Diet Questions Answered
written by sean hyson
The new diet strategy I posted about here has generated a lot of questions and feedback. I’ll try to clear up a few more things about it now.
First, I didn’t post it just to be outrageous and get attention. It’s a method we stumbled upon at Muscle&Fitness in our continuous search for new and effective strategies, and I’ve put it to the test myself. It’s worked amazingly well for me, and for many other people. At the same time, I’m not saying this diet is for everyone. I don’t think it necessarily works better than any other method out there, but I do think it’s more user-friendly, and it’s certainly easier to stick with.
Here is what a typical non-training day looks like for me now. The three main things I keep in mind on a day like this are: 1) fast through the morning, 2) eat protein and fat all day, 3) eat one small carb meal at night.
7:00 a.m.
Wake up and do cardio—could be intervals, could be long-duration aerobic work. Or maybe I take the day off. I’ll have a few capsules of BCAAs, totaling around 5 grams. If I run out of BCAAs, or I just forget to take them, no sweat.
I fast a few hours and then…
12:00 p.m.
2 chicken breasts and salad. Maybe some sliced avocado on top. Oil and white vinegar dressing. Or I could have whole eggs and organic bacon.
3:00 p.m.
1 or 2 cans of tuna and a salad. Dried kale chips.
4:00–6:00 p.m.
A few handfuls of nuts such as almonds or walnuts.
7:00 p.m.
Sausages and avocado. Or a cheeseburger made with grass-fed beef and organic, unpasteurized cheese, tomato, spinach, organic ketchup.
9:00 p.m.
Shake: whey protein mixed with goat milk/almond milk/water and berries, banana, peanut or almond butter.
This is what a training day looks like when I have to work out in the morning. On these days, my goals are: 1) no food before training, 2) drink a big shake after training, 3) eat some carbs at night.
6:30 a.m.
16 oz coffee, either black or w/ organic heavy whipping cream
7:30 a.m.
Training
9:00 a.m.
Shake: 40–60 grams protein from whey and casein hydrolysates (blend H, available at ProteinFactory.com), 5g leucine, 5 grams creatine, 30g carbs from waxy maize starch. If I run out of waxy maize, or just want a change, I’ll have a mango or eat two or three ripe bananas.
11:00 a.m.
chicken breast and kale chips
1:00 p.m.
omelette w/ cheese and veggies, salsa
3:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
almonds
7:00 p.m.
Chicken breast and sweet potato, or red skin potato. Or grass-fed steak with brown rice. Or grilled salmon with butternut squash. (I drizzle olive oil over all the potatoes and the squash.)
9:00 p.m.
2 pieces of fruit. Or sometimes a bowl of oatmeal or spelt flakes with peanut butter, protein powder, and berries mixed in.
Here’s what you’re all waiting for. A sample of pure Back-Loading on a training day, as made famous by Kiefer. This is where you get to eat crap at night, and when I train in the afternoon, I often do. The take-home points for today: 1) fat and protein all day, including pre-workout, 2) carbs post-workout, 3) lots of food at night and plenty of starchy or sugary carbs.
8:00 a.m.
Coffee w/ heavy whipping cream
11:00 a.m.
omelette with spinach, bacon, and cheese
1:00 p.m.
Chicken breast and salad dressed with oil and vinegar
3:00 p.m. (pre-workout)
1 cup cottage cheese and a few handfuls of almonds
5:30 p.m. (post-workout)
40–60 grams whey isolate or whey and casein hydrolysates (Blend H). 30 grams carbs in the form of maltodextrin, dextrose, waxy maize, or bananas. 5 grams leucine, 5 grams creatine.
6:30 p.m.
Amy’s frozen pizza. Or cheeseburger (with bun) and french fries.
9:00 p.m.
1 scoop protein powder and a few ounces of ice cream. Or 2 blueberry muffins with a glass of organic, grass-fed milk.
This guy knows how to Back-Load!
This is the blueprint for how to do it. There are many modifications that can be made depending on your lifestyle and your goals, but I think the most important things to remember are the morning fasts and the carbs at night rather than early. That’s what Kiefer, Keck, and the myriad other gurus seem to be in agreement on.
If you want to gain muscle quickly while minimizing fat gain, eat more carbs every day and especially on training days. Want to get leaner? Eat fewer carbs and make them come from cleaner sources. It would probably help you to write down about how much you’re eating so you can keep track and make adjustments. (I would try to estimate the number of carbs—that’s all.)
There are many pros to this diet, apart from being loose and allowing you to eat tasty foods that most diets ignore. It works with your body’s daily hormone fluctuations and it works FAST. The picture below was taken two weeks after I started this plan back in March. I wasn’t exactly fat or skinny beforehand, but this strategy added pounds to the scale while my abs became more visible. That’s right, gaining muscle and losing fat simultaneously, which only happens in short bursts and RARELY happens for people who have been training for years.
This was taken first thing in the morning
on a non-training day. No pump.
The big con to this type of plan, as I see it, is the lack of fruit and the encouragement of junk food. These may not have any bearing on your ability to lose fat, but they can certainly take a toll on your health in the long run.
I’ll go into much more detail on this plan and others in my forthcoming e-book (coming late summer or early fall!), but this is the honest-to-God truth about how this new “carbs at night” philosophy is done.
Give it a try and let me know how it works for you!
Comments
07 Jun, 2011
Kjs
Great run down. Just curious...what's your body fat% in that pic?
08 Jun, 2011
Sean Butler
Hey Sean,
Great article. I am currently trying out backloading as well and so far I love it! However, I do have a question. You say that there is a lack of fruit in this diet. Was that written by Kiefer? I never saw that in any of his articles,, but maybe I just missed it. What is the reason for this? Thanks!
08 Jun, 2011
Sean Hyson
Kjs,
I haven't had it tested but I would guess it's around 10%.
Sean,
I don't want to speak for Kiefer but his diets tend to limit the fruit. I think it has to do with fructose and how that particular kind of sugar is metabolized. I'm interested in knowing more myself and am researching it. But that's something almost every diet expert seems to agree on—you can't eat a lot of fruit and get lean. I don't think fruit MAKES you fat at all, but it does seem to make it harder to get lean. I think fruit also can be associated with higher triglyceride levels, but I'd have to go back and check where I read that.
The bottom line is play it safe. Have most of your fruit in the evenings on your training days. Or right after your workout
08 Jun, 2011
Mike Arone
Impressive insight and results Sean.
I think my same concern is the "internal" health--I would think it may be best to rotate this type of plan in for a few months on and off???
Good stuff as always man
-MA
10 Jun, 2011
Sean Hyson
Thanks, Mike. I agree, Back-Loading should be done for a certain period and then switched up. But again, if you just eat cleaner carb sources you're probably fine all year with this.
13 Jun, 2011
Brian
Sean,
Love your blog, man. Good stuff every time you post. Quick question: do you have any advice on incorporating any kind of beans in your diet or have an idea how it compares to potatoes and whole grains for complex carbs?
13 Jun, 2011
Sean Hyson
Brian,
Beans can be tough to digest. That's why people get bloated and gassy from them. One solution is to soak them in water a few hours beforehand. In general, I'd say they're healthy, but I wouldn't eat many if you're following a low-carb diet, or trying to Back-Load.
Potatoes/sweet potatoes are the least likely to cause an allergic reaction or any digestive stress, so I rank them at the top. I'd put beans and grains in the same boat—good if you can handle them, which is an individual thing.
But all of these carbs are light years better than processed grains (breads, tortillas, wraps, etc.).
07 Jul, 2011
Shane
Sean,
In your estimation what would be the best way to cut fat but also lose weight off the scale for a avid gym rat that is 250# and 28%BF?
08 Jul, 2011
Sean Hyson
Shane,
Cut carbs out almost entirely. Unfortunately, back-loading as described here isn't going to work for you with that body fat percentage.
On non-lifting days, eat protein, fat, and veggies. On lifting days, have a sweet potato or some fruit after a workout and that's it. This isn't the most fun, but it will take the fat off fast.
08 Jul, 2011
Shane
Thanks for the quick responce, this coinsides with Ferruggia's recomendation as well, going to put it into practice.
22 Jul, 2011
Derek
Sean,
Hi Sean I am doing the diet and the lack for a better word without being to vivid I get constipated. Would a digestive enzyme work with this?
26 Jul, 2011
Sean Hyson
Hey Derek,
Digestive enzymes are good for relieving bloating and diarrhea. I think constipation is going to require that you get more fiber. Are you eating many vegetables now? A fiber supplement may also help, along with drinking more water.
03 Aug, 2011
Derek Roberts
Hey Sean I do eat a lot of veggies mainly green veggies. What kind of fiber supplement should I look for or what do you recommend are there once that I should look with certain ingredients?
27 Sep, 2011
Emmet Rushe P.T
Hi Sean. Just wondering on the use of this diet with a type 1 female diabetic. She is an amature kickboxer and weighs 70kg, she wants to get down to 62kg. Would this diet be good for her, regarding insulin levels??
29 Sep, 2011
Sean Hyson
Derek,
Any sugar/carb-free fiber source is fine. Metamucil, a greens supplement. But if you're eating plenty of vegetables there isn't a need for one.
Emmet,
It's really not my place to say but I don't think a diabetic should be back-loading. An extreme low-carb diet is probably more appropriate for that type of client.
19 Nov, 2011
David B
Hi Sean. I've been sitting around 10% body fat for several months now, and I can't seem to really cut down to the desired 7% or so. Do you have any recommendations for a way to cut and maintain it in the long-term?
02 Dec, 2011
Sean Hyson
David B,
I would recommend a very low-carb diet in your case. You're already quite lean. You should sink your carbs down to 50 or fewer a day (a ketogenic approach) and have periodic refeeds (eat a lot of carbs) once or twice a week. Kiefer's Carb Nite Solution might be good for you.
24 Apr, 2012
Hunter
Hi Sean, I'm 6'2 and weighed 160 seeing my abs. I have been bulking, the traditional bodybuilding diet and I've seen muscle gains but also lost my lower ab definition and notice I've added some body fat. I'm currently 177lbs. My question is if I go to this back-loading diet can I expect to still gain strength and size and get my body fat back down to a lower percentage? Thank you for your time and thoughts!
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