Diet started well, gains tapering off, advice.

[trueX]

Test E @ 500mg per week (250mg e 3.5days), in week 8 currently.

Height - 5'11"
Weight - 190lb
Body fat - 14%
BMR - 1954
TDEE - 2345 (this is NOT including my workout routine)
TDEE - 3029(including workout)

Gonna be honest, my diet still isisnt perfect as my life just doesnt allow for the same meals at the same times. Im a single dad w 2 kids (12 and 8) and work 2 jobs both 12 hour shifts. Having a meal every 3 hours just really is not practical much less dooable....I dont think, please show me

I will post what I usually eat and when, and then take the hits as it gets torn apart. So far I do eat about the same things every day, dont really change it for non workout days as the non workout days cant really be planned for me. (my gym closes 7pm friday, so im never sure if I can make it, if not, friday is offday. situations like that)

I started at about 180-185 lbs and an up to 190-192 and have seen gains slow down and taper off.

6am - WAKEUP
6:30 am
1 cup egg beaters, 2 slices wheat toast w peanut butter.

7:00 am (arrive at work)
55g protein shake

10:00 am
30g protein bar + can of tuna

12:30-1 pm
4oz chicken breast and sometimes some carrots or corn or pasta (sometimes the cook at work will have food for me, sometimes she wont)


4 pm
*I need to add a meal in here, suggestions please, everything I eat at work I have to bring with me that day, no cafateria there.


7:15 pm - WORKOUT

8:30 pm - PWO Meal
2 chicken breasts or (2-3) 4oz lean steaks, 55g protein shake

10:30-11 pm
Turkey sandwich or similar light meal before bed.


12:00 am - Bedtime.

My weight goal is 210lb.

Please help me optimize my gains. Thank You in advance




EDIT: I dont feel like im eating any carbs, its hard to take stuff like sweet potatoes and beans to work, much less cook them there

[trueX]

And another question I had is what do you do with your diet when you sleep in. Last night my kids were up pretty late and I didnt get to bed until 1230am, didnt wake up until 10am this morning.

So when that happens do I start at the 6am point and try to cram it all in, or do I just start on the next closest meal or what? I would start at the next closest meal but them im afraid that its all for nothing because I didnt get in the early eggs and whey etc etc.

[Phate]

Test E @ 500mg per week (250mg e 3.5days), in week 8 currently.

Height - 5'11"
Weight - 190lb
Body fat - 14%
BMR - 1954
TDEE - 2345 (this is NOT including my workout routine)
TDEE - 3029(including workout)

Gonna be honest, my diet still isisnt perfect as my life just doesnt allow for the same meals at the same times. Im a single dad w 2 kids (12 and 8) and work 2 jobs both 12 hour shifts. Having a meal every 3 hours just really is not practical much less dooable....I dont think, please show me

I will post what I usually eat and when, and then take the hits as it gets torn apart. So far I do eat about the same things every day, dont really change it for non workout days as the non workout days cant really be planned for me. (my gym closes 7pm friday, so im never sure if I can make it, if not, friday is offday. situations like that)

I started at about 180-185 lbs and an up to 190-192 and have seen gains slow down and taper off.

6am - WAKEUP
6:30 am
1 cup egg beaters, 2 slices wheat toast w peanut butter.

7:00 am (arrive at work)
55g protein shake

10:00 am
30g protein bar + can of tuna

12:30-1 pm
4oz chicken breast and sometimes some carrots or corn or pasta (sometimes the cook at work will have food for me, sometimes she wont)


4 pm
*I need to add a meal in here, suggestions please, everything I eat at work I have to bring with me that day, no cafateria there.


7:15 pm - WORKOUT

8:30 pm - PWO Meal
2 chicken breasts or (2-3) 4oz lean steaks, 55g protein shake

10:30-11 pm
Turkey sandwich or similar light meal before bed.


12:00 am - Bedtime.

My weight goal is 210lb.

Please help me optimize my gains. Thank You in advance




EDIT: I dont feel like im eating any carbs, its hard to take stuff like sweet potatoes and beans to work, much less cook them there

we need macros for the meals but the main problem people run into is that they don't allow for the extra muscle by incorporating more food

And another question I had is what do you do with your diet when you sleep in. Last night my kids were up pretty late and I didnt get to bed until 1230am, didnt wake up until 10am this morning.

So when that happens do I start at the 6am point and try to cram it all in, or do I just start on the next closest meal or what? I would start at the next closest meal but them im afraid that its all for nothing because I didnt get in the early eggs and whey etc etc.

you should have a set amount of protein/carbs/fat you eat each day, so if you miss a meal then you distribute that meal's protein/carbs/fats to the other meals

[trueX]

we need macros for the meals but the main problem people run into is that they don't allow for the extra muscle by incorporating more food

Agreed, I feel this is what part of my current problem is.

you should have a set amount of protein/carbs/fat you eat each day, so if you miss a meal then you distribute that meal's protein/carbs/fats to the other meals

Im not sure how much c/f you need in proportion to protein but im 190lbs @ 1.5g protein per pound thats 285g per day, subtract 100 for the 2 shakes, and 30 for the protein bar and that leaves me with 155g of protein needed across 6 meals.

26g of protein per meal. Im sorry but i still dont understand what people mean by macros as I think some misuse it but are used to hearing it so they know what it refers to.

"Macro - a computer science term for a set of instructions that is represented in an abbreviated format." When I hear macro, I think of my programming and how I write it to do certain loop functions..im not sure how macros relate to food.

Pardon my ignorance but how do I know much carbs a potato has, it doesnt exactly have a box with it listed on the side, etc etc. When someone says "you need to post macros" for you food, are they asking for content, portions, calories or what exactly?

EDIT: ok so i found - 40/40/20 means 40%/40%/20% of total daily calories comes from protein, carbs and healthy fats, yes. So if im eating 3000 cals a day, 40% of those cals need to be in protein? 40 in carbs and the last 20 in fats? For some reason I dont think its that easy, because that would make the amounts way off. grr, I thought I had this 2 weeks ago and now im all x'ed up.

[Phate]

Im not sure how much c/f you need in proportion to protein but im 190lbs @ 1.5g protein per pound thats 285g per day, subtract 100 for the 2 shakes, and 30 for the protein bar and that leaves me with 155g of protein needed across 6 meals.

26g of protein per meal. Im sorry but i still dont understand what people mean by macros as I think some misuse it but are used to hearing it so they know what it refers to.

"Macro - a computer science term for a set of instructions that is represented in an abbreviated format." When I hear macro, I think of my programming and how I write it to do certain loop functions..im not sure how macros relate to food.

Pardon my ignorance but how do I know much carbs a potato has, it doesnt exactly have a box with it listed on the side, etc etc. When someone says "you need to post macros" for you food, are they asking for content, portions, calories or what exactly?

EDIT: ok so i found - 40/40/20 means 40%/40%/20% of total daily calories comes from protein, carbs and healthy fats, yes. So if im eating 3000 cals a day, 40% of those cals need to be in protein? 40 in carbs and the last 20 in fats? For some reason I dont think its that easy, because that would make the amounts way off. grr, I thought I had this 2 weeks ago and now im all x'ed up.

macro=macronutrient which are your protein carbs and fats, i'm asking you to figure out how many grams of protein, carbs, and fat are in each meal

[trueX]

6am - WAKEUP
6:30 am
1/2 cup egg beaters, 2 slices wheat toast w peanut butter, 48g protein shake w 2 cups skim milk
720 cals / 70g pro / 79g carb / 12g fat


10:00 am
Protein Meal Bar
410 cals / 31g pro / 43g carb / 13g fat


12:30-1 pm
4oz chicken breast + single serve Eazy-Mac
340 cals / 27g pro / 39g carbs / 8g fat


4 pm
1 cup mixed fruit + bag trail mix w dried fruit + can of tuna
410 cals / 26g pro / 50g carbs / 14g fat


7:15 pm - WORKOUT


8:30 pm - PWO Meal
2 chicken breasts or (2-3) 4oz lean steaks, 48g protein shake w 2 cups skim milk
275 cals / 90g pro / 28g carbs / 18g fat

Totals:
2315 cals
260g protein
261g carbs
65g fats


These are taken directly off of each food label I have and added up based on servings. I tried to be precise, I also got 1 bottle gelcaps of fish and flaxseed oils incase I need to start adding those in with the multivitamin I take.

My weight goal is 210lb, Please help me optimize my gains. Thank You in advance

[trueX]

I just noticed my calories daily are close from the 2200 to 2500 range and im needing like 3300 or so to get where I want to be, but shit how do you force in so much food? Im NEVER hungry and always feel like im going to ****ing pop or vomit if I eat more, with what im eating now, its already uncomforable to eat that much.

suggestions on force feeding?

[jamyjamjr]

man up... start slow... and keep eating.. u dont eat, you dont grow

[trueX]

bumpz?

[Twist]

I'm no expert but try not to rely on protein shakes at all. I don't even count them at all in my diet.
seems to me that this is all you are eating in a day.
1/2 cup egg beaters, 2 slices wheat toast w peanut butter
4oz chicken breast
can of tuna
2 chicken breasts or (2-3) 4oz lean steaks

try eating real food like steak or chicken and veggies and then eating a handful of almonds after. much easier to eat things like fruit and "trail mix" after the stuff that counts.

and of course your gains are tapering, you are in week 8 of test cycle and your diet is no good. 185-192 may only mean a couple of pounds once you drop the water weight.
get your diet straight asap.
You don't have veggies or sweet potato or anything of value in your whole day.

[trueX]

thx, will try to get back on track asap. Broke up w the GF last week and have kinda been going out and drinking at night, leading to less sleep, worse diet and lower energy. Kinda in a rut