Body Fat %

[fillthefreezer]

Hey Brock, here's a nutritional tip since you're close to your goal already:

Start eating three times the green leafy veggies you normally eat as the bulk of your volume at meal times (lunch and dinner). Fill up on greens first, then eat your proteins next.

Your protein sources should be carefully chosen. Salmon is a better source than beef, chicken is better than red meats, and wild game is best, but red meats only 3 times a week salmon twice a week. Your other 4 days a week your proteins should come from protein rich plants and whole grains like quinoa.

no starches except sweet potatoes. A 12-oz serving of red wine aids in digestion and helps your body stabalize its food sources.

Drink a gallon of water each day or more if you can stand it. At least 2 qts with meals. make your protein portions less than 6 oz servings (that's smaller than you think) and load up on greens and whole grains before eating your meats.

The water helps digestion and absorption of nutrient rich calories, and that also helps you sustain eating less heavy proteins.

Do this for 3 months and re evaluate your results. I bet you'll be surprised at how quickly it starts to drop after 6 weeks on this modified diet.

Of course keep up the cardio and strength training to keep the cals burned off the right way. It works man, and before you know it you'll eat less animal proteins and crave more plant and grain proteins and veggy matter.

Keep up the great work, man.

props...larry, out

larry, can you elaborate on why such small protein servings? and why limit meat proteins per week? seems as though itd be difficult to get the amount of protein typically suggested with meals like this.
very interested as im tired of being a fatty haha

 

[Warren1726]

7-11% is considered a well trained athlete by most nutritionists and exercise physiologists. If you have even 7% body fat, you have enough reserves to go literally hundreds of miles using only your body fat as fuel. You would never want to do this, it is really just hypothetical.

There are a lot of pictures of the hand held BFA machines. Just so you know those things, even when well calibrated are usually not even close to reality.

I don't think it's a question of wether 7% bf is okay for a man, it's fine. The issue becomes if you have a natural set point of say, 12-15% bf then the calorie restriction required to maintain 7% may be detrimental to training. If Brock wants to be single digit bf for the sake of it, go for it, but I see no functional advantage.

 

[Brock A]

Lots of great info here. I will say I am naturally a skinny person. I have hit the 12%(based off the inaccurate machine) without really trying to. I run a steep mountain by my house with a 20lb pack on and I lift weights and do "at home" crossfit stuff, 5 or 6 days a week. I eat really healthy MOST of the time. I would be curious to do a real BF test like Justin has. I have met him few times and if that guy is 28% there is no way I am 12%. If that's the case, this is a whole new ball game! Again though, GREAT info!

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Sure thing:

Animal protein is more difficult for the body to absorb, which is to say that if your digestion is working to process a 6-oz elk steak with 18-20 grams of protein, it will conversely process the same 18 grams of protein faster if the source is plant protein, such as 2/3-can of black beans (24.5 grams protein per can). Animal protein has more saturated fats than plant proteins such as beans, nuts, and quinoa.

Here's more:
A 6-ounce broiled porterhouse steak is a great source of complete protein—about 40 grams worth. But it also delivers about 38 grams of fat, 14 of them saturated. (2) That’s more than 60 percent of the recommended daily intake for saturated fat. The same amount of salmon gives you 34 grams of protein and 18 grams of fat, 4 of them saturated. (2) A cup of cooked lentils has 18 grams of protein, but under 1 gram of fat. (2)

The bottom line is that it’s important to pay attention to what comes along with the protein in your food choices. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains, are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nuts are also a great source of healthy fat. While many think of nuts as just another junk food snack, in reality they are excellent sources of protein and other healthful nutrients. Learn why nuts are healthy for the heart.

The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you are partial to red meat, such as beef, pork, or lamb, stick with the leanest cuts, choose moderate portion sizes, and make it only an occasional part of your diet, for several reasons: Research suggests that people who eat even modest amounts of red meat have a higher risk of developing colon cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and a higher risk of dying from heart disease, cancer, or any cause. (3–7) There’s also substantial evidence that replacing red meat with fish, poultry, beans, or nuts, could help prevent heart disease and diabetes—and could lower the risk of early death. Additionally, recent research shows that red meat consumption may increase risk of type 2 diabetes:

People who started eating more red meat than usual were found to have a 50% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes during the next four years.
Researchers also found that those who reduced red meat consumption lowered their type 2 diabetes risk by 14% over a 10-year follow-up period.

Even more:

First, let me explain a little about protein. Protein contains amino acids. Our body breaks down protein into its component amino acids and then builds new proteins, which it uses to basically do — well — everything. Proteins build and maintain all the cells and tissues in our body. Most muscles and organs are made up mostly of protein. In fact, proteins are responsible for almost all of the body’s processes.

So what’s the practical difference between animal and plant protein? Isn’t protein — protein? Turns out not all protein is created equal.

Animal protein is considered to be a more “complete” protein. What do I mean by that? Protein from things such as chicken or beef contain all the necessary amino acids our body needs to make new protein since animal proteins are most similar to the ones found in our body. Proteins from plant sources such as soy or vegetables generally do not contain all of the essential amino acids that our body needs.

There is a flip side, though. As many of us know, animal protein can be extremely high in cholesterol and fat, particularly saturated fat, which can a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Protein from plants and other vegetables tend to be much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. Case in point? An 8-ounce ribeye steak contains 64 grams of protein, but also contains a whopping 34 grams of fat, 13 of them saturated. And let’s not forget the cholesterol — 260 milligrams, more than 80 percent of the daily recommended value. Yikes. A cup of cooked lentils packs 18 grams of protein but less than 1 gram of fat.

Hope this helps calrify some of your questions.

Larry

 

[Larry Bartlett]

So, I'm not saying cut your protein portions each week, but rather supplement your diet with adding more plant-based proteins to reduce saturated fats and cholesterol in your diet. This allows you to keep hammering your much-needed proteins for building and repairing muscle cells and mass, while reducing your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Your body will respond more quickly to having complete proteins supplemented with other incomplete protein sources like beans, lentils, whole grains, and nuts, and provide sustaining energy while still providing muscle strength and restoration of brain and muscle power.

Think of why human's developed so quickly as our earliest upright walkers did. Once they introduced meat to their diets they became stronger and smarter, but they only lived to reach 40 years of age in most cases. later, once we realized the benefits of a balanced diet, our gathers began to live longer and became smarter and travelled farther to reach foreign hunting lands where variety continued to allow longer lives and a healthier state if being.

just food for thought...

larry

 

[fillthefreezer]

^wow. awesome. thanks a bunch

 

[Travis1984]

Larry, great write up, and definitely good for thought.

^see what I did there?

Concerning red meat...

Those studies were found to be flawed because it did not differentiate between processed and unprocessed meats. Interesting article from the mayo clinic....

They say that it's the sodium, not the saturated fats that cause the issues!


http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...lthy-eating/expert-blog/red-meat/bgp-20056277

 

[Warren1726]

So, I'm not saying cut your protein portions each week, but rather supplement your diet with adding more plant-based proteins to reduce saturated fats and cholesterol in your diet. This allows you to keep hammering your much-needed proteins for building and repairing muscle cells and mass, while reducing your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol.

Your body will respond more quickly to having complete proteins supplemented with other incomplete protein sources like beans, lentils, whole grains, and nuts, and provide sustaining energy while still providing muscle strength and restoration of brain and muscle power.

Think of why human's developed so quickly as our earliest upright walkers did. Once they introduced meat to their diets they became stronger and smarter, but they only lived to reach 40 years of age in most cases. later, once we realized the benefits of a balanced diet, our gathers began to live longer and became smarter and travelled farther to reach foreign hunting lands where variety continued to allow longer lives and a healthier state if being.

just food for thought...

larry

I think you are right Larry, with one caveat. The studies you reference detailing negative health effects of diets high in red meat don't apply to people who get there red meat almost exclusively from wild game and or free range grass fed sources. These sources have negligible amounts of the saturated fats you mention and are high in omega fats. So you get the benefit of complete proteins without the health risk. Also, diets low in animal proteins and high in vegetable proteins, soy specifically, carry their own health risks. Just food for thought.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

yes sirs, but looking at the big picture...guys who are 12-20% body fat composition are disputably NOT eating primarily wild game for their protein sources, or else they would not have "done-laps" that require stringent diet and exercise modifications. These guys are supplementing donuts, fatty proteins, and potato chips instead of greens, whole grains, and strictly wild game.

Also, if you look at your lipids profile to judge guidelines for good health and general nutrition, carefully inspect LDL against HDL cholesterol. For example, I have a 218 total cholesterol, but my HDL ratio is 34% of my total cholesterol, which is "astoundingly healthy for any adult male, especially one who is over 40 y/o" according to my doc. . That results from a healthy diet focused on the above belief system and moderate consistent cardio and strength training. BTW, No where in your cholesterol panel accounts for sodium intake, but it does testify to your saturated fat consumption. Sodium is a different beast altogether

It's my belief that eating wild game and negating other important high-value plant-based proteins and green leafy veggies is a misnomer and poor judgment. Again, not saying cut wild game...that would be just wrong, right? Just that getting what you need in your body must come from a variety of well and healthy balanced nutrition with less emphasis on animal proteins and more on plant-based sources to supplement our game flavors.

Sodium content is also very important, and that was a great research piece from the Mayo clinic...which helps clarify why water intake is so valuable for our natural salinity balance and fluids composition.

Thanks for this thread guys. I enjoy the commentary.

peace out, homies

larry

 

[BigAntlerGetter]

When I was in high school we had the scale that took ur height and weight and then have you a bf%, we also had to use this in wrestling due to new regulations for cutting weight. I am by no means a big guy I've always been skinny, I walked into the wrestling room my senior year at 105lbs which was perfect for my weight class. We would test our bf% in weightlifting and I was worried because they have a 6% minimum to safely wrestle. I was at 3%. I was always lifting weights and running but wasn't cutting weight right now I'm 25 weigh 130 and am at 4% body fat. Doctors never say much about it they said as long as I can function normal eat normal that I shouldn't worry, I just pack a lot of food on my hunting trips, so I don't drop to much lower than what I am, but we have tried a lot of things to try an get my bf% up not many people can say they want it up but my body type just doesn't allow it, my dad was the same way and he hit 30 it jumped up for him. But I'm to active for it to go up right now.

 

[5MilesBack]

I've never trusted those body fat testing machines. Last time I tried one it said I was at 19% body fat. I'm 6'6"/210lbs and anybody that knows me knows I don't have 19% body fat. That would be 40lbs of fat.

 

[Eagle]

Biggest issue I dealt with when I was in the 6-8% range was being much colder than normal while stand hunting for whitetails. Otherwise, I was OK, but the lack of "insulation" was very noticeable compared to when I was 10-12%.

 

[5MilesBack]

Biggest issue I dealt with when I was in the 6-8% range was being much colder than normal while stand hunting for whitetails. Otherwise, I was OK, but the lack of "insulation" was very noticeable compared to when I was 10-12%.

Ya, I think that's my problem. I start to chill when the temps get below 98.6F.

 

[2x4x16]

A ton of great advise. Clearly there are many contributing here that have a real background in sport and nutrition. However what works for one person, won't work for someone else. When one is trying to cut down to those sub 10% zones your nutrition and workout routines are ever important and specifically designed for the individual. For those that feel they are stuck remember "nothing changes if nothing changes". Seek additional help especially about nutrition to completely your goals

 

[LJ Buck]

The best diet is the one you can stick with.

Just keep in mind proteins from beans, veggies and nuts are not a complete protein.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Quick question while we're on the subject of protein. How much is adequate for gaining muscle? I've heard to try and hit your body weight in grams of protein per day and can tell that I definitely gain some mass when I shoot for that goal. I'm 6'0" 172 lbs and depending on what I'm eating will fluctuate between 174 and 169 lbs and that is mainly muscle mass. I drop and gain it quickly. As in 3 days of not eating large quantities of protein will really start to make an effect on my size. I have a very high metabolism.

Mike

 

[Ironman8]

Quick question while we're on the subject of protein. How much is adequate for gaining muscle? I've heard to try and hit your body weight in grams of protein per day and can tell that I definitely gain some mass when I shoot for that goal. I'm 6'0" 172 lbs and depending on what I'm eating will fluctuate between 174 and 169 lbs and that is mainly muscle mass. I drop and gain it quickly. As in 3 days of not eating large quantities of protein will really start to make an effect on my size. I have a very high metabolism.

Mike

Mike,

I've heard anything from 1g Protein per pound of bodyweight to "per kg BW" to "per lb of LEAN body mass". I've been on both ends of the scale from the "per lb lean mass" to 1.5-2g per lb of bodyweight. As I said before, what may work for me may not work for you, but I have seen gains in mass across the whole spectrum (but then again, we have different body types - I'm 5'8 185 and NOT a hard gainer). It will depend on how you workout really, but for me, I see no real need to get much more than 1g per lb of LEAN body mass. I also try to get 75% or more of my daily protein intake from natural food sources (as opposed to supplements).

 

[HellsCanyon]

Mike,

I've heard anything from 1g Protein per pound of bodyweight to "per kg BW" to "per lb of LEAN body mass". I've been on both ends of the scale from the "per lb lean mass" to 1.5g per lb of bodyweight. As I said before, what may work for me may not work for you, but I have seen gains in mass across the whole spectrum (but then again, we have different body types - I'm 5'8 185 and NOT a hard gainer). It will depend on how you workout really, but for me, I see no real need to get much more than 1g per lb of LEAN body mass. I also try to get 75% or more of my daily protein intake from natural food sources (as opposed to supplements).

Makes sense and jives with what I see personally. I usually have as Metrx colossal bar, 1-2 tigers milk bars, 2-3 hard boiled eggs, turkey sandwich, Greek yogurt, 2 string cheeses, and elk steak or burger for dinner. All spread out through the day. Will usually have a tall glass of whole milk with dinner as well. That's where most of my protein comes from and I feel like it's well balanced.

Mike

 

[fillthefreezer]

Makes sense and jives with what I see personally. I usually have as Metrx colossal bar, 1-2 tigers milk bars, 2-3 hard boiled eggs, turkey sandwich, Greek yogurt, 2 string cheeses, and elk steak or burger for dinner. All spread out through the day. Will usually have a tall glass of whole milk with dinner as well. That's where most of my protein comes from and I feel like it's well balanced.

Mike

sidenote:
i hate you mike...
haha

 

[HellsCanyon]

sidenote:
i hate you mike...
haha

Haters gonna hate!! Haha do you not eat that much bud???

Mike