January 20, 2008
The Perfect Diet Plan to Have a Sexy, Tight, Smoking, and Rocking Body! Part I
Well, the title say it all! I guess I forgot a few other adjectives: yummy, delicious, and painfully hot. You get the idea. All joking aside, I actually believe that if you follow certain principles I am going to outline here, you can create a diet plan that will actually make your body into something amazing. I have been using this for weeks with outstanding results. I have a feeling this will become the most popular post on this blog to date. Right now, my "one meal a day" post has the most comments (461)…but that is about to change. Before we get into the diet, let's take a look at an example of a really hot woman.
[Subject 1-A.00087 shown here lying in white panties. Note: Internet user's increase in testosterone and heart beat. The user appears to be focusing on the subject's buttocks. Internet user has a smile on their face and enjoys the photo. The experiment was a success!]
Lets Begin…Most Diet Plans are Way Too Rigid
"Atkins" is based around eating noting but fat and protein. "The Zone" is about eating a specific ratio of protein, fat and carbs. You have "The South Beach" diet which is high protein and no carbs. You have diets like "The Pritikin Diet" which is high carbs with low fat and low protein. So many rules. The problem is this…you badly want whatever is not allowed. If you are on a diet that doesn't allow many carbs, you crave them like mad.
The Problem With High Carb Diets
Diets high in carbohydrates just don't work when it comes to weight loss. Even when the calories are kept low, the spike in insulin keeps the body from burning fat. Simply put, if your body is high in "carbohydrate energy" it has no reason at all to access body fat for energy. This is the main reason I tell people to go into workouts in a "carb depleted" state if they want to burn the maximum amount of body fat. Also, this diet discourages fat consumption. When you don't get essential fats it can shut down your hormonal system. This can cause weight gain, depression, and even make men impotent.
Remember the "Fat Free" Craze?
I remember shopping with my dad in the grocery store as a kid and looking for anything that had "fat free" on the label. It got so bad that things that never have fat in them were even using this as a marketing ploy…"fat free salsa", "fat free licorice", "fat free vinegar", etc. I'm serious! If you could fill your cart with "fat free" items, you were bound to lose weight. Right? Well as it turned out, many of these items were loaded with sugar. Even the items that were low in calories were causing fat gains at a record rate. Make no mistake about it, eating carbs without at least a little protein or a bit of fat is the worst thing you can do if you are trying to lose weight.
Along Came, All-You-Can-Eat (as long as it's fatty protein)
Atkins Diet works, but seriously…it is asking for health problems. Deep down everyone knows that eating massive amounts of saturated fats will kill you. This diet is "slow death", plain and simple. It is really, really bad for you. Avoiding carbs long term also slows down your body's production of serotonin, which gives your body a "calming effect" as well as helps you sleep. Avoiding carbs altogether also causes bad breath. The bad thing is that this breath can't be cured by brushing and flossing. It originated from your digestive tract and can't really be avoided on the Atkins diet.
The South Beach Diet, Good But With Flaws
The South Beach Diet was a step in a better direction. It was a much healthier and realistic alternative to the Atkins Diet. This is a really low carb diet that encourages healthy proteins and fat. Make no mistake about it, it works well. The problem again is that chronic carb restriction can shut down important hormones in the body. Also, deprivation of carbs almost always leads to uncontrolled bingeing. This is the type of diet that causes rapid weight loss, followed by rapid weight gain.
What About a Moderate Amount of Carbs and Protein?
This is what the "Zone Diet" is based upon. The tough deal here is that this diet is based upon a model of not being flexible. You are forced to eat protein, fats and carbohydrates in a very specific way that makes this diet really hard to follow. It works pretty well, but life isn't this structured and as soon as the proportions are wrong the weight loss comes to a halt. This is a really tough diet to follow and your entire day will be focused around eating proper proportions.
Introducing "The Perfect Diet Plan"
Okay, nothing is perfect. I think you will like this plan because it takes the strengths of some of the more popular diet plans while avoiding the weaknesses. Yes, this is actually possible and I've been experimenting a bit with this with outstanding results. I believe this is going to work really well for everyone. Before we dive into it, let's look at a picture of a slightly "curvier" brunette lying on a bed in her lingerie. You know you enjoy this stuff!
[Subject 1-B.00099 shown lying on bed. Note: The Internet User seems to have good response, but doesn't know where to focus. The User is pleased and feel a sense of "comfort". The User can't decide which picture is better. Conclusion: experiment a success! The user likes a variety of smoking hot women!]
I Have Been Guilty of Focusing on the Wrong Things
My site has focused a bit too much on how many meals to eat in a day. While I still believe we don't need to eat many meals, I think this is focusing our efforts in the wrong direction. I will still only eat once or twice a day, because I get great results from that, I just realize that some people like to eat more often. This diet will allow you the flexibility to eat as many or as few meals as you like. I hope my posts in the past have opened people's eyes to the fact that it isn't necessary to eat 6 meals a day to get lean. I believe that many of those posts have served that purpose well.
This is a Simple Diet that Can Be Mastered Over Time
Okay…before I talk about the details of the diet, I have to let you know…it is really, really, simple. Don't let the simplicity fool you, you can make this as complex as you want. The diet is based upon the idea of cycling or alternating days of low carbs with healthy fats and days of higher carbs with very little fat. In Part II, I will talk about calories, ratios, how many days of low carb vs high carb depending upon your goals…basically the actual diet itself. This is a diet with really solid principles that you can customize to fit your lifestyle. You can make this "The Perfect Diet Plan" for you, hence the name.
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Comments
January 20, 2008
Lorna said:
so pt 2 will be about the actual diet itself, right? i hate lo carb diets bc i feel so tired that i can never stick to them. i also avoid red meat entirely bc i do not like the taste of it. so i become dizzy and anemic. the best diet would include lo GI foods, right?
admin said:
Lorna,
Yeah…part II will be the diet itself. I think you will like it.
Rusty
Tesa said:
I can't wait for part 2!
January 21, 2008
Graeme said:
Looking forward to hearing it Rusty.
When you say it involves "cycling" of sorts, It sounds kind of like the way I eat already! Some days I'll eat a lot more carbs and snack a bit. Other days I'll head to my mom's place and eat an awesome fatty meal.
Weekends, I try to eat little during the day so I can drink lots and eat awesome bar food when I'm out with friends, rather than have to worry about having too many calories for the day.
That said, all this stuff I'm talking about is thanks to you man. I'm on my way to getting that beach bod you've been talking about recently thanks to some great diet tips you've given on this site.
Looking forward to part II!
Mike said:
Rusty, thanks for the site. I'm new to it and just spent about two hours reading through a few dozen posts and comments people have left — great advice, but I need clarification.
ABOUT ME: I'm a 28-year-old guy who has never really focused on fitness but did some high school sports/training. I'm 6'4" and about 205 lbs right now, but to be quite honest not very strong and not very muscled. I'm recently done with business school, work has calmed down, and I'm ready to focus on fitness — as much time, money, dedication as needed — this is how I've done successfully moved thru career and grad school in the past.
WHERE I AM NOW: I eat very healthy but am ready to cut out the unnecessary french fries etc. I'm not a gym member but could be; I have easy access to a treadmill and elliptical and my wife has a ball and full set of dumbbells.
MY PLAN: Originally I was thinking I should hit the treadmill/elliptical for the next 6/7 weeks and try to drop an easy 15 pounds of fat. Then I thought I'd hit the weights and go high-protein and pick up another 15-20 pounds of muscle. Then I thought I would drop back on the weights and protein and try to "get cut." Finally I want to get into a routine of maintaining tone and doing aerobic exercise to stay lean.
MY PROBLEM: I realize everyone wants to look like McConnaughey overnight, but I am hoping for reasonably fast results (months not years) and am willing to put in whatever's needed — gym twice a day, specialized foods, etc. I saw your recommendation to do 5 reps x 5 sets to slowly bulk up and maintain tone. To be honest, I'd rather bulk up fast and tone later — but you're the pro here.
The consensus seems to be that if you want to make major improvements to your body, you have to go all cardio or all weights. To maintain good shape, you want to mix them. Hence my plan for cardio to drop fat, weights to bulk up, get cut, then maintain with both (assuming I'll need to join a gym vs. wife's array of treadmill, elliptical, dumbbells and ball — right?).
In other words my good man, what would you recommend if I came to you and said, "I'm a Hollywood actor with a flexible schedule and decent finances. I need to look great shirtless in a movie in 5 months. I'll give you all the time you need… just tell me what to do?"
Hulbs said:
bring on part 2 Rusty!
I'll be interested to compare this with what i've already been doing (thanks to your tips!) with results i could never have dreamed of.
Like Graeme I'm also quite close to a beach bod to be proud of thanks again to your tips! My wife Sarah and i are off overseas in 6 weeks time with the last 3 days of that trip being at a luxurious Thailand Beach resort where I'll proudly show off my new hot bod!
Jason said:
rusty I'm a guy and wanted to know what you thought about ISOmetric an exercises? Ive been coin every mourn when I wake but can u get a six pack without crunches , leg lift.
also I have a muscular body type and muscle easy when I just focused on cardio and lost a lot of muscle and now I look really cut even though ive stopped lifting? How many times would u reccomend lifting and what do u think of isometric upper body exercises
Thanks awesome site
yavor said:
Interesting stuff! Looking forward to reading your spin on carb cycling, Rusty. I liked Vince Gironda's idea – just eat some carbs every few days when you start feeling light headed.
That being said, I know quite a few ripped hard core low carbers at my gym who are quite healthy, vital, strong, with normal breath, etc.
Can't wait for the article
Helder said:
I can´t wait to read part II, you are right when you say that most diets are very rigid and hard to follow, that´s why so many people fail. I don't do anything too "exotic" about my eating and i'm getting good results. I try to eat in a balanced way, high on protein, some healthy fats (HDL) and moderate carbs, the trick with carbs is only one and it made all the difference to me, i don't eat carbs after 6 p.m. (except veggies or fruit) and i don't eat after 3/4 hours before going to bed. Simple things on a balanced diet that really worked for me.
About that diet of one or two meals a day, i have some questions that have to do with health. I don't question the results obtained, if you say it works i believe you, but i have questions about the side effects. It has to do with the limited capacity of our body to absorb nutrients and calories in each meal, most nutritionists say that one of the reasons we need to eat several meals a day is because we can't absorb all the things we need in just one meal, because the body has a limit, and the things you eat that aren't absorbed, won't be kept to be used later. They say that if you skip meals, the body won't burn just fat, but also muscle and organ tissues, we also have to remember that the heart is a muscle, and a few days ago a nutritionist was saying on tv that it´s very common to see people that have the habit of being lots of hours without eating during the day, with heart problems due to the loss of tissue. Of course this is something they do for years, maybe it has no problem if done only for a few weeks. I still believe in 5 small meals a day, to gain muscle or to lose weight, the main difference is in calories. I would like to know what do you think about this?
Thanks Rusty.
admin said:
Graeme,
I'm pumped that you are making great progress. That is wonderful. I do the same thing if I know I'm going to go out with my friends and eat bar food…eat nothing before that and eat less than normal the day before as well. It works extremely well.
Mike,
I would recommend basing your workout around High Intensity Interval Training. That will boost your HGH (burn fat while gaining a bit of muscle if done in a certain way). Don't do any extended amount of cardio, because you are trying to gain muscle as well. Do HIIT for 15-20 minutes after every workout. Drink a high quality protein shake right after the workout and eat a healthy balanced meal right after that. Always workout on an empty stomach.
As far as lifting goes…I'm a big fan of the 2 days split. Divide your body up and work 1/2 your body one day and 1/2 your body the other day. I still think 5 sets of 5 would be the way to go, but if you badly need quite a bit more mass do pyramid sets (12, 10, 8, 6 reps on every exercise). In your case I would also do more total sets for each body part…maybe 12 or so.
This will give you quick results as long as you push your HIIT hard and do all of this on an empty stomach. As far as eating the rest of the day. Protein shake in morning, one mid day, workout 4 hours later, shake right after, followed by a really healthy meal with plenty of fruits. Once you get lean, follow the advice that I give the majority of the time on this site…low reps, lots of cardio, etc.
Hulbs,
I'm totally jealous buddy! I want to go to Thailand in a major way. Great job at getting in amazing shape. In our lifetime how many trips like this do we go on? Not many! You may as well look amazing. Vacations like this are great motivation.
Jason,
Isometrics can get you toned, but I like regular lifting for the most part. I do think isometrics are the way to go for great abs. I do nothing but planks, and my abs look as ripped as they ever have.
Yavor,
Yes, I am going to sit down for a couple of hours and finish the article tonight. I think this will be extremely beneficial to a lot of people.
Cheers!
Rusty
Christine said:
Hey Rusty! Can't wait for the article…when you say "carbs" do you include fruit and vegetables as part of that? So on low carb days, are we cutting out fruit and vegetables?
Thanks!
C
David said:
Can't wait Rusty. My body is looking really good since I have been following your advice. Getting stronger and leaner everyday. Really excited about this diet.
admin said:
Christine,
You can have certain vegetables on a low carb day. You could even possibly include a tiny bit of fruit. More details to come!
David,
I love hearing that you guys are getting great results! This keeps me hitting this hard and giving it my all. I have to go workout and then I'm going to spend a couple hours on part II. You will like it for sure!
Rusty
admin said:
Helder,
The Warrior Diet is very interesting. When you fast for a short period of time your body increases its ability to absorb nutrients. The book goes into crazy detail about why this works, but Ori also addresses the fact that this is controversial. He looks down upon eating too little of calories every day, because that is when the body goes into a catabolic mode.
I feel wonderful when I eat this way, but I know this diet doesn't work for everybody. This is a big reason I am jazzed about writing this 2 part diet plan article. It will work well for everyone, no matter how many meals they would like to eat.
Rusty
lady said:
Eagerly waiting for part 2…Something new to follow for a change will be refreshing.
January 28, 2008
Matt said:
Rusty,
Very interesting advice you gave Mike up above as I'm in a similar situation myself. I am also 6'4" and currently weigh 200 lbs. Prior to focusing on getting lean, my weight was typically in the 220-225 lbs. range (I was much stronger but did not look particularly "fit"). I primarily used spinning classes at the gym to bring by weight down after deciding to pursue the lean look.
The only problem with my current situation is that at 200 lbs. my bf % remains at approx. 18% (I say approx. because it's been measured by the electronic household scale and I question it's accuracy). My frame is definetely a medium and not a small. One of my more hardcore bodybuilding friends refers to my current physique as "skinny fat guy".
My question is whether it is actually possible with the advice you gave Mike up above to burn off another 10% or so of my remaining body fat while gaining back some of my lost muscle as well?
Thanks and keep up the good work.
p.s.
I still prefer my so called "skinny fat guy" look to my previous "bulked-up" look. I'm lucky enough to have the "Orlando Bloom" type look you described earlier and when wearing nice clothes I just look like a normal, thin, healthy guy. I am interested in getting the ripped look more for beach season and for the sense of accomplishment.
January 29, 2008
admin said:
Matt,
That advice I gave to Mike would be good advice for you as well. If you look pretty darn good in clothes then you are really close to hitting your goal. Get ripped and you will have the build of a ripped Pro Beach Volleyball player. Women dig those guys!
Read this post as well…since you are close, this will help you if you ever get stuck at a certain body fat percentage.
Perceived Effort and Fat Loss
Cheers,
Rusty
February 13, 2008
aloha said:
This is a great diet idea, but the bodybuilding community has been using this diet strategy for years- carb cycling. there's very good articles on it at bodybuilding.com, two days of low carb, two of moderate, two of high, with or wihtout weekly refeeds or whatever. carb cycling dependent on workouts is also mentioned.
May 17, 2008
Caligirl said:
Hey, just wondering if you could possibly go over the phase I and II of the diet you are talking about?! I am getting confused about the info on this site. Thanks
May 18, 2008
admin said:
Caligirl,
My guess is that you are probably a bit confused because I also talk about the Warrior Diet.
I have to be quick, because I have many more questions to get to. Here are the basics…
Just cycle days of low carbs with days of higher carbs. If you have a lot of weight to lose do many more low carb days…as you get closer to your ideal weight, do a bit more moderate carb days. When you reach your ideal weight, you can include more moderate carb days vs. low carb days.
It is completely flexible depending upon what your goals are.
Hope that helps!
Rusty
October 28, 2008
yogesh said:
plz. tell me the diet plan to change my fat body in to a sexy looking and athletic body
May 13, 2009
Ralyndra said:
"Deep down everyone knows that eating massive amounts of saturated fats will kill you. This diet is "slow death", plain and simple. It is really, really bad for you."
Ummm How about NO it isn't? Saturated fats have NEVER been unhealthy.