I've been doing 1500-1600 cal with 150 g of protein for several weeks trying to shed a few lbs (target is 1528, but I give myself a little wiggle room). I try to keep carbs <100 g and fat <60 g. The protein goal is super easy. Many days I'm over, and it's more like 160-170 g protein.

I prefer carbs to fat, so sometimes I'm over a few on carbs and under on fat. The only thing I notice is sometimes I'm a little sluggish during workouts with < 100 g of carbs. So, if I feel I need it, I'll eat a couple hundred calories of carbs extra the night before my hardest workout.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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The easiest diet I have ever done. I have combined it with 18/6 imf and prioritize protein first. Whole foods, minimally processed stuff. Lots of chicken, steak, fish, ground beef, dairy.

Trying to lose 2 lbs/week and so far so good, two weeks in.

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You mind posting a day or two of what you're eating? Sounds spot on for my goals. Thx.

Breakfast: 3 eggs, 56g Heb spicy turkey sausage, ole xtreme wellness tortilla wrap
Total calories 380

Lunch: snap kitchen chicken enchiladas
Total calories 410

Snack: siggi's skyr vanilla yogurt
Total calories 110

Dinner tonight will be 250g Costco rotisserie chicken breast (325 calories), broccoli, cauliflower, pickles, side salad no dressing

Running total is 1225 plus the veggies listed above after I weigh everything. Normally pretty full after dinner but will eat some pita chips, gram crackers before bed. I'll update this after dinner.

You can hit 150 g easy with the following:

8-10 oz lean protein (turkey, chicken, fish (except for salmon)/shrimp, or lean ground beef). I eat that over lunch (4 oz) and dinner (another 4-6 oz).

200 g 0% or 2% Greek yogurt. I always add berries and Stevia. Sometimes I add 15 g of egg white protein powder. About 50 g of this, I eat in my overnight oats. The rest I eat with fruit as a snack (or put it in a smoothie).

1 1/4 cup lactose free skim milk (the process of removing the lactose concentrates the protein). The 1/4 cup goes in my overnight oats. The other cup I use to make cold brew with cold foam on top (it froths really well).

15 g egg white protein powder in the overnight oats.

I throw in low-fat cheese at lunch and usually dinner, too.

Sometimes I will swap out some of that protein for a bag of Natural Endurance nacho flavor protein chips or a Fulfill salted caramel protein bar. Or some low fat cottage cheese. On weekends, I make omelets with 2-4 oz of protein (sausage, ham, or shrimp), 15-20 g of egg white protein powder, 1/2 a serving of low fat cottage cheese, and shredded low fat cheese.

I supplement the protein with veggies - lettuce, slaw, broccoli, cauliflower (usually riced), Brussel sprouts, etc. sometimes I'll throw in a serving of one or two condiments (tzatziki, salsa, hummus, sliced avocado or avocado spread, sour cream, and/or a 1/2 serving of chopped nuts like pistachios or almonds).

I also really like the Kevin's meals, especially the Thai coconut curry chicken and the Korean bbq beef. They have really good macros, but you can also just buy the sauce on Amazon. I cooked the Korean bbq with some lean ground beef last night. Added extra garlic and ginger, and served it over a slaw with a low cal Asian dressing (Mama Tang's) with a little avocado. It was delicious.

Dill-Ag13 said:

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The easiest diet I have ever done. I have combined it with 18/6 imf and prioritize protein first. Whole foods, minimally processed stuff. Lots of chicken, steak, fish, ground beef, dairy.

Trying to lose 2 lbs/week and so far so good, two weeks in.

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Nice. I'd up protein to 0.7 or 0.8 g's per pound of body weight if not already doing so. I try to keep my protein at 40% + of my calories (you're at 27%).

Yup. Keep it up. Simplify for the win.

I too try for 1600 calories and 150 g of protein a day. From Whole Foods.

wcb said:

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Dill-Ag13 said:

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The easiest diet I have ever done. I have combined it with 18/6 imf and prioritize protein first. Whole foods, minimally processed stuff. Lots of chicken, steak, fish, ground beef, dairy.

Trying to lose 2 lbs/week and so far so good, two weeks in.

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You mind posting a day or two of what you're eating? Sounds spot on for my goals. Thx.

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Sure:

Breakfast: black coffee

10am snack: decaf herbal tea

12pm: typically the same thing every day which is:
3-1/2 Oz of chicken breast (Costco has 10-packs which are great)
Apple slices dipped in a…
…Plain Greek yogurt
Some mix of: cheese stick, avocado, boiled eggs to get to 500 calories

1pm: black coffee

3pm: tea, lacroix

5pm: varies with what the family eats but turkey, ground beef, lettuce wrap burgers, chicken brown rice and veggies, spaghetti and turkey meatballs (I double/triple up on meatballs)

TXTransplant said:

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I've been doing 1500-1600 cal with 150 g of protein for several weeks trying to shed a few lbs (target is 1528, but I give myself a little wiggle room). I try to keep carbs <100 g and fat <60 g. The protein goal is super easy. Many days I'm over, and it's more like 160-170 g protein.

I prefer carbs to fat, so sometimes I'm over a few on carbs and under on fat. The only thing I notice is sometimes I'm a little sluggish during workouts with < 100 g of carbs. So, if I feel I need it, I'll eat a couple hundred calories of carbs extra the night before my hardest workout.

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I'm cutting for a race coming up and train "fasted" (usually start a ride around 3PM, OMAD at 5-6PM, but I do consume calories during workouts).

Every ride starts with a carb bottle (60-100g maltodextrin + fructose) and it always hits like rocket fuel for my sessions!

What's the carb/calorie count on that?

I always eat my breakfast (protein overnight oats with some almonds and fruit and coffee with collagen) before I work out. Usually about an hour to 90 min before I get to the gym.

Saturdays are typically my hardest day (I lift heavy and then do cardio or cardio with weights). And the oats just don't cut it then. I sort of noticed by accident a couple of weeks ago that when I let my carbs slide the night before and "indulged" in some tortillas chips, my energy level was much better the next morning. I didn't even pig out…just had maybe a serving or serving and a half. So, last week, I ate some pretzels with dinner the night before. Had better energy again.

I have a nutrition coach that I consult, and she did tell me that I might want to consider two double carb days per week when I'm trying to shred. She recommended this to help keep me from losing muscle, but it's good for energy levels, too. I'm not quite doing double carbs because I'm
trying to keep calories low, but <100 on my hard day isn't enough.

Hah, it's pure carbs, so whatever gram you dose into a bottle.

60g = 250 or so carbs.

It's basically DIY SIS Beta Fuel: https://www.scienceinsport.com/eu/shop-sis/go-range/beta-fuel/beta-fuel-80-single.

That's what I was thinking (but it seemed too obvious)! I bet a sip would be enough for me!

Glad to see less hate on carbs!

Protein and Carbs are awesome. Fat, on the other hand, is not as awesome.

RangerRick9211 said:

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Hah, it's pure carbs, so whatever gram you dose into a bottle.

60g = 250 or so carbs.

It's basically DIY SIS Beta Fuel: https://www.scienceinsport.com/eu/shop-sis/go-range/beta-fuel/beta-fuel-80-single.

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interested in your DIY formula

Ragoo said:

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RangerRick9211 said:

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Hah, it's pure carbs, so whatever gram you dose into a bottle.

60g = 250 or so carbs.

It's basically DIY SIS Beta Fuel: https://www.scienceinsport.com/eu/shop-sis/go-range/beta-fuel/beta-fuel-80-single.

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interested in your DIY formula

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It's literally just bulk maltodextrin and fructose. 1:.8 ratio. 60g = 27g of fructose and 33g of maltodextrin. I add a pinch of salt and Myo flavoring. Scale up as desired!

Beta fuel has their ratio ok their website too!

RangerRick9211 said:

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Ragoo said:

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RangerRick9211 said:

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Hah, it's pure carbs, so whatever gram you dose into a bottle.

60g = 250 or so carbs.

It's basically DIY SIS Beta Fuel: https://www.scienceinsport.com/eu/shop-sis/go-range/beta-fuel/beta-fuel-80-single.

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interested in your DIY formula

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It's literally just bulk maltodextrin and fructose. 1:.8 ratio. 60g = 27g of fructose and 33g of maltodextrin. I add a pinch of salt and Myo flavoring. Scale up as desired!

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perfect!

Waltrip88 said:

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I started a 1500 calories diet with a goal of 130g protein. I went from 245.3 to 195.7.

I work out 3-4 days a week at the gym and run 5 miles three days a week with a long run of at least 10.

I took a three week break and just started back today with a goal of 180.

Just keep at it.

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Similar journey here, but still in the early stages after some yo-yoing. Finally had enough and started tracking everything in a spiral notebook (something I said I would never do). It works! I was always against counting calories and macros, but it is holding me accountable and now I actually look forward to making a "challenge" out of it each day.

regardless of your goals, getting familiar with how many calories are in foods-and what macros they're coming from-is knowledge everyone should have. No food becomes out of bounds when you know what's in it and work it into an overall diet that fits your goals.

Not to mention knowing your BMR (have a baseline of how many calories your body needs just to exist - I guarantee it's less than most people think) and WEIGHING out your food to measure the portion size, at least for a short time.

Everyone should experience just how disappointingly little peanut butter is in a 28-32 g serving (2 tablespoons my a$$!).

TDEE for a sedentary office worker is crucial to know.

Nutrient dense whole foods and a full set of ingredients per day you can count on two hands is aggressive but not too big of a stretch

There is an awesome thread about high protein/low calorie snacks. Check it out, it's full of great ideas.

Link me?

https://texags.com/forums/48/topics/3440534

Cromagnum said:

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Dill-Ag13 said:

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wcb said:

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Dill-Ag13 said:

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The easiest diet I have ever done. I have combined it with 18/6 imf and prioritize protein first. Whole foods, minimally processed stuff. Lots of chicken, steak, fish, ground beef, dairy.

Trying to lose 2 lbs/week and so far so good, two weeks in.

---

You mind posting a day or two of what you're eating? Sounds spot on for my goals. Thx.

---

Sure:

Breakfast: black coffee

10am snack: decaf herbal tea

12pm: typically the same thing every day which is:
3-1/2 Oz of chicken breast (Costco has 10-packs which are great)
Apple slices dipped in a…
…Plain Greek yogurt
Some mix of: cheese stick, avocado, boiled eggs to get to 500 calories

1pm: black coffee

3pm: tea, lacroix

5pm: varies with what the family eats but turkey, ground beef, lettuce wrap burgers, chicken brown rice and veggies, spaghetti and turkey meatballs (I double/triple up on meatballs)

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This sounds depressing AF to eat every day.

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As depressing as being unhealthy and out of shape? I'd take that tradeoff.

I get it, but I could only manage a regimen like that for about a week, 2 weeks max.

My day to day isn't much different - it's pretty much the same stuff over and over 90% of the time. I mix in some "fun" stuff on the weekends or on a big lifting day and it doesn't seem to have an impact on the scale. That is enough to give me variety. And I don't skip out on birthday cake and stuff like that.

ETA: I do eat probably double that amount of protein every day though.

Yeah, if I'm eating at home, I'm usually eating the same things on a regular basis. I've kind of always been that way. The meals I cook are pretty simple and use the same ingredients.

I have changed and/or eliminated a few things since I started doing high protein. For example, I don't really eat pasta at all anymore (used to eat it a couple of times a week). I don't eat sandwich bread anymore, either, although, I do occasionally enjoy Dave's Killer Raisin Bread with some Big Spoon Roasters peanut butter. And I can't say no to fresh baked French or sourdough bread (so I don't keep it in the house).

There are some "healthy" things I eat every day now that I really enjoy. I eat Greek yogurt with fruit every day, and I love it. The past few days, I've been adding a little PB2 almond with Madagascar vanilla protein powder to it, and it's out of this world good. I also really enjoy my skim Mootopia with cold brew and homemade cold foam on top.

Most days don't involve much (if any) added sugar or high fat foods. I do enjoy popcorn, popcorn chips, and pretzels. But most other junk foods - ice cream, fatty chips, cookies, candy, cakes, etc. - are enjoyed only on a very limited basis. But that's really how it should be. I don't need to be eating that kid of food every day or even once or twice a week, whether I'm eating in a deficit or at maintenance (or in surplus, if I was trying to bulk).

Finally, there really isn't any food that is forbidden or completely off limits. I just have to be mindful of portion size (which is actually pretty disappointing when you realize how small a serving size is).

The goal is to avoid empty calories, which is just an overall good approach if trying to keep your weight in check.

Excellent advice! Nothing should be off limits - focus on moderation. You'll eventually figure out how foods fit into your macros and either 1) forgo them completely on most days (alcohol for me), 2) work them in (occasional full sugar sweets) or 3) find satisfying alternatives (like the ice cream recommendation below).

If you like ice cream - get a ninja creami. I make and eat 4 ingredient (protein shake, zero sugar pudding mix, milk and cool whip zero sugar) ice cream daily. It's really good and has solid macros. I just had a 188 gram bowl. 9g carbs, 13g protein, 3g fat and 114 calories total.

TXTransplant said:

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Yeah, if I'm eating at home, I'm usually eating the same things on a regular basis. I've kind of always been that way. The meals I cook are pretty simple and use the same ingredients.

I have changed and/or eliminated a few things since I started doing high protein. For example, I don't really eat pasta at all anymore (used to eat it a couple of times a week). I don't eat sandwich bread anymore, either, although, I do occasionally enjoy Dave's Killer Raisin Bread with some Big Spoon Roasters peanut butter. And I can't say no to fresh baked French or sourdough bread (so I don't keep it in the house).

There are some "healthy" things I eat every day now that I really enjoy. I eat Greek yogurt with fruit every day, and I love it. The past few days, I've been adding a little PB2 almond with Madagascar vanilla protein powder to it, and it's out of this world good. I also really enjoy my skim Mootopia with cold brew and homemade cold foam on top.

Most days don't involve much (if any) added sugar or high fat foods. I do enjoy popcorn, popcorn chips, and pretzels. But most other junk foods - ice cream, fatty chips, cookies, candy, cakes, etc. - are enjoyed only on a very limited basis. But that's really how it should be. I don't need to be eating that kid of food every day or even once or twice a week, whether I'm eating in a deficit or at maintenance (or in surplus, if I was trying to bulk).

Finally, there really isn't any food that is forbidden or completely off limits. I just have to be mindful of portion size (which is actually pretty disappointing when you realize how small a serving size is).

The goal is to avoid empty calories, which is just an overall good approach if trying to keep your weight in check.

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Yeah I've slowly shifted my family towards a similar approach.

Sub white rice for brown and have less rice and more protein. Sub quinoa for couscous and pastas. Sub taco night for a heavy-protein bowl with a single crunchy taco broken up into pieces.

Down 9lbs since I started on May 28th. On a streak of 10k steps a day.

Lunch today @ ~500 calories and 50g of protein:

plain greek yogurt w/ a 1oz pack of mixed nuts/raisins dumped in
apple
3oz chicken breast
jerky stick

Dinner will be about 800 calories of salmon, quinoa, vegetables, and hummus and I'll have a glass of milk and a cookie or something to round out 1500.

That's very similar to what I eat very day for lunch.

Container Greek yogurt (either 0% or 2%) with 50 g raspberries and blackberries. I was adding 15 g of egg white protein powder, but now I'm doing 10 g with 11 g of the vanilla almond PB2 powder (so yummy).

4 oz honey turkey with a slice of 2% Colby jack, 20 g of avocado spread, and some lettuce rolled up into an Atorias lavash wrap.

Today I ate a salted caramel Fulfil bar, too. 150 cal and 15 g of protein, and I swear it tastes better than a Twix. I don't eat these every day.

Yesterday, I had the same wrap but with a serving of HEB jalapeno pimento cheese instead of the Colby jack and avocado spread. And I had a bag of Natural Endurance nacho flavored protein chips with a little avocado spread.

I try not to eat the protein bars and chips every day, just because they are heavily processed.

For dinner the last two nights, I had 99/1 ground turkey cooked with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. I mixed the turkey in with some Asian slaw that I've made about 3 or 4 times in the last month because it's so yummy. The slaw is almost a free food. I've also had it with chicken breast cooked the same way as the ground turkey.

For the slaw, get one bag of regular cole slaw mix (not the kind that comes with the dressing, just the veggies) and one bag of power greens slaw or broccoli slaw. Add sliced cucumbers, a can of bean sprouts, and some fresh Thai basil. Dress the slaw with either Mama Tang's Asian vinaigrette or Newman's own sesame ginger dressing. Let that hang out in the fridge at least overnight, but the longer it sits the better it tastes.

Toast up some sliced almonds in a dry skillet until they are golden brown. When they are cool, add them to the slaw. If you don't want them to get soggy, just add them when you serve the slaw.

I like to eat it cold, but room temp is good, too. The only calories are the dressing and the almonds (which I don't add too many of). Both dressings have really good macros - only 35-45 cal a serving. And you don't need to drown the slaw. I use maybe 2/3 of the bottle of Mama Tang's and 1/2 the bottle of Newmans Own for the two bags of slaw, and there is always some dressing at the bottom of the bowl.

I also do the taco bowls with chicken or ground turkey, except I sub cauli rice. I really like the Trader Joe's taco seasoning for this. Top with cheese, sour cream, and avocado. I do a Greek version with shawarma spices, tzatziki, hummus, and Israeli feta.