[OT] Have you ever radically changed the quality of your diet?

21 comments

• caracoges

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  5 years ago

  No need for any extreme diets, use a calorie calculator online to see how much you should eat depending on if you want to lose or gain weight. And then it’ll just take a few years to put on the muscle
• Papi_Chulo

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  5 years ago

  I think I heard a doctor on PBS state that the human body's carbohydrate need is zero, that our acient ancestors' diet didn't contain carbs. I've heard that carbs, sugars, dairy, most grains, is not good - lean grass-fed beef, and fish (salmon), etc, are good - it's good to stick to high quality high nutrient foods (aka super foods of which ice cream is not) - I think it's best to stick to a good high nutient diet and exercise vs trying extreme stuff
• blahblahblah23

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  5 years ago

  I like junk food and alcohol after a good weekend :D
• flagooner

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  5 years ago

  ^+1
• mark94

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  5 years ago

  I’ve tried similar diets. All the extreme diets have unintended consequences. It might take weeks or months for these consequences to appear, but they will. In general, just avoid processed foods, both in stores and restaurants. If it comes in a box, can, bottle, or through a take-out window, avoid it. Feel free to eat unprocessed fruit, vegetables, beans, nuts, meat, poultry, and fish in any quantity that you desire.
• Mate27

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  5 years ago

  Man you got a lot of time on your hands if you can overthink a topic such as different diets and implement them, too. All things in moderation, that way you get to enjoy it all in a healthy manner. It’s better than a sea food diet!
• s275ironman

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  5 years ago

  I really wish all the data from nutrition studies of the past 15 years or so was available when I was 18 years old, which is when I first implemented a diet plan for weight loss. I’ve never tried any of the fad diets that get all the hype. There were times I made my own diet plan for weight loss where I had a very short list of foods I would eat 6 days a week, and then have a cheat day. A lot of this took place when I was in my 20’s. Now a days, I try to eat a balanced diet, but mostly source my foods from natural sources. I make sure I get in an adequate amount of protein, carbs and healthy fats. I don’t believe it is a good idea to severely limit your intake of any of the 3 essential macronutrients, even carbs. My protein sources are mostly egg whites, chicken breast, salmon, grass-fed steak (only once or twice per week) whole eggs (rarely) and whey protein shakes (after weight-training). My carb sources are oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes, bananas, blueberries and strawberries. I get healthy fats from nuts plus the meats I eat. I also make sure I get an adequate amount of fiber from sources like spinach, broccoli and cauliflower. I think I am eating the right foods, but figuring out the right macronutrient ratios for my goals is where it gets tough. One thing I do know about my body is that it tends to favor storing fat over building muscle. Just over 3 years ago, I was about 27% body fat before I decided to make lifestyle changes to get back on track. Today I am at 16% body fat, and my goals are to get that down in the 8-12% range, but also gain 5-10 pounds in the form of muscle. I’m still trying to figure out if it is even possible to build muscle and burn fat simultaneously. Most sources say you can only do one or the other, but not both at the same time. The thing is, while I still want to lose some stubborn body fat, I don’t want to lose any weight while I do it. Also, while I want to build muscle, the last time I tried a plan that focused on building muscle, I also gained a ton of fat, even while eating all the recommended foods to put on lean muscle mass. In all scenarios, I did have a balanced exercise routine that involves both weight-training and cardio.
• twentyfive

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  5 years ago

  All of the information they have come up with over the past 25 years still shows a balanced diet includes all the major food groups and the best way to lose or gain weight is to focus on calories in vs calories used, if you want to lose eat less and use aerobic exercise more, if you want to gain eat more and exercise with weights and focus on muscle groups.
• Nidan111

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  5 years ago

  ^^^^ Exactly correct
• IceyLoco

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  5 years ago

  We need carbs, but we can get them from vegetables, fruits and legumes. Its refined carbs that are bad for us. I also cut sugar out of my diet and greatly decreased how much alcohol I drink. I've toyed with vegetarianism before but I had to take tons of supplements coz I like to stay active. On its own the diet was leaving me way too tired. The key is to eat things in moderation. I wouldn't try being a carnivore. All of your protein doesn't need to come from meat. Plus I actually prefer non meat dishes a lot of times. I guess right now I'd consider myself a pescatarian. Although I'm not that strict with it.
• Papi_Chulo

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  5 years ago

  When I mentioned cutting out carbs I meant starches, pasta, etc - fruits and vegetables are good & provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, etc - the key is to focus on the ones that have more nutrients (e.g. sweet potato over a regular potato, etc) - w.r.t. fruits and vegetables a rule of thumb is the stronger/motmre-vibrant the color usually the more nutrients it contains - avocado, berries, nuts, etc, are nutritious but everything in moderation.
• Call.Me.Ishmael

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  5 years ago

  I'm not strictly carnivore, but I'm on a *very* low carb diet now and I feel great. Energy levels are better than before and improving. I'm dropping excess fat at a gradual but steady rate. I don't do regular "cheat" days, but I abandon the diet when I'm out with friends. I have to indulge on occasion or I'll fall off the wagon completely. I also do some intermittent fasting, which has been a real game changer for me. It's not one-size-fits-all. Body chemistry, ethnicity, age, environment are all factors determining if a particular diet / lifestyle are right for you. The diet that's perfect for me would probably train wreck other people. And I'd probably fall apart in other diet plans.
• FTS

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  5 years ago

  My carbs (ice cream) are usually consumed in the late afternoon to evening; I’m trying a muscle building, testosterone boosting technique called carb-backloading. My father taught me the same thing, but he didn’t call it that. The idea is basically to not eat any carbs and then do a workout, but then after the workout you continue to not eat carbs, only protein and fat. The next day you continue, and workout again, hard, so your body is in quite an extreme state having not had any carbohydrates but still exercised a considerable amount. Then, right after that workout finishes in the afternoon or evening, you pig out on carbs and sugars. Idk why but it works, something to do with the circadian rhythm of your hormones. Fun fact for anybody who doesn’t already know: the human body can generate glucose from amino acids and ascorbic acid. It’s a process called gluconeogenesis, and it’s performed in the liver. That’s how people survive on zero-carb diets; their liver is producing all the glucose their body needs.
• IceyLoco

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  5 years ago

  I do intermittent fasting and like it... Cheat days are good, you don't want your metabolism to slow down.
• CJKent (Banned)

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  5 years ago

  @FTS I found, from a champion all natural bodybuilder, the “secret” to being fit; with a lean muscular body A) A balanced diet, fruits and vegetables, proteins etc. not overeaten, like we have been raise to do because of the supersizing of meals, just good fresh food. B) A good exercise “routine”, again not overdue it; is false the claim of “not pain no gain” you have to be able to exercise every day if you want, it has to be part of your lifestyle. Also remember that the fat gets out of your body when you breath it out after it has been burned by the exercise/physical work/workout you perform. C) A good night sleep; if you don’t rest well it doesn’t matter if you do A and B, you have to rest your body to be able to exercise as part of your lifestyle. Of course everyone is different and you just need to find out what works for you to get the body you want. Think of it as you are an sculptor that is sculpting your body. You don’t have to make it more difficult tha it is. “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler” ~ Albert Einstein
• FTS

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  5 years ago

  Thanks CJ. I don’t imagine i’ll continue this diet for long. I ate really well when I was in college and worked out regularly, and put on a decent amount of muscle as a result, so I know what you wrote is true. Just as a tip: I discovered this supplement recently, seems... amazing, frankly. It’s called Shilajit (Conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness). Ever heard of it? It’s been a healing substance in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years and is considered one of the best. Might want to look it up; 4.4 stars on Amazon: Pürblack Live Resin Shilajit
• s275ironman

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  5 years ago

  FTS, Shilajit is becoming a popular ingredient in testosterone boosters. I am currently taking a test booster that has 200mg of a patented form of shilajit known as PrimaVie. You can also get PrimaVie shilajit as a stand-alone supplement as well. As for its effectiveness, more scientific studies on humans are needed. As far as it’s safety, I would only supplement with the PrimaVie branded shilajit as it is put through a purification process to remove all the heavy metals and contaminants that could be in shilajit. Also, shilajit was banned in Canada for a while, but last I knew, Canadians do now have access to a few supplements that have PrimaVie shilajit.
• s275ironman

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  5 years ago

  As for supplements that do work, ashwagandha certainly is a good choice to supplement with, specifically the patented version KSM-66.
• FTS

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  5 years ago

  @ironman, yea I know about the risk of heavy metals. I think there may be more than one brand that is reputable for purity. The stuff I’m taking is the tar-like resin, not a powder. Ashwagandha is also one of my favorites, although I think it is a little more subtle. Also use Tongkat Ali on occasion. I just think the name that those Indians gave for Shilajit is awesome; Conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness. They couldn’t have come up with a more hyperbolic name for this stuff, haha.
• s275ironman

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  5 years ago

  This is what I’m currently taking, but I will be cycling off it in about a week. It has clinical doses of KSM-66 Ashwagandha, LJ100 Tongkat Ali, and PrimaVie Shilajit. [view link] It is one of the few test boosters on the market that takes an honest approach in its marketing. It doesn’t promise a huge monstrous increase in testosterone, along with huge muscle gains and sexual performance like a pornstar. Instead it promises to support healthy testosterone levels by regulating a healthy testosterone:cortisol balance and healthy testosterone:estrogen balance. I think it is effective at regulating cortisol as I don’t feel overly stressed while taking it. The price is also a bargain since other supplements sell for triple the price with the same patented ingredients. It can also be bought in store at The Vitamin Shoppe and some GNC locations.
• BigDickSammy_

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  5 years ago

  I watch everything I eat. I watch it go down with a good beer