TheTrimTim Member

[ And there are no studies that show conflicting conclusions to this? Varied diets have to be best.

Certainly if lifting.

(Check out the Ben Coomber Radio podcast on iTunes. It will make you rethink the way you eat).

You certainly won't be as awesome as you can be if you eat 'dirty'. If you feel that 2600 is your balance point, you are likely to loose muscle mass and weight if you eat less. Simples.

If you won't eat meat due to ethics, that's one thing. The cost and the taste IMO are another topic. But I know we aren't answering your question. I think most people will agree that the best protein sources are meat and fish and eggs. I'd go for whole grains, tofu, beans, lentils, and nuts to name a few.

Easy. Fry with a tiny bit of oil and a couple of chopped garlic cloves. 2 to 3 mins, sprinkle with pepper and you're done!

Do not focus on calories if you're aiming for muscle gain/fat loss. 100 cal of protein isn't the same as 100 cal of carbs for example. Think a can of diet coke too ... Only a few calories for sure, but is that diet coke better than a cup or two of spinach that may have similar calories? I think not.

Gluten?

Can I ask why you won't eat meat?

I'm no fan of cheat days. They don't do any good, either physically or mentally. Perhaps you need to review your goals and put together something you can stick too. Perhaps you are trying to make too big a change all at once. Often this approach leads to failure in the long run. If your cheats are chocolate, sweets and the…

Not sure about the cancer link but I agree with the rest. Sugar does stress the body. But if it has to be eaten, best eaten before bed.

Frankly if you don't drink usually, not worry about it. One or two drinks of any type isn't going to hurt you. Worrying about it will do you more harm.

Amen! If you want to loose fat, you need to eat good fat! That's why you could want a high protein, high fat and low carb diet.

Fibre full foods will fill you up. Not all veg for example is the same. Try some good old broccoli. Brown rice is a great filler too.

What's your calorie intake now? Having huge drops (or increases) in calorie intake can be a real shock to the system. Generally I would reduce (or increase) calories by 100-200 a day for one week and then repeat. But just remember a calorie of one food isn't the same as a calorie of another. For example, a can of diet coke…

I'd recommend that you make the shakes yourself - that way you control what goes in them. You can buy a good quality protein powder almost anywhere these days. Adding in some carrots, spinach and fruits is great with goats milk. If you have to buy pre-bottled, check the sugar content. Higher sugar content is fine…

In addition to the above suggestions, I love (tinned) grilled sardines on rye bread.

Eat proper food at breakfast and cut out the cereals and carbs. Protein and fats all the way if you want to loose weight and/gain muscle. Eggs and salmon are awesome. Or a nice steak and why not?! For something a little more traditional, try a nice Greek yoghurt with blueberries. Oh, and don't forget that cup of coffee!

I have a massive sweet tooth and I'm trying to curb it too. Taste will change - 7 to 10 days will be hard but if you stay strong, you will find that the sweet stuff is too sweet. Perhaps you can just your sweetness intake down gradually, cut down on sugar in tea/coffee bit by bit, a little less on your cereal, etc. For my…

I buy mine from MyProtein.com too. Great prices. And for recipes, try proteinpow.com. The whole site is on recipes you can make with protein powder.

Venison steaks are pretty cheap now in Asda and full of great protein. Just lightly fry them with olive oil or similar. And lots of veg. Awesome! Chicken breast that is ready to eat with salad and/or greens is great too. They are always BOGOF or 2 for £5. Steer clear of pre-processed meals and microwave stuff. They aren't…

Thanks, you are right, I think I'll stick with measuring things that I can see!

I suppose. I know everyone is different but it's always helpful to get some plain direction.

Add me if you wish, my profile tells all you need to know. :)

Thx for the feedback so far but is there anything less milkshake-like or smoothie-like? I love juices and squashes, hence my Ribena attempt. :)

I hadn't thought about this before but it's a bit obvious now I've read it.

Can I be really dull and double check that you are saying that to loose FAT and replace with MUSCLE and to maintain a constant weight, I need to be in deficit?

Understood. But with a 12.2% body fat %, do I still need to be in a calorific deficit? Or just keep around the 2250 calories I was eating per day? I was thinking of reducing to 1800 calories per day, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea. As I say, my PT says I should eat more.

My secret is "Yes Dear".

I need to thank you all of your input so far. However, I received some interesting information today. Our gym has a new multi-function scale, the Davivendy (http://www.davicia.com/multifunctional-scales/davivendy-multifunctional-scale), and my PT used it today to measure my weight, height, BMI and body fat %, body fat…