Operation “Fighting Shape”: Baseline Numbers and Diet Outline

I am starting a different kind of diet and exercise routine that I have never attempted before. Lockdown was not kind to me (damn those microbreweries for offering delivery while I worked from home!) and I am committed to getting down to fighting weight. That isn’t to say I am a blob – I have pretty decent muscle mass and can definitely move a lot of weight at the gym. The issues mostly stem from my weak cardio as well as the ability to move quickly and efficiently in the battlefield. I need to seriously lean up.

This is what is referred to as a “crash diet”, and it isn’t for everyone. I have done plenty of bulk/cut cycles as well as traditional calorie cutting, but I wanted to try something different this time.

As an example, here is an example from reddit as to a one month progression (OP actually cites this particular crash diet in the comments):

https://old.reddit.com/r/progresspics/comments/7z7ycd/m2459_20318023_lb_lost_1_month_results_of_4_week/

My plan is to provide regular updates as to how it is affecting me as well as any changes I have seen, modifications made, or anything of that sort. I hope people will chime in with their own updates as well in the comments as to how their weight loss is going – no matter what method of plan you are using! We need to make an investment into ourselves, and I have been half assing it for too long. This time I am playing for keeps.

General Outline and Plan

I am gathering baseline numbers in a few different ways. For starters, I had my annual physical this past week. This morning, I had blood work done to measure a bunch of indicators, such as:

Secondly, I am having a DEXA Scan done to determine a few measurements like lean body mass, fat composition, and bone density.

Third, I am doing my own measurements such as waist, arm, neck, chest, and weight.

These measurements will be repeated at the end of the diet in order to record the changes.

Here is a brief outline of the plan (as stolen from a Reddit thread that broke it down).

I would fall into Category 3. As you can see, I get two free meals a week, which are basically normal meals I would have. Once I move into Category 2, I only get one free meal but I also get 5 hours a week of a “refeed”. That is basically a carb feast that helps to maintain my metabolism. Both free meals and refeeds need to adhere to the conditions above.

Many people severely overestimate their portion sizes. I highly recommend a weekly meal prep where you measure everything out so you can get an idea of how small some portions really are.

Supplements

Throughout the day, I have a pitcher of water that I refill my smaller bottle out of. That pitcher has:

• Vitamin C
• MSM Powder
• Magnesium Citrate
• Apple Cider Vinegar

Before my first meal of the day:

• Dandelion Root

With first meal of the day:

• Multivitamin
• 6 x Omega 3
• 1 x Vitamin D + K2
  
• 1 x Milk Thistle
• 1 x N-Acetyl Cysteine
• 1 x Green Tea Extract
• 1 x Super B Complex
• 1 x Oregano Oil
• 1 x Selenium + Vitamin E
• 1 x Garlic Oil Concentrate

In the afternoon:

• 1 x Green Tea Extract

At night (with final protein shake before bed):

• 1 x Aswaganda Root
• 1 x Magnesium Gylcenate
• 1 x Zinc

Workout Routine

Because I will be at a significant calorie deficiency, the workouts will mostly consist of three full body workout days. Additionally, There will be two to three days of stationary cardio (i.e. exercise bike) and two to three days of rucking.

Diet Routine

The diet basically consists of lean protein and non-starch veg with basically zero carbs and only a tiny amount of fats. All alcohol has been removed from the regular diet and only few “cheat days” are built in (such as hanging with all you beautiful bastards at the February Scout course) and even those are severely restricted due to caloric limits (not to mention my tolerance is going to be stupid low). Meat and protein include:

• Turkey Sausage
• Egg Whites
• Chicken
• Turkey
• Ground Pork Sausage (cooked and dabbed to remove as much fat as possible).
• Tuna and some fish
• Fat Free Cheese (while not a huge source of protein, it does have some)
• Certain Jerkies

I can have unlimited vegetables so long as they are not starchy, but my plan is to stick with just a few. Those are:

• Brussel Sprouts
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Green Beans
• Zucchini
• Peppers
• Cucumbers
• Pickles
• Spinach
• Lettuce

I can have unlimited spices but most dressings are off the table (something like tabasco is okay, and I intend on messing around with dry ranch dressing mix and nonfat greek yogurt to try and make a dip).

Here are some resources to help you determine how many carbs are in different foods:

The basic design is that for my three meals, I have roughly 50 grams of protein with as much veg as possible. After a workout, I have a 25g protein shake. I need to make sure I keep my electrolytes up. Between my fish oil and the oil used to lightly coat some of my meat for cooking, I should hit the fat limit easily.

Here is a sample meal plan:

Morning

Egg White Omelete (with a fuck ton of Old Bay)

• Sausage – 85 grams – 20 grams protein
• Cheese – 2 slices – 8 gram protein
• Egg White – three quarter cup – 20 grams protein
• Peppers – as much as I want

Afternoon

• Chicken – 160 grams – 50 grams protein
• Asparagus – 1/3 to 1/2 pound
• Cucumber – Half

Dinner

• Chicken – 160 grams – 50 grams protein
• Zucchini – 1/3 to 1/2 pound
• Cucumber – Half

Evening

• Protein Shake – one scoop – 25 grams protein

Snack

• Unlimited pickles
• Unlimited cooked veg
• Unlimited raw veg

The Full Plan

The full PDF can be found here. There are some highlighted sections which I think are key. However, if you are unfamiliar with a lot of this stuff, I would read the whole thing. It is NOT written in technical jargon, but rather in a very easy to read conversational tone.