what is your approach in this situation: i am fat and starting the weights page

[dado]

again after more than a month off to heal my soul.

when i first started the heavies, i was skinny, so it was easy to put the milk in. but now i am fat and ugly.

are we looking at heavy protein intake again and no carbs?

[Apex Predator]

Just eat a primal diet and do Starting Strength to the letter and you will be fine in no time.

[codered5]

You need to do a faster paced lift that keeps your heart rate up....supersets, circuits, cross fit, etc. No 2-3 min breaks in between sets.

[dado]

Just eat a primal diet and do Starting Strength to the letter and you will be fine in no time.

my question would be better if i say: "how do i do a starting strength-type program without milk loading?"

it all makes sense in my brain to drink a ton of milk and squat heavy, but my brain is confused on how to do it without needing to bulk up so much, how do i do it if already fat. that's the focused thing there.

so we go pure primal. i don't know how i will get so much protein without the milk.

[Invictus14]

so we go pure primal. i don't know how i will get so much protein without the milk.[/QUOTE]

You can try taking a protein supplement instead of the milk, or just get crazy with eating more protein. I am a big fan of crushing plain whole chickens or chicken breasts a few times a week. You also throw in a steak or two, try maybe some greek yogurt a couple times a week as well (12-14 grams of protein per serving). You can get the protein without the milk, you just have to look a little harder.

[Owly]

Yup. Eat more meat (this includes fish), eat more eggs, use a good quality protein powder if you need it. You can get a lot of protein in that way.

[tim_1522]

Milk in "traditional" gain plans served two purposes as I can see -- protein + fat.

For protein: eat more meat, eggs, etc or try some quality whey powder/shakes (I try to only do those PWO as that way the potential insulin spike goes for good)

For fat: consume more coconut milk, coconut oil, coconut butter, grass fed butter (or ghee if you're being REALLY strict about dairy)

If you can find a quality source of grass-fed cow, opt for the fattier cuts (like a t-bone, porterhouse, ribeye) and you've essentially got a perfect 50/50 protein/fat source.

[dado]

thanks tim,

concise and powerful response.

[AndreaReina]

Milk is used as a weight gainer. Rip also says in the book (2nd ed) that caloric consumption should vary based on starting weight and goals; heavies who want to lose fat will clearly have a lower caloric consumption than skinnies who want to bulk up. Just lift the weights, eat to appetite and see where things are. If your energy is low and you're not recovering as you should be, eat more; if you're not progressing in losing fat then maybe cut the food down a little, focussing on keeping protein and carbs up. I'm not saying low-fat, but the extra butter in your potatoes, cream in your milk, etc should be the first to go. Higher testosterone follows higher carbs, so I would be reluctant to cut that.

[Abu Reena]

Yeah, Rip is quite clear that you don't do GOMAD if you're fat. Your fat will provide some of the excess calories your body needs.

Make sure you do get some carbs on your heavy lifting days (sweet potatoes, regular potatoes, rice, or bananas). You'll need 'em.