Sirloin steak versus petite sirloin steak

I really am taking you with me on this...
Seems I'm 2 months into beginning my second try with Keto for Bipolar 2.
And maybe 3 weeks since I rose from my bed ridden, non-showering, withdrawn, suicidal, depression.
I'm functioning now.
I really want to step things up more and I'd welcome your insights please?
Eating
I'm tending to start the day with a filter coffee and non-dairy milk.
I'm not really hungry so not tending to eating till 1ish and am mostly eating a steak (sirloin, rump, iron or minute) and veg (broccoli, runner beans, kale or spinach), half an avocado and then I pour the animal fat from the steak over the veg and add salt and pepper
I'm not eating another proper meal, as such, but I do snack.
Snacks are unsalted nuts, mashed up boiled eggs with olive oil, celery sticks or yogurt (milk or coconut) and berries (strawberry's, raspberry's, blackberry's and blueberry's). I sometimes also trade the yogurt for double cream or clotted cream.
I'm having a coffee quite a few times throughout the day and drinking sparkling water.
Exercise
I'm doing a gentle flat walk nearly every day.
Ranging from 30mins, to 1 hour to the odd 2 hour walk.
Sleep
Sleep is much better, I'm going to bed at 10ish (probably falling asleep at 11pm) at waking naturally just before 8ish.
Bloods
Average 28 days for Glucose is 4.8mmol/L and Ketones is 2.2mmol/L
Highest Ketone has been 3.7 (quite a few times)
Emotions
I'm still feeling suicidal ideation from time to time, I'm still comparing myself unfavourably to others and suffering with envy, I'm still feeling overwhelmed and paralysed about how to climb out of this hole. I could go on...
Next steps
As you can see from above I'm doing so much better than I was. But I want/need more.
I'm thinking of asking the butchers for fats cuts from other meats?
I think I need to drop blueberry's?
I think I need to reduce my coffee?
I think I should do some cardio (maybe begin with 7 minutes on the bike, 7 on the step machine and 7 on the row machine and slowly increase it?)
Open to Suggestions
I'm looking for suggestions please?
The smallest amount of effort for the biggest shift (I'm still quite fragile) is welcome.
Thanks in advance, I do value your input and experience.

Well I gave up $176.00 to try the subscription and it does not live up to my expectations. As a chef for 10+ years and getting premium cuts of beef from whole sale providers I have to admit butcher box is not the quality product you believe it to be. The top sirloin cuts were so tough and leathery even after cooking them rare and cut properly they were so hard to chew . The filet was decent. The only issue was the size of them. They’re medallions. The NY strip is thin elongated with silver skin and untrimmed fat. I wish i was able to enjoy the burgers although they were received thawed out and had turned to mush. The brisket was cut like no brisket I have ever laid a knife on in my career, with little to no fat content. I did not receive the quantity of steaks I had ordered. Instead I received ground pork which was a major let down for me since it was an item I passed on for more steaks. The deception of premium cuts being a “add-on” item is so lucrative as a business. The company knowingly offers underwhelming over priced low quality cuts of beef at a ridiculous subscription price rate to upsell a somewhat decent cut for even more than what you are subscribed to. It’s a trap do not fall for it. I will not try them again or recommend ButcherBox to anyone I know. My only advice is to go to your local butcher and ask him to hand cut you the steak you want as it should be.

I bought a dry aged sirloin steak but i dont realy have a idea on how i should cook it. It weights 275g and is about 2cm thick.

I’m looking in to cooking from scratch. However, the most troublesome part for me is compiling the proper ingredients to enjoy a variety of meals. Advice, guides or books would be awesome.
Standard midwestern american. Omnivore diet. Will eat anything (not a huge fan of potatoes). Work essentially a 2on 2off 12hr schedule so I love leftovers. I also do like quick good meals and long set it and forget it meals. If offering guides or books the following is TLDR
Equipment: Crockpot owned. Dutch oven. Sous vide. Cast skillets. Electric range. Ninja air fryer. Microwave. Food processor. Vacuum Sealer. Pasta maker.
Freezer: My freezer stays stocked with chicken, prime steak (typically ribeye, sometimes sirloin), ground beef and pork chops. I also buy fish.
Fridge: Milk, eggs, stick butter, block of cheese (cheadar typically).
Pantry: Pasta (spaghetti, penne, elbow), rice, canned green beans, canned baked beans, canned tuna, canned chicken.
Other: Cooking oil, various spices (thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, meat seasoning, s&p, lawrys.
If you read that to give advice, thank you. Anything from meal ideas, menu ideas, things I need to add as essentials is appreciated.

I’ve slowly introduced myself into the carnivore diet I’ve not had any drinks other than water for two weeks or so eggs steak pork chops, fish, and kerrygold butter. I’m roughly 250lbs 6’3 20yrs old I go to the gym aswell. The most difficult part is figuring out how much food I need I’ve been eating either once or twice a day if I eat breakfast it’s a 6-8oz sirloin with 2 eggs before the gym if it’s just dinner I’ll do a steak and 3 eggs Im just trying to figure out what’s the best goal to lose weight I’m looking to go to 220lbs I’m very active probably around 5-8 miles a day or so

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNspIlqlJcc&ab_channel=Hell%27sKitchenThailand
Chef Willment asked the final four why they felt they deserved to win Hell's Kitchen and who they would like to compete against in the finale. Chef Ian announced that the final four would partake in a grueling series of challenges that will test their creativity, technique, and budget management. Only the top two finishers could advance to the finals.
Challenge 1: Each chef was given a sirloin, which they had 25 minutes to trim the fat, cut into 12 evenly sized steaks, and cook to a certain temperature (4 medium rare judged by Pom, 4 medium judged by Willment, 4 well done judged by Ian). The chefs would enter the kitchen staggered 10 minutes at a time, receiving 1 point for each steak cooked properly. In this round, Jib (burnt on the outside but undercooked inside due to her pan being way too hot) and Kerr (mostly undercooked with several not trimmed thoroughly) scored 2 each, Bill 6, and Lookchan (overcooked and untrimmed) merely 1.
Challenge 2: After a short break, the semifinalists received their next challenge. Pig's tail costs only 55 THB ($1.50) per kg, and they have to use it to create a restaurant quality dish, seasoning with either oregano, smoked paprika, or garlic salt. Jib had another mishap when her pressure cooker overheated, resulting in a severely undercooked dish as she had to get it off the heat, scoring only 1. The other three presented good to acceptable dishes with 9 for Kerr (it would have been a perfect 12 had Willment not found a hair in his dish), 7 for Bill, and 5 for Lookchan. At this point, the cumulative tally was Bill 13, Kerr 11, Lookchan 6, Jib 3.
Challenge 3: The final challenge is to create an elevated sea crab dish. Jib had the best dish of the day scoring 10 but it wasn't enough to overcome her other two dreadful performances. Bill's 8 points secured him a spot as the first finalist, but Lookchan didn't clean the crab thoroughly for her crab cake, scoring only 4 which eliminated her. Kerr needed only 3 points to advance over Jib's 13, and her crab ceviche was panned for sloppy presentation and the lack of cohesion between various components. However, all four head chefs gave Kerr a point each, which was enough to send her to the finals.
Chef Willment offered his praises to Jib and Lookchan for their hard work throughout the competition, then summoned the rest of the brigade members for Bill and Kerr's final service. Everyone who placed 12th or higher was eligible to return. The good news for the viewers is that Amm was not available due to a prior commitment overseas, so Phrikped took her place.
The next and final episode will begin with Bill and Kerr choosing their teams. Lookchan and Jib did not receive the 🥼🪝🖼️🔥 sequence, and the head chefs did not comment on their eliminations.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1j4QjBLPdreH_9UuyJadP0cGmAy_v6dob54fNAV9qIbg/edit#gid=0

I’ve never had a bad steak from Olive Garden . I always get the sirloin and pasta , it never fails the steak is always so juicy and flavorful. Can anyone else relate ? Does anyone know who they buy from ahaha

Did I just happen to get the worse induction top made or is this common?
A few years ago, I read almost everywhere how superior induction cooking is versus the other types of stovetops. Purely out of curiosity, I purchased a cheap plug-in single induction burner. It was an Ovente 8G61B 7.4 inch single burner.
The pros of this was that it heated up my 8 inch cast iron pan in record time and faster than any gas top that I have ever used or seen. This was great for any large body of liquid that took and held lots of head.
The cons were enough for me to put it away for years until just finding it to post the make and model number in this thread. The heating surface was 4 inches despite the stove being called a 7.4 inches. This made it nearly impossible to use for steak as it mostly head the small center of the cast iron pan. The second and most thing that made this 100% worthless is the way it regulated heat. I understand how PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) works and don't expect it in such a cheap device but on medium to low temps, It will get scorching how and start burning frozen burgers then turn off for over a minute when the pan stops sizzling. After a minute again, it will start burning for a few seconds to turn off again. There is literally no way this is acceptable. I then contacted Ovente to tell them about this issue and they emailed me back saying that this is how the stove is designed.
I know that since a load to generate this much heat would be expensive possibly large to control such high energy, but staying off for over a minute is beyond silly. According to the response I got from the customer service, I'll never trust a company that releases something like this to the market and I've been mostly ignoring positive Amazon ratings as they are now pointless.

I’m new to MS, but have ordered sirloins and fillets through Hello Fresh and Home Chef many times. While they might not be the best cuts of meat, they’ve been tasty and somewhat tender. I got the sirloin from MS this week and they were inedible! So tough. Both steaks. We couldn’t even choke them down so I put some frozen chicken nugs in the air fryer. I’m so bummed bc I didn’t realize I have them in my box for next week and it’s too late to change. AND a friend just signed up with my code after I was bragging about how good it was and they ordered sirloins! 🤦🏻‍♀️ please tell me this isn’t the norm!

Hello all,
I am just starting week 2 of my lifestyle change. Last week was brutal. I'll be honest: I have spent so much money ordering from Skip the Dishes and eating out - that sitting and cooking for one week straight was an interesting change. It shows you how lazy I have been. Instead of making eggs and toast, I'd order McDonald's. I have struggled for a long time with my weight, but this is the worst I've ever been.
I decided to change partly for my partner. He loves to hike and go on long walks in nature, and I'd always pass on going with him because of how unfit I am. I'm now away for two months for a program, but I decided it's time to build that stamina to enjoy the summer with him when I return without huffing and puffing by walking. The biggest struggle is to not obsess over this and have it become an ED. Being kind to myself and understanding I will not be 100% at the beginning is vital.
I also struggle a lot with body image. Going to the gym and getting scoffed at or looked at in a way that makes me feel gross is a terrible feeling. A few days ago, I went with one of my friends to work out (she's a bit bigger like me), and we went to the women-only gym. While warming up, a girl looked me down and up and looked at me like I was disgusting. That was a horrible feeling. Regardless, I still went to work out last night. Yesterday was the hardest. I struggled a lot - as I had cravings for unhealthy food and had a big war with myself for not ordering out. I ended up cooking some steak and potatoes. I am proud of myself for overcoming that craving feeling.
My whole life, I've struggled with food. I come from a very poor background, with my mother also struggling with her weight her whole life. I also went through fostercare and experienced a lot of hardships growing up. These experiences led me to very unhealthy relationships with food. In my early 20s, I would work three jobs to just pay rent - and then I'd binge eat whenever I got home. I never cooked. In my mid 20s, I met my now long-term partner, and although he's pretty fit, my bad habits continued. I'd binge chips or fried things whenever I'd get stressed. Order boba in exam season, eat carbs, and things saying, "I don't have time to cook." Now that I'm reaching my 30s I decided it's time to make a change. Change my relationship with food into something joyful. To not be ashamed of my body and feel good in my own skin. My GW is 180-200. I am 5"11 and I have a very heavy frame - I will never be a petite person. Anywho, felt like writing this to have some sort of accountability and to ask for tips on how to keep going - motivation - how do you beat craving temptations?
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Old-Scool Diet 2.O
"A comprehensive article on bodybuilding diet minutiae - and SO MUCH MORE
What follows is my version of an old school (mid-80s to early 90s) bodybuilding fat-loss diet/regimen, with an updated (2020's) dietary supplementation plan. This type of diet was very popular when I was a child and produced results for many who used it. I was reminded of such diets by bodybuilding writers such as John Romano, who wrote about the basic bodybuilding diet in an issue of Muscular Development sometime around 2008.
Although renowned for its simplicity, it can become somewhat monotonous. The key tenets of this type of fat loss diet are 1) being in a slightly negative caloric balance, 2) using a simplified shopping list of 15 or fewer items, and 3) taking in large amounts of protein, a moderately large amount of carbohydrates, and a small/modest amount of dietary fat.
You will consume 3-4 "whole-food" meals per day along with 1-3 protein shakes (more on workout days and less on off days). You should drink at least 1 gallon worth of calorie-free liquids per day.... the closer you get to 1.5 gal and even 2 gal (if you're really big) the better.
The Shopping List
So, you're at the grocery store and you're in and out within 10 minutes. You don't care about the weekly sales (unless they involve one of your "weekly 15" items). Thus, grocery shopping becomes a snap.
As for the items themselves, a basic "old school" bodybuilding diet would likely contain:

1. Eggs
2. Milk (skim or 2% or UF/CFM)
3. Chicken Breast (boneless and skinless)
4. Tuna chunk light, canned
5. Cottage Cheese (2-4%) & red-fat cheese
6. Lean Gr Beef or Sirloin, NY strip, etc Steak
7. Rice
8. Oatmeal
9. Whole wheat (or white) Bread
10. Apples
11. Oranges
12. Pasta
13. Frozen Berries
14. Bananas
15. Broccoli

Of course, you can rotate in other vegetables such as corn on the cob, salad greens, and lettuces (with light balsamic or low-carb vinaigrette dressing if a salad) etc etc.
Eating a variety of wholesome foods that are (by and large) as unprocessed (aside from rice and oatmeal which must be processed as well as some dairy items) as possible typically means you'll be getting a wide spectrum of nutrients, including both macro and micronutrients. A daily multivitamin/mineral tablet can ensure you're filling any gaps in micronutrient needs (vitamins and minerals). As for macronutrients, this diet provides the bulk of its calories as protein and carbohydrate with only about 10% of the daily calorie allotment being reserved for fats.
What is the logic behind the macronutrient breakdown?
You'll be eating about 45-50 percent of your calories as carbohydrates and 40-45 percent as protein with only 10-15% as fat.
Why 45-50% as carbohydrate? Carbohydrate is stored in the liver and muscles as a substance called glycogen. For every gram of glycogen stored within the body, there are 2.7 grams of water attached. This gives the muscles a pumped appearance and feeling. This also means the muscles are well stocked with stored energy. The majority of your weight training sessions will involve anaerobic exercise. This type of exercise utilizes the glycolytic energy pathway to generate ATP or Adenosine Tri Phosphate.
(Note: The amino-acid-based dietary supplement Creatine also supports ATP synthesis by donating Phosphate to ADP).
Having adequate amounts of both calories and carbohydrates helps prevent dietary-induced drops in TSH.... or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. This, in theory (and empirical practice) keeps one's metabolism humming and prevents one from "drying out." Simply put, you'll get great pumps in the gym thanks to all that stored water (remember 2.7 grams of water is stored per gram of glycogen).
Energy-rich carbohydrates (grains and fruits) differ from fiber-rich vegetables. Not only do energy-rich carbohydrates provide far more calories but the calories they supply raise blood glucose levels markedly and rapidly. These types of carbohydrates are more easily broken down into simple sugars (glucose etc). Simple sugars and carbohydrates such as rice and white bread are termed high-glycemic (they spike serum blood sugar and insulin levels) while whole wheat or rye bread and things like oatmeal and non-starchy vegetables are deemed low-glycemic.
To be completely forthright and technical all carbohydrates and macronutrients provide energy. The phytonutrients, micronutrients, and fiber aside, carbohydrates simply provide a "higher octane" energy (than protein or fat). ATP is regenerated via the glycolytic energy pathway; carbohydrates stoke the glycolytic energy pathway most efficiently. Despite this, carbohydrates are technically unessential.
Fat and in particular protein can both be used to create carbohydrates. And both fat and protein can supply energy. But fat and protein contain essential nutrients the body cannot manufacture. These essential nutrients are essential fatty acids (EFAs) and essential amino acids (EAAs).
What about Protein?
Because you're getting roughly half of your calories from carbohydrates the protein you take in will likely be spared from providing energy - at least that's what we're hoping for. You're going to shoot for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. The actual range of values would be between 0.8g/lb to 1.4g/lb (grams of protein per pound).
You're going to want to consume high-quality, complete protein from sources such as meat, poultry, fish, and dairy. If you have 4 meals and a shake and are taking in let's say 225 grams of protein per day that works out to 45 grams per "feeding." To be more realistic we'll simply say take in between 40-50 grams of protein per feeding.
Protein supplies nitrogen and the "building blocks" of skeletal muscle tissue (amino acids). Protein is essential because 8-10 amino acids are considered essential (other amino acids can become essential in certain situations or circumstances, they are called conditionally essential amino acids).
If you're 200 lbs taking in 1.25 grams protein per pound of bodyweight you're consuming 250 grams of protein per day. Protein contains 4 calories per gram. Thus you'd be consuming 1,000 calories of protein. At 45-50% of total daily calories, carbohydrates would comprise app 1.25x worth of calories as compared to protein. Thus, carbohydrates would come to 1,250 calories. Total daily calories would thus far be 2,250.
2,250 divided by 0.9 yields 250 calories, and at 9 calories per gram that would afford us a mere (roughly) 25 grams of fat. I would at least double this figure (not counting supplemental fats). 50 grams of fat adds 450 calories. 450 plus 2,250 yields 2,700 calories total. Thus, your diet breakdown will be closer to 16-20% fat (20% when including supplemental EFAs), 40% protein, and 40-45% carbohydrate).
Note: If need be, you can cut down carbohydrates by a few hundred calories and increase your protein consumption. This would change the dietary breakdown to roughly 40/40/20 (popularized by Barry Sears as the Zone diet).
You'll want to stay on this diet for a week and record how you felt, what you ate, and how well you slept. Every other day weigh yourself after your morning shit, shower and shave. If you maintain your weight the 2,700 calorie mark is your body's "set-point target." To reduce excess weight (fat) reduce your total daily calories by roughly 10-15 percent and exercise 3-5 days per week. Include cardiovascular training in addition to your weight lifting to further speed up your fat loss efforts. You can do LISS (low-intensity steady state) cardio (walking) or you can do HIIT (High-intensity interval training) cardio 2-5 times per week. Personally, I would choose 5 45-minute leisurely walks over other forms of cardio.
What about "fat burners?"
When people say "fat burners" they're referring to thermogenic agents which speed up the body's metabolism by some 5% or so (5-8% for an hour or two). In the 90s both Phentermine and the ECA stack were popular. These catecholamine-based compounds were potent appetite suppressants, particularly phentermine. The ECA stack was/is also a beta-adrenergic agonist. Since then a host of other supposedly "thermogenic" compounds and preparations have come into the limelight. Yerba Mate comes to mind, as do the popular OTC products Xenadrine and Hydroxycut. Even plain old caffeine is sometimes considered a first-rate "fat burner."
The truth is these products barely increase metabolic rate enough to make much of a difference. Most of their worth comes from their appetite-suppressant effects. Now, I'm not saying if you're suddenly prescribed Adderall or start smoking ice you won't lose weight - you will. It's simply that most weight loss, even from strong stimulants, comes from their appetite-suppressant effects.
The only "fat burners" that truly increase fat burning without the need for appetite suppression are L Carnitine and Cardarine. Cardarine is a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-delta agonist. Cardarine enhances lipolysis during exercise. Training increases energy availability by promoting catabolism of proteins, and gluconeogenesis, whereas GW501516 enhances specific consumption of fatty acids and reduces glucose utilization. L Carnitine can be beneficial to exercise performance and fat loss; paradoxically it also suppresses T3, or active thyroid hormone.
T3 or Cytomel can be used to markedly increase resting metabolic rate, but "T3 burns through muscle and fat indiscriminately." You can reduce the amount of muscle tissue being burned and attenuate the reductions in "muscle pump" experienced when supplementing with extra T3.
To do so you'll need to drink water like a camel and supplement your diet with beetroot crystals and citrulline malate. You'll also want to utilize Tadalafil or Cialis. Surprisingly, aside from increasing the pump one experiences from lifting weights Cialis also increases fat burning and creates more BAT (Brown adipose Tissue as compared to WAT... white adipose tissue), relatively speaking. BAT is metabolically active and behaves more like muscle in this respect.
To reduce muscle loss while on higher doses of T3 nothing short of AAS (@ least 200-300 mg/wk, if not 400mg + per week) will truly help. SARMS such as RAD-140 may be of some (yet limited) value. To be honest I would avoid T3 supplementation unless also using Testosterone (Enanthate 400mg/wk) or other AAS.
As for fats, their consumption is largely incidental on this diet and comes from the dairy, red meat, poultry, occasional salad, or handful of mixed nuts one might expect to consume if adhering to the aforementioned dietary principles .
This means the amount of saturated fat as compared to MUFAs or PUFAs will be somewhat high. To remedy this one can consume tuna packed in soybean oil as well as by supplementing 3x per day with triple concentrated, enteric-coated, fish oil capsules. These fish oil capsules break down in the small intestine and there are no fishy burps with them thanks to that enteric coating. They are extremely rich in the special fatty acids EPA and DHA, Eicosapentaenoic acid and Docosohexanoic acid.
One might also supplement with an Udo's Omega 3:6:9 blend of daily supplemental oil.
As for specialty fats, one must purchase the next two in supplement form. CLA is conjugated linoleic acid and it helps improve body composition over time by increasing muscle mass and decreasing fat mass. Sesamin has a host of potential health benefits. Together these two designer fats can markedly improve physical aesthetics, health, and overall well-being.
Finally, there is GLA or gamma linoleic acid. Unless you eat a lot of cashews you'll want to get this fatty acid in supplement form as well.
Note: You needn't supplement every specialty fatty acid mentioned to reap benefits from each fatty acid you choose to use.
The GOLDEN RULE of DIETING: CICO
Calories in vs. calories out. It's so simple yet so misunderstood. When you reduce dieting down to its least common denominator it's CICO you're left with. If you aren't gaining or losing weight you're at an established set-point. You're at current equilibrium. It also means you're essentially burning just about every calorie you take in (burning every single calorie to be more precise, it's just the body's ebbs and flows and an equilibrium setpoint is usually somewhat elastic ).
If you begin to regularly consume more calories than your BMTMR allot (and than you burn via daily movement and exercise), you will put on additional body mass (including both fat and skeletal muscle). If you begin to consume less than your BMTMR allot, and/or begin exercising yourself into a negative caloric balance, you will lose weight, typically a combination of fat and muscle (but usually far more fat than muscle, particularly if one lifts weights throughout).
Note: BMTMR = Basal & Total Metabolic Rate
So are all macronutrients equal then? I mean, do all macronutrients convert into ATP at the same efficiency rate?
Technically no they do not. Protein is far less efficient in its conversion to ATP as compared to fat or carbohydrate. Thus, it takes MORE protein to create "x" amount of ATP. Remember, ATP stands for adenosine triphosphate. It is the body's preferred cellular fuel for high-intensity, high-octane activities. In this sense, protein's inefficiency in converting to ATP means a calorie really isn't a calorie after all. (Because) It takes more protein calories to create "x" amount of ATP than if one were creating that same "x" amount of ATP from carbohydrate or fat calories.
Now that that anomaly is out of the way it's best to simply memorize CICO, calories in vs. calories out, irrespective of macronutrient source. This is the most practical, tried and true way to diet scientifically.
So you've established your caloric allotment for metabolic equilibrium and lowered that figure by 10-15%. You've added in 3-4 30-minute LISS cardio sessions per week in addition to 4 weight-lifting workouts. You're beginning to lose weight week in and week out and then your progress slows and eventually stalls. Your body has become accustomed to the lower calories and the extra workload. Unfortunately, aside from supplementing your diet with substances such as Cardarine or Clenbuterol, there is little more you can do outside of dropping calories once more.... (or adding even more cardio).
Over time these successive reductions in calorie allotment lead to a reduction in TSH, or thyroid stimulating hormone. It's the body's way of slowing things down in an effort to maintain homeostasis. To continue improving body composition one mustn't merely lose as much fat as possible, but also must maintain the muscle mass one has - or even build a bit. Now I'll come right out and say it, if you're 6-10 weeks into a strict fat loss diet you're not going to be concerned with building additional muscle unless you're using Testosterone and/or other AAS and PEDs. Even then, if juicing quite a bit, at some point building muscle transitions into preserving muscle. No matter how much you're pinning if you aren't eating enough calories you simply cannot (physiologically) add appreciable lean fat-free body mass.
To boost the body's T3 levels one can supplement directly with T3 (Cytomel) or with pro-active-thyroid T4 (converts to T3 in body; Synthroid). There is supplemental T2 but I advise readers to steer clear of this thyroid analogue. Another way of boosting T3 levels, and a legal, natural way to boot, is by having periodic carbohydrate-rich refeeds and higher calorie days. Have a carbohydrate-rich meal every 3 days if on a lower carbohydrate diet as well as a higher calorie day once every seven to ten days whether on a mixed macronutrient or a lower carbohydrate type diet.
How many meals do you need to eat per day?
While there is potentially some slight advantage to eating several smaller to moderately sized meals spaced evenly throughout the day the science says "when you eat the bulk of your calories makes little to no difference." So if you'd rather have two larger-sized 1,350 calorie meals and then intermittently fast for the rest of your wake-sleep cycle (or "day" whether a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd shifter etc) go ahead. That said, I would personally recommend at least 2-3 whole food-based meals and 1-3 protein shakes per day for best results in the gym. As for weight loss, remember it boils down to CICO: whether you have 10 270-calorie mini-meals or one 2,700-calorie smorgasbord makes practically no difference.
What about enhancing insulin sensitivity and improving glucose metabolism while imparting a nutrient-partitioning effect?
I first learned of the term Glucose Disposal Agent while reading Dan Duchaine's Underground BodyOpus. Dan was recommending an isocaloric diet at one point but I believe he'd moved onto cyclical ketogenic-type dieting by the early to mid-90s - and obviously by the time he wrote Underground BodyOpus. Because catecholamines work better in low (serum) insulin environments and because high levels of insulin in the blood render fat-burning enzymes such as HSL largely inert, it is a good idea to release as little insulin as is necessary/possible. Postprandial serum insulin concentrations share a direct correlation with postprandial (after a meal) blood glucose levels. To help optimize glucose metabolism and loweoptimize postprandial glucose numbers far more efficiently - while also driving nutrient partitioning by enhancing the selective expression of GLUT 4 (on muscle cells and not fat cells), one should consider the use of glucose disposal agents such as Na R ALA and Berberine HCL.
Over time the use of GDAs improves insulin sensitivity markedly, assisting in the significant attenuation of metabolic syndrome. Berberine alone has been shown in some clinical trials to perform as good or better than the popular diabetic medication Metformin. Na R ALA is the most bioavailable form of alpha lipoic acid and you need only 250mg 2-3x/day to reap major benefits. If you use the cheaper form of alpha lipoic acid use 400-700 mg 2-3x/day.
To these two GDAs I would recommend a form of Vanadium, Vanadyl Sulfate. I would also add a form of chromium, either chromium picolinate or chromium polynicotinate. There are scores of various GDA or GDA-like compounds to choose from. For the most bang for your buck start and stick with this 4 part GDA stack before adding additional GDA compounds into the mix.
Note: If you combine the regular use of GDAs with a modified lower or low-carb diet one can literally reverse Type 2 Diabetes, particularly if the disease is in its early onset stage(s).
Maintaining Energy (to train intensely) while on a reduced-calorie diet
When you lift weights getting that all too familiar "pump" feels amazing. Arnold Schwarzenegger once compared it to sexual release - even going so far as to claim the "pump was better than cumming." I would have to disagree with Mr. Schwarzenegger on that, but I will concede that getting a vein-bursting, skin-splitting pump (obviously I'm embellishing: no pump bursts veins or splits the skin) gives one a major short-term motivational boost as well as an endorphin rush. It also feels great and makes one look more muscular and vascular. But getting a great pump while in a major caloric deficit, particularly if one is restricting carbohydrates, becomes difficult to say the least. So how does one boost the body's high-octane "energy" source, ATP, without taking in extra calories?
If you were unaware that ATP can be supplemented directly (orally), now you know. PEAK ATP is a well-known ATP supplement. In addition to supplementing directly with ATP one can also utilize Creatine Monohydrate (or other forms of creatine) to behave as a Phosphate donor. Creatine is stored within the body as creatine phosphate. Creatine phosphate donates its phosphate ring to ADP, or Adenosine Di-Phosphate, creating ATP, or Adenosine Tri-Phosphate. As you know ATP is the body's preferred "high-octane" cellular-energy-medium. Creatine and ATP are both important to high-intensity anaerobic exercise. But what about boosting the glycolytic energy pathway?
The body utilizes glucose and stored glycogen to replenish ATP. When glucose/glycogen is in low supply the body will utilize glycogenic amino acids (in a process called gluconeogenesis) to boost serum glucose concentrations, especially while involved in intense exercise such as weight lifting (bodybuilding). Supplementing (pre-workout) with whey protein isolate and/or EAA/BCAA+Glutamine can help prevent the body from utilizing its muscle tissue as a donor source for gluconeogenically-derived "energy."
Note: Glutamine can increase both hepatic and skeletal muscle glycogen stores (without carbohydrates).
Another thing you can do to enhance fat burning is to increase the proportion of fuel burned as fat during exercise. To achieve this supplement with the PPAR delta agonist Cardarine. Cardarine markedly increases cardiovasculaendurance capacity as well as muscular endurance. You'll be getting a few more reps per set on your higher rep sets and increasing the amount of fat (instead of blood sugar) your body is using while doing so.
Note: Stacking Cardarine with the infamous lipotropic L Carnitine may further enhance each supplement's effects.
Note: I have a separate article written on L Carnitine. See this article to learn everything you would ever want to know about L Carnitine in less than 5 minutes.
What about maintaining the muscle mass you built while in a caloric surplus after you diet your way into a significant negative caloric balance?
The supplement HMB, Beta Hydroxy Methyl Butyrate was over-hyped in the 90s. Everybody was looking for the "next creatine." And HMB showed promise. Then the research trickled in. Initially, HMB appeared to be of little value. Then more and more research poured in. Today we know HMB is most effective as an anticatabolic supplement.
HMB helps ensure the body remains in a positive nitrogen balance, but not by increasing protein synthesis. Rather, HMB reduces the breakdown of muscle mass (protein), and is particularly useful in lower-calorie settings, and/or high-stress situations (including recovery post-surgery and healing from serious burns).
You'll want to use a minimum of 3 grams of HMB per day. Amounts as high as 10 grams or more daily can be costly but are safe (and more effective than lower dosages, which does not necessarily hold true for other dietary supplements).
A second anticatabolic supplement you might consider is Phosphatidylserine or PS. The use of PS is reportedly effective in reducing excessive serum cortisol concentrations. Cortisol, a glucocorticoid, increases protein catabolism. This supplement can be costly to use, however.
Some trainees, gurus and gym pundits firmly believe the conditionally essential amino acid Glutamine is a potent anti-catabolic substance. The research on Glutamine's efficacy for athletes isn't clear; some studies show benefit(s) while others clearly do not.
If you're using appreciable amounts of protein powder (Whey Protein Isolate, Pea Protein Isolate, Caseinate, Milk Protein Isolate) you'll be getting about 4-5 grams of Glutamine (and precursors) per scoop (app 25 grams of protein. Most protein rich whole foods are also rich in Glutamine.
If you're in a caloric surplus (off season mode) then additional Glutamine is essentially a waste of money. Glutamine is best utilized while in the throes of strict dieting, when muscle mass losses are most likely. Glutamine can contribute to the Amino Acid Pool and act as a gluconeogenic donor if need be. Glutamine can also help restock both hepatic and skeletal muscle glycogen stores INDEPENDENTLY of carbohydrates (Glucose). To enhance glycogen replenishment, particularly in the peri-workout period, Glutamine must be taken in very large doses (up to 15-20 grams pre/intra workout & post workout).
Another thing you can do to reduce the loss of muscle mass while dieting is to raise your protein consumption to as high as 1.5 grams per pound of body weight. Of course, you'll have to have a commensurate reduction in calories from carbohydrates and/or fat.
And remember, while dieting to maximize fat-loss your goal isn't to build muscle, but instead to maintain that muscle which you've already built. This means you must take care to avoid overtraining. Not only is overtraining unnecessary at this stage, but it can be extremely damaging to one's physique. You run the risk of injury anytime you step foot in a gym but the probability of injury is geometrically increased if one is overtraining, particularly while on a low-calorie diet. Limit your weekly lifting sessions to no more than 5. Don't go crazy on the volume (# of sets) and stay in the 8-12 rep range most of the time (you can do more or fewer reps but 8-12 is a great rep range for most). You aren't going to be setting any PRs here.
Can you tell us what a sample day of eating might look like?
Let's say you decide on 3 whole-food meals, 2 shakes, and a snack every day. Let's assume your shakes are composed of ultrafiltered skim milk (12 g protein and 8 grams carbohydrate w/ 0g fat per 8oz), 2 scoops whey isolate (40 g protein), a small banana, and 1/2-1 cup frozen strawberries. By themselves, the two protein shakes will supply 130 grams of protein. And remember, at the beginning of this article we said our hypothetical dieter was 200 pounds. Thus your total daily protein goal in grams was 250 grams per day. Hence, you need only consume 120 more grams of protein, divided between 3 whole food meals and your optional snack.
Your total daily calorie and macronutrient allotment breakdown:
Calories: 2,700 Protein: 250 grams, 1,000 Cal Carbohydrate: 310 grams, 1250 Cal Fat: 50 grams, 450 Cal
Note: the caloric/macro breakdown above yields appx 37% protein, 46% carbohydrate, and 17% fat. This differs slightly from the 40/50/10 breakdown we began with but the actual percentages are simply a guide post. If you're more endomorphic you should probably drop the carbohydrates to 37% and raise the fat to make up the difference (or add protein for the same reason). If you're an ectomorph or mesomorph you can handle the 46% carbohydrate level without missing a beat.
Note: Supplemental fats do add additional fat grams (and calories to your daily totals). Thus, your total fat intake will likely be closer to 80 grams per day. You may also take a shot glass or two of extra virgin, cold-pressed organic olive oil 3-5 times per week to increase MUFAs in your diet.
Removing the protein shakes' nutritional values (130 grams protein, 0 grams fat, and roughly 60-120 grams of carbohydrates: one protein shake may be simply protein powder with milk or water and ice) leaves 120 grams of protein, 50 grams of meal-derived fats (excluding supplemental fats) and approximately 190-250 grams of carbohydrates for the remainder of the day. These figures will be spread (evenly or unevenly) over 3 whole-food meals and one snack. This works out to 40 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbohydrates, and about 15-20 grams of fat per meal. Under this scenario, your snack would have to be something like sugar-free jello which has practically no calories whatsoever.
As for how you put together your meals....
Because your list of foods was basic and limited to 15 items you'll have an easy time putting potential menus together. Choose foods from your list and match up their nutritional values to fit the macronutrient and caloric allotment for each of your 3 whole-food meals.
Note: If you need more variety go ahead. The number of different foods you eat has no intrinsic bearing on the results you'll achieve from dieting. I give the 15-item limit to reflect the authenticity of old-school bodybuilding dieting as told by John Romano, the famous bodybuilding author, and for simplicity's sake.
Look up the nutritional value of the various 15 (or more) foods you chose for your diet and write them down on the front page of your diet journal. You're going to want to make use of nutrition labels anytime you deviate from your list of foods. And if you're not accurately eyeing up proper portion sizes you'll want to invest in a food scale. Studies have shown that people who didn't record what they ate often overate far more than what they self-reported they'd eaten. The same goes for people commonly overestimating portion sizes. That's why you're going to record everything you eat and weigh out or measure proper portion sizes.
So how do you know how many calories you should begin the diet with?
There are many useful diet and macro calculators available online. One figure I've come across quite a bit is 15-17 calories per pound of body weight as a good, "average" starting point. For a 200 lb person, this works out to between 3,000 and 3,400 calories per day, which might be a bit high. If consuming even 1.25 grams of protein per pound of body weight that 15-17 cal/lb figure leaves 2,400 "energy" calories to come from carbohydrates and/or fats. Our hypothetical diet above was 2,700 calories with 250 grams of protein for a 200-lb individual.
So the two figures (2,700 cal and 3,000- 3,400 cal are close enough to be compatible and would likely fit any 200 lb hard training individual quite well - but we can't be certain. The only way to do that is to keep a diet journal for a minimum of 7 days where you record every morsel of every foodstuff you consume, each and every day and night. You also tally up your macronutrient totals for each of the seven days. At the end of those seven days, if your weight has remained the same, you have found your homeostatic caloric setpoint.
Add up the total amount of calories consumed over the seven days and then divide the resultant figure by seven. You now have your starting caloric allowance. If you want to gain quality mass you would increase your calories by 10-15%. But, we want to lose fat, so we will cut out starting caloric allowance (homeostatic-setpoint) by 10-15%.
If you simply don't have the discipline to keep a food journal you'll also have trouble keeping track of calories later on in the diet and end up overeating, even if unintentionally. That said, 15-17 cal/lb of body weight is a good average starting range for most lifters.
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Mike Renteria BigMikeRenteria@gmail.com BPVA Summer 2024
Photo: Gunter Schlierkamp, IFBB LEGEND, 2002 GNC SOS CHAMPION (Defeated Reigning Mr Olympia Ronnie Coleman)