Need Some Advice on my Diet

[Jonesyy]

Posted a section in the steroids questions and answers and took the advice to come here to see if I can help my diet.

Another problem with the fact I cannot gain weight is probably because I have had worked out for me my matabolism is through the roof. I think a couple of years ago I needed 6000+ a day just to gain weight and for somebody with a low-natural appetite this is a hell of a lot. My other reason for steroids/pro-hormones is because I effing hate how low my natural testosterone levels are. It's almost impossible to get me worked up I'm so laid back but it also makes me too relaxed about things, including my training.

When I do put on weight I am usually hungrier more often, but otherwise my stomach is small so I try to eat little and often, which becomes as much of a pain as anything.

My diet currently at University is as follows: Bare in mind I am not going to the gym atm, as I will be going home in a month and then will be busy all summer working/holidaying. My main gym focus will start in August/September time to coincide with being back at Uni.

8-9am: Not a fan on cereals etc so often go for sausages/bacon/beans/toast or all together. May have a multi-vit at the same time.

12-1pm: Lunch usually has pasta in it, with tuna sometimes or perhaps even on its own.

4-6pm: Dinner usually chicken/fish/steak (cheap kind obv lol). Could be with pasta, peas, beans, chips, eggs, salad.

8pm - 10pm: Usually get hungry before bed. Cheese, fruit, bread, maybe treat myself to some chocolate or crisps or whatever.

Bed.

If I am training I have half a serving of serious mass 3 times a day after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. on training days I also have a protein drink straight after workout. I also drink mostly water/squash.

Thing is I am well and truly aware my diet isn't perfect, and sometimes I may get up too late for breakfast entirely. I try harder when I'm working out, and when I'm getting gains I end up enjoying the food more as well so eat more. Thing is I've stopped getting gains, probably due to my diet.

Go ahead, rip apart my diet guys :P I'll probably appreciate it in the long run if I can learn from it!

Budget is and isn't an issue. I am not stingy on food (canned food everyday or noodles like my flatmates) but I also cannot afford 3 whole chickens a day for example.

Thanks again,
Dan

[Jonesyy]

Just read another thread on here and came across the Harris Benedict Forumla.
Mine was 66+959+939.8+149.6 which came to 2114.
I think multiplied this by 1.55 due to the fact when I go to the gym it is either 4 or 5 times a week. This came to a total of 3277.

I have no idea how much I intake but I would imagine I should increase that to at minimum 4000 to gain weight and put on muscle mass. If I do decide to fix my diet I will probably keep a diary and follow a pre-made menu... maybe 3 so I can switch between days so I do not get too bored.

[SlimmerMe]

WELCOME TO THE DIET FORUM!

YOUR LIFE WILL CHANGE NOW!

So glad you are here Jonesyy........

[Jonesyy]

Thanks for the support SlimmerMe
Hopefully I will be able to turn around my confidence and work back up and beyond.

[SlimmerMe]

You are welcome. I will follow your progress.

[gbrice75]

Posted a section in the steroids questions and answers and took the advice to come here to see if I can help my diet.

Good idea!

Another problem with the fact I cannot gain weight is probably because I have had worked out for me my matabolism is through the roof. I think a couple of years ago I needed 6000+ a day just to gain weight and for somebody with a low-natural appetite this is a hell of a lot.

That, or you were eating 6000+ calories of crappy food that nobody would gain quality weight on, which is what I am assuming your goal was/is

My other reason for steroids /pro-hormones is because I effing hate how low my natural testosterone levels are. It's almost impossible to get me worked up I'm so laid back but it also makes me too relaxed about things, including my training.

Is the bold what you're basing your 'low natural test levels' on, or have you actually been tested? If you have been tested, what were the results?

When I do put on weight I am usually hungrier more often, but otherwise my stomach is small so I try to eat little and often, which becomes as much of a pain as anything.

Again, probably because you're making crappy food choices. Eat 6-8oz of a lean protein and a huge bowl of greens and tell me if you're still hungry. As for the small stomach, man up!!! Your stomach will literally stretch over time (not very long either) to accommodate more food

My diet currently at University is as follows: Bare in mind I am not going to the gym atm, as I will be going home in a month and then will be busy all summer working/holidaying. My main gym focus will start in August/September time to coincide with being back at Uni.

Let me get this straight - you aren't going to the gym, but came to a steroid forum looking for info on juicing? Sorry, don't mean to be harsh, but I don't get it. What did you expect to get out of it? With that said, what is your goal with your diet? If you're not working out, what are you aiming to do? Or, are you prepping a diet for August/Sept?

8-9am: Not a fan on cereals etc so often go for sausages/bacon/beans/toast or all together. May have a multi-vit at the same time.

12-1pm: Lunch usually has pasta in it, with tuna sometimes or perhaps even on its own.

4-6pm: Dinner usually chicken/fish/steak (cheap kind obv lol). Could be with pasta, peas, beans, chips, eggs, salad.

8pm - 10pm: Usually get hungry before bed. Cheese, fruit, bread, maybe treat myself to some chocolate or crisps or whatever.

Bed.

If I am training I have half a serving of serious mass 3 times a day after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner. on training days I also have a protein drink straight after workout. I also drink mostly water/squash.

Thing is I am well and truly aware my diet isn't perfect, and sometimes I may get up too late for breakfast entirely. I try harder when I'm working out, and when I'm getting gains I end up enjoying the food more as well so eat more. Thing is I've stopped getting gains, probably due to my diet.

Not probably, but definitely!

Go ahead, rip apart my diet guys :P I'll probably appreciate it in the long run if I can learn from it!

There's not much to rip apart TBH. It's not a BBing type diet, you didn't give us macros, serving sizes, etc. we have no idea how much you're eating. See one of my diets at the end of the post for an idea of a balanced plan. Note I am not posting it for you to copy, as we undoubtedly have different nutritional needs. I am hoping it will give you some ideas though, on food choice, meal timing, etc.

Budget is and isn't an issue. I am not stingy on food (canned food everyday or noodles like my flatmates) but I also cannot afford 3 whole chickens a day for example.

Thanks again,
Dan[/QUOTE]


GB's Current Diet:

PROTEIN/CARBS/FAT/TOTAL CALORIES

MEAL 1 - PRE-WORKOUT
4:30am

Premier protein shake - 30/5/3/160
1 cup oats - 10/52/5/280
1 Extra Large Whole Egg - 7/0/5/90
1/2 cup liquid egg whites - 12/2/0/60
1/2 cup blueberries - 0/10/0/40

TOTALS: 60/70/12.5/620

5:30am - WORKOUT, followed by 1 hour cardio

MEAL 2 - POST WORKOUT
7:30am

1 cup oats - 10/52/5/280
2 scoops Myofusion - 50/10/6/315

TOTAL: 60/60/11/600

MEAL 3
10:00am

6oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast - 36/0/2.5/165
7oz Sweet Potato - 3/35/0/150
1 Cup Green Beans - 1/4/0/20

TOTALS: 40/40/2/350

MEAL 4
1:00pm

4oz 95/5 Lean Ground Beef - 35/0/7/200
1/2 cup (a little over) Brown Rice - 5/40/1/180
1/4 cup tomato sauce - 0/3/0/12
2 cups baby spinach - 2/2/0/15

TOTALS: 40/45/8/415

MEAL 5
4:00pm

3/4 cup 1% Milk Fat Cottage Cheese, No Sodium Added: 20/7.5/2.5/135
1 scoop ON 100% Casein - 24/3/1/120
2tbsp PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter - 4/6/1/50

TOTALS: 50/15/4/300

MEAL 6
7:00pm

6oz Broiled Tilapia - 35/0/3/165
1 cup broccoli - 3/6/0/30
1tsp EVOO - 0/0/5/45

TOTALS: 40/6/8/235

MEAL 7
10:00pm

1 cup 1% Milk Fat Cottage Cheese, No Sodium Added: 26/10/3/180

TOTALS: 26/10/3/180 (could add more fats here but happy with totals as is)

DAILY TOTALS: 315/250/50/2700

46% protein, 37% carbs, 17% fat

[Jonesyy]

Thanks for the truly in-depth reply gbrice75.

What I want to address most of all is your part about me not training. I've stopped training because I have 3 weeks left here at Uni, with exams throughout. After this I go home for 1 week, then go to Africa for a month. That leaves 2 months left in the summer and I know I will be working 5 days a week 9 hours a day due to scholarship. I am wanting to prepare a good diet, and possibly any supplements or whatever to accompany it, for September when I start Uni again. Then I have 3 months where I can solidly train, and hopefully see some good gains.

I have never had my test levels actually tested, but I have always felt a 'lacking' aggression. Maybe it is my personality and not my testosterone levels but when I took some of my friends prohormones (5 days, as a test but stopped after 2 due to realisation of stupidity) I instantly felt more pumped all the time if you get me. I think the lack of spirit in this regards is partially due to some private things that hit me pretty hard though, that I am only just really getting away from.

The first step is to research what foods I am needing, as well as nutritional needs. So far I have worked out I need between 3000-4000 calories now based on the theory in a thread on here. If I aim for 4000-4500 a day I will probably get enough.

Next I need to work out what I am going to eat and when, and that is where I am most ignorant. I should probably make 3 different but similar daily plans so I do not get bored making the same every day. Then I should also pick my supplements to help get to the high calorie intake levels without busting my bank account lol.

I'll repost on here when I have done this, but I have no idea how long it will take as I am quite new to this.

[gbrice75]

Thanks for the truly in-depth reply gbrice75.

What I want to address most of all is your part about me not training. I've stopped training because I have 3 weeks left here at Uni, with exams throughout. After this I go home for 1 week, then go to Africa for a month. That leaves 2 months left in the summer and I know I will be working 5 days a week 9 hours a day due to scholarship. I am wanting to prepare a good diet, and possibly any supplements or whatever to accompany it, for September when I start Uni again. Then I have 3 months where I can solidly train, and hopefully see some good gains.

Understood bro, and it's never a bad thing to have plenty of time to plan.

I have never had my test levels actually tested, but I have always felt a 'lacking' aggression. Maybe it is my personality and not my testosterone levels but when I took some of my friends prohormones (5 days, as a test but stopped after 2 due to realisation of stupidity) I instantly felt more pumped all the time if you get me.

A feeling is definitely not enough of anything to make a decision on with something like this, IMO. If you seriously think you might have an inbalance and/or be low, you should get tested. Just have bloodwork done and be sure to tell them you specifically want your test levels measured.

The first step is to research what foods I am needing, as well as nutritional needs. So far I have worked out I need between 3000-4000 calories now based on the theory in a thread on here. If I aim for 4000-4500 a day I will probably get enough.

Next I need to work out what I am going to eat and when, and that is where I am most ignorant. I should probably make 3 different but similar daily plans so I do not get bored making the same every day. Then I should also pick my supplements to help get to the high calorie intake levels without busting my bank account lol.

TBH, I think 3 separate plans will be a pain to manage. Maybe switch up every week or something, but I think it would be MUCH easier to cook in bulk and eat the same things every day for a week. It's up to you, but it's hard enough (in the beginning) to maintain a single proper diet; 3 diets sounds daunting!

That said - if you choose to do so, lean proteins are pretty much interchangeable, same with complex carbs, so long as macros are very close.

I'll repost on here when I have done this, but I have no idea how long it will take as I am quite new to this.

We'll be here!

[Jonesyy]

Gb do you have that same schedule every single day?

Also, can you recommend some good starting points/foods that I may not think of, such as seeds/etc

[Jonesyy]

Ok guys first attempt here, please criticise and help me adjust it.

Stats:
Age 20.5
Weight 155
Height 6ft 1-2
BF 11%

I have spent the good part of the day reading these forums and watching the videos from Milos Sarcev (very informative, thanks for sharing). He taught me some valuable points that have helped me calculate this dietary plan so far. I know understand most what I need to know to get what I need, when I need it and how I need it. Hopefully I am not too far off.

I have worked this on the idea that 1g Protein = 4 calories. 1g carbohydrates = 4 calories and 1g fat = 9 calories (roughly).
Also, my bodyweight is a little under 155 and I know for a fact I am ectomorphic so I have worked my allowances out based on this.

Protein per day = 155 x 1.5 = 240.
Over time will adjust, but one point I will make now is in my plan I noticed a lack of protein and an excess of carbs. What I have also worked out is that carbs are a damned site cheaper than protein :P

Carbohydrates per day = 400 - 500g.
Hard gainer so I can pack these on without worrying, and the more I get better both energy wise (therefore, motivation and performance) and weight-gain wise.

Fats per day = 100g max.
Good fats for the most part. Omega 3/6 and other unsaturated mono/polys. Some saturated but avoided where possible.

I didn't work out calories at the start because I wanted to get the right mix of P/C/F's first. It turned out to be 3154 per day, which is pretty much around what I was aiming at due to being a hardgainer. 3000-4000. Point is I need protein first, the building blocks for muscle growth. My matabolism should slow down as I follow this diet if I have worked it out properly.

Now I have worked that out I can plan my diet, but first my gym routine. These are in no order in terms of what order I do the exercises, the point I am trying to make is getting in the compounds and which days I train what.

Low reps + high weight for me obviously, for the time being.

Monday = Chest
Incline
Decline
Flat
Flys

Tuesday = Back
Deadlift
Bent over Rows
Chin ups

Wednesday = Legs
Squats
Steps
Machines

Thursday = Day Off

Friday = Arms and Abs
EZ Bar Curls
Tricep Dips
Dumbell Curls
Tricep Curls (forgot their names)
Tricep Rope Pulldown

Saturday = Shoulders
Dumbell press
Shrugs
Lateral raises

Sunday = Day Off


Awesome, now that's done the most important part is my diet. I have tried to include foods which are best, with supplementary ingredients to add flavour in some cases. I've heard if it tastes good, spit it out. Fair enough :P I've made some notes at the end about my concerns/queries.

Supplements Used
Serious Mass (per serving) 50/250/4/1250
Instant Whey from myprotein.co.uk (worth looking at, good site). 24/0/0.4/150
Possibly a No-Xplody

Then Multi-Vit tablet and fish oils tablets.

P/C/F/Cals

Remember I am working on the basis of 1g Protein = 4 cals. 1g Carbs = 4 cals. 1g Fat = 9 cals. (From Milos Sarcev)
Also, my nutritional facts are taken from internet sources and may not be reliable.

Meal 1 - 8-9am
200g Oats in a Banana Water Mix
100% Whey Protein

44.1/164.8/8.2/777.1

Meal 2 - 10am - 11am
1/2 serving Serious Mass (my weight gainer of choice)

25/126/2/547

Meal 3 - 12pm - 1pm
2 x hard boiled egg
and Beans on Brown Toast (2 slices)

30/78.5/10.4/433.6

Meal 4 - 3pm - 4pm
Tuna in Pasta

50/92/3.9/453.1

Meal 5 - Interchangeable due to Workout Times, used immediately post-workout.
Instant 100% Whey + Banana

25.3/27/0.4/137

May add some carbs in the form of 100g pasta/brown rice when I get home, but over the day I seem to have plenty of carbs and Meal 6 will have carbs too

Meal 6 - 5pm - 7pm
Chicken Breast (sliced) with Brown Rice and Lite Dolmio Sauce
and Multi Vit Tablet

35.5/51/9.9/328

Meal 7 - 9pm - 10pm
Cottage Cheese (100g) + Fish Oils
+ 50g Wenslydale cheese (guilty pleasure) + Apple

26/23/40/478

10pm - 11pm
BED

Totals:
232/562/75/3154

I like how I have somehow even managed to keep the cost load. Apart from the meat and some of the other bits I'm really not spending too much. The protein drinks are roughly 50p per drink and will last me a little over a month. Sorted

Going to hopefully ride this to my genetic limit. If I am happy I will steer well clear of steroids /pro-hormones but if this diet/a modified version doesn't work I will literally not know what will apart from them, and even then it wouldn't be a magical permo-fix. Not sure about things like No-Xplode though. Can help your work-out sure, and all my friends love it so might try it.

Points and Query's

1. I seem to have an excess of protein and slightly less protein than I would have liked. Any advice?
2. What can I put with cottage cheese, seriously. I've heard it's not the best on its own but never tried.
3. Wenslydale cheese is my secret pleasure, decent apart from it being high in saturated fats. Plus is there is no cholesterol in it.
4. My dinner meal is also going to be changed occasionally. Chicken could be replaced with fish/beef etc to keep my body guessing.
5. Banana post-workout will restore my glycogen levels due to its sugar content I believe?
6. Serious Mass is my weight gain of choice, good value for money, good for hard gainers, BCAA's, everything you need.
7. Hard Boiled vs Scrambled I am not sure on. I've heard scrambled is as good or slightly worse than hard-boiled, but the fact is both have similar protein levels and I prefer Hard Boiled in texture and taste. Let me know if you disagree.
8. Banana Oat Mix is my invention. Makes the oats go down better, makes it more interesting and adds some quick releasing energy.
9. Anybody know of any ways to make unflavoured protein have a slight taste to it? Thought about adding some fruit but I'm not sure.
10. Pretty much every meal comes with water. Up to around 4-6L a day I think. Maybe very lightly diluted squash in it to give it a reasonable taste.
11. Finally, any recommended foods I've missed?

I think that is everything. Thanks for reading and I look forward to your feedback!




edit://
I just realised I am heavily missing on vegetables. Will probably add to meal 6 and meal 4 where I can. Peas/Carrots/Salad.

So excited to try this I am going to start this week while my gym membership is still running. It is an awful gym but it shouldnt matter.

[SlimmerMe]

You've done a lot of homework! Now I am going to be thinking about that cheese. We are on opposite ends of the spectrum here! You want to gain and I want to shed that BF.

I bet you will see a transformation soon.

[Jonesyy]

Fancy giving me some of yours as an easy fix then?

Lucky for me I soak up knowledge like this especially if I enjoy the subject; shame it doesn't happen with my coursework and revision! haha.
Also luckily for me is few foods make me really want to eat. I eat what I need to eat, for some reason the only food I seem addicted to (for lack of a better word) is the Wenslydale haha. Wish it was as healthy as cottage cheese, not sure I'm going to enjoy that bit!

[SlimmerMe]

I can't stand cottage cheese either. BUT! I have it in my pancake recipe and it is disguised.

[Jonesyy]

I can't stand cottage cheese either. BUT! I have it in my pancake recipe and it is disguised.

May have to experiment adding stuff to it, you never know. Hopefully, I'll just like it.