[OT] Have you ever radically changed the quality of your diet?
FTS
I spent a long time eating almost exclusively plant foods, a lot of it raw plant foods. I thought veganism, or close to vegan, was healthy. Turns out I was wrong. Totally fucked me up. I then went on to eat a very mixed diet, lots of plant foods, but also adequate amounts of meat, whole grains, fruit, dairy, etc. Easy to gain weight that way if you eat a lot of carbs.
Then I saw the Joe Rogan podcast about Jordan Peterson's daughter and the carnivore diet. So I tried the carnivore diet. I was almost exclusively carnivore for 2-4 months. Sometimes I went a whole week eating less than a single gram of carbohydrates. Quite an interesting experience. I lost a decent amount of weight, got my abs back. Body fat percentage reduced dramatically. More energy. And it was also rejuvinating. I went on a carnivore diet and asked other members if they would describe the diet as having a rejuvinating effect, and they all agreed that it does. It was weird... like I was approaching the feeling of having the seemingly infinite amount of energy that a boy has when he bounces around the house all day.
Now I'm trying to gain weight, preferably muscle... but that's difficult on a carnivore diet. It was always difficult for me to gain weight, and even more difficult eating only meat for two reasons 1.) eating the same foods repeatedly makes the food seem less desireable, so the desire to eat food is diminished, and 2.) Can't eat too much meat because the large amount of protein could cause problems for the kidneys.
So, now..... now I'm going for calories. My diet in the past few weeks has consisted primarily of steak, chicken wings, peanut butter, and ice-cream. Yea, I still eat other things, it's just that those have become my staple foods. I think I've eaten about 5 of those 1/2 gallon things of ice cream in the past few weeks, plus a few pints of ice cream, and I eat a pound of steak like it's nothing. For one meal just a few days ago I had at least a pound of steak, two PB&J's, and a pint of chocolate ice-cream.
It's been fantastic. Maybe this is normal for most people and I'm only just coming around to being like everybody else, which might explain why I've always been very lean and everybody else looks fat. IDK. Is this a healthy diet? Steak and ice-cream? Reminds me of the chicken and waffles that somebody talks about on this forum (was that Papi?).
I've never weighed more than 180 lbs despite being 6'1", and I had a decent amount of body fat then. I'd like to get back to 180 lbs, but with 10% body fat or less. IDK how I can possibly get like that without eating a massive amount of calories and working out every day. Eating ice cream every day has been pretty great though, maybe it will work.
Then I saw the Joe Rogan podcast about Jordan Peterson's daughter and the carnivore diet. So I tried the carnivore diet. I was almost exclusively carnivore for 2-4 months. Sometimes I went a whole week eating less than a single gram of carbohydrates. Quite an interesting experience. I lost a decent amount of weight, got my abs back. Body fat percentage reduced dramatically. More energy. And it was also rejuvinating. I went on a carnivore diet and asked other members if they would describe the diet as having a rejuvinating effect, and they all agreed that it does. It was weird... like I was approaching the feeling of having the seemingly infinite amount of energy that a boy has when he bounces around the house all day.
Now I'm trying to gain weight, preferably muscle... but that's difficult on a carnivore diet. It was always difficult for me to gain weight, and even more difficult eating only meat for two reasons 1.) eating the same foods repeatedly makes the food seem less desireable, so the desire to eat food is diminished, and 2.) Can't eat too much meat because the large amount of protein could cause problems for the kidneys.
So, now..... now I'm going for calories. My diet in the past few weeks has consisted primarily of steak, chicken wings, peanut butter, and ice-cream. Yea, I still eat other things, it's just that those have become my staple foods. I think I've eaten about 5 of those 1/2 gallon things of ice cream in the past few weeks, plus a few pints of ice cream, and I eat a pound of steak like it's nothing. For one meal just a few days ago I had at least a pound of steak, two PB&J's, and a pint of chocolate ice-cream.
It's been fantastic. Maybe this is normal for most people and I'm only just coming around to being like everybody else, which might explain why I've always been very lean and everybody else looks fat. IDK. Is this a healthy diet? Steak and ice-cream? Reminds me of the chicken and waffles that somebody talks about on this forum (was that Papi?).
I've never weighed more than 180 lbs despite being 6'1", and I had a decent amount of body fat then. I'd like to get back to 180 lbs, but with 10% body fat or less. IDK how I can possibly get like that without eating a massive amount of calories and working out every day. Eating ice cream every day has been pretty great though, maybe it will work.
21 comments
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
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.
All things in moderation, that way you get to enjoy it all in a healthy manner. It’s better than a sea food diet!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
https://www.amazon.com/FERODROX-Ultra-Pr…
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.