Protein/meal spacing frequency on a deficit

[lostfornow]

Currently on the 8th week of my cut, and at the first weeks I ate 4 meals spaced throughout the day with 40-50gs of protein .

However these last couple weeks, I tried something different, which was skipping breakfast and fasting till lunch, and have only 3 meals a day.

For whatever reason I feel much better with this approach, I totally do not mind not eating for a couple hours, then having 2 lowish cals meals (500-600) , and finishing with a big ass post workout meal .

Is this approach reasonable? Anyone does it?
So my day would look like :
Meal 1- Lunch 500-600 cals, 65g of protein
Meal 2- Pre workout ~500 cals, 45-50g of protein
Meal 3 - Post workout 1000-1200 cals , 90-100 g of protein

So I still hit my goal of 2200 cals , ~200g of protein and all my macros.My question is, is this optimal or can it set me back in anyway? By eating a really high protein meal in one sitting?

Or is it better to space it into 2 meals, for instance, some days I ate my post workout meal with a bit lower protein, then 1.5-2 h later had a snack before bed (20g protein yogurt with some nuts and fruits)

 

[concernedcatholic]

@lostfornow It should be fine. You meet your macro and calorie goals, and it seems to feel better for you eating that way. Some people go for OMAD, on a harder cut I find eating only twice a day works best for me. It’s about finding what fits your goals, schedule, hunger levels etc.

 

[jord1999]

@concernedcatholic This is a great response. Do whatever works best for you. Whatever makes it easier to work towards your goals.

When I cut I only eat after weight room workouts. I lift everyday, usually 7-10 times a week.

Rn I’m on maintenance, so I still eat a pretty solid lunch and snack after cardio in the am even if I don’t lift.

 

[lostfornow]

@jord1999 Lift 10 times a week what

 

[jord1999]

@lostfornow When I bulk it’s like 8-12. Less cardio more weights.

I recover hard.

 

[lostfornow]

@jord1999 Bro what you train everyday twice a day

 

[jord1999]

@lostfornow That would be 14. I have gone a few weeks in a row of doing that. Doesn’t last long though ofc.

 

[jamlids123]

@jord1999 Can I ask what your routine looks like? I have a home gym and lots of time. Not to mention a city recreation center 4 min walk from my house. I have dabbled in 7x in 5 days and going 14 days in a row but there's not much info in higher frequency workouts or I'm not looking good enough lol. Feel free to private message if you prefer. Thanks.

 

[jord1999]

@jamlids123 It’s hard to explain.

I rotate through chest/back/legs/shoulders/arms/legs

I literally just do what feels best that day. I also switch up due to lifting with multiple partners.

Triple sets - 2 main 1 active rest
3-4 triple sets
4 sets each
Compound lifts sometimes 6-8 sets

 

[frustratedhusband]

@lostfornow https://preview.redd.it/9c0ltf1ebb0...bp&s=eb78b128c79a983323179fae1cf5c2c8b5cffacc

There might be some gains lost theoretically since meals should be no more than 4-5h apart optimally. I'd keep doing it if you enjoy it. Adherence is more important than details.

 

[zac595]

@frustratedhusband What is this chart? Net protein loss? What does that mean

 

[frustratedhusband]

@zac595 Net protein loss is the state where you don't have enough "free" protein to build muscle through the mps. Nippard talks about it here.This is only affecting you if you're intermittent fasting or OMAD and I guess it's only details. You'd probably get the best results from the diet you can adhere to over time.

 

[chofiss]

@lostfornow Yeah I do this too

 

[2gethamagazine]

@lostfornow lol so I read this and just started laughing because I went through the same thought process, which is how can I not be soo food motivated during the cut, especially when you get to those super low, low, low days.

In the end it's all mental and whatever makes you feel fuller. Just make sure you eat those high fibre type foods, like veggies, fruit etc...

Over night oats in the morning with large flakes was a total game changer for this most recent cut and even at maintenance I'm still eating it every morning for breakfast because it's delicious.

 

[jham123]

@lostfornow What you’re doing is reasonable. Going down to 2 meals would leave a bigger gap for muscle breakdown. 3 is better than 2 on a cut