Currently: 1 Week Post-Meet after Qualifying for USAPL Raw Nationals. Right now deciding on my next meet for late summer.
In the time leading up my meet last weekend, I had been wrestling with deciding what to do with my nutrition after the competition. My bodyweight has been sitting pretty consistently at 220-222lbs, and I've been eating about 3,600-3,800 calories a day, but it's been a lot of processed crap (cue the tortellini, ice cream, etc). My bodyfat has been a little higher than I would like, but my main concern has been digestive issues and my blood work not being as good as I'd like. Digestive-wise is kind of a no-brainer, (what do you know, when you eat like shit you're a bloated cramping mess lol). But in addition to that I've always found that I have stomach issues that couple with my anxiety, and I'm sure my diet hasn't been helping. I got my blood work done as well and while it wasn't terrible, my HDLs were low, my LDLs were a little high, and my blood glucose was on the higher end.
I've been successful at losing weight in the past by manipulating my calories/macros, cutting from 240 to 215 over about 6 months a few years ago. It went very well, but I still kept some "junk" in there and focused on energy balance specifically to lose the weight. This go-round I decided I want to focus on eating a lot more whole foods and eliminate the majority of processed sugars, majority of dairy, and breads to see how I would feel. I'm starting my calories at about 3,000, with 275g protein, 100g fat, and 150 g of carbs on my non-lifting days, and 250-275g on my lifting days; putting most of my carbs around my workout and then in the evening. I think this consistency will help my performance in training as well.
Here are some of the foods I'm using as my primary sources:
Protein: Beef, Salmon, Chicken, Greek Yogurt, Occasional Quest Protein Bar.
Fat: Beef, Salmon, Coconut Oil, Goat Cheese, etc.
Carbs: Rice, Fruit and Fruit Sorbet (my ice cream alternative), Honey.
...I'm almost a week in, and have honestly been enjoying cooking more and am already feeling a lot better throughout the day. I'm not concerned with losing a ton of bodyweight (although I anticipate losing some fat), but am more focused on being able to maintain consistency and feel better overall/improve my blood work. After a few weeks of consistency to get things rolling I'm going to be flexible with having a meal of "whatever" on occasion if I'm out with friends or traveling. I don't really consider it a cheat meal because it's not something programmed on a regular basis, it'll just be when there's a special occasion and there's a good social reason to do it.
In a few weeks I'll see where I'm at and re-evaluate (I typically wait 2 weeks to make an adjustment), and then go from there..
For Coaching & Programming Questions, feel free to contact me at joeschillero@gmail.com
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Competitively - My last competition was the USAPL Spring Classic in Columbus, OH April 1st; where I qualified for USAPL Raw Nationals. I am currently deciding on my next raw meet this year, and will likely also compete equipped again sometime early next year.
I'm currently the Fitness Director at Ohio University as well as Event Coordinator for EliteFTS. I'm also involved in coaching and public speaking on topics relating to powerlifting, coaching, education, student development, and mental health.
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