protein bars as a cheat food...help me out guys!

[Iron Thrower]

I was on a strict cutting diet for the last 3 months. I hardly had any cheats. I lost 40lbs. I went from 30%bf to 13%bf. But I still have love handles. So I am back on my diet and I am back to doing cardio everyday. I want to lose my love handles and get my abs to show somewhat. My question is: are protein bars bad for you if you are on a cutting diet. It's so hard to stay sane with no fruit or any other sweets other than equal on my oatmeal.
Will I lose more bodyfat if I am NOT eating 1 protein bar per day. They are like candy to me after 3 months of a strict diet. I am talking about Pro Protein or Designer Whey protein bars. Help me out please. I want to be able to lean out in the next 2 months. I will start to bulk this fall when I go off to college. Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Mr.X]

hey bro, 3 months is a long time, (congrats on loosing all the weight, It's a hard thing to do)
If you eat 1 bar a day, it wont hinder your fat loss (unless your in ketosis) The best "cheat" bar is PURE PROTEIN (strawberry cheesecake, tastes real) 1 bar has
270 cal, 5 g fat, 7 carbs, 30 g protein<BR>
and glycerol , which is already added to the cal count in the bar, so it's only 270 cal per bar, you can fit that instead of a meal, will work fine and wont hinder your weight loss (as long as you don't go crazy w/ eating a whole box lol)<BR>
--one suggestion I can make is take a couple of days and eat yourself silly, so you satify all your cravings, then get into your new phase of dieting, this way it'll break the platoe that 3 months of dieting built up<BR>
My 2 cents<BR>
Mr.X

 

[Iron Thrower]

Thanks Mr.X! I think that if I am allowed to have 5-7 bars per week, I would be able to stay strict. I have had my few days of eating a bunch of junk and now I am back on the diet because like I said, I want to lose my love handles and get a little leaner.

 

[chillin408]

congradulations, what kind of diet were you on when u lost that weight? also any supplements ,drugs etc, and what was your cardio like

 

[sweets]

myoplex lo carb bars are the bomb diggity!!!!! 240 cals, 6g fat and 3... yes, ONLY 3g of EVIL CARBS. what more could you ask for. they're soooooo sweet.

p.s. amazing how disciplined people can get when they start to notice a change in their bodies. were you on a keto diet????? 30 to 13%--- wow. much respect. i'm trying to lose about 4-5% and it's soooo difficult. keep it up, iron thrower. you get a for good behavior.

 

[Iron Thrower]

Thanks for all of the compliments guys.
I wasn't on a keto diet. It was all clean foods. Chicken, potatoes, rice, eggwhites, tuna, dark green veggies. After the first month I cut out all bbq sauce, ketchup, anything with simple sugars or carbs. I wasn't allowed to have wheat bread or fruit. That was a little hard but I made it through it.
The only supplements that I took was a daily multivitamen and Max Lean(thermogenic)
As far as cardio I averaged 40 min. 6 times per week. I varied all depending on how I felt.

 

[BP66]

Dude, you're making me feel really silly now! I ate 4 calzones and 3 slices of key lime pie tonight on a dumb binge. I was contemplating sweating my butt off tonight in the 90 degree heat, but now I'm definitely going to get myself in gear! Congratulations on all of your hard work. I can relate to how hard it is. Keep it up and you'll be there before you know it.

 

[timea-dd]

I think the low-carb bars or definitely ok to eat. They have the right amount of carbs, fat, and protein for a typical meal. Even if they aren't the greatest at least they will curve your sweet tooth so that you won't crave bad stuff. I tried the new muscletech low-carb bars and they are really good.

 

[Big Pappa BB]

Protein bars = hidden calories

Just some inside info for you. If you add all the carb/protein /fats together will be missing somewhere between 30-100 calories (depends on the bar). The hidden calories are from glycerol (sugar alcohol) or extra carbs. I try to avoid bars while I'm cutting. I own and run a supplement store in Dover, Delaware if you have any questions

 

[chillin408]

so did u keep most of your muscle or did u lose alot of muscle?