I like shawarma marinades for chicken.
I fall short on the fat grams usually. Maybe there is more fat hiding in some of my food, especially if there is eating out involved, but getting over 100g is new for me. With protein powder, meat and tofu I can get the protein where I need it.
So after focusing on 140-180 grams of protein and tracking calories for a week now (and restricting), I feel like hunger and satiety is well in check with the increased protein. I’m getting to the end of the day with 200-300 calories left in my budget and I’m not starving at all. It took 4 or 5 days of doing this before this easy feeling of satiety happened.
A couple of weeks ago, my son and I started a weight lifting program (2x per week) and while I’ve been sore, I’ve been recovering well enough. I’m also still riding my usual though I’m not doing any super high intensity with the weight lifting going on at the same time. I do feel like the weight lifting has allowed me to push a few more watts at threshold. Neuromuscular gains?
I look like I’ve lost a few pounds but it’s not showing as much on the scale but I started taking creatine with the weight training so I’m guessing I’m holding on to a few pounds of water weight. If I took into account those 3 pounds, I’d be down 5 pounds in a week. Of course, the first five is always the easiest. 
As far as meeting protein goals, I’m needing a scoop or two of whey protein per day. I’m just not up for eating a chicken breast with my breakfast yet. We do eat a lot of eggs. I was surprised by how much fat is in eggs. I guess that is why some people do egg whites. Still, I’ve had no problem keeping grams of fat in check. I’m going to start batch grilling like 5 pounds of marinaded chicken breast. I found that dipping strips of grilled chicken in salsa or low cal yogurt ranch is a great high protein, low cal snack.
My macros have been coming out to around 33.3% each of protein, fat, and carbs.
Anecdotally, I tried the Zone Diet 30 years ago. The Zone Diet was a fad diet with more of a moderate Atkins type approach with more carbs. I was riding and racing seriously at the time and recall some of my best performances - like finding a new gear and riding people off my wheel like I was on a whole new level. But I was a dumb ass 30 years ago and didn’t equate those performances with the new diet. And who knows, maybe it was just chance.
Anyway, I didn’t stick with the Zone diet because it was so difficult. I was following the recipes and trying to hit the macros and I felt like I was in the kitchen all day. In the 1990s you had to count macros on paper so it wasn’t as easy as it is today with a free app and the internet.
OMG, we are traveling and I had to eat a bagel and cream cheese this morning. After a week of high protein just a bagel has left me feeling like crap and practically hung over!
Shoulda used more cream cheese. 
Weds - missed tracking entirely 
Thu 
Fri✅ +15g over
Sat✅
Sun✅ -15g under
Saturday I was madly under for carbs due to a rare big ride, Sunday I was madly over which almost balanced out.
I’m 1kg down from just over two weeks ago which I’m taking as a good sign particularly as my training is low at the moment. Will see if I can tweak carbs so I’m taking more when I need them, and less the day after the fact.
Hitting protein targets has been fine with a scoop or two of whey each day.
My legs though feel weak on the bike which is due to a number of factors:
restricting calories marginally
lifting weights twice per week
Haven’t seen weight loss but I also mentioned previously that I’m taking creatine. Whatever water weight I’m holding is the weight I’ve lost because I’m right at the same weight as a few weeks ago.
I’m past the bad DOMs due to the weight lifting.
I don’t care about bike power so much right now so I’m willing to see the weight lifting, protein and creatine though the winter until I need to do a build.
You could be building muscle and losing fat at the same time. Muscle weighs more than fat.
Not sure about anyone else, but I find it much more difficult hitting the fat target rather than the protein. I’ve been high carb and low fat for a while and going to try 1g/kg fat and 1.6-2g/kg protein and see what happens.
Well at least according to MFP yes, as you can see above. I’ll probably look at adding an avocado or oily fish maybe? I suspect the type of fat is far more important than for protein or carb.
Yeah that’s caught me out on the food shop. Low fat Greek yoghurt will be getting the boot also.
I find that I’m drinking 60-90g of protein per day. Drinking calories doesn’t feel quite right but it’s certainly different than Pepsi or Gatorade.
I’ve been using a scoop of whey to meet targets and as a snack to tide me over until the next meal.
I think I found the ultimate tied you over diet hack - a glass of protein powder (130 cal) and a tablespoon of olive oil (120 cal) - consumed separately. I don’t know why I tried the olive oil but I totally forgot about eating lunch and didn’t find myself hungry until dinner time.
Have not noticed feeling any different training, not seen any health markers improve or composition change over the last month or so.
Switched over to low levels of aerobic training to focus on weightlifting while I try to lose weight, and immediately missed my protein targets to keep overall consumption low.
Protein 89g
Fat 96g
Carbs 206g
I blame the vegetarian dinner, it’s all carbs! 
No, bad choices at lunch too,
I’ve personally started to see body composition changes and it’s been a month of counting protein and calories.
I screwed up the ability to measure my weight by starting weight lifting. You retain water with weight training. Plus I started taking creatine ever day - another water retention. (I might quit creatine for a while and see what happens.)
After a month, I’m down a few pounds now and I look noticeably thinner around the middle. Down a few pounds is fine as I’ve only set my calorie counting app for -1/2 pound per week. I’m guessing that the creatine and weight lifting is making me hold on to another few pounds.
My cycling is crap with the weigh lifting. The legs are often tired. Threshold efforts feel tougher than usual. I took a “rest” week last week - no weights and only easy recovery rides and felt a lot better.
The great news is that my appetite while restricting has really curbed. I’m rarely starving. Night time munchies have been curbed with some low fat Greek yogurt most nights (120 calories - 17g protein). I really haven’t felt the urge to snack a lot.
Bike commute yesterday under fuelled to a reasonable degree but failed protein and fat target again.
Protein 121g
Fat 98g
Carbs 294g
This whole focus on protein has made me feel uncomfortable with all the food I’m eating. I almost never in my life notice any feelings in my belly, bit of an iron stomach, but I do feel over full in the mornings in particular.
I’d feel pretty crummy if I was having that much dairy in the morning (based on the milk and yogurt from a few posts above). I’m not intolerant, but my stomach doesn’t like a lot of dairy anymore.
I did measurements this morning - exactly one month from the last measurements.
I’ve lost:
-1.5 inches from around the waist
-1 inch from around the belly
The tape measure doesn’t lie!
Definitely seeing this. The last couple of weeks of the FasCat Weight Lifting Program have been easier than in prior years, so maybe creatine is helping build muscle, but my weight is up 5-10 pounds. Not sure I like that part and might also take a break from creatine to see what happens.
What app are you using to track such information? Thanks
I’ve been thinking of stopping creatine but I haven’t yet. My research tells me that creatine doesn’t build muscle. What it allows is maybe one or two more reps per set. But I don’t need an extra rep. I’m very far from 100% optimizing lifting. I barely recover fast enough going to the gym twice a week. I hold back a little so I’m not too sore. Ideally, we’d have an 8 day week and I’d go to the gym every 4th day. Still, the weight I’m lifting has gone up by 50-70-100% in two months of lifting. Noob gains!
There was that one person study GCN video where the presenter started creatine and saw pretty good gains in his power duration curve from 1 second to 30 seconds. But, I have nothing I’m doing on the bike where I need my 20 second power to be optimal.
MyFitnessPal (free)
I’m tracking about every fourth week, as I find it hard to track everyday and I want a sustainable diet. I’m just changing to lower carbs as I’m reducing training and trying to lose weight but keep protein and fat levels.
