RobotPhysique Member

@jemhh Thanks. I just recently switched to IIFYM. I was on the chicken/broccoli/rice special for the better part of a year, and it's been my salvation. I've tried a lot of different approaches and it's by far the easiest to adhere to. I wish someone had explained it to me when I began my fitness journey, but better late…

Hello thread. Credentials: Lifts things, tracks macros, currently bulking.

+1 I dig reverse dieting to minimize fat gain and allow your metabolism to adequately transition, but I don't think there's any reason to slow roll deficit to maintenance. If you really want to take it easy, start your +100/week at 100 over TEE and build from there.

Personally, I had to ditch ^ to get anywhere.

*Sigh*

@Protranser Thank you! Keep grinding regardless and best of luck with your goals!

Yeah dude don't stress it... just hashtag all your pictures #gainz for a couple days--that makes everything okay. But no really, I totally understand. I spent pretty much all of 2015 on a perma-cut, which come to find out isn't the greatest thing for you. After a while your you'll end up sabotaging yourself by gimping your…

@Ttlklutz Perfect... Sounds like you have a solid plan and good help. Adding some next week myself!

Personally, I weigh myself daily then take a weekly rolling average to account for fluctuation and compare that to the following week's rolling average.

@thorsmom01 Thanks. It wasn't until fairly recently that I learned much of what I accepted as fact or at least best practice was straight up misinformation. Most of us want things fast, easy, and spoon-fed. I'm no expert, but if I can help folks with what I've learned from my follies, or by directing them to actual…

You don't need to and definitely don't want to cut out any macronutrient or food group for that matter. Keep the fruits, keep the veggies, keep the beef...eat a balanced diet, and yes most importantly, monitor your intake. Calculate your estimated total energy expenditure--there are plenty of calculators around--and…

It's carbs for me, but yup... the struggle.

Incongruous. Yet, I'm the bad buy for being perplexed by OP's unorthodox objective? Don't think we'll be seeing eye to eye on this one. Let's chalk it up as a loss and save each other some time. Have a nice day.

If you're truly seeking to add muscle mass, don't be afraid of a little surplus. Glad to hear you're making progress in the gym, but hovering around maintenance in an attempt to 'bulk' can leave you spinning your wheels and ultimately hurt your motivation due to lackluster results. Accepting the inevitable fat gain will…

Here's another one just for you. 1. It was simply a lighthearted joke that prefaced the sound and supported advice I provided OP to reach her goal. 2. If that's crucifixion, I feel bad for you when you actually wake up to reality. Cheers.

I agree with most everything said. I take a serving upon waking, and another while training shortly thereafter... but if you're not training fasted, probably not a necessary investment.

Did chicken, broccoli, and rice for a long time. Sensible IIFYM approach salvaged my sanity.

What? Not following the logic here... Carbs = 4/g, pro = 4/g, fat = 9/g. Wouldn't that make fat "calorie heavy"?

+1. Calculate your estimated TEE, consume less. A 500 calorie deficit will put most folks on target for around 1lb/week. Take a weekly rolling average of your daily weight and adjust cals as necessary to hone in on that target. Meal timing and frequency are irrelevant in the big picture. Eat when you're hungry/when your…

Muscle protein synthesis isn't a linear process. Train and eat when it works best for you--don't overcomplicate it. @FitGirl0123 & @arditarose have you covered. Eat a surplus, lift heavy, make gains.

^ this. $.

@middlehaitch I was being facetious--If OP was a competitive swimmer, there are no noob gains to be made, and thus no reason for her to worry about adding muscle in a deficit. It's not "difficult"; it's not going to happen.

@ReneevdH I'm sorry for derailing your thread, but will someone please explain to me under what circumstances your body is going to prioritizing muscle building over any other function in a caloric deficit. Maybe your brain will take a break to beef up your biceps?

Sorry, have to. Yep. According to Eric Helms, leg-centric MISS cardio in addition to your deficit would be ideal, as that's what he recommends avoiding for muscle retention during cuts, due to the muscular adaptations or 'interruptions'. For example, marathon runner legs vs. sprinter legs. And this ^