Very little editing is done to this article. It’s Eddie Kowacz’s words. It speaks volume for what works for HIM. His evolution in diet is based on his training needs and managing a now replaced, damaged knee and the pain associated with training with such an injury.
We start with his advice on losing weight, given to a complaining victim on an internet forum.
“If you don’t have the self discipline to push the f*cking plate of chow away, remove yourself from the gene pool because you are not fit to breed.
I guess you see where I’m going with this, Huh? Let’s Re-Cap!
1. Put a foot into your ass. ( to get yourself in gear )
2. Put another foot into your mouth. ( to prevent eating every meal like it’s the Last Supper )
If you’re looking for sympathy you can find it in the dictionary between the words sh*t and syphilis.”
Eddie, USMC 78-82″
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[These comments are chronological and you are able to see the adjustments. You also see Eddie drop bodyweight from 200 +, to the 170’s to limit the loading of his knee.
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I don’t keep track of my bodyfat levels but at 6′ 2″ I’m 201 and quite lean. I don’t wish to add any weight not even muscle due to the fact that it hampers my plastic left knee. The less weight I carry the better.
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Yes, I am a low carber and have been so for years. I don’t drink at all , haven’t ate fried food in about 10 years and very rarely eat grains, starches or or sugar ( once or twice a year ). No refined foods either, or milk. Just meat, eggs, veggies , some fruit. ( no corn since it’s a grain ) Some nuts from time to time. BTW, I’ve haven’t had the flu or cold in over 10 years.
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I do follow an intermittant eating plan and only eat at night. Been doing it for a few years now. I never eat breakfast or lunch and prefer to just have black coffee. I don’t count calories either. At night I eat mostly organic meat Bison and organic vegetables and plenty of coconut oil. No sugars, no starches not even grains. I never get hungry eating this way and I always train on an empty stomach. The level of concentration is awesome this way. As far as supplements I am a big believer of multi vitamin and minerals and 2-3 grams of C with every evening meal. No creatine or protein shakes either. Only whole foods and 1-1.5 gallons of poland spring water daily. Hope this helps!
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The Bison that I eat is from the Great Range Co. It’s antibiotic and hormone free but it is grain fed and not grass. Been eating it almost daily for a few years.
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The coconut oil that I use is from the Wilderness Family Naturals Co.
I buy the oil in 5 gallon quantities and it lasts me about 8-9 months. It’s the only oil that I use. I stir fry and sautee all my veggies in it.
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The switch was on Jan. 1 I stopped eating carbs. (under 10 grams daily). For the previous 4 years or so I was stir frying vegetables in coconut oil.
Now I’m done eating veggies for the whole year and any other carb. It’s just meat, fish and flaxseed and fishoils. ( moderate-heavy vitamins ) Carb free is great. ! I have also read that Omega 3s ( fish oils, flax oils ) provide relief from joint inflammation. Think arthritis here. A few tablespoons of Barleans FlaxOil on a lb of buffalo meat or 90% beef tastes awesome. I don’t like Udo’s blend. Barleans tastes much better. The low bodyweight, Omega 3 Oils , and the elimination of carbs is my 3 pronged attack on knee joint pain. Yeah, I’m really lean 8 pack territory. But that’s not the goal. Just a byproduct. I used to be able to do an ab shot called the Rope. Might have to try it now. haha. Left out 1 food item. Cheese! I melt it over the meat. Good hard cheese.
Coffee black and lots of spring water. Feel great.
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Not really a big accomplishment for me to lose weight and getting ripped has always been easy for me. It’s ALL about diet. Good thing is that with a 2.5-3 day re-feed I can be 212 with the same waist size. I don’t count calories but I eat 2x daily. Once after I train in the evening and once about 3 hours later. 1 lb meat, cheese, flax oil and about 1/2 lb of fish. ( sardines, salmon, chilean sea bass )
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Thur. Evening – Deadlifts ( regular ) done using 315 for 1 set of 30 reps. Not max but real close. About 3 weeks ago I did 365 for 20 reps. Nice to have a rep test day. No way could I have done this without the high fat ( 60-65% ), mod protein, zero carb plan. Starting month nine without carbs in a few days. 20 hours between last meal ( snack ) and the main meal the next day. Never hungry and energy levels high.
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One year of eating Zero Carbs in the books! No reason for me to ever eat carbs again. Still eating 2 lbs of meat every evening, 1 lb at 7 and 1 lb at 8.
Caloric intake between 2600 and 2900 daily. Nothing like fat adaption. No cravings for carbs at all. Nothing at all during the day except water and black coffee. Bodyweight at 185 and still training the same. Knees have never felt better !
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As far as fish oil goes I’m currently using a brand from Sam’s Club . About 5 grams daily.
I’m done with bison meats. Ate in daily for over 2 years. I’ve switched to cow beef over a year ago and it’s here to stay. I’ve tried grass fed tenderloin and I much prefer the taste of grain fed beef.
Porterhouse, Rib-Eye steaks, Rib-Eye Roasts, and Sirloin. Can’t beat the taste!
Supplements consumed are C E, Multi, Fish Oil. Everything else I consider overrated. Creatine is great, however my training right now isn’t about maximizing strength.
I did go back briefly to my more natural bodyweight of @ 215 back in late October by maintaining this current IF . How? I increased my meat intake from about 2 lbs to just over 3. Strength went through the roof. I was pressing my KB fat 100s for triples. Knee was barking too much to maintain. Dropped back down to low 180s and all’s well. Nothing better for me than Intermittant Fasting . Unbelievable energy levels! Zero cravings. Nothing but Meats ( animal fats ) little butter. 14 months carb free. I don’t drink any calories either. Water, Black Coffee. Had all the tests done a few months ago. According to the doc everthing’s fine nothing to worry about. I have zero interest in knowing specific HDL, LDL, Test level numbers. His green light was all I wanted to hear! If I didn’t get it, I wouldn’t still be eating this way. IFing with a High Fat (animal ) mod Protein plan works best for me. I’ve tried just about everything in the last 30 years. Yup, zero carb.
@ 182-185, I feel great, have a high level of energy, and maintaining strength is all that I care about as well as walking around pain free. I’ll be 47 this year and being injury free = very, very, happy! I’ve had my share. Disclaimer: By no means am I saying that anyone who follows my eating protocol will have the same results. YMMV.
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Ate 2 meals today consisting of 2.5 lbs meat ( 1. 5 , 1 ) and lots of Omega 3s, some cheese. Nothing like ingesting protein and fats, brief compound weight movements, adequate rest, and some ZMA to keep my T-Levels healthy. Zinc and Magnesium ( 2000 Journal of Exercise Physiology ) use both increased free testosterone ( the one that’s available for use in building muscle ) and have been shown to decrease levels of cortisol. ( stress hormone ) Works best if you’re deficient in these minerals. Tribulus = Snake Oil ! No studies have appeared in any peer reviewed scientific journals. Fucking bogus!
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I take 20-25 caps [fish oil] a day mostly for my knees and to cover fuel needs. I’m under 10 grams of carbs daily so this and my flax oil is my only source. IMO, no harm in increasing the dosage. I like it for my shoulder joints as well. I’m never sore, as well. YMMV.
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I’ll add calories in the form of fat if I find myself slipping under 180. I weighed 180 all 4 years that I was in the Marines. I can easily stay in the 180-185 range for years.
Avoiding carbs is the key. I’m in my 16th week and I feel great. I eat 2x daily. Never breakfast or lunch. ( meaning no calories before dinner, only black coffee or spring water ) I always train in a fasted state. Main meal is at @ 8 and second meal is @ 11.
I always have enough energy to fuel my workouts even the Volume Deadlift sessions, thanks to the 60-70% of fats in my meals. The rest is mostly red meat. I’ve switched my 2-3X weekly fish meals with Filet Mignon and the others are ground beef meals.
Fats ingested are Fish Oils, Flax Oils, Butter (Kerry O’Gold Irish Butter, Lurpak Danish Butter, or Organic Valley Butter) all unsalted. Might add Wilderness Family Coconut Oil ( my favorite ) in a few months. The only cheese that I am eating is Extra Sharp aged hard cheddar.
If I add eggs i’ll be the Omega 3 Organic ones from Shop Rite. $ 1.69 a dozen.
The only carbs I’m taking in are trace amounts. 5 grams or under. I’ve done this before for 6 months. Looking for at least 1-2 years if not longer. Feel great with no knee pain. Never hungry or any cravings for carbs. Never hungry during the day. Nice mood enhancement from the fish oils! Waist is @ 30. Onion skin thickness. Not the point, however only a secondary effect. Walking around painless is top priority!
[Below is the latest variation and thought process from Eddie.]
Fasting and Feasting – The Way I Eat by Eddie Kowacz
“Most of the time (est. 90% ) I eat one meal a day and have been doing so for the last ten years. I never,ever,eat breakfast or lunch. I don’t do this for any Athletic, Aesthetic, or Religious reason. I follow this “Way” because I enjoy it and it works. It makes me feel mentally in tune with my body and mind while providing a sense of alertness and well being that is almost unexplainable. I eat my dinner around 8 in the evening and the other 10% of the time I’ll have a light snack around 10, just before I turn in.
Yes, you’ve read that right. It’s almost a full 24 hours before I ingest any more calories. In the mornings and during the day the only liquids that I take in are black coffee and Poland Spring water. However, I do add a small amount of Crystal Light ( White Grape, only please!… this stuff rocks ) which adds a few trace calories. An average day has me taking in 2-3 large cups of coffee and 2 gallons of water. I never get hungry between feedings and never have any cravings. If I do it simply means that I didn’t eat enough the day before. Following this regimen training is always done on an empty stomach. No pre workout meal nor post. ( The post workout meal timing “window effect” is a fallacy that was created by supplement companies in an effort for you to buy their precious Whey Protein Drinks ) IMO, It doesn’t exist!!
Eating this way has enabled me to keep my weight between 170-180 for the past 5 years. Currently @175 as I type this. The purpose for staying at such a light weight for me is due to the fact that I have had 10 knee surgeries since 1985, with my last one being a partial plastic replacement. Less stress
(body weight) that’s placed on the knee joint is a great thing, which in turn enables me to train as I wish in keeping with the high standards that I set for myself.
What I Eat: Very simple! I’m a Carnivore, that means meat-eater. For the last 4.5 years it’s been a diet that consists of High Fat and Med Protein nutrients. Think Steak and Butter here! Most of the time the steak is grass fed tenderloin and grass fed butter. If I’m forced to eat meats that aren’t grass fed
( which is rare ) it is rib-eye cuts with the rib roast being my favorite ( 1st cut ). The butter is always a grass fed variety. I have no problem eating the same thing day in and day out. I eat till I’m full as well. No cravings for any other types of food. Not even sugar or any other form of carbs. Last carb meal I had was Dec. 2005 at Moms house. It’s been zero since. I don’t drink either. Last drink that I had was in early Feb 1999. I have medical tests done at my Doc’s office twice a year and it’s always good to great. Oh Yeah, I do take a few multivitamin/ multiminerals.
Can I eat other foods “healthy” foods as I wish such as fruits and veggies? Sure! But why try to fix something that’s not broken! I love eating this way, these foods, and MOST important it works for me. The body adapts, it becomes it’s function.
I don’t want to give the impression that my fasting method can’t include other protein choices or even carbs. For example: Before I switched to meat only I went a few years fasting the same way and eating a combination of Chilean Sea Bass ( 1.5 lbs. daily ) and Buffalo Beef Patties w/Stir Fried Veggies. The Veggies were stir fried in my Wok with Coconut Oil and they included Peppers, Vidalia Onions,and Mushrooms. When I got done frying this mix I would pour it over my cooked Buffalo patty. The Sea Bass was mostly eaten with sauteed red peppers. Of Course, the main fat source of any of these dishes was saturated fat. No Poly Oils.
This is my diet! I’m not selling this to anyone nor am I advocating that anyone try this. It’s simply something that I do, and it works well for me.”
