Let me use an example.
-Subject: male, 90kg/200lbs; training 3x/week
-approx. calories to maintain weight: 200x15=3000
200 X 15 Formula
Formula's such as this work in a vacuum but not in the real world.
When it comes to losing, gaining or maintaining weight, you first need to know where you are with your caloric intake.
That is most effective accomplished with a...
Three Day Recall
1) Record everything you consume for three days.
2) Add up the total calories for those three days and then divide by three.
Doing so will provide you more realistic view of you "Average Daily Caloric Intake".
One of the three days need to be a weekend day. That due to the fact that eating habit change on the weekend.
3) If you are...
a) Losing body weight means you are in a "Caloric Deficit".
b) Gaining weight means you are in a "Caloric Surplus".
c) No body weight change means caloric intake to caloric expenditure is balance.
With that said, some fluctuation in body weight occurs on a daily basis due to water weight.
I prefer eating slightly more carbs after the training to replenish the muscle glycogen after the training.
Glucose Repletion
Research by Dr Brad Schoenfeld has demonstrated that "Nutrition Timing" (such as consuming carbohydrates or more carbohydrates post workout) isn't necessary.
What essentially matter is what you consume during the rest of the day.
This "strategy" helps me to recover faster and improve body composition.
Not Really
To reiterate once more, Schoenfeld's research demonstrated that food ingestion immediately following a training session does not do any more than what you consume in the 24 hour period following your training session.
Also, consumption of carbohydrates post workout doesn't "Improve body composition".
With that said, post workout meals/beverage don't help nor hurt. So, do as you like.
I never counted calories.
Not Counting Calories
That amount to putting money in your bank, not balancing your check book, writing checks and trusting that method will workout.
Unless you are counting your calories, you have no idea of where you are on you "Diet Road Map.
It makes it impossible to plot your "Diet Destination" without first knowing where you are on "Diet Road Map".
I wanted to hear your opinion/experience about body recomposition. The premise is to maintain/increase muscle mass while decreasing fat mass and therefore optimising body composition.
Tip: Better Than Intermittent Fasting | T Nation
This research shows that alternating your caloric intake every two weeks is very effective.
..."intermittent or "yo-yo" group lost 50 percent more weight than the men in the control group. What's more,
almost all of the extra pounds of weight lost by the intermittent group was fat instead of muscle."
Dr Layne Norton: Reverse Dieting
BioLayne Video Log 24 - Reverse Dieting | Biolayne
"Reverse Dieting" is Intermittent Dieting".
"
Intermittent Dieting" is NOT the same as
"Intermittent Fasting".
Norton's podcast provide additional information on this.
Intermittent Dieting:The General Adaptation Syndrome
The body adapts to any new stress or stimulus. This is know as "The General Adaptation Syndrome"
However, as with most things there is a definitive time factor involved.
The research data in the article above demonstrated that adaptation is approximately two weeks, when caloric intake is increased or decreased.
on training days our subject will eat in a surplus (+400) and on rest days in a deficit (-300).
Varying Daily Caloric Intake
Essentially, at the end of the week your caloric intake is the same.
Norton's podcast does an excellent job in explaining how "Reverse Dieting" (aka Intermittent Dieting, NOT Fasting) work in increasing muscle mass and decreasing body fat.
Anecdotal Evidence
Bodybuilders have for the most part, successfully utilized "Reverse Dieting"/"Intermittent Dieting" via their "Bulking Periods"and "Cutting Periods".
Kenny Croxdale
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