This is my 4-step setup of a nutrition plan which should cover me through Phases 1 and 2 (February to August) of Project 2018. For Phase 3 which has more longer endurance goals, I’ll adapt later in the year. I’m a big fan of Tom Venuto’s simple approach to nutrition planning found in his Burn The Fat, Feed the Muscle book and online forum and I use his concepts to create my tailored plan.
Step 1: Deficit Days and Maintenance Days
During Phase 1 and 2 from April to August, I’ll be aiming to be in a moderate calorie deficit most days, with a couple days per week at a maintenance level
Step 2: Calories and Macros per Day
I’ve sorted out some basic numbers for my daily intake. Protein doesn’t vary between training and rest days, only the amount of carbohydrates. I’ll do some further refinement later in the year with new weight targets and activity level, but this should hold for the upcoming months. If macros are +/- 10%, that’s OK for now.
Deficit Days
Maintenance Days
Step 3: Calories per Meal
I’m not too bothered about the number of meals per day as long as the nutrition quality is high and I stay within calorie targets. Most days, 3 meals is fine, while some days when I train after work, I like a mid-afternoon meal, bringing the count to 4 per day. Below is a sample layout of the options
Deficit Days
Maintenance Days
Step 4: Sample Meals
To come…
