I fall short on the fat grams usually. Maybe there is more fat hiding in some of my food, especially if there is eating out involved, but getting over 100g is new for me. With protein powder, meat and tofu I can get the protein where I need it.
So after focusing on 140-180 grams of protein and tracking calories for a week now (and restricting), I feel like hunger and satiety is well in check with the increased protein. Iām getting to the end of the day with 200-300 calories left in my budget and Iām not starving at all. It took 4 or 5 days of doing this before this easy feeling of satiety happened.
A couple of weeks ago, my son and I started a weight lifting program (2x per week) and while Iāve been sore, Iāve been recovering well enough. Iām also still riding my usual though Iām not doing any super high intensity with the weight lifting going on at the same time. I do feel like the weight lifting has allowed me to push a few more watts at threshold. Neuromuscular gains?
I look like Iāve lost a few pounds but itās not showing as much on the scale but I started taking creatine with the weight training so Iām guessing Iām holding on to a few pounds of water weight. If I took into account those 3 pounds, Iād be down 5 pounds in a week. Of course, the first five is always the easiest.
As far as meeting protein goals, Iām needing a scoop or two of whey protein per day. Iām just not up for eating a chicken breast with my breakfast yet. We do eat a lot of eggs. I was surprised by how much fat is in eggs. I guess that is why some people do egg whites. Still, Iāve had no problem keeping grams of fat in check. Iām going to start batch grilling like 5 pounds of marinaded chicken breast. I found that dipping strips of grilled chicken in salsa or low cal yogurt ranch is a great high protein, low cal snack.
My macros have been coming out to around 33.3% each of protein, fat, and carbs.
Anecdotally, I tried the Zone Diet 30 years ago. The Zone Diet was a fad diet with more of a moderate Atkins type approach with more carbs. I was riding and racing seriously at the time and recall some of my best performances - like finding a new gear and riding people off my wheel like I was on a whole new level. But I was a dumb ass 30 years ago and didnāt equate those performances with the new diet. And who knows, maybe it was just chance.
Anyway, I didnāt stick with the Zone diet because it was so difficult. I was following the recipes and trying to hit the macros and I felt like I was in the kitchen all day. In the 1990s you had to count macros on paper so it wasnāt as easy as it is today with a free app and the internet.
OMG, we are traveling and I had to eat a bagel and cream cheese this morning. After a week of high protein just a bagel has left me feeling like crap and practically hung over!
Weds - missed tracking entirely
Thu
Friā +15g over
Satā
Sunā -15g under
Saturday I was madly under for carbs due to a rare big ride, Sunday I was madly over which almost balanced out.
Iām 1kg down from just over two weeks ago which Iām taking as a good sign particularly as my training is low at the moment. Will see if I can tweak carbs so Iām taking more when I need them, and less the day after the fact.
Hitting protein targets has been fine with a scoop or two of whey each day.
My legs though feel weak on the bike which is due to a number of factors:
restricting calories marginally
lifting weights twice per week
Havenāt seen weight loss but I also mentioned previously that Iām taking creatine. Whatever water weight Iām holding is the weight Iāve lost because Iām right at the same weight as a few weeks ago.
Iām past the bad DOMs due to the weight lifting.
I donāt care about bike power so much right now so Iām willing to see the weight lifting, protein and creatine though the winter until I need to do a build.
Not sure about anyone else, but I find it much more difficult hitting the fat target rather than the protein. Iāve been high carb and low fat for a while and going to try 1g/kg fat and 1.6-2g/kg protein and see what happens.
Well at least according to MFP yes, as you can see above. Iāll probably look at adding an avocado or oily fish maybe? I suspect the type of fat is far more important than for protein or carb.
I find that Iām drinking 60-90g of protein per day. Drinking calories doesnāt feel quite right but itās certainly different than Pepsi or Gatorade.
Iāve been using a scoop of whey to meet targets and as a snack to tide me over until the next meal.
I think I found the ultimate tied you over diet hack - a glass of protein powder (130 cal) and a tablespoon of olive oil (120 cal) - consumed separately. I donāt know why I tried the olive oil but I totally forgot about eating lunch and didnāt find myself hungry until dinner time.
Have not noticed feeling any different training, not seen any health markers improve or composition change over the last month or so.
Switched over to low levels of aerobic training to focus on weightlifting while I try to lose weight, and immediately missed my protein targets to keep overall consumption low.
Protein 89g
Fat 96g
Carbs 206g
I blame the vegetarian dinner, itās all carbs! No, bad choices at lunch too,
Iāve personally started to see body composition changes and itās been a month of counting protein and calories.
I screwed up the ability to measure my weight by starting weight lifting. You retain water with weight training. Plus I started taking creatine ever day - another water retention. (I might quit creatine for a while and see what happens.)
After a month, Iām down a few pounds now and I look noticeably thinner around the middle. Down a few pounds is fine as Iāve only set my calorie counting app for -1/2 pound per week. Iām guessing that the creatine and weight lifting is making me hold on to another few pounds.
My cycling is crap with the weigh lifting. The legs are often tired. Threshold efforts feel tougher than usual. I took a ārestā week last week - no weights and only easy recovery rides and felt a lot better.
The great news is that my appetite while restricting has really curbed. Iām rarely starving. Night time munchies have been curbed with some low fat Greek yogurt most nights (120 calories - 17g protein). I really havenāt felt the urge to snack a lot.
Bike commute yesterday under fuelled to a reasonable degree but failed protein and fat target again.
Protein 121g
Fat 98g
Carbs 294g
This whole focus on protein has made me feel uncomfortable with all the food Iām eating. I almost never in my life notice any feelings in my belly, bit of an iron stomach, but I do feel over full in the mornings in particular.
Iād feel pretty crummy if I was having that much dairy in the morning (based on the milk and yogurt from a few posts above). Iām not intolerant, but my stomach doesnāt like a lot of dairy anymore.