Fantastic Scott!!
So glad to get going on this. I would really value your advice.
Can't wait to her what you think ;-)
I have not looked at the meal planner yet. I'll try to look at it this week.
I have a Biochemistry BSc and have had a keen interest in nutrition since I worked as a nutrition advisor for Health Canada.
We have a fairly standard inventory of meals that we stick to on a routine basis. I've never been crazy about food.
I love protein shakes and we grill a lot of salmon, beef, pork & chicken. Made some great chili today ;->
My first meal on a non-workout day is usually a big omelette, on a workout day it's a shake that I start sipping in the last 20-30 minutes of my workout.
So I am working out fasted.
My workouts happen anywhere between 10 am and 3 pm. (I'm retired)
My Macros;
I mostly follow the guidelines from Martin Berkhan's book; Lean Gains Method
So it's "keto-ish" with intermittent fasting; 16-8 about 4-5 days a week and 20-4 about 2-3 days a week, as required to maintain my target weight.
I calculate a 7-day rolling average weight on a spreadsheet to smooth out the highs and lows.
I tried strict keto for about 18 months but found that intermittent fasting is far less trouble and the "20-4 day" is the hammer. If you need to lose weight; 20-4 is like a magic wand.
But I don't do it more than 3 times a week.
The only body measurement I do is waist; it was 33.25" today.
As Jack LaLanne said;
"Never mind the fancy schmancy fat % stuff.
Just get your waist back to what it was in high school."
To achieve my current weight of 165Lbs, my daily target was 2100 calories, +/- 200-300 depending on
whether it was a work-out day (+300) or I was aiming to cut (-200).
Martin Berkhan's Rx is; 50-60% of calories should be protein.
I have about 170 g protein on a workout day and 150 on a non workout day. Maybe it should be higher?
I drink about 200 ml ( 7 oz ) Vodka per day.
I try to keep carbs fairly low and fill in the cracks with fat
Try this; we love 1 Tblsp Almond Butter on an oatmeal raisin cookie with 3000 iu vitamin D bid.
( Vitamin D is absorbed about 50% better if taken in the presence of fat.
Vitamin D is thought to play a role in preventing severe effects of Covid 19 )
If you're feeling crazy; add 1 Tblsp Haagen Daaz Vanilla Almond Crunch
I started my cutting about 2 years ago when I hit 190 lbs.
I'm now 165 lb's and I plan to go back up 1/2 lb / month over the next 10 months to slowly go back up to 170
Hope to hear from you soon
Thanks so much for your kind attention
My equipment;
Photo Facing North-West; clockwise from bottom left;
bench with attachments for; preachers, quad extensions, ham curls
squat / bench / chin cage
leg sled for leg press, hack squats & straight leg calf press
(behind gold-frame mirror) bent leg calf machine
Facing West; clockwise from bottom left;
2 cable pull-up /pull-down machines with bench in between
bench with attachments for; preachers, quad extensions, ham curls
squat / bench / chin cage
Dumbbells, barbells (10 lb, 12 lb & 45 lb Olympic) multiple associated weight plates
Powerblocks; small medium & large (95 lb each) sets
Facing North-East
dip station
ab bench
raised bench for seal rows
trap bar