[RawGod]

The image below is the meal which I will eat twice daily during an eight-hour window. These two identical meals will be the entirety of what I eat, except that I may have a cheat day on Sundays.

   

(I forgot to add broccoli which I will eat a whole head of daily)

Daily Calories: ~2000
Protein: 105g (sufficient for my 63kg body weight)
Calories % from fat/carbs/protein: 50/30/20

In addition, I will be making vegetable juice daily (around 100 calories), making a weekly batch of bone broth and drinking it daily, and adding a few things like nori, miso, herbs and spices.

My activity level:
Lift 3x/week
Yoga (intermediate level 1 hour) 3x/week
Walking 3-4 hours/week

This is basically my usual diet and activity level, but I will be following it more strictly and adding the 8-hour window element. At the moment I eat pretty well but I binge on carbs and sugary foods a couple of times a week.

The challenges I anticipate will be the low level of carbs, the intermittent fasting, and possibly the monotony of the diet.

Comments, criticism, suggestions?

[Chaos]

What's your goal?

[roberto]

I've seen mice starve to death on more than that bro.

Just kidding, but seriously, how can folk critique that without knowing your goals or indeed how tall you are for 63kg?

[RawGod]

(12-26-2014 07:22 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

What's your goal?

1. Increased productivity from spending less time prepping and eating food, and from not having to make decisions about food;

2. Greater energy levels and mental clarity (from the low carbs, high nutrition, and intermittent fasting);

3. Body recomposition. Intention is that this diet will allow for continued progress in weight lifted, muscle gain, and fat loss (I'm at 14% BF, want to reach 10%, not necessarily in one month though).

[RawGod]

(12-26-2014 07:29 AM)roberto Wrote:  

I've seen mice starve to death on more than that bro.

Just kidding, but seriously, how can folk critique that without knowing your goals or indeed how tall you are for 63kg?

It's 2000 calories a day which is sufficient for my 172cm 63kg frame at my stated activity level. It may require a little tweaking plus or minus 10% calories but that shouldn't be an issue.

[roberto]

(12-26-2014 07:31 AM)RawGod Wrote:  

(12-26-2014 07:22 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

What's your goal?

1. Increased productivity from spending less time prepping and eating food, and from not having to make decisions about food;

2. Greater energy levels and mental clarity (from the low carbs, high nutrition, and intermittent fasting);

3. Body recomposition. Intention is that this diet will allow for continued progress in weight lifted, muscle gain, and fat loss (I'm at 14% BF, want to reach 10%, not necessarily in one month though).

1. An often overlooked point. I'd recommend more eggs for this. 6 eggs plus the sardines in a morning omelette and I can breeze through the day's often hard graft without worrying about food until I get back to the yard about 4PM.

2. Agree. Cutting way down on carbs is one of the best moves I've made.

3. I asked a similar question to you on the keto forums a year or so ago. I said, I'm using Keto to cut, I'm 68kg.

They said, "cutting? What to???"

I'd ask the same of you? I was painfully thin at 66kg but couldn't see it (6' tall). Been a year long struggle to build back the muscle I lost, looking good now though at 80kg. I will be cutting (14% BF here too), but not till summer, and I'll be lifting HEAVY when I do. My arms are now looking awesome, still need a lot of work on my chest. Legs account for most of the muscle gain via squats.

The other thing they said on the Keto forums (which in retrospect they were right about, but I couldn't see it) was "abs on a skinny guy are like tits on a fat girl..."

[Agreddor]

(12-26-2014 07:29 AM)roberto Wrote:  

I've seen mice starve to death on more than that bro.

Just kidding, but seriously, how can folk critique that without knowing your goals or indeed how tall you are for 63kg?

I don't know how to make this sound as innocuous as possible, but this is what a girl would eat. The problem with this is that your blood sugar levels might drop dangerously low which in turn could affect your test levels.

I would bump the protein and fat up even more if you're doing low carbs.

http://www.m.webmd.com/men/what-low-test...our-health

[viajero]

(12-26-2014 07:31 AM)RawGod Wrote:  

(12-26-2014 07:22 AM)Chaos Wrote:  

What's your goal?

1. Increased productivity from spending less time prepping and eating food, and from not having to make decisions about food;

2. Greater energy levels and mental clarity (from the low carbs, high nutrition, and intermittent fasting);

3. Body recomposition. Intention is that this diet will allow for continued progress in weight lifted, muscle gain, and fat loss (I'm at 14% BF, want to reach 10%, not necessarily in one month though).

You sound like a naturally skinny guy.

Why not just lift hard as hell and eat a lot of healthy food?

That's a legitimate question by the way, maybe you've tried it before and blew up in body fat or something.

[Veloce]

I'd be violently hungry on that plan but I'm 88kg

My own suggestion would be replace the apples with citrus, which tend to be easier to digest and more nutritionally complete. Eat an orange or a grapefruit. Apples frequently cause bloating.

Get some more saturated fat in there, either from butter or eating more eggs.

Replace the dark chocolate with raw cacao nibs. Not as tasty but you're cutting out processed sugar and increasing the antioxidants and other health benefits with raw cacao. Takes getting used to but I like it now.

That's a hell of a cut, good luck man. Keep us posted.

[RawGod]

(12-26-2014 12:35 PM)viajero Wrote:  

Why not just lift hard as hell and eat a lot of healthy food?

That's a legitimate question by the way, maybe you've tried it before and blew up in body fat or something.

That's basically what the plan is to me.

Everyone seems to think that it isn't enough, however the calories are enough, both according to general recommendations and in my experience. If I'm not lifting, 1800 calories is fine for me. If the 2000 calories isn't enough, I'll add a couple of eggs and more coconut oil.

I'm more interested to see how the two meals a day plays out and the effects of absolute consistency on my state as compared to "pretty good most of the time but a cheeseburger or a mars bar here and there".

Well thanks for the perspectives.

This plan is simply paleo/nutritionally dense foods + a bit of rice, with intermittent fasting.

[roberto]

If you're past your beginners gains, I doubt that is enough to see the 'continued progress in weight lifted, muscle gain' that you want.

Once you've been lifting a bit, you will be able to tell as you struggle to finish a set whether it's lack of muscle strength or lack of energy that's letting you down.

I do two meals a day with an extra plate of steak, salad, cheese and five eggs at 9-10PM on the days I lift. If I eat healthy (no grains or sugar) my BF tends to remain stable no matter how much I eat.

Good luck bro, but please don't emulate me a year ago and cut muscle and fat without realising it. 14% is not fat by any stretch of the imagination, get a second opinion on your physique from a trusted friend. At my lowest weight of 150lbs at 6' I looked like a concentration camp survivor. Not good.

[RawGod]

(12-27-2014 05:58 AM)roberto Wrote:  

If you're past your beginners gains, I doubt that is enough to see the 'continued progress in weight lifted, muscle gain' that you want.

Once you've been lifting a bit, you will be able to tell as you struggle to finish a set whether it's lack of muscle strength or lack of energy that's letting you down.

I do two meals a day with an extra plate of steak, salad, cheese and five eggs at 9-10PM on the days I lift. If I eat healthy (no grains or sugar) my BF tends to remain stable no matter how much I eat.

Good luck bro, but please don't emulate me a year ago and cut muscle and fat without realising it. 14% is not fat by any stretch of the imagination, get a second opinion on your physique from a trusted friend. At my lowest weight of 150lbs at 6' I looked like a concentration camp survivor. Not good.

Yes I don't want to lose muscle. I'll keep in mind that I might need some more calories and protein and tweak if I need to.

[The Reactionary Tree]

You will lose some muscle if you are cutting weight. You will only get so much body recomposition from lifting. I am going through a similar phase of body changes from lifting weights but eating a relatively healthy diet that is not a caloric deficit/surplus (right where I want it to be). You will see some changes but eventually continual progress will take more drastic measures.

If you run any kind of caloric deficit, you will lose some muscle. It is inevitable. You wont lose all those gainz but you are not going to be able to put on muscle at a caloric deficit.

[one-two]

1. OP is going to starve.
2. What's with the "unspecified fat content"? There is a huge difference between 75% and 93% beef

[bacan]

What is so bad about 2000 calories a day for someone trying to lose fat? I am planning on doing a similar thing in January

[viajero]

(12-26-2014 06:29 PM)RawGod Wrote:  

(12-26-2014 12:35 PM)viajero Wrote:  

Why not just lift hard as hell and eat a lot of healthy food?

That's a legitimate question by the way, maybe you've tried it before and blew up in body fat or something.

That's basically what the plan is to me.

Everyone seems to think that it isn't enough, however the calories are enough, both according to general recommendations and in my experience. If I'm not lifting, 1800 calories is fine for me. If the 2000 calories isn't enough, I'll add a couple of eggs and more coconut oil.

I'm more interested to see how the two meals a day plays out and the effects of absolute consistency on my state as compared to "pretty good most of the time but a cheeseburger or a mars bar here and there".

Well thanks for the perspectives.

This plan is simply paleo/nutritionally dense foods + a bit of rice, with intermittent fasting.

Not to be disagreeable, but I disagree.

Counting calories is not 'just eating a lot of healthy food.'

Neither is dealing with "the low level of carbs, the intermittent fasting, and possibly the monotony of the diet."

You seem to be wanting to make yourself miserable, and not only that, basically everyone that's responded thinks it's counterproductive.

Again: Why not lift hard as hell, and eat a lot of healthy food?

I think Roberto gives good advice. You're 63 Kgs. It's unlikely you're gonna get fat. You may even lean out as you put on muscle. If you're worried about it add some sprints in place of some of the walking.

I keep repeating myself, but you're 63 KGs. If you have remained 63 Kgs while considering 1800 calories a day "fine," what makes you think you're gonna gain any muscle going up 200 calories a day while lifting, doing yoga, and walking?

[bacan]

I think the nice thing about a plan like this is knowing exactly what you are consuming. The plan can be adjusted based on results, but I too have also struggles with plans to "generally eat healthy" but exceptions here and there can derail the whole plan.

[Saweeep]

I think the plan has too little protein to be honest , not calories.

[WanderingSoul]

You're going to look like shit at 10% bodyfat if you are walking around at ~130lbs. The wind might blow you over.

Slow bulk is what you should be doing. You're already pretty lean. Put on 20-30lbs and then cut to 10%.