[MR. BMJ]

"Perfect diet? what? where?"
by Chefwide (aka Cheffy smooove)

I suppose my one consistent gift is overstating the obvious, so here I go again... this thread is in response to a lot of 'this works for me so your's must be wrong' comments that often perk up in spirited diet discussion. This post in particular is just a head check for all of us that lose track that there are many paths that lead to the same peak: everyBODY is different.

Truly, there are some important 'truths' that will one day coalesce into the Veterans Consensus Statement on Diet, if that one bastard will get off his fuzzy duff and contribute to that worthy cause..


... but really, there are many small changes to a set of biological imperatives that reflect different physiques, different goals and different experience and commitment levels, the rest is up to the individual.

Yes, everyone can kick the hay outta their fat loss with the Anafit Diet and the added bonus of Superior Supplementation. Not in doubt and not called into doubt. There are bodies on this board that are living uber-success stories to prove it.
Yes, hitting the ChefFit plan of Carb/Protein Pyramids works. I have to wink and say that it buys cheflings new shoes with great regularity.
Yes, BodyOpus followed to the letter will do what Dan said it would do, i can vouch for that and even the efficacy of one particularly harsh plan called the 'FatFast Diet' by Mr. X, as can those who did the ANPB Diet.
Will Calorie/Carb cycling produce 'two rabbit' results of leanness and LBM gains? yes, it will!
Has BodyForLife, Atkins, Anabolic, SouthBeach, etc ad nauseum worked for some or many? Yes
Will a standard iso-caloric calorie restricted diet give success, of course!
The only message need be tucked away for all eternity is that in the long run we all need to learn how to EAT, not how to DIET. In the quest for the far side of the Sickness-Health-Fitness-SupraFitness continuum, the end needs of the body outweigh the fads or the minutia and the reality is startlingly simple: lose fat? eat less than needed and move more. Gain muscle? eat more than needed and move with greater intensity. A thousand pages of a thousand pages have been used to expound on both, but really, that's all its about. What goes in vs. what goes out.



*Protein should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
*Carbohydrates should be predominantly low-glycemic and account for about 40% of your total caloric load.
*Fat should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your total caloric load.
*Calories should be set at between .7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The .7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the hardcore athlete.







In plain language, base your diet on garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch, and no sugar. When you shop, stay out of the aisles and buy foods that go bad! Things that last past their natural day are questionable at best.



Other than 'what' you eat, truly the most important factor is 'how much': there are loads of primary science out in the void that strongly support the link between caloric deficit and longevity. It makes no sense to look good neckid' if neckid means dead. This tosses a lot of mud in the face of most every BB magazine and pro BBers diet on the planet:


Bulking and cutting will shorten your life, the stresses are outrageous and the levels of protein of most physique athletes are not just hard on the liver and kidneys, the levels are toxic. You have to sacrifice much to get to a level of supra-maximal fitness, my hope is that one of those sacrifices isn't the joy of seeing a fit, fast, more-than-healthy and responsive old age.


Ok, so what do you do? Some demand pre/post workout shakes, some say its better to chew, both say they're experience proves the opposite false. A lot of ways to skin cats, so to speak, and the key is to try a few with some extreme dedication and give them the time needed to suss them out with some honesty.


Something DOES work best for YOU, just as it does for me, that just might not be the same thing, but both deserve scrutiny and in many cases taking for a test ride if for no other reason than enriching your experience and your ability to give.

'When you get, give. When you learn, teach'