How do you limit calories to lose fat but still gain muscle mass?

[black_sea]

I am a former professional athlete and thus binge-dieter. It was not unusual for us to drop 10 to 15 pounds or gain the same amount in 3 days.
I dont want to go into any details as there are hundreds of different diets that work- simply because having a plan usually works better than no plan.
But here are general tips that work for me

1)dont look for a remedy and dont change diets all the time. 6 month min
2)dont snack except on vegies, and I mean celery, carrot, salad, no dressing or anything else but vegies.
3)exercise -min 2 mile/3km run, 20 push-up, 12 chin-up. minimum.
4)lift weights, kettlebells are great
5)regular sex
7)keep a food diary
and avoid processed food, ready made meals, and carbs. consider the paleo diet.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks black sea. I can see how the food part works for short term goals and how the exercise could be maintained over time. What do you do long term food wise to maintain once you get where you want to be? I love celery and carrots and tolerate some other veggies but if that's the only thing I can snack on the rest of my life...well, ugh.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[black_sea]

I have to say there are no easy solutions to the diet problem - they are all lifestyle solutions.
One of my friends had the best diet in the world- she ate all she wanted - because she was a narcoleptic and had a steady supply of amphetamines that kept her awake and suppressed her appetite. she slowly became more and more paranoid as time progressed, as any pill-like solution will have nasty side effects!
Remember that we are nomadic hunter-gatherers per evolution's design. This means that if you do not spend 5 hours a day walking and hunting in fresh air, and eating fresh simple unprocessed food, then you are treating your body in a way that it is not sure what to do with.
Any surplus of food that the human body gets is turned into fat, and processed food is the fastest to go so.
I have found that cutting out pasta, breads etc and all kinds of sugars and especially corn syrup has done wonders for my body.
Brown rice, delicious asian stir frys (frozed bags of veggies ok), meat that is grilled very quickly and without sugary glazing- I have a rich and balanced diet that I love and enjoy.
When I go out to a celebration, I taste of whatever I like, as this diet is very flexible- you eat what makes you healthy and feel great.
Ber Rabbit, I think what you need to start with is a food diary! after a week or so feel free to post your log here or private message me and I can give you my opinion.
Just like diving, any health related activity requires careful monitoring- we need to know what exactly is the main factor contributing to the weight problems.
Most people I know, cutting out soda, breads, refined carbs, all the junk, regular exercise and a planned calorie deficit based on your bmi ratio provide stellar results.
Read up on the paleolithic aka paleo diet- take it with a pinch of salt, but it does work.

 

[black_sea]

By the way, I had a kettlebell at my desk when I was doing crazy office hours- I could easily crank out 2-3 tons of weight in under 15 minutes, and that means my testosterone and metabolism were in great shape. All without going to the gym.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Thanks black sea. I too could eat anything I wanted, minus the pills, until I spent 3 years in a desk job and started pushing my 40th birthday. I was 5'7" and couldn't get up to 125 pounds no matter what I ate until I was 35. I got up to 150 pounds in the office job. I'm now 5'5" and about 135 pounds. Ummmm yea, 2 inches shorter...welcome to 40 I guess.

My current job keeps me physically active for most of the 8 hour shift. Not hunting for 5 hours but its as close as I will get.
I have been consumed with an urge to garden. Figuring my body will guide me to what it needs I hand planted a 10 tree orchard, 6 grapevines, 3 blueberry bushes and a cranberry bush (each in its own hand made raised bed), 9 raspberries, 6 blackberries and 5 horseradish roots. I built three 5x5 raised beds to plant veggies in and have already planted 6 tomatoes in containers. I'm thinking the body is craving fresh Its working my butt off to get it though.

There's an elk farm a couple towns over that I keep intending to get to for meat. I don't mind lightly cooked beef. A nice sirloin is good med rare to rare and in some cases its wonderful raw. (Vampire rabbit?)

Ill try to get a food diary started. I don't mind posting, anything to help someone who may be reading with the same question.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[BVickery]

Thanks black sea. I too could eat anything I wanted, minus the pills, until I spent 3 years in a desk job and started pushing my 40th birthday. I was 5'7" and couldn't get up to 125 pounds no matter what I ate until I was 35. I got up to 150 pounds in the office job. I'm now 5'5" and about 135 pounds. Ummmm yea, 2 inches shorter...welcome to 40 I guess.

My current job keeps me physically active for most of the 8 hour shift. Not hunting for 5 hours but its as close as I will get.
I have been consumed with an urge to garden. Figuring my body will guide me to what it needs I hand planted a 10 tree orchard, 6 grapevines, 3 blueberry bushes and a cranberry bush (each in its own hand made raised bed), 9 raspberries, 6 blackberries and 5 horseradish roots. I built three 5x5 raised beds to plant veggies in and have already planted 6 tomatoes in containers. I'm thinking the body is craving fresh Its working my butt off to get it though.

There's an elk farm a couple towns over that I keep intending to get to for meat. I don't mind lightly cooked beef. A nice sirloin is good med rare to rare and in some cases its wonderful raw. (Vampire rabbit?)

Ill try to get a food diary started. I don't mind posting, anything to help someone who may be reading with the same question.
Ber :lilbunny:

Elk is great, and envious of the gardening. Still a way for me since I live on the 3rd floor of an apartment building.

One thing you may try to do is befriend a deer hunter or two. Wild Venison is not that bad, and if its been feeding on corn, or better yet cranberries, oh god is it good. Like anything it needs to be in moderation, and wild game has been proven to be a lot more healthier for you than farm raised. Univ. of Michigan actually put out a study and the wild game meats were high in what the body needs, and low/non-existent in the stuff we need to avoid.

Hope to see pics of your raised beds.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

I love venison. We have 18 acres, all but 1 acre is woods and my garden is going in the meadow. Hubby doesn't allow hunting on our land for his own reasons and I respect that. The neighbors say deer run along the fence line...near my new garden. Keeping deer lips off my plants will be a challenge.

Had caribou in Canada and loved it. I think my favorite steak ever was a Yak steak I got at a restaurant in Taos, New Mexico. Can't seem to find a Yak farm that sells meat to the public though.

Once I get the rest of the beds planted I will post pictures.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[black_sea]

One thing to remember is that as we age, our pesky hormones drop!
I was looking in the mirror and seeing fat that never was there before- all simply because of age and accumulated damage by wrong diet and, well, life!
Exercise with weights is a great way to stimulate the body, and contrary to popular belief, a 3xweek workout will not turn anyone into Arnold, man or woman.

Ber Rabbit, congrats on the gardening! Here in Sweden I have another problem- we had 5 feet of snow and up this winter, and the deer ate my damn apple trees and most of the perennials that the vermin did not get- nevermind the doghouse right there, el fence, and as much wire around the poor trees as they could take.
Time to hunt!

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Yea I'm figuring out that being over 40 is fat friendly

My personality drives me to work out with heavy weights when I get into a workout routine LOL! I pretty much proved I can't look like Arnold but I can move some lead. I used to do the whole stack on the back machine, 3 sets of 12 with just over 300 pounds. Not bad for a little female.

I'm having problems with squirrels in my plants this year. Never had that before. They are digging up everything grrrrrr!
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[ScubaSam]

Ber - Are you narc'd??? If not then you're CRAZY!!!! I met you this past weekend at Gilboa....do you remember? You have no fat on your body, maybe in your HEAD cause you think you need to lose fat but you are a lean diving machine. I only saw muscle on you!!!

Btw