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Cottage cheese on a cutting diet?
- Thread starter Cobin
- Start date
I don't really think the lactose is the problem unless you are intolerant. However, if you are sodium sensitive, then cottage cheese should be cut out a week or two before an event since it has a fair anount of sodium within it. This would vary individually between individuals. I don't think it really matters though unless you are going for the ultra-low on-stage look that most bodybuilders obtain.
To answer your question though, YES! Cottage cheese IS an excellent food choice for dieting. I used/ate it this summer and got down UNDER 5% (4ish%) bodyfat. Adding in some potassium 'might' help ward-off any water retention that develops from the heightened sodium in your diet. Just remember that water retention does not necessarily give means that fat is accumulating.
BMJ
To answer your question though, YES! Cottage cheese IS an excellent food choice for dieting. I used/ate it this summer and got down UNDER 5% (4ish%) bodyfat. Adding in some potassium 'might' help ward-off any water retention that develops from the heightened sodium in your diet. Just remember that water retention does not necessarily give means that fat is accumulating.
BMJ
FIRST...it would be wrong for me to NOT mention that I was on Tren, T. Prop, a little winny (i think), T3, Ephedrine/caffeine/yohimburn, ALA, etc....you get the point.
However, even in the past without drugs, I can get down to 6-8ish percent following a zone/isocaloric diet. This time around, I was trying out the Leptin strategies, and I went basically very high protein/100 grams of carbs/modrate fat. I would incorporate a refeed once or twice a week for Leptin and glycogen stores. Also, some days I would alternate my high protein days for isocaloric days. The low carb days didn't necessarily lead me to faster fat gains, but they did help with water retention. Some days I would go 2-3 days before a refeed, and others I would go 5-6 days. Usually, if I did a couple days of low carbs, then it I would try to get some sort of refeed or carbs in by the 3rd or 4th day.
Basically I played it by looks. I wasn't really in a hurry, and I didn't try to rush things. I just added in some carbs if I looked flat, and subtracted them when I was gaining excess water. I weighed about 195 pounds at around 4.5%. My total calorie intake was somewhere near 12 X's my bodyweight, but this also fluctuated as well accordingly to looks...somedays it was less and some days more (especially on refeeds).
I keeped my protein high almost always, even when I added extra carbs. Somedays I would do close to zero carbs...I just sort of went by looks.
One thing I did find out about myself is that I respond MUCH better to low GI foods even after my workouts. I also responded better to lowered GI foods on refeed days. If I had a high GI meal, it would be in the morning hours.
As for training, I just went every other day.
Day1: Legs, calves
Day2: Abs/25 minutes HIIT cardio
Day3: Back/Chest/20 minutes hiit cardio
Day4: Abs/25 minutes hiit cardio
Day5: Arms/Shoulders/20 minutes Hiit cardio
Day6: Abs/25 minutes cardio
Repeat cycle
The excess cardio didn't effect my muscle gains too much. There were a lot of days as I got leaner that I would actually do double sessions, and it didn't effect me as well...as far as muscle loss. The added drugs may have helped as well (obviously) in combatting catabolism. However, in the past, when natural, cardio never really effected me as far as overtraining goes as long as it wasn't long durations.
I did training and cardio like my diet. If I was excessively sore, I would take off a day or cut out some cardio.
Also, I would usually alternate heavy and light days (sort of like Wilson6, spatts, etc on the WOMEN'S board) between muscle groups for that day. For example, on chest and back day, I would do chest heavy and back light for one week, then the following week it would be reversed.
Another thing I learned was that, sweet foods make me crave sweet foods, which are usually high GI. An exception to this was Crystal Lite, which I drank like crazy when I wanted to.
Also, I learned that when I am under 6%, having a DECREASED variety of food choices really helped me disciplined-wise. I think above 6% for me, having a variety is beneficial, but under, it is just fine tuning. BTW...at 6%, which is lower than most people think it is, a little water retention, etc is not gonna always hurt your appearance. At 6%, you ARE gonna look good. It basically comes down to that little stubborn fat mass around the lower abdomen and back (for males...
).
When you start getting below 6%, you are trying to be above 'optimal standards'. There IS a big difference in vascularity between 4-6% for me though, that is one thing that is for sure...at least for me. I am pretty damn lean at 6%, but at 4-5%, it starts coming together with striations and overall veins (which the Tren also helped with...hehehehe).
I am gonna try and just STAY lean year 'round. I can gain weight pretty easy, as well as lose it. I DO NOT have the best genetics either, but they are pretty damn good. Well, maybe take out the 'damn'.... If you read the thread titled "TIME:....." that is somewhere near the top of the page at this time, MS makes some interesting points that I agree with. Also, I do not strive to be the 'biggest' person either. A guy with some quality muscle and 6-8% bodyfat will ALWAYS look good in my estimations. I am gonna probably go for a bodyweight of 225 and 6%, and not go much above that. I don't feel that above this mark, I would look very appealing to most, and to myself. Hell, I am happy with the way I looked at 195. I looked bigger than most guys 30 pounds heavier than myself, especially when the shirt came off.
Right now school and my career are first, so who knows what will happen. I do know that although I don't mind looking 'yolked-out' most people I have encountered have found that nonappealing. I have been up to 240 pounds and 8-10% in the past.
Anyway, enough of my jabbering...hopefully that explained a little.
BMJ
However, even in the past without drugs, I can get down to 6-8ish percent following a zone/isocaloric diet. This time around, I was trying out the Leptin strategies, and I went basically very high protein/100 grams of carbs/modrate fat. I would incorporate a refeed once or twice a week for Leptin and glycogen stores. Also, some days I would alternate my high protein days for isocaloric days. The low carb days didn't necessarily lead me to faster fat gains, but they did help with water retention. Some days I would go 2-3 days before a refeed, and others I would go 5-6 days. Usually, if I did a couple days of low carbs, then it I would try to get some sort of refeed or carbs in by the 3rd or 4th day.
Basically I played it by looks. I wasn't really in a hurry, and I didn't try to rush things. I just added in some carbs if I looked flat, and subtracted them when I was gaining excess water. I weighed about 195 pounds at around 4.5%. My total calorie intake was somewhere near 12 X's my bodyweight, but this also fluctuated as well accordingly to looks...somedays it was less and some days more (especially on refeeds).
I keeped my protein high almost always, even when I added extra carbs. Somedays I would do close to zero carbs...I just sort of went by looks.
One thing I did find out about myself is that I respond MUCH better to low GI foods even after my workouts. I also responded better to lowered GI foods on refeed days. If I had a high GI meal, it would be in the morning hours.
As for training, I just went every other day.
Day1: Legs, calves
Day2: Abs/25 minutes HIIT cardio
Day3: Back/Chest/20 minutes hiit cardio
Day4: Abs/25 minutes hiit cardio
Day5: Arms/Shoulders/20 minutes Hiit cardio
Day6: Abs/25 minutes cardio
Repeat cycle
The excess cardio didn't effect my muscle gains too much. There were a lot of days as I got leaner that I would actually do double sessions, and it didn't effect me as well...as far as muscle loss. The added drugs may have helped as well (obviously) in combatting catabolism. However, in the past, when natural, cardio never really effected me as far as overtraining goes as long as it wasn't long durations.
I did training and cardio like my diet. If I was excessively sore, I would take off a day or cut out some cardio.
Also, I would usually alternate heavy and light days (sort of like Wilson6, spatts, etc on the WOMEN'S board) between muscle groups for that day. For example, on chest and back day, I would do chest heavy and back light for one week, then the following week it would be reversed.
Another thing I learned was that, sweet foods make me crave sweet foods, which are usually high GI. An exception to this was Crystal Lite, which I drank like crazy when I wanted to.
Also, I learned that when I am under 6%, having a DECREASED variety of food choices really helped me disciplined-wise. I think above 6% for me, having a variety is beneficial, but under, it is just fine tuning. BTW...at 6%, which is lower than most people think it is, a little water retention, etc is not gonna always hurt your appearance. At 6%, you ARE gonna look good. It basically comes down to that little stubborn fat mass around the lower abdomen and back (for males...
). When you start getting below 6%, you are trying to be above 'optimal standards'. There IS a big difference in vascularity between 4-6% for me though, that is one thing that is for sure...at least for me. I am pretty damn lean at 6%, but at 4-5%, it starts coming together with striations and overall veins (which the Tren also helped with...hehehehe).
I am gonna try and just STAY lean year 'round. I can gain weight pretty easy, as well as lose it. I DO NOT have the best genetics either, but they are pretty damn good. Well, maybe take out the 'damn'...
. If you read the thread titled "TIME:....." that is somewhere near the top of the page at this time, MS makes some interesting points that I agree with. Also, I do not strive to be the 'biggest' person either. A guy with some quality muscle and 6-8% bodyfat will ALWAYS look good in my estimations. I am gonna probably go for a bodyweight of 225 and 6%, and not go much above that. I don't feel that above this mark, I would look very appealing to most, and to myself. Hell, I am happy with the way I looked at 195. I looked bigger than most guys 30 pounds heavier than myself, especially when the shirt came off.Right now school and my career are first, so who knows what will happen. I do know that although I don't mind looking 'yolked-out' most people I have encountered have found that nonappealing. I have been up to 240 pounds and 8-10% in the past.
Anyway, enough of my jabbering...hopefully that explained a little.
BMJ
hey BMJ...
can u give an example day of your diet?
also, when u were taking the ala, did u take it throughout the diet or only at carbups? and if u took it w a carb meal..how many carbs would u classify as a carb meal?
ie if there were 3 carbs in 1 meal would you still take the ala prior to the meal?
thankx
can u give an example day of your diet?
also, when u were taking the ala, did u take it throughout the diet or only at carbups? and if u took it w a carb meal..how many carbs would u classify as a carb meal?
ie if there were 3 carbs in 1 meal would you still take the ala prior to the meal?
thankx
