My Diet and Approach to Fat Loss
Updated: September 5, 2025
It’s built around two meals per day, moderate-to-high protein, and affordable food, which I buy at Costco or the Grocery Outlet, both within reach in Santa Cruz, where I live.
I started experimenting with intermittent fasting, i.e., not eating breakfast, in 2010 and found it convenient and easy to follow, since I don't like eating breakfast anyway. I alternated between low-calorie days (1,500 kcal, 4 times a week) and higher-calorie days (2,200 kcal, 3 times a week). This time, I'm keeping my daily calorie intake more consistent throughout the week.
The plan is to lose a total of 8 kg/ 17-18 lbs over the course of 8-12 weeks. My caloric deficit is supposed to be about 1,000 kcal per day (I estimate 2.5-3k kcal of daily energy expenditure), which should result in an average loss of 1 kg of fat per week. Sometimes less, but, for one of the typical asymmetries of life, never found to be more than.
Supplements: when I remember, magnesium, vit D, biotin, boron, L-arginine, calcium, potassium. Do they make a difference? Who knows.
Structure
Two main meals per day (1-2 pm and 8-9:30 pm). I eat out maybe once every two weeks because the quality of food in restaurants tends to be mediocre and makes me feel bloated like a balloon, plus the prices are outrageous. And I cook better than most restaurant cooks anyway. One motivation to go to a restaurant would be to dress up, but I'd be the only one with a blazer.
Each meal includes
- Protein (rotated): chicken breast (300 g), chicken thighs (250 g, skinless and boneless), or 93/7 ground beef (225 g). I always prepare weighed portions of chicken and beef; sometimes I cook in batches. The scale is the best friend of the person trying to lose weight.
- Vegetables: 200 g frozen mixed veggies I buy at Costco (Kirkland Signature Stir-Fry Vegetable Blend, 5.5 lbs bag). Convenient, but they taste like nothing at all.
- Tortilla: one Mission Carb Balance tortilla.
- Fruit: one piece (apple, pear, seasonal fruit).
- Avocado Oil or Extra Virgin Olive oil: 1 tsp for cooking.
Daily add-ons
- Egg whites: 100 g once per day (Kirkland liquid egg whites).
- Cauliflower rice: 100 g once per day, but not every day (Via Emilia organic riced cauliflower I buy at Costco).
- Oikos Triple Zero Yogurt: 2 servings total.
- Drinks: half-glass of wine (Malbec, usually) and a small glass of one of my liquors (sometimes two, they are too tasty to stop at one) at night, and one French press coffee + moka in the morning. Water during the day, maybe 2-3 liters depending on the training I do that day.
Macros & Calories (averaged across protein rotation)
- Calories: ~1,750–1,850 kcal/day (varies slightly by protein choice). Alcohol is metabolized differently, but I consider it as a source of calories and carbohydrates just like those from food.
- Protein: ~175 g/day
- Carbohydrates: ~130–140 g/day (mostly fiber + fruit)
- Fat: ~30–40 g/day
Notes: Mission Carb Balance tortillas are ~70 kcal each; day-to-day totals shift based on whether the protein is chicken breast, thighs, or 93/7 beef.
Costs (Costco- and Grocery Outlet-based)
Staples per day (food, excluding main protein)
- Egg whites (100 g): ~$0.50
- Frozen veggies (2 × 200 g): ~$1.00
- Cauliflower rice (100 g): ~$0.40
- Mission tortillas (2/day; $7 per 16): ~$0.88
- Fruit (2 pieces): ~$1.20
- Oikos (2 servings; 18 for $13.50): $1.50
- Avocado oil or EVO oil (2 tsp): ~$0.20
Staples subtotal: ~$5.68/day
Chicken breast day
Protein: 2 × 300 g = ~1.32 lb @ $2.50/lb → ~$3.30
Daily total (food only): ~$8.98
Chicken thighs day
Protein: 2 × 250 g = ~1.10 lb @ $2.50–3.00/lb → ~$2.75–$3.30
Daily total (food only): ~$8.43–$8.98
93/7 ground beef day
Protein: 2 × 225 g = ~0.99 lb @ $5–6/lb → ~$4.95–$5.94
Daily total (food only): ~$10.63–$11.62
Beverages
- Half-glass wine (bottle $6–8): ~$0.70
- Small glass liquor: ~$0.50 (est.)
- French press coffee (beans $6/lb): ~$0.33
Beverage subtotal: ~$1.50–$2.00/day
All-in estimated daily cost: ~$12–14/day depending on the protein rotation.
Training
- Jiu Jitsu (2-3 times per week)
- Kickboxing (2 times)
- Gym strength training (2-4 times)
- Running (0-2 times)
Observations
- Hunger stays fairly low thanks to high protein and fiber. The hunger pangs last a few minutes at most—I look out of the window or think I am fat, and they go away. The volume of food is very low, the meal, excluding fruit and yogurt stays in a little bowl with diameter 6.5 inches and depth 2.5 inches.
- Daily weight can fluctuate from training-related water retention. I found, like many others, that weekly trend, how clothes fit, and photos matter most.
- Visible changes: sharper face, tighter waist, smaller glutes, visibile striations when flexing some muscles, looser clothes.
Goal & Progress
Started around 94 kg. Target is 85–86 kg, with clear ab definition and a sharp silhouette.
Plan: keep meals consistent (no guessing), protein high, and training steady.
Once I reach my desired weight, hopefully within the first 15 days of October, I should have a weekly calorie allowance of 5-6 kcal in addition to my current intake. The idea is to have at least 4-5 days of disciplined eating, i.e., following my current diet, and 2-3 days of more relaxed eating (including drinks, which I love).
As I already noticed years ago, when I am dieting I am becoming psychologically very averse to consume additional calories: I pick up some chocolate at the supermarket, and then I put it down; I am reluctant to switch from low-carb tortillas to regular ones, even for one meal. But when I decide to do something, I am fairly obsessive, so it is nothing new.
Comparison with the McDonald’s Diet
I compared my daily structure with a very different—but similar from a purely caloric point of view—option: eating two Medium Big Mac meals per day. Each meal includes a Big Mac, medium fries, and a Diet Coke.
McDonald’s (2 meals/day)
- Calories: ~1,740 kcal
- Protein: ~58 g
- Carbohydrates: ~176 g
- Fat: ~90 g
- Cost: ~$22/day ($11 per meal in Santa Cruz)
My plan
- Calories: ~1,800 kcal
- Protein: ~175 g
- Carbohydrates: ~135 g
- Fat: ~34 g
- Cost: ~$12–14/day
Key differences: both approaches land in the same calorie range, but my plan delivers about three times the protein, far less fat, and costs nearly half as much. Nutrient quality and satiety are not even comparable. Yes, I have to buy, prepare, and cook the food — but it takes little time, and I get wine, liquor, and coffee as well.
I don't dislike McDonald's and if someone wants to lose weight without thinking too much, the McDonald's diet work. Is it the best approach? It isn't.