My Current Eating Style
July 16, 2010 by Rob
I periodize my eating programs along with my training, and as so many people ask me to explain, here’s my current program. This is my June through Sept eating program. It’s a 7 day system, cycled twice with a simple mod on the 2nd cycle. This is not necessarily how I eat all the time, just what I’m doing now. For the record, I’ve been severely under eating for way too long and it’s my intention and goal to slowly increase my calories back up to where they should be for my size, but that’s another story.
Seven Day Food Cycle
– Cycle One –
Monday through Wednesday: 3500 calories roughly (low maintenance level)
5 meals per day
Pre-workout shake (2 scoops Isagenix Meal Replacement, 1 scoop Isagenix Whey
Post-workout shake (2 scoops Isagenix Whey)
Biggest meal at breakfast
Front load starchy carbs, from brown rice and oatmeal
No starchy carbs after 5 pm, just protein and veggies
Last meal of the day is a 2 scoop Isagenix Whey protein shake with a Tbsp of Flax seed oil
1 to 2 Tbsp of Flax seed oil with each meal
1 Tbsp of coconut oil with each meal
Thursday: Roughly 2800 calories – focus is on eliminating a meal or two at end of day to increase fasting time before breakfast on Friday
Same pre workout and post workout shake
Only breakfast meal includes starchy carb (oatmeal)
All meals and calories before 17:59
Fast from 17:59 through breakfast on Friday
Friday: Roughly 1800 to 2200 calories – focus in on cutting starches and fats to reduce calories and to fast from 18:00 forward
same pre workout and post workout shake, but post workout shakes is 1 scoop of whey instead of 2
NO starchy carbs at all.
Protein, veggies, flax seed oil and coconut oil only
All meals and calories before 17:59
Fast from 17:59 through breakfast on Friday
Saturday: Re-Feed day, roughly 5000+ calories – focus is to replenish glycogen stores, increase metabolism and Leptin. Show the body that there IS an abundance of food and everything is OK.
Re-Feed day includes one BIG meal of fruit alone. Apples, cherries, raspberries, blueberries etc. All on an empty stomach and given an hour to process before eating anything else. This is based on the proper consumption of fruit principle (see point #2 here on the principles of Food Combining).
Double servings of starchy carbs: ie: 1 cup of raw oatmeal cooked into a pot, 2 cups of rice at each meal WITH Ezekiel wraps (chicken).
3 Meal Replacement Shakes with 2 scoops The Best Meal Replacement + 2 scoops The Best Whey Protein for 600ish calories each with walnuts or almonds in them for extra fat.
2 Tbsp Flax seed oil with each meal
2 Tbsp coconut oil with each meal
(digestive enzymes before each meal)
Sunday: 3 meals, 6 hours apart.
Only purpose is to increase time between meals.
Ideally, no starch at last meal
— Cycle Two –
Mon-Wed: identical to cycle 1
Thur-sun: 4 days, no starch, all meals, shakes etc consumed by 17:59
Fast from 18:00 through breakfast meal the next day
Monday following cycle 2: Refeed day. 5000+ calories, with Tue and Wed being maintenance levels
Each day includes 5 grams of creatine in am, first thing, along with 5 grams after each workout for 3 servings of creatine per day. Each day has 5 grams of Glutamine following each workout and right before bed. BCAA’s are included in the Meal Replacement and the Whey protein.
Alcohol: I really really enjoy red wine,. However, during this phase, and from what I can tell, I’ll be considering this for a longer period of time, what I’m doing is allowing myself one weekend a month for alcoholic beverages. A night out for beers with the guys and then a night of great wine. This is working for me in a really good way so I’ll keep it up. I plan the night I’ll be enjoying the beverages 30 days out. I know where it will be and with whom. It’s not by accident or random. When alcohol is in the body, fat loss stops. Alcohol is also estrogenic which is not what any guy really wants, so I keep a safe distance when I’m shooting for a specific goal.
Nothing is ever permanent for me when it comes to eating styles. I cycle them, just as I cycle my training, based on goals, holidays or what have you. During a down-cycle in my training, I cut back on calories. I must reiterate, this style of eating is what I’m doing now.. it’s not what I do all the time.
Training System
While I wont get into details of it, the overview is this: 2 workouts each day. Mon, Wed and Friday Am and PM are EDT workouts of 2 PR zones each workout. Tuesday and Thursday AM workouts are body weight circuits and kettle bell drills. Tuesday and Thur evening workouts are 20 minutes of stairs. Both AM and PM workouts on Tue and Thur are timed events with the goal of reducing the total workout time each session. ie: improve with each session by going faster and faster while increasing strength on each lift.
I highly recommend the Escalating Density Training (aff) program, its methodologies and way of thinking.
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Rob Cooper, also known as the Former Fat Guy once weighed 475 pounds. Through a system of natural health, whole foods and a basic walking program of 20 minutes a day, lost nearly 300 pounds of fat over 2 and a half years. Weekly weight training added over 50 pounds of muscle and has lowered his body fat even further. He’s the author of How To Lose 10 Pounds a Month, Every Month, a free report given to subscribers of his natural health and weight loss newsletter as well as the transformational... 
July 16th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Great post
I will adopt the drinking once per month and planning where and who i drink with, thinks thats a great tool to use
thanks rob
lee
July 17th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Hey Rob, thanks for putting it down in print for me to read. I knew some of the things you were eating and have been implementing them into my routine again. The hardest thing for me is getting back when I have fallen off. Once I get on, I’m in the groove. Words of advice? C.
July 21st, 2010 at 2:32 pm
Hi Rob,
I just want to say that this is the first time I’ve ever come across your site…Man am i ever proud of you. Really, its a strange feeling as i dont even know you haha. I have never been ‘overweight’ necessarily, i’ve always been athletic, however after high school i got lazy and rarely do anything so of course i gained the overlaying chub. I wish i could get my head in your mode. What an inspiring journey. This is really informative and the whole site makes me motivated to get HEALTHY! Basically, i just want to say thanks. So thank you Rob!!
August 7th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Rob this is another great post and I think your site can be such an incredible tool for so many people. I own a gym in Denver, Colorado and I have actually turned people onto your site to show them that the fight against obesity is not hopeless. Thanks.
August 28th, 2010 at 4:44 pm
Rob,
I especially appreciate this post because eating is something that I am trying to get down. My problem is I am not always hitting my calorie intake everyday and I know thats a problem. I do a lot of high intense workouts so I know that I need to hit it. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work. You are really goin in!
Tee
September 7th, 2010 at 11:23 am
I’m shocked you need to eat sooo much.. I know your burn a lot of calories, but have you ever thought about eating for your Blood Type?
Anyway, it sounds like you have a great system going. I’m excited to keep following you and tracking your progress. Please keep updated your site.
Steve
September 7th, 2010 at 11:44 am
Spend a week with me @Steve and you’ll see why I need to eat so much. My BMR is 2800 and then with 2 training sessions per day, it increases to 4000. If I dont eat 4000 minimum per day, i’m starving myself. Starvation is not very good. When starving, the body catabolizes itself.
Whether you’re eating for your blood type, or your metabolic type, you still need to eat enough calories to satisfy your basic energy needs Steve.
My wife is 110 lbs and exercises now and again. She can get by on 1400 calories per day.
I’m up at the 240 pounds, over double her weight and carry 205 pounds of muscle. My body is VERY metabolically active. Then… stimulate that muscle twice a day, for an hour each time and the engine revs far and beyond 1400, 2000, 2500, 3500 calories. MIght even say over 5000 per day.
The leanest people in the world eat enough to supply their muscle with the energy it needs. When the energy needs are met, the body releases stored fat because it no longer needs it.
October 3rd, 2010 at 7:04 am
Metabolism is different in every person so, we should check our body condition regularly. It is important that everything is in moderation.
Thanks for this share.
October 25th, 2010 at 8:20 am
Hey I love your site, very informative. Have you heard of http://www.FatManUnleashed.com ?? Your two site have got to be the best weight loss blogs on the web! They are launching a campaign called, “Death to the Yo-Yo Life” and lemmie tell you a lot of people are getting inspired!! You should go check them out if you haven’t yet…
Love your post
Melo
October 25th, 2010 at 11:24 am
@Melo, yep, I’m quite familiar with Israel. I’ve interviewed him on my blog here, and he’s interviewed me on his. I’ve been asked to provide articles for his website as well. Quite familiar. I’ll check out the campaign
December 1st, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Hi Rob,
I’ve been visiting your sight periodically for awhile. You’ve achieved great success. I like the calorie cycling. Interesting ideas and very imformative. Thanks!
December 15th, 2010 at 3:31 pm
Hi Rob,
I noticed you do not eat anything after 6pm. Is there a reason for that?
Om another note, I have enjoyed visiting your web site FormerFatGuide and would like to congratulate you for continuing for more than a decade to inspire people with your incredible transformation. Not only did you lose an enormous amount of weight, you also developed a great physique.
I would like to write an article for your site. The article will be unique, very informative, and relevant for your visitors to enjoy.
Given my medical science background, I closely follow the research in the field of nutrition and diet and would love to share some interesting information.
Please reply to this email and I will write and send the article.
Best Regards
December 21st, 2010 at 11:25 am
Thanks for putting this all down. That’s some transformation you went thru and I am sure many others would benefit from your insights. It’s amazing how a change in attitude and health can change a person so much
January 10th, 2011 at 3:31 am
I am struggling with dropping the pounds even though I eat a clean diet.I have lost 20 pounds and have another 40 to go. My diet consists of…
fruits
vegtables
brown rice
quinoa
steel cut oats
egg beaters
whole grain bread
chicken breast
soy milk
some cheese
and no sugar added ice cream with honey..which is my down fall. I stick to a 1200 calorie diet but have decided to start increasing it to 1600 once or twice every 2 weeks to see if it changes things.
Any advice???
January 10th, 2011 at 12:20 pm
hard to advise Renea. Nothing really to go on other than your food component and caloric load. 1200 is incredibly low though. If I go below 1800, any sort of fat loss comes to a grinding halt and my body begins to eat up muscle tissue. Begin with the increase in calories. Ideally from protein sources. Whole food protein sources, and or a single scoop of a good quality whey protein with each meal. I use http://www.WheyWheyBetter.com which has 2 ingredients… undenatured whey and ionic alfalfa (minerals). There’s nothing better. If you eat 4 meals a day, a single scoop would add 400 calories. You could begin with that plus add a few extra ounces of animal protein. Then measure, monitor and modify based on results
February 2nd, 2011 at 5:23 pm
Carb cycling? Three days high carb 250-350 grams 4 days lower card (not low card lower carb) about 75-125 carbs, works wonders
March 25th, 2011 at 2:43 am
Interesting way of setting up your diet.