Is it killing my diet?

Mr Moley · 05-21-2009, 11:09 AM

Is soy sauce killing my diet plans?

Currently trying to cut down to a solid six pack but Ive hit a plateau. I can't move from 12 stone.

I use light soy sauce in my stir frys which consist of mixed veg, stiry fry veg, extra peas and carrots, chicken breast or white fish.

Is it making me retain water? I'm trying to cut down on the salad cream a little but it's not working.

Can anyone help me move off my plateau and start getting ripped.

Thanks
Joel

Cork · 05-21-2009, 12:37 PM

Soy sauce has a ton of sodium in it. so yes it probably is making you retain water. That's about the only effect I would think it would have though. If you can't get lean enough for a 6 pack I'd suggest examining the rest of your diet and maybe training as well. Condiments can hurt your diet especially if they are not moderated, but I wouldn't worry about soy sauce.

Demon Knight · 05-21-2009, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Moley

Is soy sauce killing my diet plans?

Currently trying to cut down to a solid six pack but Ive hit a plateau. I can't move from 12 stone.

I use light soy sauce in my stir frys which consist of mixed veg, stiry fry veg, extra peas and carrots, chicken breast or white fish.

Is it making me retain water? I'm trying to cut down on the salad cream a little but it's not working.

Can anyone help me move off my plateau and start getting ripped.

Thanks
Joel

Probably making you retain some water but certainly not killing your diet. A bit of extra soy in your diet will not make or break it, not at least until you are ready to cycle your sodium intake for competition (if you do at all)

How long have you plateaued? When is the end date of the cut? How many lbs per week do you need to lose to reach your goal?

As always, the general advice is to change your calorie intake and your calorific expenditure (i.e.cardio).Whether up or down in either case depends, but if you've got the time, I would go up on the calories first. If time is getting tight, then start adding more cardio or drop calories.

IMHO, it works better towards latter stages of a cut to add cardio rather than decrease calories further.

Chimera · 05-21-2009, 01:31 PM

Hey Joel,

Haven't heard from you in a while with regards to your cutting diet and I see this is it. Soy Sauce has sodium in it, and sodium can help you retain water weight. It would certainly help you with achieving your goal of having a six pack if you are to eliminate all extra sodium. Also, I don't recall asking you the question but are you doing refeed days? Refeed days can also help you get down to your goal as well, as it raises leptin which is a fat burning hormone and it is also very anabolic.

If things aren't working (and saying you have plateaued, it sounds like they aren't) then it is always a good idea to change things around so that they are working. We will help you get you to your goal!

Mr Moley · 05-21-2009, 05:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon Knight

How long have you plateaued? When is the end date of the cut? How many lbs per week do you need to lose to reach your goal?

Probably around 10 days. In around 4-5 weeks. Probably 1 or 2 a week would suffice.

Things have just come to a stand still really. I have changed what ive been doing but to no effect. I think ill cut the soy sauce completely if it will help. Boiled vegtables rather than stir fry veg now then.

Ive just finished a cycle of MHP's Dren also which has no effects whatsoever to be honest with you. I sweat less in the gym and am more aggravated during the whole 30 day cycle.
Maybe coming off that will change things up in my body a little.

stalion · 05-21-2009, 09:02 PM

low sodium soy sauce.

Mr Moley · 05-22-2009, 04:05 AM

Is that "light" soy sauce?

Ive gone from doing cardio 7 times a week and weights 5 times a week. To doing weights 5 times and cardio maybe 3-4 times a week. Cut alot of carbs from my diet and basically surviving from protein and vegtables and meat lol.

johnNYC · 05-22-2009, 09:00 AM

Unless you are using a ton of Soy Sauce, I wouldn't worry too much about it. definitely use the low sodium. No reason to take extra sodium in when you don't have too. Good luck with the cut.

Mr Moley · 05-22-2009, 03:32 PM

I'm worked out today that i ate 2200 calories without exercise but with exercise it's only 1200 or so. All clean and spot on! How can i not be losing weight? :/

Chimera · 05-22-2009, 06:35 PM

Are you doing refeed days? What type of cardio are you doing? Try High Intensity Interval Training if you are not doing it already (HIIT). Also, are you sure you aren't losing weight? At times when I was on my cutting phase I was impatient and said I wasn't losing weight when I really was but not at a pace I wanted. Take your dry morning weight one day, and then do it again on the same day at the following week.

dapack · 05-22-2009, 09:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Moley

I'm worked out today that i ate 2200 calories without exercise but with exercise it's only 1200 or so. All clean and spot on! How can i not be losing weight? :/

If I understand you on workout days you take in about 2,200 cals and non-workout days 1,200? If that is true, IMO you need more cals on your non-workout days, 1,200 I feel is way to low. Also what kind of cardio are you doing? If you are not doing HIIT than give that a go on non-lifting days and LISS cardio on lifting days. Just my opinion. Good luck on your goal.

GRAVESY079 · 05-22-2009, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dapack

If I understand you on workout days you take in about 2,200 cals and non-workout days 1,200? If that is true, IMO you need more cals on your non-workout days, 1,200 I feel is way to low. Also what kind of cardio are you doing? If you are not doing HIIT than give that a go on non-lifting days and LISS cardio on lifting days. Just my opinion. Good luck on your goal.

No
He took in 2200 cals. During his workout estimated burning 1000 cals.
2200-1000=1200.

Mr Moley · 05-23-2009, 04:53 AM

Correct^ I feel i ate quite alot yesterday and was pretty full, so it's fine by me if that's the amount.

Monday = Chest, Abs, 20 minute jog.
Tuesday = Back, 20 Minute Jog
Wedesday = Legs
Thursday = HIIT training
Friday = Shoulders, Traps, 60 minute hard jog up and down hills.
Saturday = Arms, Abs, 20 min jog
Sunday = HIIT

This is my routine at the minute. Diet is good. Loads of protein and a good amount of fats with pretty low carbs. I havent done a proper refeed day yet to be honest, i think ill put it in on leg day to recover better. How many calories should i be taking in?

Thanks for all the help.

Chimera · 05-23-2009, 05:30 AM

Generally a refeed day has you eating your maintenance calorie amount. You drop your protein down to 1 g / lb bodyweight, keep your fat as low as possible, and up your carbohydrates to hit your maintenance calorie amount.

Demon Knight · 05-23-2009, 05:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Moley

Correct^ I feel i ate quite alot yesterday and was pretty full, so it's fine by me if that's the amount.

Monday = Chest, Abs, 20 minute jog.
Tuesday = Back, 20 Minute Jog
Wedesday = Legs
Thursday = HIIT training
Friday = Shoulders, Traps, 60 minute hard jog up and down hills.
Saturday = Arms, Abs, 20 min jog
Sunday = HIIT

This is my routine at the minute. Diet is good. Loads of protein and a good amount of fats with pretty low carbs. I havent done a proper refeed day yet to be honest, i think ill put it in on leg day to recover better. How many calories should i be taking in?

Thanks for all the help.

That's actually quite a lot of activity for 2200kcal. Have you tried increasing calories to 2500kcal or so with the same activity? This is probably the method that will retain the most muscle (if it works) but if you just want to get as cut as possible, I think you'll have to bring in daily hard cardio sessions. You have jogging on training days at the mo but I mean "high intensity" intervals or steady state, up to you and on days you already have cardio, it's gonna be 2x a day cardio. Get the coffee out, you're gonna need it!

A refeed day at your calorific level would be 3000kcal+, most of the excess calories coming from carbs and some from fat. Lower the protein for this day too.

Mr Moley · 05-23-2009, 07:30 AM

Ok so what is the calculation for working out my maintenance calorie level?

I am currently 167lbs.

Demon Knight · 05-24-2009, 04:32 AM

There are many but they are all estimates. The best way to find out your maintenance calorie level is to have set an intake and measure up a week or two after (i.e. have you gained or lost any bodyfat or LBM)

This is the Katch McArdle formula. I prefer it since it uses LBM rather than weight to calculate your BMR

You are 167lbs@9%bf

So 167lbs/2.2=76kg

76 x (100%-9%)=69kg

Formula for BMR:370+(21.6x69)=1860kcal

Activity factor (again, only estimates):
Fairly sedentary- 1.2x
Fairly active - (2-3 times a week workout): x1.5
Quite active - (5-7 times a week workout): x1.7
Extemely active - (Physically active all day!): x1.9

So, going by your routine, I'd say x1.7

1860x1.7=3162kcal so roughly 3200kcal to maintain your bodyweight

The problem is that your body adapts to intakes. If you've been at 1500kcal for a month and you have been advised you should be taking 2500kcal, a sudden jump would probably cause quite a bit of fat gain as your body has been starved for a while and feels the need to replenish some stores.

Hence why they say the cut process should be as slow as possible to maintain the most muscle and to increase the chances of achieving lower bodyfat.

Mr Moley · 05-24-2009, 06:06 AM

Awsome. Thanks man!

GRAVESY079 · 05-25-2009, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Demon Knight

There are many but they are all estimates. The best way to find out your maintenance calorie level is to have set an intake and measure up a week or two after (i.e. have you gained or lost any bodyfat or LBM)

This is the Katch McArdle formula. I prefer it since it uses LBM rather than weight to calculate your BMR

You are 167lbs@9%bf

So 167lbs/2.2=76kg

76 x (100%-9%)=69kg

Formula for BMR:370+(21.6x69)=1860kcal

Activity factor (again, only estimates):
Fairly sedentary- 1.2x
Fairly active - (2-3 times a week workout): x1.5
Quite active - (5-7 times a week workout): x1.7
Extemely active - (Physically active all day!): x1.9

So, going by your routine, I'd say x1.7

1860x1.7=3162kcal so roughly 3200kcal to maintain your bodyweight

The problem is that your body adapts to intakes. If you've been at 1500kcal for a month and you have been advised you should be taking 2500kcal, a sudden jump would probably cause quite a bit of fat gain as your body has been starved for a while and feels the need to replenish some stores.

Hence why they say the cut process should be as slow as possible to maintain the most muscle and to increase the chances of achieving lower bodyfat.

nice post