Today’s new post from John Doe Bodybuilding covers dieting and what actually works for cutting fat.
Trust me guys, I know how frustrating it can be when you think you’ve tried everything and you’re still not getting the results you want!
We live in a time when everyone wants fast results. Just look at everyone on their cell phone, they want information, and they want it FAST.
So I get it.
And that’s why I need to clarify the following: there is no FAST way to cut fat and get the body you’re after. There’s no magic pill for that!
At the end of the day it takes: hard work, commitment, and GOING HUNGRY!
YOU HAVE TO GO HUNGRY, OK?
I don’t care if you eat two or five meals a day, skip breakfast, do intermittent fasting, eat no carbs before dinner, or whatever approach you take, when your body fat starts decreasing, your hunger is going to start increasing!
If you’re on a diet and you’re not hungry, I’ve got news for you: your diet’s not working!
The average body fat percentage of a man these days is about 16 – 18%. For a woman I believe it’s 19%.
Once you start to drop below average in body fat, you are going to start getting hungrier.
And once you drop into single digit body fat, you are to start getting A LOT hungrier.
The reason why most people struggle to achieve single digit body fat is because they cannot deal with the hunger. Eventually, they give in.
With that said, it’s just not realistic to walk around super lean 100% of the time…
Let’s talk about restrictive diets now.
What I mean is any fad diet that takes away (restricts) fats or carbs.
The problem with these diets is that they all go way overboard.
These diets are set up for people who are not disciplined or committed enough to cook their own healthy meals.
Let’s call it for what it is: these diets are for people who are LAZY!
But the truth is there’s nothing special about these diets. They simply all work because they make people set boundaries for how much they’re eating.
You could do the same thing with bologna sandwiches. It’s that simple!
I once had a female client who loved chocolate. I put her on a diet plan that included a whole chocolate bar a day.
That’s right! A whole chocolate bar every day.
She was allowed to either eat the whole thing as part of her post workout meal or alternatively she could eat little squares of it throughout the day.
And guess what? She looked good! She lost a ton of fat.
Restrictive diets are not realistic and eventually mother nature takes over. And that’s when you wonder over to that piece of cake like a zombie and start shoveling down your throat!
If it makes you feel better, even I, a committed bodybuilding competitor, have to deal with this crap!
I don’t eat clean 100% of the time. I have nights where I screw up just like everyone else.
But as a whole, overall, I definitely eat cleaner than average and I stay more disciplined to the process.
But again, I don’t care how clean you eat, there’s nothing you can do to completely get the body you want in only a month’s time.
This just takes time!
A more realistic expectation of the minimum time needed to start transforming your body is 12 weeks (3 months).
In fact, I warn all my clients to not expect to see changes in the first month. You have to stick to it long enough to see the drastic changes at the 3 month point.
So remember, it just takes time. This is not a super fast process.
And again, I don’t believe in restrictive diets. They are not a recipe for long term success.
The reality of it all is that it takes time and dedication, not some fad diet.
Instead of doing one of these diets, you would be much better off taking in a caloric amount that’s a little bit lower than your daily expenditure (your maintenance calories).
If you do it this way, you are chopping at it bit by bit everyday. I believe this is a better recipe for success.
And I think you’re going to look and feel better doing it this way.
Do it this way and you will develop diet methods for yourself that you can continue to do sustainably for life.
You don’t get that with crash diets!
Do it the right way. Cook healthy meals and cut your calories just slightly below maintenance. This is the formula for long term success and looking great all year round.
Good luck to everyone with their diet goals!
Diet hard!
– JD
Good normal common sense thinking!
I want that shirt!
Good right up brother.And congrad on your success so far.
Telling it the way it is!
People freaking out thinking they’ll lose gains if they’re hungry, that’s what BCAA’s and protein shakes are for.
Great advice!
The problem with restrictive diets is they are usually “brutal”. People feel like something is taken from them, that’s why they fail in the long run and submit to their desires. It is also a question of mindset and awareness, people should believe strongly that it’s a process that will take a long time to bring results, 3+ months as you mentioned.
Long time investment, awareness, discipline and overall daily carbs intakes are the keys to a successful diet.
Great article as always.
No need to go hungry. Just need to eat clean and measure the food. Clean = no salt, sugar, (added) fat, or alcohol. Eat five times a day, three hours apart, large portions of protein, carbs, and veggies. See a personal trainer who is also a nutritionist for exact guidance. Following this long term will cause about .1 to .2% decrease in BF per week, while stuffing your face all day. The problem is not the quantity of food, it is what is in the food.
If this were true then calories in versus calories out would make no difference and there would be no need to measure food. Trust me, when you get lean enough you’re going to be hungry. I’ve never met anyone who was extremely lean that stuffed their faces all day. If someone is overweight and begins losing fat then they are probably going to feel better because fat stores are being mobilized quicker for energy, but once they get lean enough they’re going to start getting hungry