My Accidental 2 Month Recomp: The Scale Ain't Shit!

[shaunf]

@trinity101 It's a wide range! Here's what one of my goal days would generally start out looking like, but I always tend to add in a few snacks here and there that bump up the calories (hence, the lack of cut as illustrated above.) I've estimated on some of these because I was too lazy to go look up the exact numbers, but they should be pretty close.

Breakfast:

Protein parfait: low fat cottage cheese, one scoop of chocolate protein powder, a cup of bran flakes, and raspberries: ~300 calories/32g protein (I love this breakfast and have been obsessed with it for months! may never get tired of it!)

Morning snack:

Matcha latte with almond milk and half scoop vanilla protein powder, Caramel Built Bar: ~200 calories/27g protein

Lunch:

Air fried chicken nuggets, mustard, Flex Barbecue Protein Chips (these are good, highly recommend), Sumo orange, pickles: ~500 cal/40g protein

Snack:

Iced tea, beef jerky, string cheese: 150 cal/18g protein

Dinner:

Edamame pasta, 2 wedges lite Laughing Cow cheese, grated parmesan, fudge popsicle: ~500 cal/50g protein

So that's 1650 calories and 167 grams of protein, both of which would end up higher at the end of the day depending what else I add in.

 

[fule]

@shaunf Which chocolate protein powder do you use? I haven't found one that I like yet

 

[dawn16]

@shaunf This edamame pasta sounds so good lol

 

[trinity101]

@shaunf I really enjoy cottage cheese with fruit too, i actually bought it last week for the first time in ages and mostly have it for an after dinner snack with fruit or jelly. I’m gonna give it a go for breakfast too and see how far a larger meal sized portion gets me

I eat a lot of those things but probably not in large enough portions to really make a big increase as i tend to have a larger portion of carbs and then run out of cals.

I’m gonna lean into the cheese triangles and raw veg rather than having them on toast/in sandwiches. Thanks for the examples!

 

[dendy]

@trinity101 Not OP, but I weigh 130lbs at 5’0 and was aiming for 100-120g of protein in my last attempt at a cut (I give myself a range to be kind to myself lol) and I’m working my way back up to it. I will say that it’s doable but it can be hard if it’s not the food you normally go for… which is the truth for me lol

I tend to not eat a lot of meat if I’m not focusing on protein. I essentially have to double what I think would be a “normal” amount of me for me to meet goals.

I also supplemented with Greek yogurt/skyr, cottage cheese, protein bars and shakes (but this is my least favorite way to get protein in. It’s an acquired taste that I only acquire from time to time lol), and I used to use collagen powder but I’ve read that it might not count because it’s not a full protein? I’m not science-y enough to really explain it better.

My cut this time is 1300-1400 calories daily, and my meal plan this week gets me to just over 100g of protein, but it’s a LOT of meat (to me):

• first breakfast: nuts, cheese, craisins (It’s a Sargento’s snack break I love them for a quick post workout snack before walking my dog) - 7g protein
• second breakfast: a serving of Skyr and strawberries (or an orange instead of strawberries) - 16g protein
• Lunch: homemade “chicken parm” pizza using Pilsbury pizza dough (it’s just pizza dough, sauce, tomatoes, shredded seasoned chicken breast, and a mix of Parmesan and Romano cheese and fat free mozz) - 42g of protein - mainly for the chicken. I use a pound of chicken for a pizza and then cut it into 4.
• Dinner: homemade snack wrap with a carb control tortilla, 100g taco meat (99% fat free ground Turkey and taco seasoning), 50g fat free refried beans, and a half serving of shredded cheddar, with a dollop of plain nonfat Greek yogurt on the side to use as sour cream and also a side salad (aka me munching on a bag of greens as I wait for my wrap to heat up. I’m very classy.) - 40g protein
• Dessert: whichever fruit I didn’t eat before lol

This gets to me just under 1300 calories so I have wiggle room for an extra snack and so that I don’t have to track the splash of milk in my coffee, the salad munching, etc. I’m also a bit high in carbs and sodium, but I’ve learned I am awful at meeting everything that I want to meet, so I try to focus on one thing at a time and adjust weekly (like maybe less cheese next week to cut back on sodium — maybe)

If I really wanted to hit 120g of protein, I’d probably add in a protein shake or a bar. Built bars are great for low calorie, high protein, and decent taste, but their high fiber makes me a bit irregular so I try to limit them.

If I’m not tracking protein, I regularly hit around 50-60g of it and live a happy life but I’m trying to both cut and be ready for my beach vacation so until then, I will eat all of this extra meat!

 

[dendy]

@trinity101 You are SO right about the artificial sweetener! It’s my biggest obstacle too. It’s just too much.

I’m glad I was able to help! It is definitely a different rodeo when your calorie limit is on the lower side. I highly recommend LaurenFitFoodie on Instagram (and she also has a blog off of instagram) for recipe ideas! She has a lot of sweet recipes but she also posts savory recipes and meal guides, which are super helpful when I’m in a food rut. She’s where I got the idea for a homemade crunch wrap, and she also is the creator of my go-to “I don’t know what I want for lunch this week meal”: https://laurenfitfoodie.com/upside-down-cheesy-garlic-egg-white-pizza/

Good luck in your protein journey!

 

[trinity101]

@dendy So i’ve just checked out that recipe and i have so many questions lol. Everybody seems to love it but i cannot image the texture at all!

I wonder if ready made pizza dough would have a similar taste/ macro cause we def don’t have crescent rolls and i feel like the recommended pastry alternative would have a lot more fat than intended.

Definitely gonna give it a whirl soon

 

[dendy]

@trinity101 It is definitely one of those recipes that makes you question what you’re doing

I think pizza dough could work. Basically the egg whites just sink below the dough, so I think any type of dough should work. If you’re worried about the texture, I’d start off with less egg whites than what it calls for! When I make it, the egg white layer is maybe a centimeter thick, and honestly doesn’t taste like much. The flavor all comes from the dough and toppings.

I hope the pizza dough works out for you!

 

[maria37]

@rocky24 1g/lb of bodyweight is within the recommended range for people trying to build muscle.