Well, the other day I was in the gym and got my bf checked on a very inaccurate scale. It said I was at 15%. I say give or take 5% and I’m somewhere between 10 and 20%. Regardless, that’s way too damn much for me, at 5-10, 157. I’m pissed.
So, I’m devoting this off-season to gaining a little functional hypertrophy (cos I’ve always been a little guy) and now lowering my bf as well. By the time I restart training again in October I’d like to be close to 8%, maybe 1-2% lower and at about 165-170lbs. My question is now this…
Since I won’t be doing a whole lot of running in the off-season for a couple months (I know, not the CF way) but mostly lifting and just staying active, would it be okay to start on a low-carb diet for awhile in order to lower bodyfat levels? I’m not saying a ketogenic diet by no means, but rather, a lower carb diet (not Atkins either, that’s too drastic) to lower my bodyfat levels.
I personally think that when I get leaner I’ll get meaner and it SHOULD translate on the track. Any suggestions?
P.S. - Don’t ask about diet habits now cos they’ve gone to shit, but I have a pretty good idea of what to eat from Berardi and Clemson, it’s just putting it together for a different goal.
For my studies at school i have tested numerous athletes as well as non athletes. I have never seen someone anywhere near 5’10 157 pounds over 10%. MY teamate (d3 NCAA D3 100 meter champ) is actually 5’10 152 and his bf% is 5%. Another one of my teamtes is 5’10 175 and he was 10%. Although bf %'s vary especailly calipers (which i use) i am sure you are under 12%. Id say get it done again by someone with calipers and we can reevaluate.
However as far as diet goes… lo carb/high protein would not be the way to go. Your energy will go to hell and as soon as you start again “NORMAL” again you will gain back the body fat. The best way to go would be to eat small meals throughout the day low in sat. fat, high in protein. Check john berardis site. Alot of valuable information. www.johnberardi.com
Yeah, I thought it was a bit off myself, but I’m proly between 10-12% to be honest. My abs have almost diminished and I can jiggle my hammies and obliques. So, I know that even if I’m not that high I still got some ways to go. I’d like to be between 6 and 8% honestly.
I’ll try to get it re-evaluated with calipers. Last time I did it with those back months ago it said 12% and that’s when I was a bit leaner, so…
Anyways, thanks for the reply and I’ll mos def check out Berardi’s sight again.
BTW - eliminating sugars would proly be good, right, even natural ones found in fruits?
Wait, I’ve always been confused about simple and complex carbs. What kind of foods would constitute simple carbs and what kind of foods would be considered complex carbs?
Quik - You agree to eat fruit, but you say eliminate simple carbs except post-workout. Are you saying that the ONLY time to eat fruit is post-workout?
Mister C - Simple carbs are your simple sugars found in things like fruits (though good sugars) and also the refined sugars found in foods like sodas, candy, etc. Complex carbs are the starches and stuff found in like breads, pastas, and I believe in veggies, too (though veggies are the best source).
id continue to eat fruit. As you said they are a simple carb but they are good suagrs. Just dont overdo it. Also the glycemic index of each fruit is different. Take that into account.
Thoghts from other members on the idea of simple and complex carb consumption?
I base a LOT of my diet around fruits and veggies, but there are rules I use, like not eating bananas and apples in the same day and trying to eat them in the morning, and other fruits I tend to eat either in the morning or immediately pre or post-workout- most often post.
Veggies I eat all the time.
I eat a lot of chicken and fish and very little pasta or bread… I have a deathly fear of bread and will only eat wheat and only in the first half of the day.
It is pretty basic, but that way of doing things has worked extremely well for me… my BF is pretty low, especially for a woman.
some have argued against fruit saying it has been shown to preferentially restore liver glycogen, which when topped out the excess carbohydrate would easily convert to fat.
Fruit is full of vitamins and fiber, I wouldn’t eliminate it. Nourishment first.
I don’t think it’s an obstacle to being lean.
Keep it simple, be consistent and keep training hard and I bet body fat will sort itself out.
A lower carb diet? depends what you mean, do you mean 50-100g a day?
It could work but why start there, why not just make great food choices, see where it takes you, and if you aren’t satisfied, then consider stronger measures.
in my exercise biochem class last semseter we talked about the whole carbs to fat thing, most people get around 50 grams of carbs per sitting and an increase up to 1000g only eyilded a 2-3% increase in carbs being converted to fat… i’ll try to find the study where my prof got that info and post it later
Low in saturated fat, eh? My diet is high in saturated fat and I still managed to get my bf% to around 7%. Don’t be so paranoid about saturated and cholesterol. They are crucial to testesterone production. I eat about 20 whole eggs each week plus 4-5 steak plus 2 tbs of coconut oil a day! That stuff won’t kill you. Refined sugars, well actually too much carbs regardless of the sources will kill you. I know it’s too simplistic but it’s kinda late and i don’t feel like getting on soap box tonight.
Get rid of vegetable oils. Loaded with trans fat. it’s the only kind of fat that you truly need to worry about. Go with coconut oil instead.
Extra virgin olive oil - i mainly use it for salads.
Organic butter - for cooking steak or chicken if not using coconut oil.
Get rid of ALL refined sugars except for PWO after strength training.
Limit fruits to no more than 2-3 a day. I did some reading and i have my doubts because of fructose.
Eat more carbs early in the day, taper off throughout the day ending with last meal with vegetables only. I usually have a steak and big bowl of salads w/ italian dressing (i make my own using balsmaic and extra virgin olive oil because the ones at the store comes with soybean oil which has some transfat). Insulin level is not your best friend when it comes to losing bf% so focus on keeping it under control. Keep the carbs (brown rice, potatoes, etc) to no more than 30-40g every meal. I’m a big fan of vegetables. I normally eat 2-3 big bowl of salads every day and i really think it works.
I’ve learned that alot of the stuff that I learned in college are wrong. I took intro to nutrition and sports nutrition and the professor didn’t know what she was talking about when it comes to sports nutrition. Coconut oil is bad for you! Too much saturated fat! That’s what the professor told the class. I’d be careful when it comes to nutrition when the professors talk about it. Some have no common sense at all.
Well, I am by no means any expert, but since I always go into every offseason it seems like meaning to do the same thing as you 400 stud, I thought I’d offer my 2 cents and sit back, watch and learn from your success.
RE; I have a lot of faith in common sense.
Don’t eat crap would be my first instinct.
Crap would be anything that’s really hard to digest, overly salty or overly sweet.
know the difference between just wanting to eat and being hungry, and eat only when youre hungry.
fruits, veggies and lean meat can’t be all that bad.
>>> I know, it’s too simple to be right, but why not?
1000g of carbs a day? wow. usually over 400g is overkill. If you eat that much carbs, your insulin level will be out of control and yes it can lead to more fat stored and contribute to health problems. I question your professor’s brain. I always question other professor’s brain over nutrition stuff. Seems they have no clue over it. Exercise biochemistry? Are you in graduate school? I’ve never heard of exercise biochemistry class anywhere. What school is that? What textbook did you use for that class? I’m such a nerd wanting to know every detail. Thanks.
yeah, i think the 1000g thing was just to point out how such a huge number of carbs only displayed a relatively small increase in carbs to fat
I am in grad school at Benedictine University in Illinois, its in Lisle a suburb of Chicago. We had two text books one being Exercise Physiology by George Brooks and another being Biochemistry Primer for Exercsie Science by Houston. We used a lot of slides and various articles and handouts just as much as the books though so… The professor is Dr. Craig Broeder, and since I couldn’t find the study at my house or any refrence to it I’ll e-mail him and try to find at least a citation for it.
