What does your diet look like?
 

Alright I know there are a couple people on here that are very knowledgeable in nutrition. I am trying to start a new diet a cut out all the bad food and start eating well because I know thats holding me back. I'm trying to get an idea on diets. This is what I eat on a normal basis.

Breakfast-
Bagel and cream cheese with water or a bowl of cereal

Snack-
Muffin and a 20oz Dr. Pepper

Lunch-
Meat sandwich on wheat and a nutrigrain bar and a water

Snack-
Canned soup saltine crackers and a water

Dinner-
Some times I don't eat dinner or I'll eat a sandwich and some water.

I don't think I eat to bad but not enough. This weekend I cut fast food from my diet. I cut back drastically on the soda. I am 5'11" and 170. I think I am skinny fat and want to still put on size and eventually start cutting but I want to bulk first. I used to take supplements but stopped because I didn't feel like they did anything. I am not against taking them again tho. I workout 4 times a week and do cardio at least 2 times a week. Hopefully someone can chim in and give me some insights on what I should be eating then what is above.

Most supplements do very little. Definitely stick to the basics, when you add them in.

Your diet is mostly carbs. It is quite honestly pretty crappy.

Read this. BUT do the reverse. Instead of subtract 650 calories from your maintenance add 500.


Eat 4-5 meals a day.

After you read that, report back with the numbers you got(protein/carb/fat), and your bodyweight, and we can see if you are on the right track.

If you need something that is going to physically tell you exactly what to eat read this.


It will lay it all out for you with food quantities, meals, etc.

HTH

3400 is my caloric baseline, 255g of protein per day and 1020 calories devoted to protein, fat intake is was 884 calories a day or I think 98g, Carbs was 1496 calories or 374g per day. My body wieght is 170.

Here's what I eat it might not be the healthiest but I've lost weight and it's cheap and easy

Breakfast-1 bowl fiber one w/light soy milk

1st break-sandwich w/ fat free cheese and low sodium lunch meat with yogurt

2nd break-salad w/albacore tuna and fat free ranch with banana

Lunch-sandwich w/ fat free cheese and low sodium lunch meat with almonds, carrots and celery

3rd break-sandwich w/ fat free cheese and low sodium lunch meat with yogurt

Water all day

Are you naturally pretty skinny?

I would start around 15 cal/lb +500= 3050calories

Protein(1.5)-255g(1020cal)
Fat(25%)-85g(765)
Carb-315(1260)

I think that would be a decent starting point for bulking. If you start to pick up fat quickly, rather then cut total calories, I would keep the calories the same on your workout days, and maybe drop 500 off on non workout days.

Wow my math sucks lol. I've always been pretty skinny I was 130 at 18 and I'm 22 right now.

I think that should get you on your way.

Even if you wanted to start at maintenance for a few weeks, say 2500 calories, and then jump to 3000 when progress slows that is an option, and may be an easier transition.

Something like this to start:
255 pro(1020cal)
70 fat(630cal)
215g carb(860)
-------------------
2510 Calories


What days do you lift, and what time typically?

Mon to Thursday around 4.

Try and get the majority of carbs around your workouts. I would say maybe 60% between pre/post workout meals.

Alright sweet thanks for the help man.

Noo worries. Report back with your progress.

That article was a really good read! I am always afraid of too many carbs, looks like i need to make a few changes :)

Yea just keep in mind if you don't handle carbs well you may need to drop them some. If you are an endomorph start on the low end.

What you can do is set up a workout day with it outlined as he lays out, and then a "non" where you lower carbs, and raise fat a bit. Typically I will do like 125-140 on workout days, and 0-40 on non, depending where I am in my dieting.

Or you can do a more in-depth carb cycle like this

First thing I noticed was the incredicble amount of junk and procesged foods you are taking in. I dont really see and solid sources of protein besides a few slices of meat. I dont have the time to write out a meal plan but I would definitely advise eggs and or a protein shake for breakfast. I do both personally. Cream cheese is OK at best but it's loaded with low quality fat. You want to get almond and better quality fat in your diet but.


HAve to agree completely with this. I like to get a large amount of my carbs in around training time. IT wont hurt to get some oats in the morning and since you're probably a hard gainer, carbs before bed will not hurt. Supplements really dont do anything. They MAY help a BIT but the dieting is really going to show you the results your after

Cut out the carbs completely for two weeks. Eat only meat and fat. Bring complex carbs in slowly when you hit your desired weight. Bagels? come on man.

Bagels are fine as a carb source. I probably wouldn't slather it with full fat cream cheese, or butter though..heh

I dont know about cutting out carbs completely. Actually, it's a great way to get burned out and give up when the diet is unrealistic like that. I like to eat whole wheat bagels when I dont have time to make oatmeal.

That was never a set diet like this is what I'm going to eat. Thats just what I ate on the norm never really thought about it just ate what I liked.

IMO, you dont need to get all crazy. Just get some more protein in there and try to get better carbs.

Breakfast - nothing And two oxyelite pro
Lunch - Some kind of chicken with fruit and a veggie and one oxyelite pro
Dinner - Go to gym before and get a little turkey sandwich

Thats not enough food. people get so carried away with supps, you guys need to eat... said with love haha!

Yea unless that is 2lbs of chicken at lunch, and 3lbs of turkey on a full loaf of bread at dinner..hahah

or

You are a woman.

or

12 years old, and 98lbs

u guys ever deviate from your diet and feel like shit and guilty as fck afterwards?
mine wasnt even bad(one cup of fries from Pat's and one spicy chili dog)
but right now i feel like i gotta fast, water log, n do 30 min of heavy bag.

All the time. I don't get too worried about it though. We arent machines so it's hard to eat perfect constantly. As long as you have a solid general gameplan and get your nutrition in, there isnt anything to stress about. It take years to develop a good body

I'm a machine. lol

Na but seriously I almost never break my diet, but I have my once a week refeed in which I pretty much cancel out any cravings I have. I just prefer it that way, I need a lot of structure.

I took down about 17k calories this Saturday.


That said you gotta live life, especially if you're not getting ready for a show, etc. If you mess up, move on and just get back to it, don't stress over it.

If you are moving in the right direction and making progress, then don't worry about it once in a while. If it becomes so frequent you are not progressing or crawling along you might want to step back and ask yourself if you need to make some changes.

Wow, awesome info. I will definitely be reading into those articles, thanks!!

consistency is what counts. Remember just like mother earth she has 4 seasons, our bodies need breaks as well from constant strict dieting/supplements/working out as well. If it was always winter or always fall or always summer we'd be fucked!

direct quote from Big A ifbb Pro. easy stuff to follow man. get to it!! Train intense and keep the protein flowing!

i dont know man, Han in Tokyo Drift put away food like noones buisness. he was fuckin eating in every scene, even most of the driving scenes lol

eating little cupcakes or fortune cookies hah, get your ass some chicken and rice with asparagus. get two or three cans of tuna gobble it down, buy a whole chicken from frys and murder it, hell eat the fucking skin too.