So you want to get shredded, huh?
…and I bet you’re wondering what’s the BEST diet for college students to get shredded.
Seriously, that’s a pretty tall order to deliver, even for the most skilled of nutritionists or online fitness coaches… but it can still happen.
Now I know that you’re a busy student in school and that’s why I plan on taking a crack at the answer myself considering I had a full-time job and got my masters degree at the same time when I really dialed in my method and got ripped.
And that’s why I think this is what needs to be apart of your diet to get the best shredding results…
There are a crapload of diets out there.
They’re separated by age, goals, and whatever celebrity is pimping them that week.
But I’m confident that I actually know the best college student diet to get you shredded, but you really need to break it down into three parts.
So let’s do it…
The Best Diet for College Students to Get Shredded
Your Diet Needs to Pass this “Shredding Diet Test”
Before you start googling the hottest diet for building muscle and cutting body fat, I’m going to reveal to you what should be in that diet.
Because it’s important what the principles and the methods of the diet are and not necessarily how many bodybuilders and celebrities are using it.
You gotta stick to the principles that make fat loss work and not get caught up in any other superfluous nonsense.
So what should be in your shredding diet?
1. Eat Enough Protein to Maintain and Build Muscle
Protein is the macronutrient that’s actually building the new muscle tissue.
If you’re not getting between 0.8 grams to 1.2 grams per 1 lb of body weight, your muscle building journey is gonna be tough.
Protein is actually the most expensive of the 3 macronutrients, but you there are 5 cheap high protein foods that any student can afford that you should put on your shopping list.
And you might be tempted to just down a bunch of protein powders to meet your daily numbers, but that’s why I created the Muscle Foods Cheat Sheet for Poor College Students to give you a leg up on proper nutrition for building muscle.
Either way, getting enough protein absolutely needs to be part of the best diet for college students to get shredded.
What else?
2. Create a Caloric Deficit
There’s been a lot of bullshit propagated in the fitness world in recent years stating that calories are NOT the most important part of losing weight and body fat.
They say things instead like “count your carbs” and “as long as you’re doing enough cardio”…
What’ll it’s all a load of crap.
When it comes to losing body fat (or any weight for that matter), accurately tracking and cutting your calories is key.
But there’s one more thing that’s going to part of your diet…
3. Stay on Your Diet Long Enough for It to Work
This is where most people slip up.
If you go to Reddit and search on any fitness-based subreddit that discusses the struggles of guys just starting to adapt to a fitness lifestyle.
You’ll hear the same stories…
“I’m so excited to start XXXX diet! This is my [VERY RIGID MEAL PLAN] I came up with and I’m going to stick to it until I’m lean as FUUUUCKKK!!”
Look at those guys in 3 months. Same bodies… same daily disappointment.
So what’s my point with all this?
With Those Rules, You Have the Option of ANY Diet
The best diet for college students to get shredded just needs to meet those 3 criteria.
- Eat Enough Protein to Maintain and Build Muscle
- Create a Caloric Deficit
- Stay on Your Diet Long Enough for It to Work
Of course, not every diet delivers on those 3 things.
For example, the Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD) diet would be a very poor choice considering that’s supposed to be used for bulking.
And who the hell wants to drink a gallon of milk a day?
But I want to expand on these principles with some better examples…
3 Popular Diets take the Shredding Diet Test
I just want to show you that whichever diet you choose, whether that’s something you read about, or a monster of your own scientific experimentation, run it through these tests before you invest a lot of time and energy into it.
So let’s take a crack at some popular diets at the moment and see how they would stand up as your method of getting shredded.
1. The Paleo Diet
This diet became popular about 5-10 years ago, but it’s still thriving.
If you go to Amazon or any bookstore, you’ll find loads of books and tools to support the movement.
There’s even an app created by NerdFitness.
You’ll even find a few crazies that will tell you that Paleo “is a lifestyle”.
It’s a diet. Don’t let them bullshit you.
But let’s talk about what this means…
Paleo Diet Summary
The Paleo Diet states that you should consume a similar diet to that of our ancient neanderthal ancestors that existed hundreds of thousands of years ago.
You know, those guys who carried around clubs and were chased by sabertooth tigers and stuff?
I mean, it’s a pretty interesting concept, and one of the reasons it gained such popularity is because of the claim that ancient neanderthals ate more “simply” and because of that, they didn’t have many of the health problems that our food causes us today.
I’m skeptical, but let’s continue…
What Can You Eat on the Paleo Diet?
The main things you can eat on the paleo diet include:
- Meats
- Fish/seafood
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Healthy oils
- Eggs
- Rice
This still gives you quite a few options, but there are some important things to note.
You can’t eat any grains because there was no farming or agriculture around that time. Whoops!
You can’t consume any dairy because they weren’t milking cows or goats. Damn.
So in that sense, the Paleo Diet is somewhat of a restrictive diet to tackle.
Does the Paleo Diet Pass The Shredding Diet Test?
OK, let’s run it through the 3 criteria that I set out earlier and see if it’s the best diet for college students to get ripped.
Can you eat enough protein with this diet? Sure you can.
Can you eat in a caloric deficit on this diet? Yep.
Can you eat this way for a long time? Depends on the person.
For me personally, if I can’t have cheese or a bowl of cereal… I’m going to go insane, so this type of restrictive diet wouldn’t work for me.
That doesn’t mean it’s not the best diet for college students to get shredded, so if this sounds like something you want to try… go for it.
But we have more diets to tear apart…
2. The Ketogenic Diet
Here’s a diet that’s been getting both praise and relentless attacks on its credibility in recent years.
You know, most of these diets instantly swell in terms of their popularity and then fade away and the Keto Diet is just getting its turn.
How Does the Keto Diet Work?
To put simply, a Ketogenic Diet is one in which you eat the majority of your macro nutrients from protein and fats and really try to limit your carbs to the nth degree.
Roughly try to consume 70-75% from fats, 20-25% from protein, and 5-10% from carbs.
And the idea is that instead of your pancreas secreting insulin and pushing glucose into your cells for energy, fatty acids travel to your liver and produces ketones which are used for energy instead.
So let’s talk about what you’ll eat on this diet…
What Can You Eat on the Keto Diet?
Since the bulk of this diet is protein and fat, you’re allowed to eat:
- Meats
- Fish
- Healthy oils
- High fat vegetables (avocados)
- High fat dairy
- Eggs
- Butter and cream
If you’re a steak, salmon, and/or cheese lover, you’re going to love this as your college diet.
However, if you relish a heaping pile of cavatelli served in a bread bowl… you’re going to have a bad time.
Imagine that steak at Outback Steakhouse smothered in cheese… oh mama.
Is Keto the Best Diet for College Students to Get Shredded?
Again, let’s go through the 3 criteria of the shredding test and see how this one stacks up.
Can you get enough protein on this diet? You bet your ass you can.
Can you eat in a caloric deficit?
Actually, protein is the most satiating macronutrient and it would probably tough to consistently eat in a caloric surplus on this kind of diet because of it.
So…check.
Can you eat like this for a long time?
Again, this is up to you.
The idea of not having a piece of pie or not having a slice of pizza makes my heart sad, but that doesn’t mean someone else can’t do it.
Now let’s talk about one more common way of eating for fat loss…
3. A Typical Clean Eating Diet
Ah, the bro’s bodybuilding diet.
Anytime someone asks what they should eat in order to build muscle and lose body fat, someone inevitably pipes up and says… “eat clean”.
On the surface, this appears to be the most obvious best diet for college students to get shredded.
This mentality really started in the 70s when the Golden Age of Bodybuilding began (Arnold Schwarzenegger and all that).
These massive bodybuilders were promoting very clean foods as the answer to massive guns and unparalleled strength.
What Does it Mean to Eat Clean?
A clean eating diet is one in which you’re not consuming excess sugars, saturated fats, and processed foods.
It’s similar to the Paleo Diet, but allows you the comfort of some grains and dairy as long as the grains are wheat or whole grains and the dairy is not high in fat and/or coming from a long assembly line in a factory.
Obviously, some of this is up to interpretation, but if you’re getting your food from the butcher’s counter and/or the farmer’s market, then you’re probably in the clear.
I mean… who knows where those chicken strips came from?
What Can You Eat on a Clean Eating Diet?
Like I said, this diet is similar to the Paleo Diet, but gives you the option to eat grains and dairy (thank you Jesus).
- Meats
- Fish/seafood
- Vegetables
- Fruits
- Nuts
- Healthy oils
- Eggs
- Legumes
- Bread
- Oats
- Dairy
- Rice
Of the three diets here, this is one that I’d be most likely to try only because it’s the most flexible.
But I’m still a slave to the occasional tortilla and or grilled cheese sandwich so I won’t succumb just yet.
Does it Pass the Shredding Diet Test?
Let’s do this one more time and see how clean eating stacks up to the shredding diet test.
Can you get enough protein on this diet? Absolutely you can.
Can you maintain a caloric deficit with this diet? Yep, that’s all good.
Can you stick to this diet for a long time? Probably.
Of the three diets I picked to go over, this one is the most flexible, but AGAIN if I can’t occasionally have a piece of pizza or a scoop of ice cream… I’m not going to be happy.
It’s Sticking to a Diet for the Long Term that Causes Problems
The point of all this was to show you that the best diet for college students to get shredded is the one that fits you and your lifestyle.
In most cases, something flexible is enough of a template to allow for variation in any diet.
However, sometimes pursuing a more restrictive approach is good for consistency.
I’m not even addressing how extremely restrictive diets affect your overall health (maybe another day).
For me, I use a mixture of flexible dieting and intermittent fasting to stay lean most of the year and when I have a diet that I find is fulfilling and satisfying, getting shredded is just a part of life and not a goal that seems out of grasp.
What Do You Think is the Best Diet for College Students to Get Shredded?
Now that you know what’s important in your diet to get shredded, how do you plan to approach it?
Leave a comment below and tell me what kind of diet you’re doing or plan to do and if it meets the shredding diet test.
I’d love to hear your opinion and see what actions you plan to take to transform your body in school.
