Cut red meat, increased chicken, gained fat.
Discussion
I tend to eat low-ish carb and exercise 4-5 days a week, 2-3 cardio, 2 weights.
Two weeks ago I dropped most red meat from my diet in favour of chicken. A typical day looks like:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, 2 small bacon, tinned toms (half tin)
Lunch: Pan fried chicken salad.
Dinner: Chicken and veg of some description. If there is a sauce it is light.
I am not a big drinker but have cut alcohol consumption in half, I drink 3-4 cups of white coffee per day.
Until two weeks ago I was eating more bacon, steak for lunch and red meat for dinner.
I assumed that on my new diet I would lose fat. However, I appear to have gained it and my face is looking more full than before the change.
Any nutrition buffs able to shed light on what is going on, and possibly suggest where to go from here please?
LordGrover said:
You're just discovering what many realise at some point; eating fat does not make you fat.
There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
Well yes, eating low carb I was aware of this. However, I suspected that I was consuming more fat than I needed for fuel and that by reducing it (chicken) I would moderate the intake, so my own reserves would start to be consumed.There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
I don't "do" starchy carbs as a rule. Though once every few weeks I will take a day off and eat cakes and
pizza. Usually this has no impact other than perhaps making me lose a little weight.
I am really surprised given what I am (not) eating that I am becoming fatter. It's particularly in my face for whatever reason.
I found Gary Taubes' books interesting and informative, e.g. Good Calories....
The Paleolithic Prescription, while rather dated, still holds true IMO.
The Paleolithic Prescription, while rather dated, still holds true IMO.
Manks said:
Lunch: Pan fried chicken salad.
I'm no nutritionist (and my diet's not great, so please don't think I'm being judgemental) but these issues always seem to boil down to hidden carbs/ fat, I'm always suspicious of salads and the "pan-fried" is suggesting this may not be as healthy as it could be! Care to elaborate? 
Are you counting your calories? I'd recommend to start counting them if you are putting on weight while working out and eating healthy.
If you are counting them how many calories do you allow for your exercise? If you've gone from nothing to a fair amount and being doing it consistently for a while its likely how many calories you are burning have gone down as you get fitter.
What do you drink both during the day and at night?
If you are counting them how many calories do you allow for your exercise? If you've gone from nothing to a fair amount and being doing it consistently for a while its likely how many calories you are burning have gone down as you get fitter.
What do you drink both during the day and at night?
Manks said:
LordGrover said:
You're just discovering what many realise at some point; eating fat does not make you fat.
There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
Well yes, eating low carb I was aware of this. However, I suspected that I was consuming more fat than I needed for fuel and that by reducing it (chicken) I would moderate the intake, so my own reserves would start to be consumed.There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
I don't "do" starchy carbs as a rule. Though once every few weeks I will take a day off and eat cakes and
pizza. Usually this has no impact other than perhaps making me lose a little weight.
I am really surprised given what I am (not) eating that I am becoming fatter. It's particularly in my face for whatever reason.
Ultuous said:
Manks said:
Lunch: Pan fried chicken salad.
I'm no nutritionist (and my diet's not great, so please don't think I'm being judgemental) but these issues always seem to boil down to hidden carbs/ fat, I'm always suspicious of salads and the "pan-fried" is suggesting this may not be as healthy as it could be! Care to elaborate? Lunch: chicken breast diced fried with approx 3 medium mushrooms in olive oil. This was served on a bed of leaves with approx 4 cherry tomatoes chopped in.
Dinner tonight: Steak and kidney pie, chips, two bread and butter follwed by a large cheesecake. Only kidding, it will probably be a couple of chicken thighs cooked in some sort of creamy sauce with challottes and some stir-fried curly cale, or asparagus or something.
I find it weird that my face is the worst area. I look like Gromit.
dirty boy said:
Manks said:
LordGrover said:
You're just discovering what many realise at some point; eating fat does not make you fat.
There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
Well yes, eating low carb I was aware of this. However, I suspected that I was consuming more fat than I needed for fuel and that by reducing it (chicken) I would moderate the intake, so my own reserves would start to be consumed.There is no reason to reduce red meat or restrict 'good' fats, unlike starchy carbs.
IANAD
I don't "do" starchy carbs as a rule. Though once every few weeks I will take a day off and eat cakes and
pizza. Usually this has no impact other than perhaps making me lose a little weight.
I am really surprised given what I am (not) eating that I am becoming fatter. It's particularly in my face for whatever reason.
LordGrover said:
Manks said:
Probably guilty of not drinking enough water. I drink a small glass with breakfast, a pint during the day and a pint in the evening. Approx.
Which is fine. If you're not getting enough water you'll get thirsty - far too much b
ks about water talked these days. IMOI was sceptical, but i'm now converted.
Although in this case, I would say he's not far off with a few pints a day. I probably have 4 pints of water a day and one orange juice in the morning too.
ETA I was drinking 6/7 cups of tea/coffee a day instead.
dirty boy said:
LordGrover said:
Manks said:
Probably guilty of not drinking enough water. I drink a small glass with breakfast, a pint during the day and a pint in the evening. Approx.
Which is fine. If you're not getting enough water you'll get thirsty - far too much bks about water talked these days. IMOI was sceptical, but i'm now converted.
Although in this case, I would say he's not far off with a few pints a day. I probably have 4 pints of water a day and one orange juice in the morning too.
Manks said:
Breakfast: Two medium eggs fried in veg oil, 2 small bacon grilled, 1/2 tin toms.
Lunch: chicken breast diced fried with approx 3 medium mushrooms in olive oil. This was served on a bed of leaves with approx 4 cherry tomatoes chopped in.
Dinner tonight: Steak and kidney pie, chips, two bread and butter follwed by a large cheesecake. Only kidding, it will probably be a couple of chicken thighs cooked in some sort of creamy sauce with challottes and some stir-fried curly cale, or asparagus or something.
I find it weird that my face is the worst area. I look like Gromit.
The bold bits are what's contributing to your fat gains. Then again if you're consuming enormous amounts of that to make up for moderate or no carbs then that could also be a factor.Lunch: chicken breast diced fried with approx 3 medium mushrooms in olive oil. This was served on a bed of leaves with approx 4 cherry tomatoes chopped in.
Dinner tonight: Steak and kidney pie, chips, two bread and butter follwed by a large cheesecake. Only kidding, it will probably be a couple of chicken thighs cooked in some sort of creamy sauce with challottes and some stir-fried curly cale, or asparagus or something.
I find it weird that my face is the worst area. I look like Gromit.
You could look to substitute olive/veg oil for Rapeseed oil as it's less dense calorie wise - it's certainly worked for me as I use it to fry steaks and eggs. Most of the time, I use the grill for cooking.
Are you being absolute honest with your alcohol intake aswell? It's very easy to drink large amounts of extra calories. Sugar in tea/coffee also adds a lot too.
However, to stop you going mad, you still have to enjoy life and have some of the things you want to eat in moderation - otherwise life would be dull.
It could be that your body is storing fat as you have gone from a lot to nothing in a short period of time.
This has happened to me, I plateaued and I couldn't work out why. I then tried adding (on occasions)foods high in fat/carbs at points for the body to 'remember' how to process these food stuffs. It worked for me, could be a load of bull, but hey.
The others mentioning water retention etc all sound true too.
I would avoid the chicken thighs, they are very fatty and from what I recall can contain higher amounts of sodium, which can lead to greater water retention.
Chris
This has happened to me, I plateaued and I couldn't work out why. I then tried adding (on occasions)foods high in fat/carbs at points for the body to 'remember' how to process these food stuffs. It worked for me, could be a load of bull, but hey.
The others mentioning water retention etc all sound true too.
I would avoid the chicken thighs, they are very fatty and from what I recall can contain higher amounts of sodium, which can lead to greater water retention.
Chris
Manks said:
Don't have sugar in drinks and I am drinking occasionally and half ad much as when I was a lot leaner.
May sound weird but I am suspicious of the chicken.
Try eating organic chicken for a week instead. Or go back to beef.May sound weird but I am suspicious of the chicken.
I would not eat chicken from a factory farm twice a day. Once or twice a week maybe.
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