Diet, Nutrition and SupplementationPost here for supplement reviews or nutritional advice. If you're trying to get "ripped abz" THIS is where you should be.
One of my favorite meals is to cook ground beef and spice it up with chili powder and things ahead of time. Right before I eat I put some frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower in a bowl, put it in the microwave for a minute. Then put some of the meat on top of it and nuke it an additional minute. Very easy and very good.
In a pinch you can always get a double cheeseburger plane (I get mine minus the cheese) and a side salad with ranch dressing at McDonald's for $2.17. Throw away the bun and you have a pretty decent meal.
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"The greatest thing in the world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." --Oliver Wendell Holmes
I eat this every morning at work now (used to be a cup of oatmeal, I still kinda miss my toasted steel cut oatmeal):
2 large whole eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
whip together well with fork
microwave 2.5 minutes
add a slice of Sargento Chipolte Cheddar
microwave 30 seconds more
I spray the bowl with some canola spray first, otherwise it needs to soak. Our microwave at work seems a bit underpowered, you might need to adjust the time.
My HR manager raises hens and brings me a dozen giant fresh eggs every Monday.
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"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." --Benjamin Franklin, 1759
One of my favorite meals is to cook ground beef and spice it up with chili powder and things ahead of time. Right before I eat I put some frozen chopped broccoli or cauliflower in a bowl, put it in the microwave for a minute. Then put some of the meat on top of it and nuke it an additional minute. Very easy and very good.
In a pinch you can always get a double cheeseburger plane (I get mine minus the cheese) and a side salad with ranch dressing at McDonald's for $2.17. Throw away the bun and you have a pretty decent meal.
Try taco lettuce wraps. Make up the taco meat as directed and spoon it into romaine leaves, sprinkle with cheese and whatever else you like to put on a taco.
Usually for my lunch it's a spinach salad of some type: spinach, grape tomatoes, red pepper, perhaps some walnuts, olives, feta or cheddar cheese, then I'll add some protein like chicken, tuna, or a hamburger patty. Today I had venison steak. I dress the salad with vinaigrette.
As a side dish, typically broccoli and a few cucumber slices with some ranch or bleu cheese dressing.
__________________ The trick is in what one emphasizes. We either make ourselves miserable, or we make ourselves happy. The amount of work is the same. -- Carlos Castaneda
I was wondering if there is any one out there still reading this and still doing the TNT diet. I have some questions!! My husband and I started the diet and are almost at the 5 week mark. We did plan A for the first 4 weeks. We are only seeing very minimal results and wondering if that if typical at this stage. We both anticipated bigger changes in the first 4 weeks than in the remaining 8 weeks of the plan - is that wrong? Also, neither of us are really over weight but want to loose some fat. I would imagine we would see slower results since we are not heavy, right? (My husband is 5'6", 148 lbs and about 18% body fat. I am 5' 1 1/2", 110 and about 25% body fat) I would say in the past week we have both lost about 1% body fat and I've lost 1-2 pounds while he has lost 2-3 pounds. We have followed the diet very well I would say. Are these the results you would expect at this point? I am thinking of giving up after 5 weeks but hate to be a quitter!
Thanks for the advice!
I'm sorry - I wrote that wrong. Those amounts are all we have lost in the almost 5 weeks - not the amount lost every week. I wish!! Since I started I think I have only lost 1 maybe 1 1/2 pounds. I don't want to give up because I never thought I'd make it this far (I do like carbs!) but at the same time I am not seeing much benefit to make it worthwhile.
I'm sorry - I wrote that wrong. Those amounts are all we have lost in the almost 5 weeks - not the amount lost every week. I wish!! Since I started I think I have only lost 1 maybe 1 1/2 pounds. I don't want to give up because I never thought I'd make it this far (I do like carbs!) but at the same time I am not seeing much benefit to make it worthwhile.
Thanks
When do you eat and what are your sleeping habits like?
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Tom
No "happy hours" makes for a lot of miserable days. - Mahler
I like the TNT eating style because it's easy, but I have to make an effort to eat less than I'd like to. Then, I lose fat. When I was heavier, it worked better for me, but the leaner I got, the more careful I had to be.
Some fairly lean people have gotten pretty lean from TNT, though. You might just have to make a conscious effort to downsize portions just a bit or go from 6 feedings to 5, for instance.
Everyone's differerent. My fullness gauge is busted. I'm always hungry. Most people aren't so cursed.
I had to actually count my calories and watch my macros to see results. And both you and your husband are in better shape then I was. I am now 176lbs (5'8") and roughly 17%BF, and things have really slowed down. Now is the time to just bear down and stick with it. Log your progress here and people with help you out as it is needed. Welcome to the JPF help-line online
I have been on TNT since mid-December and I really like the plan, losing 22 lbs. The more you have to lose the faster it works until you get close to your ideal weight. I still have some fat to lose, but I have chosen to slow it down and try to add some muscle by eating at maintenance. Since you don't have a lot to lose, the process is going to be a bit slower, but it does work. One of the advantages for me is I really don't miss the carbs.
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"The greatest thing in the world is not so much where we are, but in what direction we are moving." --Oliver Wendell Holmes
Thank you all for your input! I saw there wasn't much activity here for several months so I was pleasantly surprised to get so many replies. It sounds like it's just going to be a slow process for us since we don't have as much to lose as maybe the examples in the book. I will try to remain patient!
I would imagine we would see slower results since we are not heavy, right? (My husband is 5'6", 148 lbs and about 18% body fat. I am 5' 1 1/2", 110 and about 25% body fat) I would say in the past week we have both lost about 1% body fat and I've lost 1-2 pounds while he has lost 2-3 pounds.
The part in bold is the only thing I haven't really seen addressed in the replies. 148lbs seems kind of low to me on a 5'6" frame for a guy. He may be better served trying to pack on some muscle rather then lose more fat. If he continues to lose bodyfat but doesn't really add any muscle then he could end up skinny but with no real muscle or definition.
__________________ Beginning is Easy - Continuing is Hard
猿も木から落ちる Even monkeys fall from trees
- Japanese Proverb
Wow. This thread was very helpful! Thank you guys.
I am in week 1 and still adjusting. I was wondering why I was getting headachey out of the blue.
When do you typically begin to see results? Week 2?
Also, I know in the book it says that cardio doesnt have an affect on weight loss, but I am curious to hear what other have noticed. Last time I lost weight I took up weight training and runing and that did the trick. Will running on the days I dont lift have any affect?
Also what are your thoughts on adding in something like Nitrix?
Everyone's differerent. My fullness gauge is busted. I'm always hungry. Most people aren't so cursed.
I'm the same, LD. I was finding myself ALWAYS hungry on TNT the last month or so. It did work, but I was driving myself crazy with hunger. I was nearing obsession for a few weeks there. Bad sign. My bf, who has more weight to lose than I do, was perfectly fine on it - he just wasn't hungry on it (but was hungry on a high carb, low-fat diet so we know his sense of hunger does work ).
We've changed up our diet from the 30/65/5 p/f/c TNT breakdown, to a 35/40/25 p/f/c breakdown (iirc) for a different eating plan (precision nutrition). More volume for the same amount of calories, and I can already tell a difference. I've already had a couple of occasions where I just didn't want to eat even though I was supposed to. So that's a good sign to me. We'll see how this one goes.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
We've changed up our diet from the 30/65/5 p/f/c TNT breakdown, to a 35/40/25 p/f/c breakdown (iirc) for a different eating plan (precision nutrition). More volume for the same amount of calories, and I can already tell a difference. I've already had a couple of occasions where I just didn't want to eat even though I was supposed to. So that's a good sign to me. We'll see how this one goes.
What's the basic difference in what you're eating on PN vs TNT?
Sometimes I track myself on TNT, and I usually come in at 30-35 P and just under 100g of C (25-30g of fiber, but I don't subtract it).
Are you just following the 7 Habits or going into more detail with PN? Do you track daily with PN?
Progress should be a lot better than that 5 weeks into the diet. I don't know that the diet isn't necessarily good for you though... More likely you are doing something wrong, like eating a food that you think has fewer carbs than it actually does.
I made decent progress on it the first time I did it years ago (in Adam's first incarnation of the diet). I was eating any carbs I wanted for breakfast or for lunch, but not both, whether I was working out that day or not.
Now I only consume carbs prior to my workout. My breakfast is basically egss, cheese, and either sausage or bacon.
I also cut out products like "low carb tortillas" unless it was prior to my workout (like with a breakfast burrito.
I increased my fat intake this time around, and I make a point to eat more frequently.
I've been on the diet since November this time. I lost about 20 pounds in the first two months and seem to have leveled off, and at 40 my bodyfat looks significantly lower than it did when I was thirty.
I remember Berardi talking about "carb tolerators" and such... Some people can get away with eating more carbs than others and maintain low bodyfat. I think I'm actually a decent carb tolerator, so this diet works really well and really fast for me. It may work a little slower if you're not a carb tolerator. Maybe you have to be much more strict and much more patient. The diet definitely works, but as they say, "results may vary."
What's the basic difference in what you're eating on PN vs TNT?
Sometimes I track myself on TNT, and I usually come in at 30-35 P and just under 100g of C (25-30g of fiber, but I don't subtract it).
Are you just following the 7 Habits or going into more detail with PN? Do you track daily with PN?
We're not tracking daily; we just started a week ago, so we're seeing how it goes without tracking and will make adjustments if results don't go as expected.
Here is how a typical TNT day would go:
B: 1 fried egg, 2 strips bacon, 1/2 flax muffin
S: 2 string cheeses
L: sliced strip steak over mixed greens, romano vinaigrette
S: homemade protein bar
D: elk burger (no bun) with sauteed mustard greens
S: didn't always eat a snack, but if I did it was usually something like a homemade protein bar
Here's how a typical PN day goes:
B: eggs (4 egg whites, 1 whole egg) with spinach, mushrooms, onions, and lean ham
S: 1/2 can tuna with diced veggies & 1 cup spinach
L: diced chicken breast over chopped veggies and mixed greens with smoked tomato dressing
S: homemade protein bar with broccoli & low-fat salad dressing as dip
D: elk burger (no bun) with sauteed mustard greens
S: cottage cheese + flax + peanut butter + protein powder + something green or some kind of greens plus smoothie
Same amount of calories, but the differences are less fat, more protein, and just more food in volume, especially breakfast, since we're eating a lot less fat -- lean meats only, almost exclusively egg whites, low-fat salad dressings, no butter, cooking spray instead of oil, etc.
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"If 'toning' is the goal, strength is the method." ~ Mark Rippetoe
We have really stuck by the book for these five weeks. I think my only issue may be too many nuts. I always snacked on cereal and I've kind of replaced the cereal with nuts. I am going to try to cut back on those and see...
I am just finishing up six weeks of TNT. I have not really had trouble with eating foods I am not supposed to, but with nuts and peanut butter I have a hard time with portions. If you are the same, I would really recommend using a food scale to judge the proper portions.
My weight has not really gone down, although I felt I was seeing hints of progress in my trouble spots in my photos that I didn't see on other diet plans, even when my weight did go down. I don't have much to lose, just want to "re-compose."
My roommate found my TNT diet book on our floor about 2 months ago and was flipping through it and decided to give it a try. He has lost at least a solid 15 pounds without seeing a decrease in strength, a nice little cut I would consider successful. Just thought I would share!
I have a problem, so I try to limit "fake" versions of things that could make me crave things. Low carb cheesecake, for instance. I don't care how low carb and "within plan" it is, it makes me want more and more. If you eat too much low carb food, you get (or stay) fat.
So, I would say that if the foods fall within plan and don't cause you issues with cravings or binges, then it's fine. Also avoid foods that don't satisfy or fill you up. Nuts are an issue for me. I can eat nuts and it's like I ate nothing.
Hey, just want to chime in...I just got through 12 weeks, down 21 lb from 218 to 197, pants from a snug 38 to a comfy 34...I'm 6'3", 40 yo, and have a 4 pack for the first time in decades....body fat went from 23 to 16.5%....this diet works! Well, not really a diet but a lifestyle change, now not as stringent with avoiding carbs, but will not fall back into the old traps ...
Ok, I am at my wits end. I have been doing the tnt diet for 4 weeks now, and I have not lost any weight, my clothes still fit the same and my measurements are still the same. Can someone please help me because I have no idea what I am doing wrong.
Ok, I am at my wits end. I have been doing the tnt diet for 4 weeks now, and I have not lost any weight, my clothes still fit the same and my measurements are still the same. Can someone please help me because I have no idea what I am doing wrong.
Post a day's worth of foods and typical training for us.