Need help with diet

I’m presuming PT means personal trainer and not physical therapist.

No diet where you lose weight alone will ever be only fat and no muscle mass loss.

Lifting weights will allow you to get stronger and help preserve muscle mass - but as a PT (personal trainer) you already know this. I would suggest hopping onto the same novice weight training program you’d put a client onto when they seek your services.

Nutritionally, find a TDEE calculator (I recommend Scooby’s TDEE, but MFP works as well) and set MFP to lose a point a week. I’ve found a 30/30/40 protein/fat/carb mix works decently to keep satiated while keeping at the calorie limit.

If you want to keep it simple, you can log food and do this (even though it's written for weight loss beginners):

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

Since I'm assuming you work out pretty hard and routinely, you may need some extra experimentation around timing of eating around workouts (esp. carbs), and might want slightly more protein, but maybe not.

Others may have more refined technical eating recommendations, but this would be a simple starting point, FWIW.

philmustang68 wrote: »

Ha ha yes I’m clued up with my training never had a problem there , just the diet side a struggle with and yea the picture is from last year before my hernia op lol 👍🏼

cmriverside wrote: »

If that's your picture I would say you already know the answer(s) to your question.

Well then, more vegetables!





That seems a safe recommendation to anyone. I try and still sometimes fall short on that one.

Is part of this an increased percentage of body fat due to having to take a little time away from your training in order to heal from the surgery? If so, it's going to go back to pre-surgery with a little time, I would think. Like Cipher said, it's not really possible to lose weight without a small amount of muscle loss, regardless of what you are eating.

philmustang68 wrote: »

Hi thanks and that is a big problem for me eating times I juggle them a lot between work, gym and boxing I did hope boxing would of shifted it but not so far ha ha but my eating is all over the place at the moment 👍🏼

AnnPT77 wrote: »

If you want to keep it simple, you can log food and do this (even though it's written for weight loss beginners):

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10636388/free-customized-personal-weight-loss-eating-plan-not-spam-or-mlm/p1

Since I'm assuming you work out pretty hard and routinely, you may need some extra experimentation around timing of eating around workouts (esp. carbs), and might want slightly more protein, but maybe not.

Others may have more refined technical eating recommendations, but this would be a simple starting point, FWIW.

For most people, including most recreational athletes, meal/snack timing isn't all that important, as long as one gets in all the nutrients (and calories) one needs to thrive.

The linked post doesn't assume any particular meal frequency; it's about a process of planning sensible eating that fits your personal needs.

I said what I did about timing because I thought it was possible you might go beyond the normal range of "recreational athlete". People who do very intense workouts sometimes find they benefit from some fast carbs shortly before said workout (it shows up in workout energy/performance). People who do long-endurance activities (normally well over an hour, like, say, long-distance cycling) may find that they need some snacks and electrolytes during the workout to maintain energy level (again, usually shows up in energy/performance, unless there's a severe electrolyte issue). People trying to squeeze out the most advanced levels of muscle mass gain may find they benefit from some protein timing around workouts, but most people are going to be fine as long as they get adequate protein from their meals/snacks. The foregoing are mostly things you can figure out . . . by noticing how you feel. A small number of elite athletes in specialized sports may have specialized needs that require coached guidance . . . but most of us are not elite athletes.

What matters for weight loss is how much you eat (as measured in calories), compared to your energy output. Good health and energy level also require good nutrition (especially long-term). The linked post goes into some of that, mostly how to think about getting in good nutrition then do so, vs. being super prescriptive about what/when to eat.

IMO, you can eat at times that are convenient for you, any number of meals/snacks that are convenient for you, foods you enjoy, and get the hugely overwhelming majority of benefits that are available from eating strategies. Some people find that timing of eating (how much, when) affects their appetite/satiation. They may need some more tailored eating schedule . . . but while other people can suggest alternatives for them to try, it's not a "one size fits all" matter, and they'll need to try out alternatives for themselves anyway.

There's a lot of dietary religion going on in the world, but I think that approach is pretty optional.

Obviously, all of this is just my opinion.