Building muscle mass with food

[Hsheer]

Histoy:

I've started weight lifting on 2000 (18 yrs old) till 2004 which means 4 yrs of training. My maximum weight was 80 kg (176 lb). I don't remember my bf but i was not ripped for sure

I didn't know how to diet properly I think it was very poor diet. two meals a day and use whatever supplement i can get.

I didn't train my legs.

Back to The Game:

Now after 6 yrs I'm back into weight lifting but i want to do it the correct way this time. I've started from the end of may this year and i was concentrating on getting used to the weights and burn my bf to start a proper diet without thinking of the fat gaining too much.

I'm training my legs this time

Current stats:

weight : 70 kg (154 lb)
height: 175 cm
bf: 11% (measured by an Electronic device in the Gym but i think i'm less than that)
Cycle Exp: never

Chest Press: 40kg on each side
Shoulder press: 30 kg on each side
leg press: 20 kg on each side
Biceps Dumbbells: 24 kg
Chin-ups: 8 reps max

Goals:
my main goal is to get a six pack (never had them in my life). But before that i want to reach 85 kg (187 lb) of lean muscle mass by march 2012 (I don't it's achievable or not) before i start cutting and aim for the six pack

difficulties:
-I can't find casein protein in our area
-I work from 07:00 to 03:00, so it's difficult to eat at this duration so i've aimed for a previously prepared food like sandwich or salad


Diet:
I've tried my best on the diet but i still think it needs a lot of work

you can find a detailed excel sheet on this link
https://files.me.com/hsheer/hdb03b


Meal 1: 6am
Whey Protien + 1 cup Oat + Skimmed milk + 1 tbsp Honey + 1 Banana
I really want to remove the whey protein to reduce the use of the supplement but i've already included eggs in the next meal

Meal 2: 10am
4 egg whites +2 whole egg + Mixed raw nuts
Large Bowl Green Salad
(+) Lemon
(+) tpsp Olive Oil
(+) tbsp Balsamic Vineger
or replace the salad with a whole wheat bread w/out flour + lettuce + tomato + diet slice cheddar cheese

Meal 3: 1pm
6oz Skinless chicken Breast + 1 tbsp Flax seed Oil + 1 banana + Viggies
or fish or shrimp

Meal 4: 4pm
3oz Skinless Chicken Breast + 1 Cups Brown rice + Viggie Salad

Meal 5: PW
whey protien + 1 tbsp honey + banana

Meal 6: PPW (around 7-8pm)
Tuna in water(fried) + 2 sweet Potato
Maybe i'll add a whole wheat bread w/out flour, and I'll take extra caution not to add to much oil while cooking the tuna

Meal 7: before bed
200g of cottage cheese

Total:

Calories: 3302
Protein: 230
Carbs: 380.08
Fat: 72.14
Cholesterol: 474 mg

Questions:
-Can I add turkey slices ?? I've heard it's full of sodium
-how much is the recommended sodium intake per day ?
-am I taking too much protein ? I've heard it can damage the liver

Note that i've calculated the BMR and TDEE using one of the sticky threads

My Workout is posted in the workout section, please review and comment
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=443878

Please Comment.

[Hsheer]

Any comments please ?

[gbrice75]

Histoy:

I've started weight lifting on 2000 (18 yrs old) till 2004 which means 4 yrs of training. My maximum weight was 80 kg (176 lb). I don't remember my bf but i was not ripped for sure

I didn't know how to diet properly I think it was very poor diet. two meals a day and use whatever supplement i can get.

I didn't train my legs.

Back to The Game:

Now after 6 yrs I'm back into weight lifting but i want to do it the correct way this time. I've started from the end of may this year and i was concentrating on getting used to the weights and burn my bf to start a proper diet without thinking of the fat gaining too much.

I'm training my legs this time

Current stats:

weight : 70 kg (154 lb)
height: 175 cm
bf: 11% (measured by an Electronic device in the Gym but i think i'm less than that)
Cycle Exp: never

Chest Press: 40kg on each side
Shoulder press: 30 kg on each side
leg press: 20 kg on each side
Biceps Dumbbells: 24 kg
Chin-ups: 8 reps max

Goals:
my main goal is to get a six pack (never had them in my life). But before that i want to reach 85 kg (187 lb) of lean muscle mass by march 2012 (I don't it's achievable or not) before i start cutting and aim for the six pack

difficulties:
-I can't find casein protein in our area
-I work from 07:00 to 03:00, so it's difficult to eat at this duration so i've aimed for a previously prepared food like sandwich or salad


Diet:
I've tried my best on the diet but i still think it needs a lot of work

you can find a detailed excel sheet on this link
https://files.me.com/hsheer/hdb03b


Meal 1: 6am
Whey Protien + 1 cup Oat + Skimmed milk + 1 tbsp Honey + 1 Banana
I really want to remove the whey protein to reduce the use of the supplement but i've already included eggs in the next meal

Drop the milk, honey and banana. Move the eggs from meal 2 to this meal. Keep the shake for quick am protein.

Meal 2: 10am
4 egg whites +2 whole egg + Mixed raw nuts
Large Bowl Green Salad
(+) Lemon
(+) tpsp Olive Oil
(+) tbsp Balsamic Vineger
or replace the salad with a whole wheat bread w/out flour + lettuce + tomato + diet slice cheddar cheese

Too much time between meals, you need to try your best to make this meal 2.5-3 hours after the first, no more than 3. Since we moved the eggs to meal 1, replace with a lean protein source. Drop the mixed nuts and add a complex carb here instead. Definitely do not do that sandwich

Meal 3: 1pm
6oz Skinless chicken Breast + 1 tbsp Flax seed Oil + 1 banana + Viggies
or fish or shrimp

Drop the banana, add a complex carb

Meal 4: 4pm
3oz Skinless Chicken Breast + 1 Cups Brown rice + Viggie Salad

Finally a good meal! Why only 3oz of chicken here?

Meal 5: PW
whey protien + 1 tbsp honey + banana

I'd drop the honey here, possibly add 1/2 cup oats to the shake

Meal 6: PPW (around 7-8pm)
Tuna in water(fried) + 2 sweet Potato
Maybe i'll add a whole wheat bread w/out flour, and I'll take extra caution not to add to much oil while cooking the tuna

Good meal, except do not add the bread!

Meal 7: before bed
200g of cottage cheese

Good! Whole milk cottage cheese?

Total:

Calories: 3302
Protein: 230
Carbs: 380.08
Fat: 72.14
Cholesterol: 474 mg

Questions:
-Can I add turkey slices ?? I've heard it's full of sodium
-how much is the recommended sodium intake per day ?
-am I taking too much protein ? I've heard it can damage the liver

Deli meat/cold cuts are a poor low quality choice full of sodium and preservatives. Avoid whenever possible. As for protein intake, I would actually raise yours to 250g and drop carbs down to 350g. Fat is perfect where it is

Note that i've calculated the BMR and TDEE using one of the sticky threads

My Workout is posted in the workout section, please review and comment
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=443750

Please Comment.

Comments above in bold

[Damienm05]

PM noted. Gbrice has you fixed up perfectly.

[Hsheer]

this reply is depend on gbrice75 comments

before i update my plan, there are some questions i need to ask

Meal 1:
- is the whey protein first thing in the morning is a must or i can replace it with food ?

- If i added whey protein in the morning can i make my first meal after 1 or two hours

- I've added the milk and honey to mix it with the milk for a better taste, i thought the milk is a good source of casein protein ?

Meal 2:
- I'll reduce the time between meals as per your recommendation

- when is the best time for the mixed raw nuts ?

- Can I eat oat again as a complex carbs

- if you mean meat, fish and chicken by lean protein ? it's difficult to prepare one while i'm in work. This is why the first meal is at 4 pm which means after work

Meal 3:
- can you please give me a good source of complex carbs that can be easily prepared while i'm in work

-I've noticed that you are always asking me to drop the banana, Why ? I thought it's good ? and rich in calories ?

Meal 4:
- 3oz because i thought that i'm taking too much protein, so i've decided to reduce the chicken in this meal since i'm eating too much rice and i may be full

Meal 5:
-I've added honey in the shake because one thread recommended to add some sugar source after workout

- do you mean raw oat mixed with the protien powder ?

Meal 6:
yes it's full fat cottage cheese. Where i live i can only find one type of cottage cheese that contains 107 calories, 9.3 protein and 5.5 Fat

At the end please provide me with good source of complex carbs. beans are a good source of complex carbs or not ?

Note: this is only a plan, I'll try it first and i'm 100% sure that there are gonna be some adjustments since i've never diet before

Thanks and i'll update my plan soon after your reply

[gbrice75]

this reply is depend on gbrice75 comments

before i update my plan, there are some questions i need to ask

Meal 1:
- is the whey protein first thing in the morning is a must or i can replace it with food ?

It's definitely not a must. I just like it because after sleeping all night you're no doubt in a catabolic state and can use some quick protein. You can replace with food, although i'd do the shake AND food (eggs)

- If i added whey protein in the morning can i make my first meal after 1 or two hours

Not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if you can make it your first meal of the day, but eat it after you've been awake for 1 or two hours without any other food?

- I've added the milk and honey to mix it with the milk for a better taste, i thought the milk is a good source of casein protein ?

Milk IS Casein protein (whey+casein really) but in and of itself contains quite a bit of sugar per serving. If you MUST have it, it won't kill you (make sure it's skim), might just bloat you a bit. I stand by the suggestion to drop the honey though. Use splenda or stevia instead

Meal 2:
- I'll reduce the time between meals as per your recommendation

- when is the best time for the mixed raw nuts ?

Later in the evening when there's no need for carbs, therefore your meals should consist of protein + fats. Example would be meal before bed - casein shake + mixed raw nuts (alot of people do peanut butter instead), or cottage cheese + nuts (do NOT use whole milk cottage cheese if you're going to eat the nuts as well; I only said whole milk before because cottage cheese was all you had listed, and I wanted to make sure you were getting some fat in there to further slow the protein absorption)

- Can I eat oat again as a complex carbs

Sure! Ideally you want to get your carbs from multiple sources, but I know plenty of people who rely on one alot more than the others

- if you mean meat, fish and chicken by lean protein ? it's difficult to prepare one while i'm in work. This is why the first meal is at 4 pm which means after work

That is what I mean, and you need to start cooking in bulk on the weekends and storing in tupperware, bring with you in a cooler to work. Most of us do just that

Meal 3:
- can you please give me a good source of complex carbs that can be easily prepared while i'm in work

Do you have access to a microwave at work? If so, oats are very easy, sweet potato is pretty easy as well, OR you can have brown rice that you've already cooked and just pop it in the microwave. Basically anything, so long as it's been precooked

-I've noticed that you are always asking me to drop the banana, Why ? I thought it's good ? and rich in calories ?

It is, but it's also high in sugar and we're trying to keep sugar intake to a minimum. Best place for the banana if you LOVE it is first thing in the morning, or PWO - although your PWO is kind of late in the day IMO for eating sugary carbs

Meal 4:
- 3oz because i thought that i'm taking too much protein, so i've decided to reduce the chicken in this meal since i'm eating too much rice and i may be full

Better off slightly reducing from each meal rather than taking a bunch away from one. Or if you have a meal that's 6oz, reduce it to 5oz and make this one 4oz - try and keep your protein portions the same throughout the day (25g - 50g depending on your caloric needs)

Meal 5:
-I've added honey in the shake because one thread recommended to add some sugar source after workout

I'm not a big subscriber to the simple carbs PWO. Oats work better IMO, but like I said before you can do the banana here instead of the honey

- do you mean raw oat mixed with the protien powder ?

That's what I do - shake em up in the whey shake and chew em up while i'm drinking the shake

Meal 6:
yes it's full fat cottage cheese. Where i live i can only find one type of cottage cheese that contains 107 calories, 9.3 protein and 5.5 Fat

Then don't do the nuts in this meal, or lessen the portion of nuts, OR switch to casein protein + nuts or natty PB

At the end please provide me with good source of complex carbs. beans are a good source of complex carbs or not ?

Definitely! (not baked beans in the sugary sauce) - lentils and beans are a great complex carb source. Also, sweet potato, brown rice, quinoa, yam, oats, etc

Note: this is only a plan, I'll try it first and i'm 100% sure that there are gonna be some adjustments since i've never diet before

Thanks and i'll update my plan soon after your reply

Suggestions above in bold!

[Hsheer]

- If i added whey protein in the morning can i make my first meal after 1 or two hours

Not sure I understand the question. Are you asking if you can make it your first meal of the day, but eat it after you've been awake for 1 or two hours without any other food?

Sorry maybe i was not clear enough. I'm asking can I drink the protien shake in the morning and start my first meal 1 hour after that.

Example:

6:00 am - wake up
6:10 am - Whey Protein
7:00 am - Breakfast (First meal)

and i'm already updating my plan and i'll post soon, thanks

[gbrice75]

Sorry maybe i was not clear enough. I'm asking can I drink the protien shake in the morning and start my first meal 1 hour after that.

Example:

6:00 am - wake up
6:10 am - Whey Protein
7:00 am - Breakfast (First meal)

and i'm already updating my plan and i'll post soon, thanks

Definitely! I would rather see the real meal come 1/2 hour later, but 1 hour won't kill you.

[Hsheer]

Ok, Sorry i know that i've been a pain in the a**. but I'm facing problems in the calories count.

When i removed the banana, nuts, honey and reduced the Carbs to 350 and keep the protien at 250 the calories droped to 2900 which means very, i think due to my calculations i should be eating 3150 calories per day !

do you have any tips to increase the calories ??

I think since the fat dropped to 47 i can add more fat !!?? when to add them since i only have one meal without carbs which is before bed and it's already a full fat cottage cheese

I was searching for a casien for along time, but just now my friend show me a direction to a supplement store that might have casien. i think this might the solution. to remove cottage and add caseint with flax seed oil. i'll check the store first and see what i can do

[gbrice75]

No problem bro, it's tough to get decent macros and meet your daily caloric needs. It's not a big deal, you're only short by 250 calories, easy to make up. To keep things simple, i'd bring protein back up slightly (about 25g) and fats up 15g to make it around 62g/day. This should bring you very close to 3150.

Agreed, casein + PB or nuts or flax seed oil would work nicely. If all you have is the cottage cheese, you can add a tbsp of PB since fats are pretty low already.

[Hsheer]

Finally I found casien protien


6 am: First thinig in the morning
Calories 230, Protien 24, Carbs 31, Fats 2.07

Whey protien + Banana

7 am: meal 1
Calories 519, Protien 41, Carbs 41, Fats 16

1 cup Oat + Skimmed milk + 4 egg whites + 2 whole egg

10 am: Meal 2
Calories 469, Protien 35, Carbs 28, Fats 12

1/2 cup Oat + 4oz Skinless chicken Breast
Large Bowl Green Salad
(+) Lemon
(+) tpsp Olive Oil
(+) tbsp Balsamic Vineger

1 pm: Meal 3
Calories 394, Protien 38, Carbs 47, Fats 0

4oz Skinless chicken Breast + 2 sweet Potato + Viggies

from 3 to 4:30 workout

4:30 pm: PW
Calories 305, Protien 26, Carbs 45, Fats 0

Whey Protien + bnana + 1/2 cup Oat

5 pm: Meal 4
Calories 874, Protien 48, Carbs 143, Fats 0

4oz Skinless Chicken Breast + 1 Cup Brown rice + Viggie Salad

8 pm: Meal 5
Calories 220, Protien 20, Carbs 0, Fats 15

Tuna in water + 1 tpsp flax seed oil

11 pm: Before bed
Calories 300, Protien 29, Carbs 7, Fats 12

Casien Protien + mixed nut

Total:
Calories: 3211
Protien: 261
Carbs: 342.08
Fat: 64.14
Cholesterol: 484

and since this my first time dieting i'll do the following:

1- Ramadhan will finish soon, and i don't want to give my stomach a shock !! so i'll start easy untill i reach the desired quantitiy of food

Note: Ramadhan is the month that we don't eat food in the morning, We will start eating after 7 pm

2- I'll stick to the plan first after that i'll make some changes (for example replace chicken with Equivalent of fish shrimp or good meat, and the same for complex carbs or fat)

3- I'll try this plan for a month if i starts to put on some fat i'll remove sugary foods (banana, milk, honey .. etc)

Questions:
-Can i eat eggs at meal 5 ?? because i've never seen any body eats eggs in during the day

and please check my workout and give me your opinion, you can find the link in the first post

[gbrice75]

Finally I found casien protien


6 am: First thinig in the morning
Calories 230, Protien 24, Carbs 31, Fats 2.07

Whey protien + Banana

I would drop the banana, but it's not the worst choice

7 am: meal 1
Calories 519, Protien 41, Carbs 41, Fats 16

1 cup Oat + Skimmed milk + 4 egg whites + 2 whole egg

Ideally, this meal would be at 6:30am. Drop the skim milk, maybe add 2 more whites

10 am: Meal 2
Calories 469, Protien 35, Carbs 28, Fats 12

1/2 cup Oat + 4oz Skinless chicken Breast
Large Bowl Green Salad
(+) Lemon
(+) tpsp Olive Oil
(+) tbsp Balsamic Vineger

Great!

1 pm: Meal 3
Calories 394, Protien 38, Carbs 47, Fats 0

4oz Skinless chicken Breast + 2 sweet Potato + Viggies

Great!

from 3 to 4:30 workout

4:30 pm: PW
Calories 305, Protien 26, Carbs 45, Fats 0

Whey Protien + bnana + 1/2 cup Oat

Good PWO meal. Keep the banana here, but I would still drop it from the first meal

5 pm: Meal 4
Calories 874, Protien 48, Carbs 143, Fats 0

4oz Skinless Chicken Breast + 1 Cup Brown rice + Viggie Salad

Great!

8 pm: Meal 5
Calories 220, Protien 20, Carbs 0, Fats 15

Tuna in water + 1 tpsp flax seed oil

Good, more veggies here if possible

11 pm: Before bed
Calories 300, Protien 29, Carbs 7, Fats 12

Casien Protien + mixed nut

Total:
Calories: 3211
Protien: 261
Carbs: 342.08
Fat: 64.14
Cholesterol: 484

and since this my first time dieting i'll do the following:

1- Ramadhan will finish soon, and i don't want to give my stomach a shock !! so i'll start easy untill i reach the desired quantitiy of food

Note: Ramadhan is the month that we don't eat food in the morning, We will start eating after 7 pm

2- I'll stick to the plan first after that i'll make some changes (for example replace chicken with Equivalent of fish shrimp or good meat, and the same for complex carbs or fat)

3- I'll try this plan for a month if i starts to put on some fat i'll remove sugary foods (banana, milk, honey .. etc)

Questions:
-Can i eat eggs at meal 5 ?? because i've never seen any body eats eggs in during the day

and please check my workout and give me your opinion, you can find the link in the first post

Diet is looking MUCH better bro. A few changes i'd make, above in bold. Yes, you can eat eggs at pretty much any meal, just be careful with the additional fat if you're doing whole eggs.

[Hsheer]

thank you for all of your comments .. I'll drop the banana and milk from the first meal as per your recommendation .. but still you didn't comment on my workout

I'll start the diet soon, wish me best of luck

[gbrice75]

No problem. I'll head over to your post in the workout section now.

[LBSOMEIRON]

If you are feeling nausiated or constantly full, try this.

Switch all your protein sources to the leanest fround beef you can get.

THEN, switch all your carb sources to the same amount (caloric wise) to white rice.

I promise you the bloat will simmer down. Whey, milk, potatoes, chicken, oats (especially) are hard to digest and bloat many people.

Try my suggestion for a week...then slowly add the other foods later.

[tjax03]

If you are feeling nausiated or constantly full, try this.

Switch all your protein sources to the leanest fround beef you can get.

THEN, switch all your carb sources to the same amount (caloric wise) to white rice.

I promise you the bloat will simmer down. Whey, milk, potatoes, chicken, oats (especially) are hard to digest and bloat many people.

Try my suggestion for a week...then slowly add the other foods later.

Where did you see that beef digests more easily than chicken? Everything I have ever read says that beef is a slower digesting protein. I'm not saying you are wrong, but if you have some sort of evidence for this I'd like to hear it.

[LBSOMEIRON]

Have you ever had a sick dog? Seriously.

The recipe is ALWAYS ground beef and rice....it's easier on the stomach. LEAN....that's the key.

[tjax03]

Have you ever had a sick dog? Seriously.

The recipe is ALWAYS ground beef and rice....it's easier on the stomach. LEAN....that's the key.

No offense, but I don't really consider anecdotal evidence about what you feed a sick dog to be much evidence. In terms of digestion rate I had always heard that cooked beef, compared to cooked chicken of a similar consistency takes much longer for your body to digest. Something about the protein structure of beef makes it tougher. You can kind of feel this when you eat beef too. It has more of a toothsome quality, and requires more mechanical digestion to be able to swallow it. I'm sure you are right about the lean beef digesting more quickly than fatty beef, as the fats slow digestion for sure.

[LBSOMEIRON]

Your grammar is a tad off - you mean you do consider my post anecdotal (unreliable) evidence. Maybe so, but my post was to help the original poster not feel bloated. It has zero to do with digestion rate. You brough that up.

Oats, milk, potatoes, etc. fill you up after they are consumed. Lean beef is always my (with white rice) #1 reccomendation for thos trying to add size (ask a serious knowledgeable bodybuilder)

It wasn't meant for you to try and ratioanlzie my theory - which isn't even mine.

I'm betting the farm that if he takes my advice, it will help his comfortability levels.


Ground beef mixed with rice is very very easy on the stomach. You could probably use chicken or fish too, but my point was the milk and the carb source.