Menu Ideas for "Cutting"

[BeeLvr]

Question......I just went on FitDay.com and found my carb/protein/fat ratio isn't quite what it should be. I understand the "standard" is 40c/40p/20f. I read on a few other websites that people who are "cutting" should try and do 30c/50p/20f. I'm not a fan of diets. I eat about 1400 cal a day (5 small meals), it's just that my ration isn't quite what it needs to be (right now it's about 45c/23p/33f). I'm 5'6" and weigh about 126. I also work out roughly 5-6 days per week (Cathe, Jari, Amy Bento).

I am having a difficult time getting upper body mass (even with Cathe tapes) and I KNOW it's because I'm not eating enough Protein. However, if I eat more protein the other part of the ratio may get out of "whack".

Anyone have any good menu ideas? I thought I was eating well....guess I was mistaken.

Heather

 

[shaan]

RE: Menu Ideas for

Hey there Heather! You haven't said much about you so I am not sure whether you are simply trying to get the lean cut look or whether you are trying to lose excess fat and then cut. Also, I am no expert but I will share my opinion.

I have a friend, he is a skinny dinky guy who can eat 5 pizzas and burgers in a day and not gain a pound of fat. He is super skinny - almost a skeleton and he is trying to build mass and trying to get the 'cut' look.

So, if you are one of those lucky ones then all I can say is limit your cardio - that is, if you don't have excess fat to lose. That is what my friend is doing from research on the Internet.

If you are overweight, then you might want to consider shedding the excess fat first (6 days week cardio for at least 30 minutes) and then concentrate on getting the cut look.

Yes, you are right, it is also possible you may not be eating enough protein but you truly don't need that much protein to get the 'cut' look. To get ripped, you need to

1. Make sure you eat CLEAN - this means no alcohol, no sugar and no junk food, not even on a cheat day! Use cheat day to add a fruit instead!

2. Do only 20 minutes of cardio 3x week if you don't have excess fat to shed

3. Do 3x week FULL BODY weight lifting workout.

Now, if you are serious about getting cut fast then I would recommend that you invest in P90X - that is one extreme workout that not only kills you each time you workout but makes you come back for more punishment - results are obvious within 3 weeks if you are disciplined and by the end of 3 months you have the body you dreamt of!

I was doing sooooo well, Cathe helped me get from zero (0) man push ups to 12 and then P90X helped me get to 24 man push ups x 3 - I was so pleased with myself. Then I hurt my knee doing a Pilate toning tape and I swear I am still cursing that tape for derailing me.

Now, I am finding it very hard to get motivated again, every time I try, my knee screams. So I do 1 workout per week that I love and can't live without (Like Cathe's, Killer Abs by Michael Olajide, P90X, Turbo Jam and Hip Hop Abs) otherwise I am pretty much stuck with Leslie Sansone's "Walk Away the Pounds". I am happy, at least I am still moving but I wish I could do intervals with Cathe again and I am craving punishment from P90X!

Soon, I hope ... soon!!!!

 

[usamarsha]

RE: Menu Ideas for

I would look into the e-book Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle. He addresses many of the things you are asking, I thought it was very informative. JMO I don't think you are eating enough calories to build muscle. 1400 calories would put you in a fat/weight loss mode-and if you've done it for a long period of time, a "starvation" mode where your body hangs onto every calorie (weight loss stops). The BFFM book talks about cycling your calories and what and when you should eat. A lot of people, including myself, have had a lot of success with that method.

I'm always amazed that people can eat so little calories, continue to exercise hard and not be starving all the time. I know when I cut down to 1500 I am almost ready to chew off my right arm and eat it. That's why I love cycling the calories so much, and I have a lot of success with it!

HTH!

 

[BeeLvr]

RE: Menu Ideas for

Hi Shaan!

Thank you so much for the response. Luckily, I'm not overweight. I don't drink alcohol (I don't like how it gives me that lethargic feeling the next day, and I don't like the calories). I looked at the FitDay breakdown, and I think a lot of my carbs come from fruit. I eat a couple of pieces a day (usually a banana for breakfast, apple during the day, and pineapple (fresh) at the end of the day for digestive purposes. I know where my other carbs are coming from (an occasional TLC cookie, or Skinny Cow, or snack serving of popcorn - air-popped).

The problem is I work 12 hour days (7a-7p or 7p-7a). Not every day, though. It's like 3 on, 2 off, 4 on, 3 off....my workout schedule has to be planned at the beginning of every month - since every week is different. Sometimes I can only do 30-40 min (I do a lot of Cathe pre-mixes), and that's at 3:30 a.m. I always plan for two of my days off a week to do a Jari workout. She does a lot with high reps and low weight and it's starting to work with the "cutting".

I also don't eat after 6:00 p.m. (I bring my entire day's meals with me to work).

I've heard of P90X. Are the workouts do-able with my schedule? I own just about every Cathe DVD.

I am sorry to hear about your injury. How long ago did that happen?

 

[shaan]

RE: Menu Ideas for

I hurt my knee in July 2006. You do shift work eh? THAT can be hard! But you seem to be doing pretty good if you are managing at least 3 workouts per week.

You said you are not overweight, but do you get overweight when you eat normally? That is, when you don't watch what you are eating?

Tom Venuto's book (feed the muscle) is also great however it doesn't offer anything most fitness enthusiast already know. Eat protein, smaller meals, foods that burn fat, foods to avoid .. blah blah blah. Honestly, most of us are very educated about what we need to do - we just don't want to do it - everyone has their own reason as to why - and those who don't make excuses, we will see get results from eating everything in moderation and working out regularly.

There is nothing wrong with eating fruits. I am half raw vegan and half atkins enthusiast. This basically means, I eat everything raw - fruits, veges and nuts plus I add cheeses and lean meats from atkins. Essentially, I try to stay away from processed foods 6 days per week - be it cooked or things like protein bars (yes, yes, I have heard they are good but frankly, they offer nothing I cannot get from a cup of cottage cheese!).

Don't get me wrong, I do eat junk too - popcorn being my favourite and since I have gotten involved with eating raw I eat raw almonds covered in pure cacao - yum! But, in all in moderation.

If you are skinny like my friend then you need to eat proper carbs - not just from fruit and veges - you need grains as well. Brown rice, sweet potatoes etc - TRUST ME, if you are dedicated and disciplined, there are only 2 people who can help you get a ripped look fast (this is nutrition wise. As far as exercise goes, any fitness expert can motivate you). P90X guy - Tony Horton - because they have everything laid out for you. What you need to eat, what supplements you need to take blah blah. And the other is Bill Phillips (Body For Life). If you combine their nutrition advise and Cathe's workouts, then you can get there without any extra $ to spend. Just visit both forums to get idea on meals - Oops, forgot my favourite site for clean eating - which is MEN'S HEALTH FORUM. They offer a link which discusses in length what you need to eat. There is also a full blown Abs Diet workout and Nutrition plan on their site - FREE! So visit them!

I wish Cathe would create a section on Nutrition or even a link of such great articles leading to other sites.

Good luck!