If you’re “eyeballing it” you’re probably wrong

[NeuroRN]

I’ve said it for some time now. “I eat clean” “my diet is pretty good” and then… but I don’t count macros, I don’t have time for that, etc…. You’re probably wrong and you’re probably not eating as well as you think.

PMID: are search tool for studies.

 

[anabolic_geek]

Before we had apps and such, physique athletes dealt with this by being extremely consistent in their meals and eating. Then if they weren’t getting the results they’d want they would simply make adjustments. Nowadays we have much better tools than that.

 

[Poppy]

Yep. The apps make it easy for lazy s.o.b.’s like me…

Even a hairy caveman can do it!

 

[anabolic_geek]

Yep. That said! One of the big things we have to look out for as physique athletes is disordered eating. The fact of the matter is that there is a high incidence of disordered eating among the physique athletes population. I think during maintenance and when massing it would be wise to take the training wheels off and engage in less controlled eating habits. This helps take the edge off and helps the athlete maintain a healthy relationship with food.

When cutting? I absolutely favor weighing and measuring as the best way to proceed. But cuts should be no longer than 2-3 months each before a diet break at maintenance is taken. Caloric restriction for long periods not only causes metabolic damage but it also can cause the athlete to start viewing and dealing with foods in unhealthy ways.

 

[NeuroRN]

I think during maintenance and when massing it would be wise to take the training wheels off and engage in less controlled eating habits.

I completely disagree. I believe this causes and even more negative outlook to weight loss/cutting phase.

Before you do any of this you should establish sustainable diet patterns, in the middle of a cut I still eat ice cream sandwiches. Why? Bc a life with out ice cream is cruel. And not eating any food you actually want is unsustainable.

Leaving one phase extremely structured and the other two hardly structured, in my opinion, is a set up for extremes to be taken in both phases (mass and cut) while maintaining the same approach through both allows the athlete to keep a sense of balance.

But. That is simply my opinion and what @Poppy always says… it’s worth what I charged ya- nada. Or something like that.

 

[TBU]

I eat what I want. I do portion control. I won’t eat a whole pizza. Maybe 3 slices. . But I’m not worried about a 6 pack either. Training? I log it every day. Just the OCD in me. I got logs from 20 years ago. I tell my doc everything. She’s awesome. Except yelling at me for using lab gear. .

 

[NeuroRN]

Hahah I always love it when you jump in the diet convo. Except I always end up eating pizza after you and I talk about diet

Im on the TBU diet for my vacation. But maybe a little tighter portion control at times.

 

[Poppy]

portion control.

Ahhhh my friend… that’s the tough nut that took me years to crack. I was successful about a year ago and it was a game changer.

@anabolic_geek

I can’t comment on the upper tier athletes. Those dudes making a living in sport are way out of my realm of knowledge.

 

[Poppy]

I’m thinking @TBU retains the most sanity when it comes to eating. Hahaha

 

[NeuroRN]

Haha I dunno. For the most part I find comfort in the process of strict dieting. The whole “discipline equals freedom” mindset.

 

[Poppy]

I don’t like it one bit.

 

[JB_rD81]

I would like to think I’m only off by about 25% on my macros, due to the random swigs of chocolate milk I like to take every time I open the fridge, and stupid snacks here and there I steal from our youngest
Daughter just to piss her off

 

[NeuroRN]

I would like to think I’m only off by about 25% on my macros,

I would like to think that too but I’m in the brewery capital of the world it seems like, and they all have bomb food trucks.

 

[PNWmuscle]

If I eyeball it, I almost always try and under do what my initial estimate is for the portion I’m after. But it’s so easy to just weigh stuff out and log it

 

[JB_rD81]

I would be so fucking fat… I love food, and food trucks, and craft beer… I was miserable the week we were in San Diego visiting our middle daughter, so much good food and my metabolism is sooooooo slow compared to what it used to be

 

[Poppy]

Dieting just sucks!

Macros, weighing, counting everything, portion control… etc etc etc.

I hate all of it!

Unfortunately it’s a necessary evil…and I do mean EVIL

 

[NeuroRN]

Haha it will be a rough transition once we get regularly scheduled. But I think I’ll be ready to make it at that point.

 

[JLee]

When cutting? I absolutely favor weighing and measuring

If you’re serious about the cut I believe you need to weigh everything out. It totally sucks and is a major pain in the ass but far more effective then measuring

 

[anabolic_geek]

I can’t comment on the upper tier athletes

My point was that anyone who pursues bodybuilding type goals could experience this. There could be people on this forum right now with disordered eating, they just don’t know it because that’s just the way they’ve eaten for years on end.

 

[Tbgr]

The thing I have noticed the most so
Far, is I’m starving all the time on my Current small cycle. I wake up hungry in the middle of night.

For 40 years I have been used to Force feeding myself to survive.

Someone kept giving me a hard time in my current training log, and I started counting macros. Dieting is by far the hardest part.