carton of eggs and a few big cartons of non-fat yogurt. This will add a bunch of protein to your diet…and is cheap.

Rusty

great article! i started doing my own version of the one meal a day plan and i REALLY like it! the first couple of weeks going to the gym on an empty belly were hard tho, but i got over it… its funny how people react when you tell them you dont really eat during the day!

being an italian girl i could NEVER give up carbs and pretty much do this rotation as much as i can.. some nights i go with grilled chicken and veggies and other nights full on pasta dinner (usually only once a week tho, well unless im broke that week because pasta is cheap haha)

the prob im having right now is that ive started working out at 5am instead of 5pm and i feel like my meal plan is backfiring but it may be that i havent gotten used to it yet?

anywho keep up the good work rusty!

Rusty.

Thanks for the tips! I found a great combination which I can eat every day! Non-fat yogurt (like you recommended) combined with sunflower seeds and sweetened with honey. Tastes good and especially the sunflower seeds are rich on proteïn (27grams per 100grams), and quite low on carbs and fat. Best of all, they contain lots of calories so you don't need to add a truckload of them to add up. The combination will easily add about 600 calories to my normal meal each day!

Cheers,

Remon van der Pol

Oh and Rusty. Honestly, don't make your ebook free. Come on man, you've given so much free information already. I really think you deserve to get paid for that ebook, and asking money for it is a motivator to make it bigger and better I will certainly buy it, no matter what!

Cheers,

Remon van der Pol

p.s. The yogurt is dirt cheap! €0,40 ($0.59) for a 500ml bucket!

kris10dank,

Yeah…I could never give up carbs either! I think a diet that discourages carbs at all times is bound to fail.

Remon,

Yeah…I may charge for the ebook, but if I do I will spend months on it and makes it massive. I will never put my name on anything that isn't well worth the cash. That yogurt snack sounds great by the way

Rusty

PS: Sorry about the server problems the past week or two. I am sharing a server with a few different bloggers and we are getting too much traffic. Not a bad problem to have.

Well Rusty it is also very important when burning fat to fast is to be careful with not getting to much cellulite issues in the progress

Warmly

Thordur and Irina at

Herbal Nourish

hey rusty,
i am currently in college and trying to lose some weight for summer. I am certainly not fat or anything. in fact people always tell me i am skinny. I am trying to get toned and get a six pack. anyway, i love basketball and I play almost daily. A trainer at the gym i go to told me that i should stop playing basketball and just lift because too much cardio is bad for building muscle… isn't there some sort of compromise?
-Evan

Evan,

Don't give up basketball & smack that trainer for me! I don't want anybody to give up any physical activity that they enjoy. That type of advice drives me nuts! You live once, so don't give up stuff you enjoy. Don't just become a gym rat…that is such a shallow way of looking at getting in great shape.

Also…basketball is a great sport for getting lean. It is kind of a way of doing interval training…walking alternated with sprinting.

Why don't you do a bit of lifting before you play basketball? Just try to gain strength by lifting low reps on some basic lifts. Gain strength and play basketball…it is a great combo! Look at NBA players life Kobe, Dwight Howard, Jordan, Ray Allen, Iverson, Jordan in his prime, etc…

Again…never give up activities that you enjoy,

Rusty

Great blog, being english I'm not used to your positive attitude to just about everything.
I'm realy interested in cyclicle diets (I'm currently doing something similar to the anabolic diet) and have a few questions about your aproach).
I'm interested that you discourage people from having saturated fat, there seems to be a move in low carb diets (like the anabolic diet) to up saturated fats as people think it'll increase testosterone and also question the link to high cholesterol, whats your take on this.
I've also read (I think it was alan aragon) that combining non saturated fats with carbohydrates decreases the insulin index (which must be a good thing).
Also would you cycle calories at all on this diet.
cheers j

Hey Rusty - so I have been on WeightWatchers to lose my baby weight, and it definitely worked. I am now 128 pounds, and would like to get really cut, like tin foil girl! Anyway, I recently ran across the Abs Diet, so i figured i'd try it. Woah, my weight hasn't changed, but i was so tired all day. Meanwhile, before this, from reading your blog, i've been eating only 2 times a day, with maybe some fruit in between. I will never eat 6 meals again. First of all, it's a giant pain to plan your day around eating every 2 hours, and second, i felt like i had this fog in my head all day - almost like i was hungover! I was eating almonds, and fat free dairy, and then for breakfast oatmeal…healthy foods, but i'd so much rather do Warrior. Anyway, i figured i'd share. So i'm going back to keeping calories (points) low, but eating them after 3pm every day. I'm going to use your advice on this carb cycling thing next to hopefully get tin foil girls body!
By the way, how much time per day and intensity of working out should i do to shed the most fat?
Also, what do you think about caffeine?
Thanks!
C

James,

Aren't the English positive people? The stereo-type here is that people in the UK are friendly and extremely polite.

I am just not a big fan of saturated fats. They may not be as bad as people make them out to be, but I don't want to role the dice. I just like to stick with proven healthy fats.

Eating healthy fat along with carbs lowers the insulin index as does eating protein with carbs. A rule of thumb I follow is to never eat carbs alone…with the exception of fresh fruit. I would cycle calories on this diet for sure. I like to eat more calories following a tough workout…and less building up to a tough workout.

Christine,

I would think it would be great if you looked like Tinfoil Girl. I am a big fan of caffeine. I like low levels of caffeine in the form Green Tea during the day. If I'm low on energy I will drink a cup of coffee right before working out.

If your diet is really clean, you won't need to workout as hard or often than if you eat a bit junky. What will make a huge difference is if you can eat most of your calories after you workout.

A realistic workout plan that will work? Try 4-5 times per week at an hour per shot. On the days you have extra time, maybe do cardio for 15-20 minutes longer. I would do 20-30 minutes resistance training and 30-40 minutes cardio. That will work well and you will be well on your path to "Tinfoil"!

Cheers,

Rusty

Rusty,

Been on and off all the diet crazes and with the help of this site formulated one that really works for me. I'll share and hope it helps someone else. Those who have been reading here awhile will notice that the basics of this diet all came from here. Thanks Rusty.

Breakfast
Complex carb and quality protein ie. egg beaters and ww toast, low fat cottage cheese and fruit, protein shake w banana. You get the idea. Keep portions reasonable and total calories should be ~300 or less.

Morning and afternoon snack
1 piece fruit. If I am feeling overly hungy or weak in my lifting days I add protein to ONE of the snacks. Low fat cheese stix go great with grapes or apples. Chocolate protein powder made into a paste makes a great dip for bananas or strawberries or try chopped peaches in vanilla. Again keep portions reasonable and calories should be about 100 for fruit only or 250 with protein

Lunch
Large bowl of vegetables. (stay away from the starchy ones —corn, potatoes etc) I really like the frozen stir fry bags. Toss the soy mix bag in the garbage and pop the veggies in the nuke for a few minutes. If I am on a business lunch or out with friends most restaurants have a ceasar salad. Just hold the croutons and ask for dressing on the side and you got a healthy lunch with a chicken protein kicker. "Even MCD's has healthy salds" (watch the dressings!!!) Lunch calories are 200-500

If you were hungry and over did yourself today you have only eaten ~1300 calories with majority coming from fruits and protein. Not too bad. A 700 calorie supper is really pretty big. I just eat what the wife makes and supersize the veg's and keep protien and carbs to moderate portions.

So on my worst day I will have eaten 2000 calories, plenty of fruit, vegetables, fiber, and lean protein. I alternate cardio and strength training 6 days a week so I will subtract 300 calories for exercise. Drink plenty of water and I think that this is a truely healthy diet not too high on supplements and fits nicely into busy lifestyles and those of us with kids.

thanks for the encouragement!

Joe,

That is a solid looking diet and is exactly what I'm trying to encourage on this site. Take bits and pieces of information and tailor it to fit your lifestyle. I try to avoid coming up with rigid routines and such, I'd rather talk about principles and have you guys formulate things on your own.

Very Cool!

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

Thought I'd post a quick summary of a typical day on my current diet. (I have adapted it from your principles and it is a warrior diet of sorts).

Breakfast (6.30am) b/t 100 - 200 cal
Bannana only OR Bannana and peach or 1/2 slice of cafe style Raison toast with a small amount of marg (salt reduced and with very low trans fats)

Workout (11am till 12pm approx i work gym!)

Lunch (not before 1pm) 300- 500 cal
Small tin of Tuna (16.5gr prot), slice whole grain bread (4.4gr prot), 200gr tub non-fat yogart (9.6gr prot), 3 pieces of fruit like Nectarine, Peach and Pear (or 2 pieces if had 2 for breakfast already) (if extra protein needed a have a bit of skim milk)
OR
Meduim tin of tuna (33gr prot) with undressed garden salad (tomato, lettuce, red capsicum, cucumber, carrot and sald onion), 200 gram tub of non-fat yogart (9.6gr prot), 1 piece of fruit.
(if extra protein wanted i have a bit of skim milk)

So by dinner time i've only had 600 cal on average and I have importantly had my 30 grams protein after my late morning workout.

Dinner (around 6.30pm) (700-900 cal inc glass of red wine)
Oven baked Salmon steak (wrap in foil with herbs added it tastes great!) of around 200grams or a little more with large garden salad (tomato, capsicum, lettuce, cucumber, carrots and black olives)
OR
Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli with tomoto based pasta sauce and salad as above.
OR (1/2 times a week)
Either chicken/lamb Indian curry (ie. Madras or Vindaloo etc - lower calorie curry paste) served with basmati rice and a few pappadoms.

So only around 1500 cal after dinner out of my 1800 that I allow myself (occasionally 2000 and occasionally only 1500)

Dessert (around 9pm) (200-300 cal)
Frozen Blueberries with small tub of frozen yogart (very healthy)
OR
Small slice of Xmas cake with a small glass of skim/low fat milk (not quite so healthy but yummy! and need to finish the cake that grandma give sus every xmas!)
OR
Couple of pieces of fruit.

The above diet works well for me when combined with cardio everyday (maybe a day off in 10 or so) and weights every 2nd day.

As of yesterday i was 177 pounds and 8.1%bf (yeah weird added a pound back but still definitely dropping bf% as my skin folds are getting really small).

Cheers

Hulbs

Hulbs,

You eat some amazing meals…I am completely jealous. Know what I had yesterday? A fuji apple and an orange for breakfast…2 cups of coffee during the day and 2 cups of green tea…a chicken breast salad for dinner. Know what I ate today? A fuji apple and an orange for breakfast…2 cups of coffee during the day and 2 cups of green tea…a chicken breast salad for dinner…LOL!

I am eating extremely clean and low carb to prepare for a bunch of junk food and beer I will be having for a "Super Bowl" party…The Super Bowl is the equivalent to The World Cup as far as the US is concerned. Not quite as big, since it is every year…but you get the idea.

Your diet looks outstanding!

Rusty

Thanks Rusty,

Yeah you will get extemely lean on your current diet in readyness for the Superbowl.

I think our nationally owned free to air channel ABC (as in Australian Broadcasting Authority) still airs the Superbowl live every year. At least they used to. I haven't followed it in a while but my brother and I used to be big 49ers fans back in the days of Joe Montana and Steve Young after him.

Enjoy your superbowl party sounds awesome! The great thing about junk food when it is only an occasional treat it actually tastes good!

Cheers

Hulbs

Rusty - do you put anything in your coffee? I love coffee, but i also hate artificial sweeteners. I'm trying to slowly cut back on my sugar (1.5tsp) in 10oz cup), but it's definitely hard! Also, how would you tailor your diet if you were to work out first thing in the morning (5:30am)?
Thanks!
C

Hulbs,

I do enjoy junk food days every now and then, but afterward I can't wait to get back to the gym. Also, whenever I eat junk food I get tired and have low energy. It reminds me at how much better it feels to eat healthy. I don't know how people eat fast food every day!

Christine,

You are going to hate me, but you can't put sugar in your coffee if you want to follow this type of dieting. If you workout first thing in the morning, tailor your diet so that your biggest carb meal is right after your workout. Eat less carbs after that and try to have a really low carb meal 5 out of the 7 days a week for dinner. This way your body will be well prepared to burn body fat for your morning workout, since it will be low on carb energy by the time morning rolls around.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Hey Rusty, i could never hate you! I know i have to stop with the sugar. Ok, so you convinced me - going cold turkey with the sugar, and no artificial sweeteners. Do you eat anything with sugar? like fiber or protein bars?
Also, I'm a little confused on how many or what types of carbs are allowed? Like on a low carb day, i understand i should stay clear of whole grains, starches, etc. - but does low carb mean like Atkins low carb - like no fruit and just greens? On the higher carb days, I am still staying away from processed and refined carbs, but can have oatmeal, brown rice, fruit, etc. even later in the day?

Hi Rusty,

Been following your site for quite some time. I have been caught up in the bodybuilder philosophy of lots of protein, clean horrible meals. This site has shown me that i don't need to eat vast quantities of protein, train like a bodybuilder etc.

My question is how the hell do you get to sleep on when your calories are low?

I wake up in the middle of the night and run downstairs and have little control then find raisins and other carbs to snack on completely destroying my diet.

Must have my carbs too low.

A typical days diet for me is :

Breakfast: 50g oats (cup ish) 2 scoops whey protein, fruit

Lunch: 200g ish turkey, 2 cups veg,

Dinner after workout: 100g rice, 200g turkey, 100g ish veg

Before bed: 200g turkey/tuna lots veg

Supplement with fish oils etc.

I think my protein is too high and my carbs are too low.

Training started last week looks like this;

Mon: Chest plus 20 mins hiit
Tue:Back plus 20 mins hiit
Wed: abs 20 mins hiit, 20 mins steady state
Thurs: Empty stomach morning cardio steady state 45 mins, pm: shoulders and hiit
Fri; Morning empty stomach morning cardio steady state and then pm is arms
Saturday and sunday are cardio days only

Maybe im doing too much and over training?

Im 154lbs at about 10-12% bodyfat, 5"9-10 ish

Any reccomendations?

Cheers for the site !! Keep it up!!

Wouldnt mind that ebook soon !

Yeah Rusty,

I just checked we get live coverage to Superbowl on free to air channel called SBS (international channel). It will be on tomorrrow during my work day. I might try to catch some of it at work!

hulbs

Christine,

I am not a big fan of Atkins low carb type dieting. I don't like to eat large amounts of saturated fat. I eat things with sugar in them on days when I allow myself to eat a bit loose. I try to limit days like these to once every two weeks.

For carbs…eat healthy ones like you mentioned. On low carb days, stick to things like Chicken with green vegetables…or chicken with a large salad. Think along the lines of lean protein and green veggies.

Jamie,

I know to solve your problem for sure…For breakfast, why don't you skip the oats. Just have the whey protein and fruit. Honestly…you could probably just get by on a piece of fruit and ditch the whey as well. Your lunch looks solid…a lean protein source and veggies.

After your workout, you should have a bigger meal, but then skip that "before bed" meal. If you eat to where you are somewhat full for dinner, you shouldn't get that middle of the night hunger. That really should help. As far as working out goes. Maybe just aim for 5 days a week instead of 7. You are probably a bit over-trained.

Hulbs,

I just got done watching the Super Bowl. The most exciting finish I can remember!

Rusty

Awesome Rusty! I didn't get to watch it damit! but saw the highlights in the Sports news. Looked like a great finish!

Hulbs

Hey Rusty
I have a question. How long does it take for your body to get used to a calorie deficit. I'm down to 1200 calories and I'm so hungry. I just started. Can you give me any advice about how to handle the hunger and how long it will take before my body gets used to the change? Or if it ever will?
Thanks in advance!

Susie,

That is my little sister's name! You will be hungry until your body gets better at burning fat for energy. Right now it is trained to burn carbs. As it begins to access body fat, you will feel great. It can take a few weeks for this to happen.

Rusty

Hi Rusty,

As a rule of thumb how many calories should one consume a day if one wants to lose weight. As you are on the Warrior Diet, could you give a breakdown on what you eat and the calorie consumption.

Thanks
Bill

Bill,

I consume anywhere between 1,200-2,000 calories per day. I weigh 185-190 pounds (haven't weighed my self in a few weeks). Right now I'm doing 3 low carb days in a row followed by one higher carb day. I'm a bit stricter than normal because I am just trying to sharpen up a touch after the holidays.

What I eat varies depending upon the day. Last night I had a date and had about 4 glasses of Stella beer. I felt that I was a bit carbed up so today I decided to go low carb. I did a Warrior Diet approach and ate a bowl of fruit in the morning, an apple at around 12:00…I worked out at 4:30 and did a longer cardio session than normal.

Tonight I'm going to do a low carb for dinner as well. I am making my favorite soup. A spicy chicken cabbage soup…which is basically 1/2 of a cabbage chopped up, chicken broth, 1/2 of a roasted chicken, cillantro, chopped jalapeño peppers, onions, and dump some salsa in. This is really low carb, but fills you up. It actually tastes really good.

I'm going low carb tomorrow before my workout, but a higher carb Warrior Meal after my workout. as well. Will probably eat an apple in the morning, green tea during the day, followed by a tough workout. My dinner will be 4 fish tacos, with rice, maybe a Corona, and yogurt mixed with Granola for dessert. If I get hungry I'll have a bit more yogurt later in the evening.

These are a couple of typical days on the Warrior Diet,

Rusty

Good day rusty,and thank you for the reponse a while ago.I bought a book that I found helpful for noobies :the EAT CLEAN DIET by tosca reno.I believe if her advice is followed with cardio and wieght training [along with your advice ofcourse]lol……It is the way we ate before WWII,cooked,CLEAN foods,no micky d's,no chemicals,no obesity…and is the way hardbodies been doing it for 60+ years….no fads ,no yoyo diets…..JUST LONG TERM PERMANANT RESULTS!!!like i tell my wife" if you can't grow it,hunt it,catch it….you cant eat it!IT Is the search for quick results ,and magic pills that keep 90% of people from reaching the goal.Slow down americans,eat clean and get your heart rate up…simple.I lost 40 lbs of fat and getting toner by the day @41 eating tons of food or should i say FUEL.well anyway thats my 2 cents,you have a nice day………………………..dean

Rusty,

Thanks but isnt 1200-2000 cals, a bit too low? especially if you factoring exercise? Should you consume at least 15x your weight in cals - for 190lbs shouldnt that be around 2700cals. If you burn 500 cals on exercise days, shouldnt this be 3,200cals? I take it that sometimes you eat just apple for break fast and some nuts for lunch which probably dont amount to more than 300 cals. So you must consuming over 1000 cals at dinner time? Am I correct?
Since i am 160lbs and followed the Warrior Diet and consuming around 1200 cals a day, I feel ill couple for a days after exercising. What exactly is the right number of calories to consume given i want to lose 2lbs a week? Many thanks.

Dean,

Thanks for the recommendation…I'll take a look at that book for sure!

Bill,

Those calories are too low for someone who doesn't stray from their diet plan. I eat extremely strict 5-6 days a week, because I like to socialize and go out on dates twice per week on average…I eat higher calorie meals at restaurants on these days. Those days insure that I don't go into starvation mode, from eating to few calories. Why don't you try around 2,000-2,500 calories for a while and work your way down to 1,500-2,200. It is so hard to recommend an exact calorie amount for people because their are tons of factors that come into play.

Rusty

Hi Rusty!

really this is a great web site…i have already addicted to this web site! and i am getting more confident,
i was a very bulky girl year before! but how ever after working hard and after plenty of food controlling i lost lot of weight! OH!!!
now i have a new image as u mentioned in you post !!!
but the big problem is with in me!
because of poor food condition and hard exercise i have lost my breast amount too much! so i feel very uncomfortable with in this situation! SO rusty can u help me !!!

is there any workout for getting better breast

Thanks,

Sera,

There isn't too much you can do about losing breast size as you get lean. I think you need to know that guys like fit girls better than flabby girls with large breasts. Get in great shape and your body will look attractive regardless of breast size.

Rusty

Hey Rusty,

Great article and a great read - something different - it's refreshing. But, I was wondering about what foods you suggest on ingesting. I am a big fan of the structure and ideas behind the Zone diet. While I don't practice it myself, I am a huge supporter and practitioner of eating natural foods and staying away from the processed stuff or anything with too many ingredients in it that I do not recognize. So, just for clarification (Sorry, I'm a student - we aren't taught flexible ideas ^^) low-carb days are primarily good protein sources such as fish and chicken, while high-carb days are full of fruits and vegetables? You said:

"If you know you are going to have a junkier day on a Saturday for instance, maybe do 3 low carb days leading up to the high calorie day."

High-carb to me means lots of fruits and vegetables, but neither have a high caloric value. What foods are you referencing to to achieve a high calorie day?

And does the principle of refraining from eating for several hours before a workout and then waiting to eat an hour post-exercise still apply to this thought process of diet?

With the Warrior Diet, your modified version really intrigues me - having a minor protein source a couple times early day to cancel the affects of amino acid breakdown during energy consumption and then eating later in the night. With this night meal, do you consume a fairly balanced protein-carb ratio or just whatever you feel would be the most beneficial based on how you felt that day?

I do eat several full meals a day and have access to food whenever I want, basically. While I am well in single digits of body fat, I cannot help but want to try the Warrior Diet. I read through the replies and mental clarity and alertness seem to be a recurring theme. Who doesn't want that? But, I do have friends who have daily commitments that prevent them from following strict diets such as the Zone. The Warrior Diet seemed like a perfect fit, especially since one in particular that comes to mind wants to lose some weight. I provide them with workouts that are based on intense, multi-muscle circuits to get the heart rate up while resistance training at the same time, but it isn't yielding the results they desire. I know that dieting is a huge segment of fat loss, but I wasn't sure, based on what I've been taught, how to give them a plan that fit their schedule. So, basically, thanks for the info ^^

Oh, one more thing, I am 5'9", 144lbs, and with all of my meals a day, I do not gain weight. I exercise most days of the week and usually do the more intense circuits I mentioned above. Moving to a eating philosophy such as the Warrior Diet — what affects would that have on my body? You mentioned you had been doing it for a couple of years - does the diet have a strong maintenance aspect? I certainly don't want to lose the muscle mass and strength I have. You said that 6 meals a day was ideal for building muscle mass. I am not so concerned with mass as I am with strength throughout the body. Would the Warrior Diet be appropriate for me or is it something that I'll need to experiment with? If I felt like strength/fitness was diminishing, would I just have to implement more higher-carb night meals?

*phew* I think I'm finally done. Sorry about the long post and laundry list of questions - your time is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!

Oh… um… one more thing. With Bill's post above, he was asking about the night meal. With your modified version, you consume almost 500 calories prior to the night meal. So, does that mean you consume the remaining amount of your caloric needs in that one meal? I ask because it seems as though you would be stuffed and you had said that you eat until you're satisfied, not until you're going to explode. Could you clarify for me?

Dennis,

Do your instructors know you are going over to "The Dark Side"?

[The Dark Side is strong!]

The high carb day…Including rice, potatoes, veggies, bread, oatmeal, pasta etc. In that particular sentence, I was referring to junkier foods like chips, white bread, alcohol, pie, cake, etc. Stuff you would eat at a picnic or holiday.

As far as not eating before working out, if it is realistic on this higher carb day, I still think it is a good idea. To be honest, most of my higher carb days happen on days that I don't workout.

That modified version of the Warrior diet works extremely well…and yes, I eat a balanced diet after the workout. The amount of carbs I eat is largely dictated by how hard I trained, or if I feel like I am too carb depleted or feel a bit carbed up I will adjust the amount of carbs accordingly.

The Warrior Diet is perfect for busy people with changing schedules. Even if they followed the Warrior Diet 5 days a week, they should get positive results.

I have been doing that modified version of the Warrior Diet for about 5 years and I have actually gained strength in every lift. I'm sure the same would happen for you. What I have found is that I'm slightly smaller and more compact, but all my muscles have a great clean sharpness to them. Like you said, a simple increase in carbs post-workout would add weight…less carbs post-workout to lose weight.

As far as getting 1,000-1,500 calories in one meal. It is WAY easier than you think. If you are getting stuffed, just add in a few more calorie dense foods…that way you don't have to eat a large volume of food. I find larger meals a great reward…especially after a great workout in the gym!

Thanks for all the questions. It will help people with the same question in the future.

Have a great one!

Rusty

Rusty
I hope you still write this ebook. I would be very interested in it! (:

Sandy,

I have ideas for 4 different books. I'm still deciding on what I want to offer as free reports and which I want to go deeper into and offer as paid products. I'll definitely get this diet in much more detail in e-book format, but not sure if it will be free or if it will be a paid product yet.

Thanks for the feedback,

Rusty

Hey rusty:

I'm 6', 193 lbs and trying to get down to about 175.
I exercise hard 5-6 days a week (30 min lifting light/low reps and 30 min cardio) and I have cut calories down to 1800-2000 calories/day.

My question is that I know cutting carbs is a good idea but I just LOVE cereal. I usually have at least 2-3 bowls a day. I always workout in the morning before i eat anything, and then wait at least an hour after I workout to eat my first meal. Is it bad that I am eating a lot of cereal as long as I am sticking to 1800-2000 calories???

THANKS!

Patrick,

You can eat cereal, but maybe do it like this to have the least impact…one bowl right after working out and 1-2 bowls an hour later. For the rest of the day eat lower carb.

This should work well.

Rusty

Rusty,

Really love the idea of your diet plan. I enjoy eating 1-2 meals a day and be able to eat a large dinner and still keep calories low. One thing I'm having a lot of trouble figuring out is - how much calorie should one consume? How much is too much and how little is too little?

Every nutrition expert seems to have different opinion in regards to what a good amount to eat is, the traditional thinking is -500 to lose 1-2 lb a week.

What's the minimum calorie I can get away with without my body going into starvation mode? You also mentioned eating 1200 calories during the week and eat whatever you want on the weekend. Are weekly cycle a good way to look at this diet plan?

Thanks!

mc

MC,

Try eating 10 calories per pound of bodyweight per day. So if you weigh 125…eat 1,250 calories per day. This figure could seem low to people, because it is. That is why it is important to cycle on and off low calorie diets like this. You can do the 5 days strict and 2 days loose method…but if you want to get really lean at some point you may have to go 3-4 weeks on and one week off.

Hope that helps!

Rusty

Rusty,
I have a very unplanned lifestyle where I don't know if i'm going out to eat or to a party until 5 min before I leave, so I'm not sure how well carb cycling will work for me. If I just keep my calorie count in check, will this still work for me as far as weight loss - it will just be a bit slower? and if I do try to keep with low carb but then end up going out and eating horribly, say a high fat high carb meal, whether it's in my caloric limits or not, will this screw me up completely? Am I better off just counting calories and not worrying so much about carbs? I'm doing one meal a day by the way.
Thanks!

TJ,

Just eat well as often as possible. That is what I do. Sometimes I go two weeks in between high calorie days…other times it is 2 days. I actually think being random like this keeps the body guessing to a certain extent. The Warrior Diet is really flexible in this sense. It will still work well for you.

Rusty

Hey Rusty,

Great site I just found it last night and I've been reading a ton. I'm young and trying to get into shape because over winter I've gained a crazy amount :(. I like all you're ideas on this site but I'm not very nutrition literate. I was wondering a few things to help plan my diet and excersize routine.

My idea is to wake up and work out early after eating an apple or banana or something. Then I'll wait until about 4pm til I eat again. I like the 3 days low carb 1 day high carb but I feel maybe for my situation I should be even more strict? Is this bad?

My work out will contain a variation of the HIIT but with my stationary bike to start for I'm not a skilled runner. Will this work?

Also for weight training are there good shoulder and back workouts with home equipment? I have a weight bench, curling bar, and some free weights.

Nutritionally I'm not at all sure what to purchase for my diet. I'd love ideas and really good things to buy for me to keep strict. I do go out a lot and so I'll make sure to not eat junky foods when I do go out but sometimes I admit I'll eat a bit.

Thanks for any help to get me started on living a healthy life and getting a great body!

Kevin,

I wish I had a site like this when I was young. Heck…we didn't even have "sites" when I was young…no Internet! I'm sounding like my grandparents now…I'll stop!

If you have a lot of weight to lose…30+ pounds…you can eat lower calorie days for an extended period of time. Once you get close to your target weight…10 or less pounds to lose…you have to alternate periods of low calorie with maintenance calorie weeks.

As far as healthy foods…think green vegetables, fruit and lean meat. Avoid wheat and grains until you get to your target weight. Eat them at times, but limit your intake. It is pretty simple.

You can do really effective HIIT on an exercise bike. A long time ago (sounding like my grandparents again) we didn't have treadmills in most gyms. It was weights and exercise bikes. They worked then and still work very well!

Have a great one!

Rusty

Lorna, question for you. I saw that you lost 25 lbs following the warrior diet! I like the idea of the warrior diet because green tea gives me energy to exercise once in the morning and in the afternoon. How many calories would you say your evening meal was? And also, did you count carbs? Thanks for any help!!

Rusty,
I am hoping you will be able to help me with my fitness goals. First off, I love the idea of the Warrior Diet, but I have tried so many diets in the past and have not been able to permanently keep the weight off, so I don't know if it will work for me. I really want to be slim, and I've recently bought the FatLoss4Idiots. However, I love to exercise, and they suggest that I don't, so I don't want to follow it. I'm hoping to start the Warrior Diet this week, but just need a little advice. First off, I like to exercise- I do a 45 min Cardio workout by the company Beachbody every morning around 8:30 Mon-Friday, Tues at 5am. Then, I like to go to the gym around 4:30 in the afternoon and do elliptical, bike or treadmill for another hour or so. What do you suggest I eat every day? I would really like to just eat an apple or strawberries for breakfast and lunch, and then for dinner something like a big salad with fat free dressing, followed by an egg burrito on a low carb tortilla and a Pria bar. Will that be enough calories so that my body doesn't go into starvation mode?!! What about a protein shake after my morning workout? What kind of whey protein should I get, and should I put fruit in it? Should I drink two every day? I don't want to bulk up though. I really would appreciate ANY help!!! I am 5'5", and weigh around 140 lbs. I recently lost a lot of weight by just doing a water fast for two weeks, and quickly put it all back on in my stomach, abs region, so I want it gone for good. Thanks for your help!!

One more question…. if I do the warrior diet, should I follow the low carb days like 3 or 4 times a week, and what consists of low carb days- exactly how many carbs? And, if I do that, should I have vegetables instead of the apple and strawberries that I would normally have for breakfast and lunch?! Thanks!!!!!

Caligirl,

With your high level of exercise, I would recommend a good protein shake like Myoplex or Muscle Milk after your morning workout…then another mid-day from time to time. Your dinner sounds good, make it a bit bigger on days when you drink only one shake in the morning. You will have to fine-tune to see what works best for you. You shouldn't get bulky, because you are doing quite a bit of cardio.

Hope that helps,

Rusty

Rusty,
Thanks for your quick reply!!! You are amazing how you work with so many people like this! I appreciate your help. I will let you know my results from the warrior diet. My main concern though is getting enough calories for dinner. It's hard to eat over 1000 calories at one setting. How many calories do you think I should be eating every day?!

PS. Do you have a name for your ebook, so I'll know what to look for? And also, should I follow that routine of 3 low carb days followed by a high carb day while following the warrior diet?! Thanks again!!

Caligirl,

I wish it was tough for me to eat 1,000 calories in one sitting. I could eat 4,000+ if there weren't any negative consequences.

If you have a really tough time getting 1,000 calories, add calorie dense foods like nuts and avocado to your meals. If that doesn't work…consider a small breakfast early in the morning along with your dinner later in the day.

The name of my e-book is "top secret" (even to me…I haven't really decided on a name yet). I'm so busy helping people on my blog that I haven't progressed as far as I would like. My priorities are to help you guys first and work on the book during my "down time".

Cheers!

Rusty

What are your thoughts of this idea of mine. Follow low-carb days Mon-Fri (this also happens to be the days I follow a IF/Paleo-like diet) then on Sat and Sun (when I go off the IF/Paleo) go high-carb. Basically a 5:2 ratio. I like how this will work with my schedule since I take the train down on Friday nights to spend the weekend with my girlfriend. And I bet it will help with my fat loss goals. However, is it to extreme? Too much? Im not sure…