Getting Started - Help w/ New Diet Plan

[starseed]

Hello All,

I'm getting my stuff back together and need some help creating a diet plan for myself. It's been a little while (3 years) since I've had the space to workout and diet. Although I know how to eat/train, I feel very rusty. I also know there is plenty of room for improvement.

Here's is the deal:

Stats:
*Sex - Male
*Age - 34
*Height - 6' 6"
*Weight - 260 (ideal 240 - 220, depending on muscle mass)
*Body fat - 33% (guess)
*Workout - 4-day split (sometimes cardio)

Current Diet Plan - Based on the Low Carb Male Cutting Plan (DAILY)

Water - 1 gallon

9:00 am - Meal 1
Fake waffle: 1/2c egg, 1/2 cottage cheese, 1/2 oat meal, and 1/4c zero-carb syrup

12:00 noon - Meal 2
Shake: 50g protein, 5 frozen strawberries, 1T flax seed oil (usually post-cardio)

3:00 pm - Meal 3
50g chicken/fish/beef, 1c green vegetable or 2c salad, 1/2c sweet potato/brown rice

6:00 pm - Meal 4
50g chicken/fish/beef, 1c green vegetable or 2c salad, 1/2c sweet potato/brown rice

9:00 pm - Meal 5
Shake: 50g protein, 5 frozen strawberries, 1T flax seed oil (usually post-workout)

Snacks and Extras
zero-carb sauces/dressings/seasonings
buter - 3-4T
olives - 10
nuts - 1/2c
cheese - 3-4oz
Diet Rite Soda - 1-3
Low-Carb Ice Cream - 1/2c - 1c
zero-carb candies/chocolates - handful
Coffee w/ half & half - 20oz
Splenda - 2-3

Cheat Days - Usually once a week for a full day - sometimes lasts 2 days - and occasionally 2 days. I won't list everything eaten on a cheat day, mainly because it includes everything - It's mainly high carb and refined sugars.

OK - I know I need to cut the cheat days. Maybe cut it to 1 cheat meal per week. I'm totally addicted to sugars though, so "dosing" w/ sugar weekly could be harder than cutting it out completely. I guess I'm asking, what is the best way(s) to overcome SUGAR.

I feel like I have 100s of questions, but I think I'll just stop and ask for your feedback.

Thanks

 

[TehBiggestLuzer]

It seems to me you set yourself up to fail. There is no magical way to quit desiring sugar except not eating it, you will notice your body not craving them as much. 2 days a week are cheats....wow....is there a point in that really. 1 whole day of cheats will not be good!. Your 34 its time to grow up and be in control of your body .

 

[Thracian]

I'm afraid TehBiggestLuzer has a point. Each time you give in it just renews the temptation. I can't do it or I'll fall right back into a junk habit. Besides now that I've been eating clean for some time I don't really have a taste for junk anymore. All it takes though is one time for me...

 

[ABCs]

You can cheat one nice meal a week.... You need to get on track before you even think about cheating though. Eat healthy and workout for a few weeks and you won't even want to touch sugar. I have touched sugar ONCE since I started my lifestyle change 3 months ago and I don't care for that shit anymore. I do however look forward to eating one cheat meal a week.

Anyway, I would advise getting on track first before you even think about sugar or cheating. Because after all, you can't cheat if your not doing the right thing in the first place.

 

[starseed]

Thanks all...

I do know that whole day cheats are not going to cut it (let alone 2 or 3). I plan on following the male cutting plan with only one cheat meal per week max. However, I will "detox" for several weeks (e.i. no cheats for a month).

That's the best advice so far; get on track, get used to a clean diet, and skip the cheats for now.

I am very very aware that there is no "Magic Sugar Cure". That is NOT what I was asking. There are several different diets here on this forum. There are different ways of dealing with carbs; low GI, carb cycling, bulking, etc. They all deal with carbs differently.

Atkins diet does get rid of sugar cravings (in my experience) after 1 or 2 weeks; however, this diet doesn't work with weight training (lack of gluctos in muscles = low/no energy to lift)

Carb cycling is different. For me, I would think loading with carbs and then removing carbs would equal regular sugar detoxes. I would think for someone with a sweet tooth, that would be harder.

Male cutting plan deals with sugars by using low GI and stablizing blood sugars. This one works well for me, but doesn't cut the sugar cravings like atkins does.

So... I'm asking, which diet HELPS control/deal with carbs and sugar?

For now I'm going to go on the male cutting plan because I works for me, but I though others would have a little experience with the sugar stuff that might help me pick a better plan.

I do find it very odd that a 24 year old is judging a 34 year old. Just so you know dude, I've spent the last 2 year living with and taking care of my mother while she was dying from pancriatic cancer. I lost my business to do that for her.

Unless one is in a situation like that, I would not go around saying eating crap to cope is weak or a set-up for failure.

 

[Thracian]

Hell I'm 50 and I still haven't grown up if means not ever eating a candy bar again! I admire what you did with your Mom BTW. I've witnessed loved ones die in similiar ways and it's very hard. Any youngsters that think life's that easy, check back in 10, 20 or 30 years and let's see how you've done after life has had a chance to knock the crap out of you a time or two.

I have learned that there's no secret that I've been able to find at least. Once I get on track though I really don't want any junk, I loose my taste for it. Hopefully if you do "detox" as you put it then you'll eliminate your cravings.

Getting on track is the key though. I've found it's easier to change your diet slowly and weed out the junk till you get to the point that you don't crave anything bad. You do get to that point eventually. With me if I splurge once then it leads to a second and so on. Others may be able to splurge and then get back on track the next day but I can't. It's truly an addiction.

I've found too that when I'm on a binge it's has nothing to do with being hungry. I admit to eating as a crutch from time to time. It's a habit. The longer I let it go the harder to get back on track.

It boils down to a certain amount of willpower I guess at least in the beginning. That's why there's so many people with obesity problems