Who here still follow the principle "Eat only when hungry"? Phil Hernon

[mountaindog1]

No its moronic. If I listened to my body Id eat 10,000 call a day, be a fat fuck and never do cardio. I'm always hungry. To achieve high level results you have to do things you may not want too or that your body "doesn't tell you to do"

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yep - reality

 

[Gravel]

Phil is probably in the .001 genetic percentile range of being able to grow very easily. Personaly I never listen too much to the genetic elite...i've talked to guys who had sick genetics and the advice they gave never worked for me and I mean never.

Most of them dont know why they are able to get so big they just can...it's like asking Olympic sprinters how they got so fast...they dont know they were born that way.

Prior to winning the USA Phil was eating 6 meals a day which included 1lb of cooked meat each meal. Yes he has great genetics.

 

[kid1dakota]

In theory "eating when hungry" sounds perfect BUT so many things ,too many to name effect satiety it wouldn't work for most in application.

 

[tri-terror]

Some laughable responses in here. Eating when hungry doesn't mean eat what you want or as much as you want. Its a process that involves learning or already knowing your body.

Genetics rules everything, and you all know that. We will each achieve the potential that our genetic phenotype allows. It just may not be what you want. That being said, there IS an optimal way to train, and eat. The info is out there but its hard to not be OCD as Dante always says.

 

[Mike Arnold]

Some laughable responses in here. Eating when hungry doesn't mean eat what you want or as much as you want. Its a process that involves learning or already knowing your body.

Genetics rules everything, and you all know that. We will each achieve the potential that our genetic phenotype allows. It just may not be what you want. That being said, there IS an optimal way to train, and eat. The info is out there but its hard to not be OCD as Dante always says.

Very rarely does one's appetite line-up perfectly, over the long-term, with their nutritional needs...and by "need" I am referring to eating an amount of food which will allow one to continue gaining mass at a maximum rate while maintaining bodyfat. In most cases the person either won't eat enough to gain optimal mass, or they will eat too much and get fat.

This is true no matter how well one's diet is set up. We could have a perfectly working digestive system and consume only those foods which agree with our body, YET most people will still fall into one of the two categories above. The world is littered with examples of this--and there is no way in hell that on every occasion, these people are failing to follow a diet which agrees with their own unique genetic make-up.

 

[tri-terror]

I guess I would say that those people are not meant to be pro bodybuilders...

I just can't wrap my head around following a strict diet that doesn't fluctuate calories ir macros at all. We do different things each day, get more or less rest, etc. I'm not very good at the competitive side of bodybuilding though either so...

 

[tacoman]

I remembered years back, i followed Phil's diet plan to eat only when hungry. My macro was 30g protein, 40 carbs, and 10g fat per meal.

Does anyone still follow his principle? Basically, he's against force feeding and is strong believer in listening to your body. But did this work for anyone who is cutting or bulking? Hope you could share your experience.

I think Phil philosophy is absolutely great. I was sending him emails when starting out with him how I was loosing weight while he new I wanted to bulk up. I would have a huge emails asking all these questions well how about shakes to supplement or intraworkouts and a whole list of other queries, I was thrown off with his short to the point responses to not get ahead of my self and not to overthink it. Really a great philosophy but in my opinion the diet is best employed along with the training routine. Paired up if you follow and train hard keep progressing in reps or weight, its amazing thing first time I really felt like a true locomotive. I did loose weight in the beginning but I was leaning out and gaining strength I then kept progressing in strength and gaining weight all while seamlessly being more defined. Ended up the best I have looked, strongest, and really feeling energetic. When you are doing such a high frequency high intensity set routine hitting it hard, your body really dictates when it needs fuel. Phil was right back when he said I was over thinking. It wasn't until I got the grasp of things with him that really there is nothing more to it, that good quality food that we were made to eat not refined, altered, no powders etc. paired with the best heavy compound movements done were you are hitting muscle groups hard with the perfect amount of volume to hit everything all over again before the week is done. You constantly are in a state of a full muscle pump in every part of your body.

Took alittle time to get the diet figured out, as weighing things out wasn't to bad as each meal is the same number of macros in ratio of protein/carb/fat and just eat when hungry. But I learned real quick I had to be better with preplanning my meals and precooking also grocery shopping became awesome as I never became tired the looks I got from people. Walking up in the checkout line with two carts one being filled with to the brim with carrots, banana's, pounds of spinach and kale and almost every time we get to talking and they say like "You must be having some special vegetarian party" which is right around the time they figure the cart filled with all the rest of there discounted chicken breast's, grass fedd beef, pork tenderloins, dozens of eggs, bags of sweet potatoes and jars of coconut oil is when I just smile and say well im on a diet :star-wars

 

[Skins]

Who here still follow the principle "Eat only when hungry"? Phil Hernon

I still do and will continue this approach. Although, I've tailored the macros to suite my needs. Also, experimenting with targeted keto to keep insulin spikes targeted around workouts, and fasting (when needed).

Also, I start the first 4 meals with very easily digestible protein (eggs, Greek yogurt, tuna), adding chicken or red meat only in last 1-2 meals. This keeps gastric dumping on the quick side and hunger high, getting in macros and continuing calorie uptake (as well, not making me sleepy from heavy foods until I'm ready for bed).

I find that force feeds disable my daily energy, are discomforting and unnatural (for me). Also, as someone mentions it can stretch out the abdominal wall, making the practice of stomach vacuum impossible.

*** not to mention: I eventually begin to loathe eating and begin to lose interest. Then what's the point, if you're not happy?
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[Sir Anabolic]

I use this approach. If I eat when hungry with CLEAN foods, I just can't get fat. Dieting I go by a different approach.

 

[JG_0808]

sure...

Next I am going to be told to only train when I feel like it and my body will just have no choice but to grow

 

[ShortStop]

My hats off to those who compete. Its a struggle for me just to be a gym rat and try to maintain or gain any kind of quality mass. I couldn't even imagine competing. I guess if it was easy everybody would be doing it. Most people don't have a clue about the constant dedication.. The long hours in the gym sometimes when you don't even feel like it. The planning and the dieting that goes behind it. Its a way of life. A lifestyle... Most people laugh at the amount of supplements and vitamins that I have on my dresser.
Like I said I'm just a gym rat no where near the level some of you guys take this. Its truly mind boggling and most people don't even get it. I love the comment that I get sometimes, "Hey you workout" I always say, "Yea I throw up a few weights" like thats all I do...
I'm proud to be a member of this board and I've learned a lot from you guys over the years. You guys that compete are fucking awesome. You guys are truly mad scientists to do what you do. :yeahthat:

 

[Steve123]

My hats off to those who compete. Its a struggle for me just to be a gym rat and try to maintain or gain any kind of quality mass. I couldn't even imagine competing. I guess if it was easy everybody would be doing it. Most people don't have a clue about the constant dedication.. The long hours in the gym sometimes when you don't even feel like it. The planning and the dieting that goes behind it. Its a way of life. A lifestyle... Most people laugh at the amount of supplements and vitamins that I have on my dresser.
Like I said I'm just a gym rat no where near the level some of you guys take this. Its truly mind boggling and most people don't even get it. I love the comment that I get sometimes, "Hey you workout" I always say, "Yea I throw up a few weights" like thats all I do...
I'm proud to be a member of this board and I've learned a lot from you guys over the years. You guys that compete are fucking awesome. You guys are truly mad scientists to do what you do. :yeahthat:

You don't have to be a Bodybuilder (noun) to be a bodybuilder

I didn't compete much but when I did I found the contest almost anti clamitic.

It's the journey that is the fun part so if you're doing that as part of your life; and, most important, keeping the rest of your life balances, you are your own champion! No trophy is going to make you feel any better about it. At least that is my perspective.

Taking nothing away from those who compete. It is a very difficult endeavor and requires self deprivation and discipline well beyond what the vast majority of people are capable of or willing to deliver.

 

[rmtt]

Next I am going to be told to only train when I feel like it and my body will just have no choice but to grow

Honestly it isn't like that at all. It's about learning to listen to your body. When your thirsty, your body tells you. When you need sleep your body will let you know.

I think for dieting or even maintaining, it works pretty well. My training dictates my caloric intake. On leg day, I may end up having 5 meals. On a day that I train a smaller body part, I may have 3 meals and a small snack.

But if trying to add mass, you will have to do things outside of what your body is comfortable with.... Which to me is force feeding.

Exercise dictates appetite, supplements dictate it as well. Training is always geared towards getting stronger and building muscle.

If anything this principal let's you know exactly how many calories a day you really need to stay where your at.... Then you adjust for your needs and wants.

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[JG_0808]

Honestly it isn't like that at all. It's about learning to listen to your body. When your thirsty, your body tells you. When you need sleep your body will let you know.

I think for dieting or even maintaining, it works pretty well. My training dictates my caloric intake. On leg day, I may end up having 5 meals. On a day that I train a smaller body part, I may have 3 meals and a small snack.

But if trying to add mass, you will have to do things outside of what your body is comfortable with.... Which to me is force feeding.

Exercise dictates appetite, supplements dictate it as well. Training is always geared towards getting stronger and building muscle.

If anything this principal let's you know exactly how many calories a day you really need to stay where your at.... Then you adjust for your needs and wants.

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In theory it sounds good but in reality if we keep eating when hungry and accumulate fat then what do we do? Only eat when REALLY hungry?

It is too hard to track and in terms of this sport, tracking your progress is key (for both diet and training).

The best way to truly determine your calorie intake (I am aware it fluctuates daily) is to eat a consistent number of macros per day and see how you respond, pretty simple.

A trainer telling me to eat when hungry sounds like a good way to shift the liability from getting any real results to it being my issue for not listening to my body.

Anyway, each to their own.

 

[rmtt]

The original intent was to eat specific macros of specific foods. And eating when hungry can be different things to different people. Are you really hungry, or are you eating for other reasons.

A lot of times people will think they are hungry when in actuality they are not.

Plus I have seldom seen people who are training like they should get fat by eating chicken, broccoli, and a small amount of healthy fats. If so, I can guarantee you there are other things being ingested. A trainer can tell you a lot of things, but it doesn't necessarily guarantee progress.

As you said... To each their own. It works for me. I just adjust the macros for my needs.

On a side note...I didn't agree with everything the author of this program said or did, in fact I purposely stayed out of his threads most of the time.

But there were quite a lot of people back then doing this same program and singing it's praises when he was around.

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[MisterRut1]

No its moronic. If I listened to my body Id eat 10,000 call a day, be a fat fuck and never do cardio. I'm always hungry. To achieve high level results you have to do things you may not want too or that your body "doesn't tell you to do"

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So if you had to stick to those macros and eat clean you think you'd get fat? I'm fairly confident you couldn't eat enough clean food following those macros to get fat. Your stomach wouldn't allow it. Now if we're allowed to load up as much fat and carbs as we want, diff ball game.

 

[aussiebulldog]

the hunger mechanism is far more complex than Phils theory.
very simplistic view.

 

[Stewie]

Pibull tank, or Jay Tee called him a rat(not true), and thinks he can get away with not paying the 4500.00 he owes for an lba machine. Pay your debts, asshole...

And you know this, how? Was you involved with the transaction, or is this based off of what Phil said?

As to the topic of eating when hungry. That's rather a generalised statement. Depends on my goals, as well kals consumed.

 

[Elvia1023]

And you know this, how? Was you involved with the transaction, or is this based off of what Phil said?

As to the topic of eating when hungry. That's rather a generalised statement. Depends on my goals, as well kals consumed.

That is probably Phil. He has a habit of making the username sound like other usernames who post on here.

Actually just checked his posts and I would say it isn't and I am wrong. I guess Phil still has one friend. He did used to have different usernames though as I caught him out one time.

 

[alfresco]

Eating when hungry

Something to think about . . .

Human beings, to the best of my knowledge, are the only animals that eat and drink
when not hungry or thirsty.

And domesticated animals and humans are the only animals that get fat or are obese.

If you are training correctly, you should be famished, ravenous between workouts
with no need to force feed. It only causes problems in my opinion, overloads your
body and detracts from the task at hand and that is building. If all you energy goes
towards digestion, and digestion requires a ton of calories . . . calories that could and
be going toward muscular development. Most so called bodybuilders are fat, at
least what I seen on this forum and exercise too much and eat too much.

Well you say . . . I am a bodybuilder that changes everything. Sorry, but I don’t think
so. The bottom line is we are all animals and you can’t change nature to suite yourself.

A good friend once wrote “From my study of animals I became aware of the fact that
very little in the way of exercise is required for building enormous levels of strength and
muscular size. How do you like the muscular size of a gorilla? Or a lion? Yet, both
gorillas and lions actually perform almost no exercise or hard physical activity. But,
when they do work, they work very hard … but very briefly, and not very often.
If it works for a lion or a gorilla, why shouldn’t it work equally well for a man. Well,
in fact, it does work well for a man.

An adult male lion can get over a ten-foot-high fence with a 500-pound cow in his mouth.
At a bodyweight of more than 500 pounds a gorilla can perform a one-armed “chin up”
so easily that he appears to weigh nothing. A wrist that measures more than eight inches on
a man is huge, and nine inches is unbelievably large, yet my gorilla had wrists that
measured more than thirteen inches, larger than most bodybuilders’ forearms at the largest
place. His neck was over forty inches in size.”

Editor’s note . . . I lived and worked in East Africa, on a game preserve (see my avatar),
and I have seen some wild animals perform some amazing feats of strength.

“I strongly suspect that if you exercise a lion or a gorilla as much as many bodybuilders train
that you would probably kill them, and it is certainly obvious that they do not “need” that
much exercise. Neither do you; and even if you can “stand” it, it does not follow that you
“need” it.

Go to the gym, perform your workout properly, then get away from the gym and forget it
until time for your next workout; talking about exercise, reading about exercise, literally
“living” exercise will do nothing in the way of improving your results.”