Getting lean is the hard part. Staying lean is easy as pie IF you follow a few guidelines. In fact, once you are lean it's near impossible to get fat, no matter what you eat, if you follow these guidelines.
1) Never, ever snack - Forget about snacks forever. Snacks are for fatties who can't control themselves. Since you got yourself lean (sub 10% body fat) we know you can control yourself. Snacks exist only to make you fat, they have no other purpose. They aren't filling. They aren't full of proteins, vitamins and minerals. They are full of fatness for you. Take a look around your office, watch all the fatties snack throughout the day, and then count how many times they say “I don't know why I can't lose weight, I don't even eat meals, I just snack!” If you have a sweet tooth have some dessert after your meal, just don't do it between meals. Give your stomach a rest and give your body a chance to digest all that food and a chance to keep burning that unwanted fat.
2) Eat 2 big meals per day on average - Eating 2 big meals per day will keep you lean forever. It's damn near impossible to gain any weight eating twice per day (so eat more when you want to bulk up) no matter what you eat. Obviously you will still want to eat well most of the time (steaks, eggs, fish, chicken, duck etc..) but it's no problem to go and grab some McDonalds and ice cream sometimes. Sometimes you will eat 3 or 4 meals per day, but if you average two meals per day you will be fine. For the doubters, it is not hard to eat two meals per day, it is quite easy. Skip breakfast and have lunch and dinner. Skip dinner and have lunch and breakfast. Have brunch and supper. Doesn't matter. Eat big, eat until you're full and it's a piece of cake.
3) Don't drink calories - Drinks like soda, sweet tea and Gatorade are quite deceiving. They are chock full of sugar and calories, they usually don't quench your thirst so you end up drinking more and just getting fatter. Stay away from these and watch the fat stay off. Quench your thirst with water, black coffee, and unsweetened tea. If you are lean it's easy enough to have a beer or two with dinner or a soda with dinner and not see any unwanted fat, but only with meals. The one exception is that sometimes you just need to drink a six-pack of beer or a pint of Jack Daniels with a Coca Cola chaser. It isn't going to harm you if you follow the other rules.
4) Don't forget to hit the gym - Don't forget what sculpted your guns in the first place. Once you get down to a respectable body fat it's easy enough to coast and maintain. Hit the gym every week (even 3 days per week will help you maintain), follow the rules above, and watch yourself never get fat.
Once you get lean and wish to only maintain your leanness it's really very easy. No need to count calories, to count macronutrients, to do cardio, to drink 2 gallons of water per day, to eat 6 meals per day of dry chicken and brown rice. Eat twice, hit the gym, and live your life with your hard-as-a-rock abs.
Bonus #5) Keep your metabolism high with Red Burner.
Easy Peasy Japanesey.
Thanks! Glad you’re back!
I live and breathe heavy iron training and a meat/fat diet without all the fluff. No pop culture living for me. I found this site on a search for something else. Good stuff! I agree with many of your ideals. According to your standards, I have been living like a spartan for years. I look forward to reading more in the future. It is refreshing to see not all are weak and entitled.
I second that!
Like it.
If it’s near impossible to gain any weight eating twice per day -so you should eat more when you want to bulk up- can you bulk up on three meals a day assuming you eat big and eat until you’re full? As opposed to the ‘classic’ bodybuilding mantra of eating 6/8 smaller meals a day.
Assuming all other variables are fairly consistent of course – i.e. incremental increase in resistance, enough sleep etc.
Stuart
Stuart,
sure you can. if you’re currently eating 3 meals per day you can add about 500 calories spread out over the meals. keep the protein high. if you don’t notice any gain after a month or two up the calories to 1,000 additional. good luck!
Sitting at my desk plotting my future and thinking about my workout later this afternoon, office girl comes by and says, “free pizza for everyone in the conference room”…in one ear, out the other. I don’t snack, I’m a Machine.
Boom. Snacking makes you fat.
Great great blog, I love it, you are very smart and I agree with many many of your opinions, keep being strong outside but also - and it is more important - inside.
For years I am eating 2 meals a day (breafast and supper) and i have not put on weight for years, and i even eat cakes and chocolate several times a week during those meals.
I have been training for many many years(16 years non-stop) and it was getting harder to find the motivation, now thanks to your blog I am motivated again!
Eric,
Damn glad to hear you are motivated again.
I’m on 1-2 meals a day and I have the classic coveted V-shape torso. I’m as slim as I was when I was about 14, but with toned abs, broad chest, shoulders and back, and bulging biceps to boot, whilst one of my ‘bodybuilder’ colleagues eats 6-8 meals a day and just gets fatter.
haha! I love it.
Victor, I’ve been following the Greg Plitt diet as of late (one meal) and some protein shakes. My question is, is it ok to eat 60-70 grams of protein in one sitting? I read your piece on prisoners and it’s so true. These guys subsist off three shit meals a day. Many states have got rid of weights, so all they have are good old fashioned pull up and dip bars. They mix in some burpees
“My question is, is it ok to eat 60-70 grams of protein in one sitting?”
Absolutely! I do it all the time. Feast and fast.
There was a controlled study in Italy on Italian women there where they fed them all of their protein intake for the day in one meal or over the course of the day, and it made absolutely no difference to have it all in one meal, so it goes to show that you can ingest more than 30g protein in a single meal, despite what some people might say. Surely the more protein you eat in a single sitting just gets broken down more slowly and over a longer period of time.
Victor, I’ve been following the Greg Plitt diet as of late (one meal) and some protein shakes. My question is, is it ok to eat 60-70 grams of protein in one sitting? I read your piece on prisoners and it’s so true. These guys subsist off three shit meals a day. Many states have got rid of weights, so
all they have are good old fashioned pull up and dip bars. They mix insome burpees and other body exercises like push-ups and have unbelievable builds. The thought steroids get smuggled in to the joint I think is far fetched. They get caught with every drug under the sun, and cell phones, but NEVER have I seen anybody caught with a bottle of steroids. My point is these guys eat crap, and do the same workout over and over again. It totally goes against all the bs we read in muscle mags. Back to my question: Can you eat all of the protein we needed in one or two meals? I’m beginning to believe we can….
“all they have are good old fashioned pull up and dip bars.”
Those guys always have huge backs too, from doing endless pullups.
“The thought steroids get smuggled in to the joint I think is far fetched.”
Here you go, 2 seconds on google. http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/anabolic-zone/150391-inmate-arrested-selling-steroids-prison.html
I stand corrected on the steroids. Lol. Had no idea. And I’m in total agreement with you on dip and pull up bars. These guys get massive. I wasn’t disagreeing. On on crap diets too
Victor,I have a question….Why should we never ever snack….please explain if you can….I use in general intermittent fasting and the 2-3 meals principle but sometimes between meals i eat fresh fruit with almonds or walnuts….is this bad…I am pretty lean…. 7%-8% bodyfat maybe leaner…
If what you’re doing is working there is no reason to change it.
Amen! I started eating a late breakfast around 9:30-10:00am, and then my last meal around 4pm. I’ve been feeling really good lately…and the pounds have started to come off. So far about 2 bs this week. I’m feeling it!!
I am super interested in the “steak and eggs” diet. I did the normal body building diet for a long while and got into the best shape of my life. I started slacking and it is time to get back on my shit.
I am curious on a couple of things. I am sure but want confirmation, it is ok to sub steak for other protiens some days right? Also, such an abundance of cholesterol is ok if only eating two meals?
Thanks. I am new to your blog here and am very interested.
Hey victor, im confused a bit. When you say 2 meals, are you referring as in 2 huge plates? Or should i let my stomach decide if im full or not?
Let your stomach decide.
Man you rule! Thanks!
Much love coming from the philippines.
Awesome! I’m gonna try this and see what results I get thanks man :)
I tested this for 30 days straight and my friends literally devoured me saying it wouldn’t work, this is stupid, blah blah blah.Turns out it did work and they suck. Thank you for being you, Victor! I’m excited to do your 30 days of discipline. Just bought it a few days ago. Love it.
Hi Victor,
I really like your blog and content. Great tips in this article, especially the first point with snacking. Snacking too much leads to increased appetite. Unless you are an athlete, there is no point in snacking. I’m a professional athlete and I NEED to snack, especially when I’m training twice a day.
I just set up a blog on staying lean with the fighter’s approach while still enjoying food. It’s where my experiences as a professional MMA fighter and studies in sport science come together. Just recently I wrote an article about how to avoid snacking. Read it and let me know what you think:
powerful greetings
Rany
Eating to look like a statue and eating as an athlete are two different things. Yes, I agree athletes need to eat more frequently.