Eggs are nearly a perfect food, imo. Each is only about 70 to 90 calories depending upon size, and each and every one is a complete protein. Your estimate of the calories in that plate is easily twice what it in fact is. Baron is pretty spot on, I’d bet.
I figured you would say that. Except maintaining is going to be as hard as getting there, and getting there will be so much sacrifices and suffering that it is just not going to be worth maintaining that shape. Ask any famous actors who bulked up for a role. They don't stay in top form for a reason. My guess is that you will take a picture, frame it so you can say you achieved your goal (congrats for it) but eventually settle at 12-13%. I can see that number as doable for the long run. For me these types of topics always bring up the Ozzy/Keith Richards conundrum. How come Keith and Ozzy can drug and drink themselves into his mid 70s in fairly good health and we average humans can't eat 2 slices of bacons without getting a heart attack or a slice of bread without gaining 5 pounds? By the way Keith looks like his body fat is around 9%...
Although I agree that there will be much suffering and sacrifice to achieve that goal, I disagree that it will be hard to maintain once I'm there. Eating the number of calories that your body needs to maintain a certain weight is quite a bit easier than going into a deficit every day for weight reduction. Right, because their goal was never to stay there. Their goal was to achieve a certain look for a movie shoot and then move on to whatever the next role calls for. Genetics it seems to me. Some people have robust genetics and can tolerate a shit-ton of drug abuse. Some people seem to be a lot more fragile when it comes to that sort of thing. For every Keith and Ozzy out there, we can also name other drugged-out musicians whose stories didn't play out so well, like Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse, etc.
Not the greatest stats for week one fellas. But hey, I'm just reporting it like it is. Hopefully, I will have better progress in the weeks to come.
As you already know, changing one's body composition is a process not an event. The short-term stats will not always recognize the discipline and commitment you have applied to the process, but I doubt anyone here doubts that over the long run you will reach your goal. If they do, **** 'em.
Nice thread, definitely going to follow your progress. Last spring I did a deliberate cut (though not all the way to 10%) after gaining a bunch of weight on a 3-month vacation, my first time following a strict meal plan with calculated calories and macros etc - and sure enough my weight and bf changed like it was supposed to. Definitely liberating to realize that you actually do have control over your body composition, and I picked up some good habits that stuck with me.
What kind of fish are the Okinawan's eating I wonder? Pretty long life expectancy there; and a very low incidence of cardiovascular disease and cancer. They have a great diet, but it includes a lot of fish. I mean I assume its caught wild, but so are the fish at the local grocer (they say). Mercury doesn't seem to bother them too much. I wonder what the difference is.