How can I best lean out in 60 days? page

[exilio]

Hey all,

I have been refining my workout approach thanks to this site and the Primal Blue Print. However, I have a short term goal of want to trim down as much as possible while still being able to add a little bit of mass and strength--basically not changing up my StrongLifts/Starting Strength schedule.

I have until mid-October to lost a few % of body fat. I eat right at 95-98% Primal. I am giving up beer, but I am still drinking some hard liquor regularly (feel free to yell at me). I workout on an 8-day schedule. Three days for heavy lifting, two rests days (although I usually go for a walk, ride my mountain bike or hike), and then three days doing sprints and or HIIT (typically 3 Tabata rounds of something like burpees, croc pushups and kb swings).

So besides alcohol, what else can I do? Trust me when I say giving up beer is tough--I have switched to gin or vodka, with no sweeteners. I typically mix in lime juice and club soda for almost zero carbs, but I know that the alcohol impedes fat loss and has roughly 60cal/oz consumed. And the average drink is 1.5-2 oz of alcohol. Therefore consuming three drinks, is roughly 240-360 calories of fat--basically.

So is that it? Just don't drink alcohol?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am currently using a couple protein powders to supplement with. One as a PWO shake that is high in carbs, about 63 grams, and then a lower one (10 grams) for protein deliver and a quick bit of calories. I add in heavy whipping cream for a no carb, caloric boost.

Thanks for any feedback.

[ciep]

You'll probably get a lot of different advice. To help people out, some more info might be useful:

- What BF% are you at now and what are you trying to get to?
- You eat primal and do stronglifts -- what kind of results have you been getting so far?
- Have you been losing fat already and you're just trying to speed it up? Or has fatloss stalled or simply not been happening at all?
- What's your diet look like? You say it's 95% primal, so that much is good, but what about meal frequency/timing, macro ratios, portion sizes, etc?

[davem]

I'm going to summon hordes of teeth gnashing with this, but if you want to lose BF%, eat clean, eat less.

It's that simple.

[exilio]

You'll probably get a lot of different advice. To help people out, some more info might be useful:

- What BF% are you at now and what are you trying to get to?
- You eat primal and do stronglifts -- what kind of results have you been getting so far?
- Have you been losing fat already and you're just trying to speed it up? Or has fatloss stalled or simply not been happening at all?
- What's your diet look like? You say it's 95% primal, so that much is good, but what about meal frequency/timing, macro ratios, portion sizes, etc?

Thanks for the response.

I am not sure what BF% I'm at now--I just bought a caliper, but either it or me isn't working. I'll have to mess with it some more--it's some click-based type and it isn't really clicking. But suffice to say, I am trying to get observable lower.

Since starting to eat primal back in January, I lost approximately 30+lbs. I went from a 38 waist to 34/33, ~240lbs to 207-210lbs. Most of my working out up until six weeks ago, was Tabata based with bike rides, hikes and runs, with a dash of CrossFit, which I just shelved so as not to work counter to my StrongLifts efforts.


Over the past 6 weeks I decided I wanted to go more for strength and a bit more muscle mass--not a lot. Which is why I am doing a hybrid SL/SS approach, with decent gains in strength. However, about two weeks ago I realized I was being woefully inept when it came to eating--I'm not a big eater. So I am not trying to supplement what I eat with shakes, especially my PWO shake.

I have definitely lost fat. However, because I have have leaned out in most areas, my moobs and belly have become more pronounced, even though smaller in size. I have to believe this is due to my beer/alcohol drinking. Achieving my goal may be as simple as what I have already started, no more beer. However, I switched to gin/vodka, low-carb drinks.

My diet sticks to the tenets of Primal. However, I currently eat out on a regular basis--this is unavoidable for the time being. But when I eat out, I stick to the principles: meats, leans as I can, veggies, satfat from heavy whipping cream in coffee. No sugars, no soda, no grains, no beans, no rice, no pasta, etc.

And due to the nature of my job, it is very difficult for me have meals at hand and stick to a schedule. Breakfast is especially hard for me, but I am making a more concerted effort now--I am trying to get 3500 calories in a day.

Anyway, I hope this answers most of your questions--my setup isn't perfect, but given what I have, I think I am doing well--but I want to do better over the next 60 days. I am sure cutting out beer will help, a lot, but do I need to cut out all alcohol--does it make that big of a difference?

Thanks again.

[exilio]

I'm going to summon hordes of teeth gnashing with this, but if you want to lose BF%, eat clean, eat less.

It's that simple.

Thanks, Dave. However eating less flies in the face Mark's article on adding muscle mass with getting a big ass. ;-) But I agree on the eating clean--doing my best given my current circumstances. I think alcohol is the biggest culprit for me.

So I have to balance my goal of increased mass, muscle mass, with my goal of toning. Which is why I am supplementing my StrongLifts routines with HIIT, stairs and sprints.

[ciep]

Sounds like you're doing great, exilio. Congrats on the 30lbs lost in 7 months, that's amazing progress!

I can't give you much advice, because to me it sounds like you're doing things right already. You eat a clean and primal diet, you've lost and continue to lose fat at an impressive rate, and you report gains in strength on your lifting program.

Sorry to say (I guess) -- but there's not much to fix there.

Topics you might be interested in searching include "intermittent fasting" and "carb refeeds". Either of these strategies might work for you given your goals and experience. Honestly though... I say just keep doing what you're doing.

Sorry I can't help more. Good luck!

[RezH]

Leangains.

[Abu Reena]

Thanks, Dave. However eating less flies in the face Mark's article on adding muscle mass with getting a big ass.

No, not really. It's pretty tough to get super lean without a calorie deficit. You can lose weight and bodyfat, but at a certain point, you'll have to cut calories too. What RezH said about Leangains -- that requires a calorie deficit. You don't mention how tall you are, so it's not clear whether you are at a healthy bodyweight or not. If you are at a healthy BW and want to lean out more -- you need a calorie deficit.

If you still have some weight to lose, you probably don't need a calorie deficit to do it, just keep eating primally and cut out the alcohol.

[Charlie Golf]

So is that it? Just don't drink alcohol?

EDIT: I forgot to mention that I am currently using a couple protein powders to supplement with. One as a PWO shake that is high in carbs, about 63 grams, and then a lower one (10 grams) for protein deliver and a quick bit of calories. I add in heavy whipping cream for a no carb, caloric boost.

Thanks for any feedback.

Aside from the alcohol, you may want to consider ditching the powdered/liquid food and using real solid food that provides a similar macro-nutrient profile.

[gordo]

So what's the big hurry? Why 60 days?

Gordo