👤 Your Coach
I'm Iulian. I spent 17 years as a professional handball player, then coached at the highest level of the sport — including at national-team level with the Romanian Handball Federation. But what taught me to build a plan like yours wasn't the trophies. It was my own body breaking down. I have multiple food intolerances, pancreatic insufficiency and a complex medication stack of my own, and for years the generic plans and apps quietly made me worse — because none of them were built around my body and my meds.
So I learned to do it properly — to build a plan where every meal, supplement and training day respects the medical reality, not just a calorie target.
This particular plan is my own. It's built around my pancreatic insufficiency, my dyslipidemia, my food intolerances, and a left knee and shoulder I have to train around — the same method I use for every client, applied to the most complicated case I know: mine. Every meal is capped for my pancreas, every supplement is screened against my labs, every training day respects the knee. It's also the live proof of what "Built for One" means — not a generic template with a name pasted on, but a plan that starts from the medical reality and works outward. And every two weeks I rebuild it around how the real weeks actually went.
🎓 BS & MS Sports Studies · UNEFS Bucharest
🪪 EHF Pro Licence Coach
🤾 17 yrs pro handball · 2× EHF European Cup
🇷🇴 National-team manager · Romanian Handball Federation
Weight trend
—
Weekly adherence
0%
Current streak
0 days
Plan week
1
Started 8 May 2026
⚠ Medical alerts
▾Food intolerances — egg · cow-dairy · wheat/gluten + histamine
IgG hard-avoid trio; histamine intolerance (DAO low). Meals built egg/dairy/gluten-free and low-histamine; Daosin with trigger meals.
Deadlift / Squat / RDL frozen — meniscus root tear
Medial meniscus posterior root tear + grade II chondropathy (MRI Jul 2026). Ortho consult before unfreezing heavy hinge/squat.
Dyslipidemia — high-risk, untreated (LDL 196 · TG 294)
Improving lifestyle-only (HDL up to 61.5) but still elevated cardiovascular risk. Lipidology review; consider ApoB / Lp(a).
Fat maldigestion + hyperuricemia (uric 7.97)
Pancreatic exocrine insufficiency — enzyme support with fatty meals. New hyperuricemia — hydration and purine awareness.
Left shoulder — anterior + posterior
Pressing & pull-ups modified (neutral/chin grip, RIR 2); flagged to physio. Watch for spread to pressing.
Today's plan
08:00
Breakfast — egg / dairy / gluten-free
DAO-aware · low-histamine start
13:00
Lunch — high-protein, low-histamine
Fresh (not aged) protein + rice/potato + veg
19:30
Dinner — protein + veg + slow carb
Enzyme support if the meal is fatty
Daily
Creatine 5 g
Any time · consistency over timing
Today's macros
This week
Orange = trained · Blue = walk / partial · Mon · Tue · Thu · Fri are lifting days
Full profile & clinical detail
🧬 Your Profile
Iulian — Bucharest. 201 cm, 130.8 kg, ~31% body fat. Seventeen years as a professional handball player, now returning to training after years away, with a body that had stopped cooperating: a pancreas that can't fully digest fat, three families of food intolerance, a lipid panel that needs medical management, and a left knee and shoulder that both have to be trained around. This plan is built to strip visceral fat (the single biggest lever on the cholesterol), protect ~90 kg of lean mass, and rebuild toward handball, snowboarding and surfing — without provoking the gut, the knee or the shoulder. Everything below is what the plan is built around.
⚠️ Medical Alerts
Combined Dyslipidemia — LDL 196 · TG 294 (improving on lifestyle)
- These numbers are a medical problem, not a diet problem. Diet lowers them; it does not replace treatment. Book the GP/lipidologist to discuss pharmacotherapy (statin ± others) — do not rely on food alone.
- Visceral fat 15 is the top day-to-day lever — the whole nutrition strategy is built to bring it down (bigger deficit, cardioprotective fats, low saturated fat).
- All macros recalibrate on the fresh lipid panel drawn 01.07.2026. Omega-3 / psyllium / plant sterols = discuss with the doctor, not self-start.
Pancreatic Exocrine Insufficiency (PEI)
- Every meal is capped at ≤18 g fat — steatorrhea risk even on enzyme replacement. This governs every meal option in the plan.
- Kreon with the fattier meals; fat spread across the day, never dumped into one sitting.
- Loose/greasy/floating stool = a flag — log it; it usually means a meal ran over the fat cap or missed enzymes.
Left Knee — Medial-Meniscus Posterior Root Tear + Grade II Chondropathy (post-MRI)
- Cleared for a graded return, but: no deep squats, no Bulgarian split squats, no weighted lunges, no impact/jumping.
- Leg extension range limited (90° → ~40°); Week-1 loads are calibration, not maxes.
- Swelling is the governor — if the knee puffs up after a session, back off and log it. An ortho consult is still recommended before any progression on heavy lower work.
Food Intolerances (IgG + Histamine) & Left Shoulder
Three intolerance filters shape every meal: IgG (egg, cow-dairy, wheat/gluten — see Nutrition for the tiers & the egg reintro protocol), and histamine intolerance (borderline DAO — freshness is the lever; Daosin before higher-histamine meals). Left shoulder (recurring, anterior + posterior): neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch, no pronated pull-ups. Targets live in Macros & Nutrition; the breakdown is below.
📋 How Your Conditions Shape This Plan
Dyslipidemia (LDL 196 / TG 294 — improving)
The most urgent number. Managed medically first, with food and training built to support it — not replace it.
Plan impact:
- Bigger deliberate deficit — visceral fat is the top lever
- Cardioprotective fats (olive oil, omega-3 fish); saturated fat low
- Soluble fibre ≥10–12 g/day from oats, legumes, psyllium
- Alcohol rare (TG 294); moderate purines (uric acid 7.97)
Pancreatic Insufficiency
Fat digestion is impaired — the hard ceiling that shapes every plate.
Plan impact:
- Every meal ≤18 g fat — non-negotiable
- Kreon with fattier meals; fat spread across the day
- Lean proteins, measured oils, no deep-fried anything
- Steatorrhea = flag and adjust the offending meal
Food Intolerances (IgG + Histamine)
Egg, cow-dairy and wheat/gluten out (tiered); histamine kept low. Protein has to come from safe sources.
Plan impact:
- Pea/rice protein replaces whey (β-lactoglobulin = #1 intolerance)
- Goat & sheep dairy instead of cow; GF grains only
- Fish cooked fresh, never batched (histamine); Daosin before risky meals
- Roasted red pepper swaps tomato; no aged/cured/fermented
Left Knee & Shoulder
A meniscus root tear + chondropathy on the knee and a recurring left shoulder — both trained around, not through.
Plan impact:
- Knee: no deep squat / Bulgarian / weighted lunge / impact; limited-ROM leg ext
- Shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch, no pronated pull-ups
- Swelling / sharp pain is the governor — back off and log it
- Loads start as calibration and progress only when the joint is quiet
Returning Athlete — Recomp
Ex-handball, ~90 kg lean mass to protect while dropping fat and rebuilding for sport.
Plan impact:
- High protein (~2 g/kg) to shield lean mass in the deficit
- 4 lifting days (Upper/Lower split) + Zone-2 conditioning
- Goal is function: handball, snowboarding, surfing — not just the scale
- Creatine 5 g/day; progress driven by the strength log, not just weight
🔥 Macro Targets
2,150–2,300
kcal / day (cycled)
205–240 g
Protein (~2 g/kg)
144–191 g
Carbs — Low-GI, cycled
60–68 g
Fat — ≤18 g / meal
≥10–12 g
Soluble fibre / day
| Day | kcal | P | C | F | B / L / D / SN kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🏋️ Heavy-Lower (Tue/Fri) | 2,300 | 235 | 191 | 66 | 600 / 688 / 578 / 430 |
| 💪 Upper (Mon/Thu) | 2,280 | 240 | 186 | 64 | 598 / 688 / 578 / 416 |
| 🛋️ Rest (Wed/Sat/Sun) | 2,150 | 240 | 144 | 68 | 544 / 624 / 562 / 418 |
| ✈️ Travel | 2,250 | 230 | 180 | 68 | 566 / 690 / 570 / 426 |
| 🤒 Low-appetite (fallback) | 2,100 | 205 | 185 | 60 | 494 / 568 / 532 / 506 |
✅ Why these numbers: Maintenance is ~3,200–3,500 kcal, so this is a deliberately bigger deficit — visceral fat (15) is the top lever on the lipids (LDL 196 ↓ from 245, TG 294 ↓ from 422 — improving lifestyle-only). Protein is high (~2 g/kg) to shield ~90 kg of lean mass through that deficit. Fat is capped at ≤18 g per meal for the pancreas (steatorrhea risk even on Kreon), and biased to cardioprotective sources (olive oil, omega-3 fish, low saturated). Carbs are low-GI and cycled to training days.
📊 All macros recalibrated on the fresh lipid panel drawn 01.07.2026. The dyslipidemia is improving on lifestyle alone (LDL 196 ↓ from 245, TG 294 ↓ from 422, HDL up to 61.5) — keep monitoring with the GP; omega-3 / psyllium / plant sterols stay a doctor conversation, not self-start.
💊 Enzyme & histamine timing: Kreon with the fattier meals; Daosin before higher-histamine meals. Every meal option in Nutrition is already built to the ≤18 g fat cap.
🥗 Food Guide
🔎 Three filters run at once: IgG tier (egg / cow-dairy / wheat-gluten out) · low-histamine (freshness is the lever) · cardioprotective + ≤18 g fat per meal for the pancreas.
✅ Eat Freely
Proteins
- Chicken & turkey breast
- Lean beef; pork loin
- FRESH fish, same-day (cod, trout)
- Fresh tuna/salmon — leaner cuts
- All legumes (lentils, chickpeas, white beans)
- Pea & rice protein (replaces whey)
Vegetables
- Broccoli & cauliflower
- Green beans & courgette
- Peppers & cucumber
- Asparagus & carrot
GF Grains & Carbs
- Oats, buckwheat, quinoa
- Millet, amaranth, polenta
- Rice; cooled potato (↓ GI)
- Fruit: apple, pear, berries, banana, citrus, kiwi
Fats & Dairy (measured)
- Olive oil, avocado
- Almond / macadamia / pecan
- Chia & flax
- Goat & sheep dairy — strained yogurt, feta, pecorino
🟡 In Moderation / Rotate
- Rye/spelt sourdough — 1–2 slices, the one gluten allowance
- Durum / spelt / rye — occasional, not daily
- Cashew / hazelnut / walnut — small (fat cap)
- Aged goat/sheep cheese — portion-controlled
- Tomato → use roasted red pepper instead (histamine)
- Thyme, bilberry, cane sugar — small amounts
- Kombucha — occasional, long-ferment only
🚫 Avoid
- Egg — highest IgG; out ~3–4 wks then reintro protocol (below)
- Cow milk / whey / casein — β-lactoglobulin = #1 intolerance
- All wheat / gluten / gliadin / bran + einkorn — sourdough exception
- High-histamine: aged/cured cheese & meat, canned/leftover fish, ferments
- Spinach & tomato — histamine liberators
- Wine / beer / spirits — histamine + TG 294
- Deep-fried, pastries, sugary drinks, processed meat
💪 Your protein anchor is eggs & whites + lean poultry + fresh fish + legumes + goat/sheep dairy. Whey stays out (β-lactoglobulin is the #1 intolerance); egg is back in with caution (reintro protocol). Powder is only ever one standalone shake/day, never stirred into food — all protein inside the ≤18 g fat-per-meal cap.
🫘 Red vs green lentil: red = 1:1 swap anywhere (no soak, creamy for dhal/soup); green/brown hold shape for salads.
🌾 Grain swap table (per 100 g cooked — P / C / F) ▶
| Grain | P | C | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buckwheat | 3.4 | 20 | 0.6 |
| Quinoa | 4.4 | 21 | 1.9 |
| Millet | 3.5 | 23 | 1 |
| Amaranth | 4 | 19 | 1.6 |
| Polenta | 2.5 | 15 | 0.6 |
| Basmati rice | 2.7 | 28 | 0.3 |
| Brown rice | 2.6 | 23 | 0.9 |
| Wild rice | 4 | 21 | 0.3 |
| Oats (40 g dry) | 5 | 24 | 2.8 |
| Cooled potato | 2 | 17 | 0.1 |
| Sweet potato | 2 | 20 | 0.1 |
| Cassava (use 0.6×) | 1.4 | 38 | 0.3 |
Creamy → oats / millet / amaranth / polenta. Fluffy → rice / buckwheat / quinoa. Salad → quinoa / wild rice / cooled potato.
🥚 Egg reintroduction (medical ruling): egg is the highest IgG (white 31.7 / yolk 32.7) but IgE allergy is NEGATIVE — not dangerous, just the top sensitivity. Out ~3–4 weeks, then reintroduce and self-monitor 48 h. If quiet: 2–3 whole eggs 1–2×/week max, never daily, with low-fat sides only (keeps the ≤18 g cap). Egg-containing options are flagged 🥚.
🍽️ Meal Templates
📋 How to use: 5 day-type templates matched to your training — tap one to open its meals. Each slot offers 2–3 options, and every option is macro-matched to its slot, so any combination sums to that day's target. Every meal is ≤18 g fat (pancreas). Flags: 🥚 contains egg (see reintro protocol) · 🌶️ dhal · 🍚 risotto.
💊 Kreon with the fattier meals · Daosin before higher-histamine meals · cook fish fresh, never from a batch.
🥤 Protein powder rule: powder is only ever a single standalone shake per day — never stirred into porridge, yogurt or bowls. Every meal below hits its protein from whole food (eggs & whites, sheep/goat dairy, poultry, fresh fish, legumes). See the whole-food protein day at the bottom of this tab for how the ~240 g adds up.
🏋️ Heavy-Lower (Tue / Fri) — 2,300 · P235 / C191 / F66 ▼
🥣 Breakfast — 600 · P55 / C64 / F14 ▼
B
Choose one:
- 🥚 Egg scramble — feta + avocado — scramble 2 eggs + a carton of egg whites with 20 g sheep feta + 20 g avocado, on 1.5 slices rye sourdough (whites do the protein — keeps it ≤18 g fat).
- 🥚 Buckwheat-oat bowl + eggs & whites — cook buckwheat + oats in water, top with berries; cook 2 eggs + whites on the side. No powder.
- Quinoa + sheep-yogurt bowl — cooled cooked quinoa + a generous sheep-yogurt portion + berries + chia. Protein from the yogurt, not powder.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍗 Lunch — 688 · P72 / C64 / F16 ▼
L
Choose one:
- 🍗 Chicken parm + choose a side — baked chicken parm (panko + sheep pecorino, see recipe below); pick a side: sweet potato, rice, mixed veg, or roasted cauliflower. Any pairing stays ≤18 g fat. 🌡️ mild histamine (Daosin).
- Chicken + quinoa Mediterranean — grill chicken, toss with cooked quinoa, roasted pepper, 15 g sheep feta, 1 tsp oil + lemon.
- Turkey + basmati pepper skillet — sear turkey strips with peppers, serve over basmati, oil on the side.
- Lean beef + sweet potato — sear lean beef, roast/microwave sweet potato, add greens + lemon.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🐟 Dinner — 578 · P60 / C44 / F18 ▼
D
Choose one:
- 🐟 One-pan salmon + goat-cheese pasta — fresh salmon, red-lentil GF pasta, light goat cheese (see recipe below). Higher-carb (~680 · P55/C70/F18) — good after Heavy-Lower training.
- Baked cod + potatoes + greens — bake fresh cod with lemon + garlic, boiled potatoes, steamed greens.
- Grilled chicken + buckwheat + roast veg — grill chicken, serve on buckwheat with a tray of roasted veg.
- 🍚 Safe risotto + grilled chicken — follow the risotto recipe below; top with 150 g grilled chicken.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🥤 Snack — 430 · P48 / C19 / F18 ▼
SN
Choose one:
- Recovery shake — your one standalone shake: blend pea/rice isolate + banana + 12 g almonds + 5 g creatine with water/ice.
- Sheep yogurt + berries + pecans — a generous sheep-yogurt portion, berries, 10 g pecans. Protein from the yogurt, no powder.
- Rice cakes + almond butter + edamame — rice cakes with a thin almond-butter smear + a bowl of edamame for protein.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
💪 Upper (Mon / Thu) — 2,280 · P240 / C186 / F64 ▼
🥣 Breakfast — 598 · P56 / C62 / F14 ▼
B
Choose one:
- Small salmon + buckwheat bowl — flake fresh-cooked salmon over cooked buckwheat + cucumber, lemon.
- 🥚 Egg scramble — anchovy on sourdough — scramble 2 eggs + a carton of whites, fold in 20 g anchovies, on 2 slices rye sourdough. 🌡️ higher-histamine + purine — take Daosin, keep anchovies ≤20 g, and don't pair with fish at dinner the same day.
- 🥚 Poached eggs on rye sourdough — poach 2 eggs, serve on 1–2 slices rye sourdough (egg only if the reintro is going well).
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍗 Lunch — 688 · P74 / C62 / F16 ▼
L
Choose one:
- Turkey + white bean skillet — sear turkey, warm white beans + peppers, oil + lemon.
- Chicken + quinoa + chickpea bowl — grill chicken over quinoa + chickpeas + cucumber, lemon dressing.
- Seared fresh tuna + rice + peas — sear fresh tuna 1 min/side, serve with rice + peas.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🥩 Dinner — 578 · P62 / C42 / F18 ▼
D
Choose one:
- Lean beef + sweet potato — sear lean beef, roasted sweet potato, greens.
- Chicken thigh (skin off) + polenta + greens — pan-cook skinless thigh, set polenta, steamed greens.
- Small baked salmon + potato + asparagus — bake fresh salmon, boiled potato, roasted asparagus.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍎 Snack — 416 · P48 / C20 / F16 ▼
SN
Choose one:
- Sheep yogurt + berries + 10 g pecans — a generous sheep-yogurt portion, berries + pecans. Protein from the yogurt, no powder.
- Apple + the daily shake + few almonds — your one standalone pea/rice shake, an apple + a few almonds.
- Roasted chickpeas + yogurt dip — roasted chickpeas with a sheep-yogurt + garlic dip.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🛋️ Rest (Wed / Sat / Sun) — 2,150 · P240 / C144 / F68 ▼
🥣 Breakfast — 544 · P56 / C44 / F16 ▼
B
Choose one:
- Goat-yogurt + nut-chia jar — layer goat yogurt + chia + 10 g nuts + berries, chill overnight.
- 🥚 Roasted-pepper + goat-feta scramble — scramble eggs (no added oil) with roasted pepper + goat feta.
- 🥚 Amaranth porridge + eggs & whites — simmer amaranth to a porridge, top with berries; cook 2 eggs + a carton of whites alongside for the protein. No powder.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🐟 Lunch — 624 · P74 / C46 / F16 ▼
L
Choose one:
- Trout + lentil salad — fresh-cooked trout over green lentils + rocket, lemon + 1 tsp oil.
- 🌶️ Red lentil dhal + grilled chicken — follow the dhal recipe below; add grilled chicken.
- 🥚 Sunny-side-up grain + bean bowl + chicken — grain + beans + chicken bowl topped with a fried egg (little oil).
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍗 Dinner — 562 · P62 / C38 / F18 ▼
D
Choose one:
- Chicken thigh + cauliflower traybake — skinless thigh + cauliflower + 1 tsp oil, roast on one tray.
- Baked cod + sweet-potato mash + greens — bake fresh cod, mash sweet potato, steamed greens.
- Lean beef + roast veg — sear lean beef, serve with a tray of roasted veg.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🫘 Snack — 418 · P48 / C16 / F18 ▼
SN
Choose one:
- Roasted chickpeas + yogurt dip — roasted chickpeas + a goat-yogurt dip.
- Sheep yogurt + berries + few almonds — a generous sheep-yogurt portion (protein from the yogurt), berries, a few almonds. No powder.
- Apple + the daily shake + 12 g pecans — your one standalone pea/rice shake in water, an apple, 12 g pecans.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
✈️ Travel — 2,250 · P230 / C180 / F68 ▼
🥣 Breakfast — 566 · P52 / C58 / F14 ▼
B
Choose one:
- Overnight oats to-go — oats + chia + sheep yogurt + berries in a jar the night before; protein from a bigger yogurt portion.
- 🥚 Millet-chia jar + boiled eggs — cooked millet + chia + sheep yogurt + berries, sealed jar, with 2 boiled eggs on the side for protein.
- Hotel: goat yogurt + oats + berries — buffet build; if you need the protein, shake a sachet separately in water (that's the day's one shake) — don't stir it into the yogurt.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍗 Lunch (order out) — 690 · P72 / C60 / F18 ▼
L
Choose one:
- Grilled chicken + rice bowl — order grilled chicken + rice, double protein, oil on the side.
- Grilled fish + potato + salad — order grilled fresh fish + potato + salad, dressing on the side.
- Poke: fresh salmon + rice + cucumber + edamame — poke with fresh salmon, no soy dressing, no tomato.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🐟 Dinner (order out) — 570 · P58 / C44 / F18 ▼
D
Choose one:
- Grilled fresh fish + potato + salad — order grilled fresh fish + potato + salad.
- Grilled chicken/beef + rice + veg — grilled chicken or beef + rice + veg, sauce on the side.
- Shaorma la farfurie — on a plate, no pita, no tomato/garlic-cream sauce, extra meat + salad.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🥤 Snack — 426 · P48 / C18 / F18 ▼
SN
Choose one:
- Sachet shake + apple + few almonds — your one standalone sachet shaken in water, an apple, a few almonds.
- Goat-yogurt cup + banana + walnuts — shop-bought goat/sheep-yogurt cup + banana + a few walnuts. Protein from the yogurt.
- Rice cakes + almond butter + turkey slices — rice cakes + thin almond butter + sliced turkey for the protein.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🤒 Low-appetite (fallback, soft / liquid) — 2,100 · P205 / C185 / F60 ▼
🤒 Exception day: when you're ill and solids are hard, liquid/shake meals are fine here — getting the calories & protein in matters more than the one-shake rule. Back to whole-food protein once appetite returns.
🥤 Breakfast — 494 · P42 / C50 / F14 ▼
B
Choose one:
- High-protein smoothie (the day's shake) — blend pea/rice isolate + banana + oats + berries + water/ice. On a low-appetite day this liquid meal counts as your one standalone shake.
- Soft sheep yogurt + soaked oats + berries — soft sheep yogurt with soaked oats + berries; protein from a big yogurt portion, no powder.
- Blended amaranth + sheep yogurt + banana — blend cooked amaranth with sheep yogurt + banana until smooth. No powder.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍲 Lunch — 568 · P56 / C50 / F16 ▼
L
Choose one:
- Blended lentil-veg soup + yogurt — blend cooked lentils + veg to a soup with a spoon of sheep yogurt; the lentils carry the protein.
- 🥚🌶️ Dhal (no chicken) + small rice + boiled egg — dhal from the recipe below without the chicken, small rice, a boiled egg for extra protein.
- Cod-potato mash bowl — mash poached fresh cod with potato; the cod carries the protein, no powder.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🐟 Dinner — 532 · P52 / C45 / F16 ▼
D
Choose one:
- Poached cod + cauli-potato mash + beans — poach cod, mash cauliflower + potato, warm beans.
- Chicken + sweet-potato mash + greens — poached/shredded chicken, sweet-potato mash, soft greens.
- Creamy millet + yogurt + shredded chicken — creamy millet stirred with yogurt + shredded chicken.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
🍮 Snack — 506 · P55 / C40 / F14 ▼
SN
Choose one:
- Thick sheep-yogurt pudding — whisk thick sheep yogurt with berries to a pudding, chill. Protein from a big yogurt portion, no powder.
- Smoothie (shake) — blend pea/rice isolate + yogurt + banana + 5 g almond butter — a standalone shake.
- Goat yogurt + chia + berries — goat/sheep yogurt + chia (set 10 min) + berries. No powder.
Every option is macro-matched to this slot · ≤18 g fat ✓
Weekly Batch Prep — 2 Sessions, ~45 min total
🐟 Never batch or store cooked fish — histamine. Fish is always cooked fresh, same-day. Batch the grains, legumes and veg; cook the protein-of-the-day when you eat it.
| Session | What to Prep | Time | Gives You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Cook a big pot of grains (buckwheat/quinoa/millet, 4–5 days) · Cook lentils (250 g dry) + a pot of chickpeas/white beans · Boil potatoes then refrigerate (resistant starch — lowers GI) · Roast 2 trays veg (broccoli, peppers, courgette, cauliflower, asparagus) · Roast a tray of chickpeas (snack) · Portion goat/sheep yogurt + berries | ~35 min | Grains + legumes for the week · roasted veg for 4–5 meals · 2 ready snacks. Add fresh-cooked protein at each meal. |
| Wednesday | Red-lentil dhal (batch, roasted red pepper not tomato) · Restock cucumber/carrot sticks · Re-roast a tray of veg if low | ~15 min | 2–3 dinners of dhal (pair with fresh grilled chicken) · zero-prep snacks |
🛒 Weekly Shopping List
📋 One shop covers all templates for the week. Grouped by aisle. Buy fish same-day you'll cook it (histamine), not in a weekly bulk.
| Aisle | Buy |
|---|---|
| Proteins | Chicken & turkey breast · lean beef · fresh cod / trout / tuna / salmon (buy same-day) · pea/rice protein |
| Legumes & grains | Red + green lentils · white beans · chickpeas · oats · buckwheat · quinoa · millet · rice · arborio · rye/spelt sourdough |
| Vegetables | Broccoli · green beans · cauliflower · courgette · asparagus · peppers · cucumber · rocket · carrots · potatoes · 1 sweet potato |
| Fruit & aromatics | Bananas · berries · apples · lemons · garlic · ginger · oregano · rosemary |
| Dairy & fats | Goat + sheep yogurt · feta · pecorino · olive oil · almonds/pecans (small) · chia · flax · light coconut milk |
| Pantry | Roasted-pepper purée · turmeric · cumin · coriander · paprika |
🚫 Skip: eggs, cow dairy / whey, wheat bread & pasta, canned fish, cured meat, aged cheese, tomatoes, spinach.
💡 Where to buy in Romania: Lidl & Kaufland for lean poultry, frozen veg/berries, legumes, oats/grains (best value); Mega Image / Carrefour for goat & sheep dairy, fresh fish and fresh herbs.
🥡 Eating Out & Delivery (Glovo / Wolt)
📋 You don't have to cook every day. Here's how to order on Glovo or Wolt and still land near your macros. On both apps, filter to the “Healthy” category, then use these rules.
How to order and stay on target
- Grilled / baked, never fried or breaded — breading = wheat (and often egg).
- Double the protein, sauce & cheese on the side — you control the fat cap and dodge cow-dairy sauces.
- No bread, no tomato sauce — ask for olive oil + lemon instead.
- Fish only if it's fresh-grilled — skip anything that's been sitting (histamine).
- Watch these traps: schnitzel (wheat + egg) · creamy / parmesan dishes (cow) · buns & wraps (wheat) · tzatziki (cow) · cured / aged platters (histamine).
| Craving | What to order | Approx macros |
|---|---|---|
| Grilled protein plate | Grilled chicken or fresh fish + rice/potato + big salad, olive oil + lemon on the side, double protein | ~480 kcal · 45 P · 40 C · 16 F |
| Poke / bowl | Fresh salmon or chicken poke, half-rice-half-greens, cucumber, edamame — no soy dressing, no tomato, light oil | ~500 kcal · 38 P · 45 C · 16 F |
| Shaorma craving | Shaorma la farfurie (on a plate) — no pita, no tomato/garlic-cream sauce, extra grilled meat + salad | ~520 kcal · 44 P · 42 C · 18 F |
| Just a salad | Any grilled-protein salad bowl, dressing on side, no croutons, no cured cheese/meat | ~420 kcal · 38 P · 22 C · 16 F |
✅ Macros are approximate — treat one delivered meal as one of your daily slots (lunch or dinner) and keep the other meals lighter that day. Take Kreon if it runs fattier than planned.
🧭 Situational Rules
🌡️ Histamine — freshness is the lever ▼
Your DAO is borderline, so histamine load — not any single food — is what tips you over.
- Freshness is everything: cook fish same-day, don't eat leftovers of high-histamine foods.
- Daosin before a meal you know runs higher-histamine (eating out, unavoidable aged/fermented food).
- Skip daily: tomato, spinach, aged/cured cheese & meat, ferments. Alcohol rare (also TG 294).
🦵 Knee & around PRP ▼
- Protein supports tendon & cartilage repair — keep intake high through any rehab block.
- Around a PRP injection: pause fish-oil ~1 week and no NSAIDs (they blunt the healing response). Whole fresh fish is still fine.
⚖️ Deficit rule — how to adjust ▼
- Weigh 3×/week, judge on the weekly average, not any single day.
- No movement in 14 days at ≥90% adherence → drop −150 kcal (rest-day carbs first).
- Never below the floors: protein ~205 g and fat ~60 g are the hard minimums — cut carbs, not those.
🍽️ How to Build Your Plate
The Plate Model
Every main meal follows the same blueprint: high protein, generous veg, controlled carb, and fat kept under the ≤18 g cap. Build it this way and the macros land automatically.
| Plate Section | What Goes Here | Portion | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ plate — Vegetables | Non-starchy veg: broccoli, green beans, courgette, peppers, cauliflower, asparagus, salad greens | Large 2-fist serving | Fibre + volume for satiety in a bigger deficit; soluble fibre helps LDL |
| ⅓ plate — Lean Protein | Chicken/turkey, lean beef, fresh fish, legumes, pea/rice protein, goat/sheep dairy | Palm-and-a-half (~40 g protein) | Shields ~90 kg lean mass through the deficit; ~2 g/kg total/day |
| ¼ plate — GF Carb | Buckwheat, quinoa, millet, rice, cooled potato, GF oats | Fist-sized (cycle bigger on training days) | Fuels lifting; low-GI, gluten-free per intolerances |
| Fat — measured, ≤18 g/meal | Olive oil, avocado, small nuts, chia/flax, omega-3 fish | ~1 tsp oil or small handful | Hard cap for the pancreas. Cardioprotective sources; low saturated |
The One Habit — Keep Every Meal Under 18 g Fat
This is the single rule that protects the pancreas and keeps digestion comfortable. Every meal option in this plan is already built to it — here's how to hold it when improvising.
1
Lean protein + measured oil
Skinless poultry, lean beef, white fish and legumes carry little fat — so your one measured teaspoon of olive oil (or small handful of nuts) is the whole fat budget for that meal. Don't add a second fat source.
2
Spread fat across the day, never dump it
Four meals × ~15 g beats two meals × 30 g even at the same daily total — the pancreas handles a steady trickle, not a flood.
3
Kreon with the fattier meals
When a meal sits near the cap (or you're eating out), take Kreon. Loose, greasy or floating stool afterwards = the meal ran over — log it and trim the fat next time.
👩🍳 Recipes
🌶️ Red Lentil Dhal — 4 servings · ~350 kcal · P17 / C47 / F11 ▼
Ingredients: 250 g dry red lentils · 400 ml light coconut milk · 1 roasted red pepper (not tomato) · onion / garlic / fresh ginger · 1 tsp olive oil · turmeric / cumin / coriander / ginger powder · 400 ml stock · lemon · fresh coriander.
1. Soften aromatics in the oil. 2. Bloom the spices ~30 sec. 3. Add lentils + roasted pepper + coconut + stock, simmer 15 min. 4. Finish with lemon + coriander. Pair with lean grilled protein.
🍚 Safe Risotto (training day) ▼
Ingredients: 65 g arborio + 1 tsp olive oil (not butter) + onion / garlic + 600 ml stock + asparagus / peas / courgette + 20 g pecorino (sheep, not parmesan) + lemon zest.
No wine, easy on the mushroom. Top with 150 g grilled chicken breast → ~18 g fat. The pecorino swap keeps it cow-dairy free.
🍗 Chicken Parm (baked) + choose a side — parm ~420 kcal · P57 / C24 / F10 ▼
Ingredients (1 serving): 200 g chicken breast, butterflied thin · 1 egg white · 25 g panko + dried herbs · olive-oil spray · 100 g fresh passata (no added fat) · 12 g pecorino (sheep, not parmesan/mozzarella — cow is out).
1. Dredge chicken in egg white, press into the panko + herbs. 2. Spray (don't pour) with olive oil, bake 200°C ~18 min. 3. Top with passata + pecorino, grill 3 min. 🌡️ aged pecorino + cooked passata = mild histamine — keep passata fresh (not a jar open for days), take Daosin.
Choose a side (whole plate stays ≤18 g fat):
- Sweet potato 200 g → plate ~600 kcal · P61 / C65 / F10
- Rice 200 g cooked → plate ~680 kcal · P62 / C80 / F10.5
- Mixed veg 200 g (5 g olive oil) → plate ~534 kcal · P62 / C36 / F15.6 (light — add 100 g rice to fill)
- Roasted cauliflower · panko + pecorino (recipe below) → plate ~625 kcal · P68 / C50 / F17
To reach the top of the protein slot, bump chicken to 230 g or add 100 g egg whites on the side (+11 g P, 0 fat).
🥦 Roasted Cauliflower · panko + pecorino (side) — ~205 kcal · P10.6 / C26 / F7.3 ▼
Ingredients: 250 g cauliflower florets · 20 g panko · 12 g pecorino (sheep) · 3 g olive-oil spray.
Toss florets with panko + pecorino + a spray of oil, roast 220°C ~22 min until golden. Low-fat side; pecorino sheep = OK, aged so minor histamine only.
🐟 One-Pan Salmon + Goat-Cheese Pasta (fresh salmon) — ~680 kcal · P55 / C70 / F18 ▼
Ingredients (1 serving): 90 g fresh salmon (never smoked) · 115 g dry red-lentil gluten-free pasta · 25 g light soft goat cheese (goat/sheep, not cow — check the label) · 50 g peas · 50 g spinach · lemon zest + juice · fresh dill · black pepper. No added oil.
1. Boil the pasta in the pan; reserve ~150 ml starchy water, drain, set aside. 2. Same pan (nonstick, no oil): sear the fresh salmon skin-side down 3–4 min, flip 2 min, flake, remove. 3. Wilt spinach + peas in a splash of pasta water. 4. Off heat, melt the goat cheese into 4–5 tbsp hot pasta water to a loose cream (no butter/cream), return pasta, fold, add lemon + dill. 5. Fold the salmon back in.
⚠️ Fat cap is tight (18 g): no oil — the starchy pasta water is what makes the sauce. If your salmon is farmed/fattier or you add oil, drop salmon to 80 g or cheese to 20 g. 🌡️ salmon fresh & same-day; use fresh soft goat cheese, not aged. ⚠️ red-lentil pasta is a legume (moderate purine — keep to one legume-pasta meal/day). Kreon with the meal.
🥩 Whole-food protein — how ~240 g adds up (no powder in food)
Powder only as one standalone shake/day. Every slot below is ≤18 g fat and cow-dairy free.
| Slot | Whole food | Protein | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 2 eggs + ~300 g egg whites + sourdough | ~55 g | 🥚 egg tier |
| Mid-AM | Sheep yogurt 200 g | ~11 g | sheep = OK |
| Lunch | Chicken parm, 200 g breast | ~57 g | — |
| Snack | Edamame 150 g shelled | ~17 g | moderate purine |
| Dinner | Fresh cod / hake 250 g | ~55 g | fresh = low histamine |
| Evening | 1 standalone pea/rice shake (water) | ~25 g | the one allowed shake |
| Total | ~220 g | close with a bolt-on ↓ |
Close the last ~20–30 g with ONE bolt-on: turkey breast 100 g (+24 g, best — low fat/histamine/purine) · or extra egg whites 200 g (+21 g, no flags) · or tinned tuna/sardines 80 g (+18–20 g, ⚠️ higher histamine + purine — not on a day you already had anchovies or a second fish). Purine watch (uric 7.97): ~one fish + one legume serving/day.
Iulian-Specific Notes
- Fat cap first: ≤18 g fat per meal is the non-negotiable that shapes every choice — even a "healthy" fatty meal (salmon + avocado + oil) can blow it. Pick one fat source per meal.
- Cholesterol strategy: soluble fibre ≥10–12 g/day (oats, legumes, psyllium) + cardioprotective fats + a bigger deficit to drop visceral fat — and it's working: LDL 196 ↓ from 245, TG 294 ↓ from 422 on lifestyle alone. Keep monitoring with the GP; still trending the right way.
- Recalibration: all macros re-set on the 01.07.2026 lipid panel. Whey stays out (β-lactoglobulin); egg follows the reintro protocol; fish is always fresh.
💪 Training — 4-Day Upper/Lower Split
Philosophy: post-MRI graded return. Two upper + two lower days for 2× weekly frequency (best for holding ~90 kg of lean mass in a deficit), built around the knee and left shoulder. Lower loads are Week-1 calibration starts; swelling is the governor. Tap any exercise to log weight × reps.
Weekly Schedule
Mon
Upper A
Chest / Push
Tue
Lower A
Quad-focus
Wed
Zone-2
Bike / walk
Thu
Upper B
Vertical
Fri
Lower B
Posterior/hip
Sat
Zone-2
Bike / swim
Sun
Rest
Batch prep
⚠️ Governor rules: pain >2/10 in a set → stop / reduce. Next-morning swelling or pain >3/10 → drop that lift 30% next session. Knee: no deep squat / Bulgarian / weighted lunge / impact; leg-extension 90°→40° only. Shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch, no pronated pull-ups. An ortho consult is still recommended before progressing heavy lower work.
💪 Mon · Upper A — Chest / Push (horizontal) ▼
Upper A · chest & push emphasis. Three chest angles (barbell bench, incline DB press, lengthened cable fly) plus shoulders and triceps, with one horizontal row to keep the scapulae balanced. Loads are Week-1 calibration starts — log and recalibrate. Shoulder-first warm-up every session.
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral / close grip only · no deep anterior stretch under load · cap the fly range · no pronated pull-ups. Stop short of any pinch.
Warm-up · ~6 min · shoulder-first
Band pull-apart
2 × 20 · light band
Squeeze shoulder blades — wakes up the upper back & cuff.
Band external rotation
2 × 15 / side · light band
Elbow pinned to side, rotate out slow. Cuff prep for pressing.
Scap push-up
2 × 10 · bodyweight
Arms straight, push the floor away and let shoulder blades glide. Serratus.
Main work · 7 exercises
Barbell Bench Press
4 × 5 @ RIR 2 · 100 kg (your current) · 2–3 min
Your main chest press. Shoulder blades retracted and down, controlled descent to mid-chest, drive up — no bounce. Stop each set at RIR 2 (~2 in the tank). Progress: hit 4×5 clean → +2.5 kg.
🏋️ Gym: barbell bench press · 🏠 Home: flat DB press · 🏨 Hotel: feet-elevated push-ups
🔻 Left shoulder: controlled ROM, elbows ~45–60° (don't flare), don't over-arch the low back; stop short of any pinch.
Incline DB press — neutral, ~30°
3 × 10 @ RIR 2 · start ~28 kg/hand · 90s
Upper-chest angle to complement the flat bench. ~30° bench, neutral (hammer) grip, cap the bottom to a pain-free depth — no deep anterior stretch.
🏋️ Gym: incline DB press · 🏠 Home: incline DB on a couch · 🏨 Hotel: decline / feet-up push-ups
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch under load, stop short of any pinch.
Capped-ROM cable fly
3 × 12 @ RIR 2 · ~12.5 kg/side (your logged fly) · 60s
Hits the chest in the lengthened / adducted position — a different part of the muscle than the presses. Cap the range short of a deep stretch (your pec-deck replacement). Soft elbows, squeeze at the middle.
🏋️ Gym: cable fly, ROM-capped · 🏠 Home: banded fly, short range · 🏨 Hotel: banded fly around a post
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch under load, stop short of any pinch.
Chest-supported row (neutral)
3 × 10 @ RIR 2 · start ~55 kg · 90s
One horizontal pull to keep the upper back & scapulae balanced. Chest on the pad, row to lower ribs, no shrug, brief squeeze.
🏋️ Gym: chest-supported / seal row · 🏠 Home: 2-DB bench-supported row · 🏨 Hotel: inverted row under a table
Landmine press
3 × 10 @ RIR 3 · ~20 kg of plates on the bar end (bar not counted) · 90s
Scapular-plane press (not straight overhead) — shoulder-friendly while it settles.
🏋️ Gym: landmine / seated neutral DB press · 🏠 Home: single-DB scapular-plane press · 🏨 Hotel: pike push-up, controlled
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch under load, stop short of any pinch.
DB lateral raise
3 × 15 @ RIR 1 · ~8 kg (your logged) · 60s
Proposed 7th — side-delt cap for shoulder width and a fuller push day. Slight forward lean, lead with the elbow, stop short of any pinch.
🏋️ Gym: cable / DB lateral raise · 🏠 Home: DB lateral raise · 🏨 Hotel: water-bottle raises
Rope triceps pushdown
3 × 12–15 @ RIR 2 · start ~25 kg · 60s
Elbows pinned, spread the rope at the bottom. Low shoulder stress.
🏋️ Gym: rope pushdown · 🏠 Home: band pushdown · 🏨 Hotel: bench dips, feet forward
🔥 Core finisher · 3 exercises
Cable crunch
3 × 15 · light cable · 45s
Round down through the spine, exhale, no hip-flexor pulling.
Pallof hold
3 × 30 s / side · band (anchor with a plate) · 45s
Press out, resist the twist, brace.
Hollow-body hold
3 × 30 s · bodyweight · 45s
Low back pressed to floor, ribs down, arms overhead.
Cool-down · ~5 min · decompress
Doorway pec opener
2 × 30 s / side · elbow no higher than shoulder
Forearm on the frame, step through softly. 🔻 Left shoulder: an opener, not a deep stretch — stop at the first gentle pull, never a pinch.
Cross-body shoulder stretch
30 s / side · gentle
Arm across the chest, ease it in above the elbow. Only to the first hint of stretch — the cuff sets the limit.
Overhead triceps stretch
30 s / side
Elbow points to the ceiling, hand drops between the shoulder blades — guide gently with the other hand. Opens the triceps you just pressed with.
Child's pose — long arms
45 s
Hips back toward the heels, reach the arms forward and breathe into the sides of the back — lats and spine unload.
Posture reset — chin tuck
5 slow reps · 3 s hold
Glide the head straight back like a drawer sliding shut, eyes level. The cervical reset, not a stretch.
Foam roller — upper back · Optional
Optional · needs a roller · 30–45 s
Hands cradle the head, chin gently tucked, roll bra-line to shoulder blades only — never the neck, never arch back over it. No roller? You're done.
🦵 Tue · Lower A — Quad-focus (knee-safe) ▼
Lower A · quad-focus, joint-friendly. Depth-capped, meniscus- & kneecap-safe. Loads are Week-1 calibration starts. Swelling is the dashboard: pain >2/10 in a set → stop/reduce; next-morning swelling or pain >3/10 → drop that lift 30% next session.
🦵 Depth hardware required: set a leg-press pin/stop and use a physical box for the squat. No deep flexion under load, no lockout, no impact. If the hardware isn't there, run the Rehab / Walk day instead this session.
Warm-up · ~7 min
Stationary bike
5 min · low resistance, high cadence
Warms the joint + synovial fluid. Smooth spin, no grinding.
Band TKE
2 × 15 / leg · light band
Band behind the knee, straighten fully, 1 s hold. VMO prep, zero compression.
Banded clamshell
1 × 15 / side · mini-band
Glute-med activation — less knee valgus under load.
Spanish-squat isometric
2 × 20–30 s @ ~60° knee · band behind knees
Quad / kneecap prep in a safe mid-angle.
Main work
Vertical Leg Press
4 × 8–10 @ RIR 3 · start ~90 kg · 90s
Feet high on the platform, drive through the heels.
🏋️ Gym: leg press with a pin/stop · 🏠 Home: heavy goblet box-squat to a chair (above parallel) · 🏨 Hotel: tempo BW squat to a chair, 4-1-1
🦵 Hard-stop at ~90° knee — no deeper — and never lock out at the top.
Box Squat — high box
3 × 6–8 @ RIR 3 · start ~60 kg (goblet→bar) · 2–3 min
Sit back to a box set above parallel, vertical shin, stand tall. Hold RIR 3 the whole first block.
🏋️ Gym: barbell box squat (goblet to start) · 🏠 Home: goblet squat to a chair · 🏨 Hotel: BW box squat to a chair, slow tempo
🦵 The box is the hard depth stop — never below parallel.
Leg Extension — partial ROM
3 × 12–15 @ RIR 3 · start ~30 kg · 60s
Light and controlled.
🏋️ Gym: leg-extension machine, ROM-capped · 🏠 Home: seated banded knee extension, mid-range · 🏨 Hotel: seated banded knee extension
🦵 Train the 90°→40° window only — do NOT finish to lockout (that spikes kneecap stress).
Standing Calf Raise
3 × 12–15 · bodyweight → light · 45s
Full range, 1 s squeeze at the top.
🏋️ Gym: standing or seated calf machine · 🏠 Home: single-leg calf raise on a step · 🏨 Hotel: BW calf raises on a step
🔥 Core finisher · 3 exercises
Dead Bug
3 × 10 / side · bodyweight · 45s
Low back flat, opposite arm + leg, slow. Anti-extension.
Pallof Press
3 × 12 / side · band (anchor with a plate), light · 45s
Press straight out, resist the twist. Anti-rotation.
Side Plank
3 × 30 s / side · bodyweight · 45s
Straight line hip to shoulder, don't sag.
Cool-down · ~5 min · unwind
Modified hurdler stretch
30 s / side · knee-safe
Sit tall, one leg straight, the other foot tucked to the inner thigh — bent knee stays open, never folded under. Hinge from the hip toward the straight foot. 🔻 Knee: no deep folding, ease off any pull at the joint.
Standing hip-flexor stretch
30 s / side · hand on wall
Split stance, tuck the tailbone, glide the hip gently forward — front of the back-leg hip. No kneeling.
Standing calf stretch
30 s / side · heel down
Back leg straight, heel glued to the floor, lean into the wall and breathe.
Knee-to-chest
30 s / side · lying
On your back, draw one knee gently to the chest, the other leg long or bent — the low back releases. Keep it pain-free at the knee.
Child's pose
45 s
Hips back toward the heels, arms long, slow breaths into the low back.
Foam roller — quads · Optional
Optional · needs a roller · 45–60 s
Slow passes down the thigh, pause on tender spots and breathe. Stay above the kneecap — never roll over the joint. No roller? You're done.
🏋️ Thu · Upper B — Vertical (push/pull) ▼
Upper B · vertical emphasis. Second upper session for 2× weekly frequency (best for holding muscle in a deficit). Pull-ups are replaced by chin / neutral pulldown to protect the left shoulder; face-pulls are built in as prehab.
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral / close grip only · no deep anterior stretch under load · no pronated pull-ups. Stop short of any pinch.
Warm-up · ~6 min · shoulder-first
Band pull-apart
2 × 20 · light band
Upper-back + cuff activation before pressing.
Band external rotation
2 × 15 / side · light band
Slow external rotation, elbow at side.
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Scap pull (hang)
2 × 10 · bodyweight
From a dead hang, pull shoulder blades down/back without bending elbows.
Main work
Incline DB press — neutral, moderate incline
4 × 8–10 @ RIR 2 · start ~28 kg/hand · 2–3 min
~30° bench, neutral grip, cap the bottom to pain-free. Upper-chest bias, less anterior stress.
🏋️ Gym: incline DB press · 🏠 Home: incline DB on a couch · 🏨 Hotel: decline / feet-up push-ups
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch under load, stop short of any pinch.
Assisted chin-up / neutral pulldown
4 × 8 @ RIR 2 · start ~85 kg pulldown · 2–3 min
Replaces pull-ups. Chin (supinated) or neutral grip only — pronated aggravates the shoulder.
🏋️ Gym: assisted-chin machine / neutral pulldown · 🏠 Home: band-assisted chin · 🏨 Hotel: band-assisted chin over a door bar
🔻 Left shoulder: neutral/close grip, no deep anterior stretch under load, stop short of any pinch.
Seated cable row (neutral, mid-grip)
3 × 10–12 @ RIR 2 · start ~60 kg · 90s
Tall chest, row to the belly, squeeze — no torso heave.
🏋️ Gym: seated cable row · 🏠 Home: 2-DB bent row / band row · 🏨 Hotel: backpack bent-over row
DB lateral raise (lengthened bias)
3 × 15 @ RIR 1 · ~8 kg (your logged) · 60s
Slight forward lean, lead with the elbow, stop short of any pinch. Partials fine at the end.
🏋️ Gym: cable / DB lateral raise · 🏠 Home: DB lateral raise · 🏨 Hotel: water-bottle raises
Face pull (external-rotation bias)
3 × 15 @ RIR 2 · ~27.5 kg (your logged face-pull) · 60s
Not optional — posterior cuff + scap health for the recurring shoulder. Pull to the forehead, rotate out.
🏋️ Gym: cable face pull · 🏠 Home: band face pull · 🏨 Hotel: band face pull anchored in a door
DB hammer curl (neutral)
3 × 12 @ RIR 2 · ~16 kg/hand (your logged) · 60s
Neutral grip = elbow + shoulder friendly. No swing.
🏋️ Gym: DB hammer curl · 🏠 Home: DB / backpack hammer curl · 🏨 Hotel: band hammer curl
🔥 Core finisher · 3 exercises
Ab wheel (or reverse crunch)
3 × 10 · bodyweight · 45s
Roll out only as far as you keep a flat low back. Anti-extension.
Suitcase carry
3 × 30 s / side · ~50 kg (your logged suitcase) · 45s
Walk tall, don't lean — anti-lateral-flexion. Log seconds. Knee-safe, controlled pace.
Bird-dog to plank
3 × 8 / side · bodyweight · 45s
From a plank, extend opposite arm+leg, hold 1s, return. Anti-rotation.
Cool-down · ~5 min · decompress
Rack / chair lat stretch
30 s · hinge and sink
Hands on the rack or a chair back, hinge back and let the chest sink — breathe into the sides of the back you just pulled with.
Forearm & biceps stretch
30 s / side
Arm straight out, palm up, gently draw the fingers back and down with the other hand — forearms and biceps after all the curling and gripping.
Cross-body shoulder stretch
30 s / side · gentle
Arm across the chest, ease in above the elbow. First hint of stretch only — the cuff sets the limit.
Doorway pec opener — light
30 s / side · light
Forearm on the frame, small step through — a light front-of-shoulder opener to balance all the pulling. 🔻 Left shoulder: gentle, never a pinch.
Posture reset — chin tuck
5 slow reps · 3 s hold
Head slides straight back, neck grows long, eyes level. Cervical reset.
Foam roller — lats · Optional
Optional · needs a roller · 30–45 s / side
Lie on your side, roller under the armpit, slow rolls down the side of the back. Never the neck. No roller? You're done.
🦵 Fri · Lower B — Posterior / Hip (knee-safe) ▼
Lower B · posterior-chain, hip-dominant. The meniscus and kneecap barely see this day, so you can actually train it hard — it's where lower-body strength keeps climbing while the knee stays protected. Loads are Week-1 calibration starts. Same governor: pain >2/10 in a set → stop/reduce; next-morning swelling or pain >3/10 → drop that lift 30%.
Warm-up · ~7 min
Stationary bike
5 min · low resistance, high cadence
Warms the joint + synovial fluid. Smooth spin.
Band TKE
2 × 15 / leg · light band
Band behind the knee, straighten fully, 1 s hold. VMO prep.
Banded clamshell
1 × 15 / side · mini-band
Glute-med activation before hinging.
Glute bridge
2 × 12 · bodyweight
Drive through heels, squeeze glutes 1 s. Primes the hinge pattern.
Main work
Romanian Deadlift
4 × 8 @ RIR 3 · start ~75 kg · 2–3 min
Hips back, soft knee (~15–20°) held throughout, bar rides the thighs, neutral spine — feel the hamstring stretch. Your safest big lift: hip-dominant, near-zero meniscus load. Progress reps → then +2.5 kg.
🏋️ Gym: barbell RDL · 🏠 Home: dumbbell RDL · 🏨 Hotel: single-leg RDL (bodyweight, slow) or backpack RDL
Barbell Hip Thrust
4 × 8–10 @ RIR 2 · start ~80 kg · 90s
Upper back on a bench, drive through the heels, shin vertical, full hip extension + 1 s squeeze (don't over-arch the low back). Knee angle fixed — meniscus-safe, so push it.
🏋️ Gym: barbell hip thrust · 🏠 Home: dumbbell hip thrust, shoulders on the couch · 🏨 Hotel: single-leg glute bridge, 12/leg, 1 s hold
Seated Leg Curl
3 × 10–12 @ RIR 2 · start ~40 kg · 75s
Slow 3 s eccentric, full but controlled ROM.
🏋️ Gym: seated leg-curl machine · 🏠 Home: Swiss-ball / slider hamstring curl · 🏨 Hotel: Nordic-curl negatives (band-assisted)
🦵 Seated (not lying), and don't slam into deep end-range flexion — ease the last few degrees.
45° Back Extension
3 × 12–15 · bodyweight → hug a plate · 60s
Hinge at the hips with a neutral spine, squeeze glutes at the top — no lower-back rounding. Posterior chain + erectors, no knee load.
🏋️ Gym: 45° hyper bench · 🏠 Home: floor "Superman" hip-hinge or banded good-morning · 🏨 Hotel: banded good-morning, slow
Seated Calf Raise
3 × 15 · start ~20 kg · 45s
Full range, 1 s squeeze. Seated = soleus bias, full control.
🏋️ Gym: seated calf machine · 🏠 Home: seated calf raise, dumbbell on the knees · 🏨 Hotel: single-leg calf raise on a step
🔥 Core finisher · 3 exercises
Bird-Dog
3 × 10 / side · bodyweight · 45s
Opposite arm + leg, no hip rotation, brief hold. Anti-rotation stability.
Lying Leg Raise
3 × 12 · bodyweight (floor) · 45s
On your back (not hanging — protects the left shoulder), low back pressed down, controlled, no swing.
Plank
3 × 45–60 s · bodyweight · 45s
Straight line, ribs down, glutes tight.
Cool-down · ~5 min · unwind
Modified hurdler stretch
30 s / side · knee-safe
One leg straight, the other foot tucked to the inner thigh — bent knee open, never folded under. Ease toward the straight foot from the hip. Hamstrings and glutes after the hinge work. 🔻 Knee: no deep folding.
Cat-cow
8 slow cycles
On all fours, round and open the mid-back through its full pain-free range — no forcing. Unloads the spine after the RDLs and back extensions.
Standing calf stretch
30 s / side · heel down
Back leg straight, heel down, lean in and breathe.
Seated spinal twist
30 s / side
Sit tall, rotate from the mid-back, eyes follow the hand, neck long and easy. Gentle decompression for the low back.
Child's pose
45 s
Hips back to the heels, arms long, slow breaths into the low back.
Foam roller — glutes & hamstrings · Optional
Optional · needs a roller · ~60 s
Sit on the roller, tip to one side, slow passes over the glute then down the hamstring. Breathe slow — recovery starts here. No roller? You're done.
🚴 Wed / Sat · Zone-2 Conditioning ▼
Zone-2 · the lipid & visceral-fat lever. Easy, nose-breathing, conversational pace (~60–70% max HR). Low-impact only while the knee heals — no running or jumping.
Stationary bike — Zone-2
30–45 min · steady, conversational
Smooth cadence, low-moderate resistance. Knee-friendly.
Incline treadmill walk — Zone-2
30–45 min · brisk, slight incline
Flat-to-gentle incline, quick pace, no jogging.
Swim — Zone-2
25–35 min · easy laps
Zero joint impact — ideal on a stiff-knee day.
Rotate the modality by how the knee feels that day. 30–45 min steady. A big chunk of the fat loss (and the cholesterol improvement) comes from here — don't skip it.
🩹 Rehab / Walk Day — knee-flare substitution ▼
Use this any day a flare lands — when flexion regresses, swelling rises, or pain spikes. It substitutes the prescribed session and logs under today's date. Defer to your physio; the hip-thrust here involves some knee flexion, so swap it for a quad set / straight-leg raise if the physio wants the knee fully offloaded this week.
Stationary bike — easy
10 min warm-up · low resistance
Smooth cadence, pain-free range.
Terminal Knee Extension (TKE)
3 × 20 · BW / band · 45s
Band around the knee anchored to a rack, push knee back into full extension. Pain-free range only.
Barbell Hip Thrust — rehab variant
4 × 12 · ~80 kg · 90s
Knee-friendly hinge alternative to RDL while the flare resolves. Bench behind, bar on hips, drive hips to the ceiling.
One-Legged Cable Kickback
3 × 15 each · ~7.5 kg cable · 60s
Glute isolation — ankle cuff, kick straight back, squeeze at the top.
Clamshell + Lateral Band Walk
3 × 15 · BW / mini-band · 45s
Glute-medius — hip stability during knee recovery. Clamshells then lateral band steps each direction.
Flat Walk — easy
20–45 min · flat, comfortable pace
Pumps effusion, breaks stiffness, fights quad shutdown. Length capped by symptoms.
🧘 Recovery — Mobility, Zone-2 & Sleep
Recovery is where the adaptation actually happens. Move slowly, breathe through the nose, never push into pain. The knee and shoulder work is prehab — do it on the days it's prescribed, not just when something hurts.
🚫 Knee: no deep flexion under load, no impact/jumping. Shoulder: no deep anterior stretch, no pronated (palms-away) hangs — keep it neutral/close grip.
Daily Knee & Shoulder Mobility — 5–8 min
| Movement | Reps/Hold | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal Knee Extension (band or towel under knee) | 2 × 15 | Press the back of the knee down, straighten fully. Builds the VMO that stabilises the joint. |
| Heel slides / gentle knee ROM | 2 × 10 | Slide heel toward glute only to a comfortable, pain-free range — no forcing deep flexion. |
| Straight-leg raise | 2 × 10 / side | Quad tight, lift to ~45°, lower slow. Loads the quad without bending the knee. |
| Band pull-apart (shoulder) | 2 × 15 | Neutral grip, squeeze shoulder blades. Posterior-chain balance for the left shoulder. |
| Wall slides / scap setting | 2 × 10 | Forearms on wall, slide up only to where it stays pain-free. No deep overhead reach. |
Zone-2 Conditioning & Daily Walk
Zone-2 (easy, nose-breathing, ~60–70% max HR) is the engine for dropping visceral fat without beating up the joints. Low-impact modalities only: stationary bike, incline treadmill walk, or swimming — no running/jumping while the knee is healing.
| Variable | Prescription |
|---|---|
| Modality | Stationary bike · incline walk · swim (rotate; all knee-friendly) |
| Conditioning day | 30–45 min steady Zone-2, 1–2×/week (see Training) |
| Daily walk | Start 15 min, build toward 30–45 min. Conversational pace — a walk, not a workout. |
| When | Morning light anchors circadian rhythm; a walk after a meal blunts the glucose response. |
| Knee rule | If the knee swells or aches after, drop volume/incline and log it — swelling is the governor. |
| Low-motivation rule | Lower the bar to "shoes on, out the door for 5 min." Permission to turn around. You almost never will. |
Stretch Library — À la Carte
For walk days or whenever you feel tight. Hold 30–45s, breathe slowly through the nose. Gentle only — to the first hint of stretch, never into pain. Keep shoulder stretches shallow (no deep anterior stretch).
| Stretch | Hold | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Figure-4 (hold a chair) | 30–45s / side | Cross ankle over knee, sit back gently. Hips + glutes — counters sitting. |
| Standing Hip-Flexor (hand on wall) | 30–45s / side | Split stance, tuck the tailbone, push the hip gently forward. |
| Hamstring — Heel on Chair | 30–45s / side | Tall spine, hinge from the hip not the low back, soft knee. |
| Standing Quad (hold the wall) | 30–45s / side | Knees together, heel toward glute, stand tall. Ease off if it pinches the knee. |
| Doorway Pec Opener — low hand | 30s / side | Forearm on the frame at chest height, elbow below shoulder, step through softly. Shallow opener, not a deep stretch — protects the left shoulder. |
| Band-Assisted Lat Stretch | 30s / side | Band anchored in a door, hinge back and sink — breathe into the sides of your back. |
| Standing Calf on Wall | 30–45s / side | Back leg straight, heel glued to the floor, lean into the wall. |
Foam Roller — Optional Add-On
Only if you have one — nothing in the plan requires it. Slow passes, pause and breathe on tender spots, never sharp pain. Never roll directly over the kneecap or the joint line — roll the muscle above and below it.
| Area | Time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Quads | 45–60s | Before lower-body sessions. Forearms on the floor, slow passes on the thigh — stop above the kneecap. |
| Calves | 45–60s | Slow passes below the knee; ease off near the joint line. |
| Lats (side-lying) | 30–45s / side | Before upper-body sessions. Roller under the armpit, roll the side of the back. |
| Glutes & Hamstrings | ~60s | After lower-body sessions. Sit on the roller, tip to one side, slide down the hamstring. |
| Upper Back (thoracic) | 30–45s | After upper-body sessions. Chin gently tucked, roll mid-back to shoulder blades — never the neck, never arch backwards over the roller. |
🔑 Lifestyle — Habits & Sleep
5 Anchor Habits
These 5 habits ARE the plan. Everything else builds on them. If something breaks down, come back to this list first.
Habit 1 · Every Morning
🌅 Walk / Zone-2 after waking
Light exposure + easy movement resets the circadian clock and starts chipping at visceral fat without loading the knee. 15 min minimum. Shoes on is the only commitment.
Habit 2 · Every Meal
🥩 High protein, ≤18 g fat
Protein shields ~90 kg of lean mass through the deficit; the fat cap protects the pancreas. Every meal option in the plan is already built to both — just follow them.
Habit 3 · Daily, 5–8 min
🦵 Knee & shoulder mobility
TKE, straight-leg raises and band pull-aparts every day — not just training days. This is active prehab that lets you keep training around the joints instead of stopping.
Habit 4 · Weekly
⚖️ Weigh 3×/week, judge the average
Use the weekly average, not any single reading. No movement in 14 days at ≥90% adherence → drop 150 kcal from rest-day carbs. Never below the protein/fat floors.
Habit 5 · Every Night
🌙 Magnesium + wind-down · Bed by 23:00
Sleep is where muscle is protected and appetite hormones reset. Magnesium bisglycinate in the evening + a dark, screen-off wind-down is the highest-leverage recovery tool you have.
Sleep Protocol — Targeting 7.5h, Quality 4+/5
Why sleep matters most for recomp: Poor sleep raises cortisol (drives visceral fat — your top lever on the cholesterol), spikes appetite and cravings, and blunts recovery from lifting. Improving sleep by 60–90 min compounds across every other goal.
Target
7.5h / night
Fixed Wake
Same time daily
Bedtime
23:00
Nap Rule
Max 20 min, early afternoon
Room Temp
18–20 °C
Screen Off
22:00 latest
Evening Wind-Down Protocol
| Time | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 20:00 | Finish eating | 3-hour gap before sleep improves sleep quality + gut rest |
| 21:00 | Dim lights · Magnesium bisglycinate | Darkness triggers melatonin; magnesium reduces sleep latency |
| 22:00 | Screens off (phone in another room) | Blue light suppresses melatonin; phone in bedroom keeps you wired |
| 22:30 | 10 min reading or gentle stretching | Transitions the nervous system from "on" to "off" |
| 23:00 | Lights out | Target 7.5h |
⚠️ If sleep quality stays 3/5 or below despite this protocol + magnesium for a few weeks, raise it with your GP — untreated poor sleep will stall both the fat loss and the recovery from training.
💊 Supplement Protocol
| Supplement | Dose | Timing | Why for You |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pea / Rice Protein | As needed to hit protein target | Post-training / any slot | Replaces whey — whey is β-lactoglobulin, your #1 intolerance. Plant blend covers the amino profile without cow-dairy. |
| Creatine Monohydrate | 5 g | Daily, any time | Most-evidenced strength/lean-mass aid; safe and cheap. Supports the recomp while dropping fat. |
| Magnesium Bisglycinate | ~300 mg | Evening | Sleep quality + recovery; gentle, well-absorbed form. |
| Kreon (pancreatic enzymes) | Per prescription | With the fattier meals | Replaces the enzymes the pancreas can't make — the reason fat is capped at ≤18 g/meal even with it. |
| Daosin (DAO enzyme) | Situational | Before higher-histamine meals | Tops up low DAO before a meal you know runs higher-histamine (eating out, unavoidable aged foods). |
| Meteospasmyl | PRN | As needed | For bloating / GI spasm flare-ups. |
🩺 Doctor's call, not self-start:
- Omega-3 / psyllium / plant sterols — helpful for the lipids, which are improving on lifestyle (LDL 196 ↓ / TG 294 ↓, HDL up to 61.5). Still worth reviewing with the GP/lipidologist, but less urgent than at 245 / 422 — coordinate any supplements with them, not on your own.
- 🚫 L-carnitine — on hold (TMAO / cardiovascular concern given the lipid picture).
- 🚫 Whey / any cow-dairy protein — β-lactoglobulin is the #1 intolerance.
🍽️ Food Log
Tap 🍽 to log today's meals.
📊 Progress
⚖️ Smart-Scale Body Composition
Body Composition scans
Log each smart-scale reading — your weight feeds the weight trend (Profile tab) and your coach dashboard. Tip: uploading a “Scale screenshot” in Photos below opens this form pre-filled and links the photo. Weigh 3×/week, same conditions; judge the weekly average, not any single day.
Body Measurements
Tape measurements (circumferences). Weight & body-fat live in the Smart-Scale scans above. Add a new set whenever you re-measure — weekly is ideal, same time of day.
Progress Photos
Up to 10 photos — front / side / back progress shots, or a screenshot from your smart-scale app. Only you and your coach can see these; they never appear elsewhere.
Exercise Log
Overall effort: