4200 Calories @ 40:30:30 Ratio

[YoungGunsNY]

Age: 19
Height: 6'0
Weight: 212lb.
HARRIS-BENEDICT FORMULA:
BMR: 2147
TDEE: 3704
BF: pics to follow - trying to find nearby gym with calipers

KATCH-McARDLE FORMULA [GUESSING BF IS 14%]:
LBM: 182lb.
BMR: 2153
TDEE: 3714

GOAL: LEAN MASS GAIN

Based on my TDEE [Harris Benedict Formula], I tried formulating a diet to obtain 4200 calories (500+ maintenance), 420g PRO, 315g CARB, and 140g FAT.
I came as close as possible with 4302 Calories, 421g PRO, 281g CARB, and 161g FAT.
Meal timing is based upon my class schedule and times are when meals are FINISHED, not started.

CAL/PRO/CARB/FAT

Meal 1 (7:30)
ON whey shake 240/48/6/2
3 Fish oil w/GLA 30/0/0/3
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Vitakic multi-vitamin
TOTAL: 270/48/6/5

Meal 2 (9:15)
7 egg whites w/hot sauce 112/25/1/1
1 whole egg 70/6/1/4
1/2cup oats dry (cooked) 150/5/27/2.5
1 banana 90/1/23/0
500mg Chromium Picolinate
TOTAL: 422/37/52/7.5

Meal 3 (12:15)
8oz. grilled chicken 240/48/0/3
1cup sweet potato w/cinnamon 180/4/41/0
500mg Chromium Picolinate
TOTAL: 420/52/41/3

Meal 4 (2:30)
1can tuna 120/26/0/2
2tbsp. light mayo 100/0/4/9
1cup sweet potato 180/4/41/0
500mg Chromium Picolinate
TOTAL: 400/30/45/11

Meal 5 (4:30)
8oz. grilled chicken 240/48/0/3
2 cups broccoli 50/4/8/0
2tbsp. olive oil 240/0/0/28
500mg Carnitine
TOTAL: 530/52/8/0

Meal 6 (6:45)
9oz. sirloin steak 590/53/0/41
1&1/2 cup sweet potato w/cinnamon 270/6/61/0
500mg Chromium Picolinate
500mg Carnitine
TOTAL: 860/59/61/41

WORKOUT 7:30-8:30

Meal 7 (9:00)
PWO ON whey shake 240/48/6/2
5000mg L-Glutamine
Waxiaize 160/0/40/0
500mg Chromium Picolinate
TOTAL: 400/48/46/2

Meal 8 (10:00)
1can tuna 120/26/0/2
2tbsp. light mayo 100/0/4/9
2cups broccoli 50/4/8/0
2tbsp. olive oil 240/0/0/28
500mg Carnitine
TOTAL: 510/30/12/39

Meal 9 (1:00am)
ON casein shake 260/48/14/2
2tbsp. natural peanut butter 200/7/6/17
3 Fish oil w/GLA 30/0/0/3
TOTAL: 490/55/20/22

TOTAL: 4302/421/281/161

I do not do cardio..yet..

*Cheat meal: I plan to substitute one of my lunches/dinner meals on sunday with a fast-food burger, and that's it .. no milkshake or anything.. I can honestly follow through on my diet all week - week in/week out.. but when I get the urges..every sunday or so I'll cheat with a burger king burger/wendy's burger on a non-workout day[sunday]





*These pictures are a month old - I would say I'm a little bit leaner with a little more ab definition, but I haven't taken any recent pics

[gbrice75]

The diet looks pretty clean and sound IMO, but you didn't take the advice of everyone from your previous post in lowering protein... you're still at 400+ grams/day - too much!

[YoungGunsNY]

everyone? 2 people said that .. but according to the meals and times I have to eat - they seem like the ideal protein sources - morning shake to keep from starving (and i'm not a morning person that can wake up and cook immediately), egg whites & eggs, 8oz chicken, only 1 can tuna, 8oz chicken, 9oz steak, whey shake, 1 can tuna, casein shake...
if I'm having too much protein - where should i lower it.. i feel that 6oz chicken is too little to fill me up.. since I'm used to eating 8oz chicken for over 2 months..

[Mr.Rose]

No, keep protein high, 400 is fine, compared to pro lifter who have like 600-1000g. I have between 350-500g a day.

Your first meal is shit. A shake is good in the morning, but not just a shake, throw in some fruit or something, a sandwich, toast, anything.

Meal 9 is good, but try ad some casien during the day, maybe replace your morning whey with casien, that way you have a slow release of amino acids in the blood stream through the day.

Also drop the amount of tuna you have to like 1-3 times a week at max. there is too much mercury in canned tuna, and at 2 cans a day you will develop heavy metal poisoning... maybe not today, or this year, but it will happen.

[YoungGunsNY]

Your first meal is shit. A shake is good in the morning, but not just a shake, throw in some fruit or something, a sandwich, toast, anything.

k thanks - the only reason why my first meal is a whey shake is because I'm not a morning person and I make a shake the night before with ice cubes and leave it by my bed, so when I wake up it's right there. I heard to add carbs to the shake in the morning, so I'm contemplating whether or not I should blend the shake with 1/2 cup of dry oats to change the macros of meal 1 to - 420/53/33/7.5
and the total macros each day - 4452/416/308/163.5

Also drop the amount of tuna you have to like 1-3 times a week at max. there is too much mercury in canned tuna, and at 2 cans a day you will develop heavy metal poisoning... maybe not today, or this year, but it will happen.

What do you suggest I substitute in for meal 4 & meal 8 as my protein source.. I can't afford more chicken or any more steak. I haven't found a store near me to make fresh turkey breast.. just preserved crap that I am not buying.

[YoungGunsNY]

Would one of the meal replacements allow for a shake with 1 scoop whey/1 scoop casein? Maybe some natty PB with that to increase the fat content.. but.. whatever else you got - shoot

[gbrice75]

everyone? 2 people said that .. but according to the meals and times I have to eat - they seem like the ideal protein sources - morning shake to keep from starving (and i'm not a morning person that can wake up and cook immediately), egg whites & eggs, 8oz chicken, only 1 can tuna, 8oz chicken, 9oz steak, whey shake, 1 can tuna, casein shake...
if I'm having too much protein - where should i lower it.. i feel that 6oz chicken is too little to fill me up.. since I'm used to eating 8oz chicken for over 2 months..

I meant everyone as in - everyone who suggested it. Mr Rose is telling you 400g is ok; as compared to a pro, maybe - but you're not even close (no offense of course). In the end, you're going to do what you want - I think the majority of people here will agree that it's overkill.

I understand your issue; if you're doing a 40/30/30 split based on your TDEE +500, you're simply plugging in the values. It might not be a bad idea to bring it down just a bit to a 35/35/30 split. IMO your carbs are a bit low anyway. To deal with that 5% protein deficit, i'd cut the protein here and there across all meals throughout the day as opposed to cutting out one single meal or source. Just my .02, good luck.

[gbrice75]

Would one of the meal replacements allow for a shake with 1 scoop whey/1 scoop casein? Maybe some natty PB with that to increase the fat content.. but.. whatever else you got - shoot

So long as it's not your PWO shake, I think the whey/casein blend is a good choice. I would do it with oats if it's the 1st half of the day, natty PB in the 2nd half.

[YoungGunsNY]

So long as it's not your PWO shake, I think the whey/casein blend is a good choice. I would do it with oats if it's the 1st half of the day, natty PB in the 2nd half.

If i did it for both meals:
I'd have 5 shakes a day
My protein intake would increase by about 40g - but you say my protein is already too high..
I feel that I may substitute one, if I find another choice for a protein source, but currently am stumped on a source - I prefer not to make an egg white omelette for the late meal but last resort I might, because I HATE egg whites - I shove em down in the morning due to the loads of hot sauce I add.

[rummyjoe]

If i did it for both meals:
I'd have 5 shakes a day
My protein intake would increase by about 40g - but you say my protein is already too high..
I feel that I may substitute one, if I find another choice for a protein source, but currently am stumped on a source - I prefer not to make an egg white omelette for the late meal but last resort I might, because I HATE egg whites - I shove em down in the morning due to the loads of hot sauce I add.

I feel the same way about eggs whites... they are straight nasty but one of the purest sources of protein you can get. If you can spare the extra fat add a spoonful of natty PB to the whites when you are cooking them. It may sound weird but trust me it tastes great! My roommate was constantly telling me it looked nasty until I got him to try it. Now he is hooked. Good luck with the diet bro.

[YoungGunsNY]

Bump!

[Swifto]

Mix Whey/Casein for your PWO shake, not just Whey. A mix is superoir.

Keep the Casein shake before bed too.

[YoungGunsNY]

whey w/casein for PWO? wouldn't whey be superior because it's all fast acting proteins?

[RoadToRecovery]

No, keep protein high, 400 is fine, compared to pro lifter who have like 600-1000g. I have between 350-500g a day.

400 is fine? What is going on here. You have seen pro lifters eat 1000g of protein? Yea? Who? 4000 calories in protein alone is just ridiculous no matter what the sport.

Protein should never be higher then Carbs in any case unless you are partaking in a ketogenic diet and then still, that is if you are cutting.

You need to cut your protein in half almost. At your LBM you could eat 190g of protein and make substantial gains. Do you plan on cutting your calories on your off days?

Your Carb intake should be where your protein intake is and vice versa.

[ultra40]

This is how you make a freakin diet plan!! All the kids who come on and put a dam subway sandwhich should look above and study what he did, the time and effot he took to make a GOOD meal plan. Ultimatly, the perfect meal plan varies from person to person but this is great. Just adjust it to how you see it working for your body. Im bulking right now, from 235 and at 252 today after 6 weeks and im on 4300 calories. My only advice is at your weight 4200 might not be as "lean" of a bulk as your looking for. Good luck though man.

[YoungGunsNY]

You need to cut your protein in half almost. At your LBM you could eat 190g of protein and make substantial gains. Do you plan on cutting your calories on your off days?

Your Carb intake should be where your protein intake is and vice versa.

Currently, my calories do lower on off days due to a substitution of an 8oz chicken breast for the 9oz steak, 1 cup instead of 1 &1/2 cup sweet potato in the revised steak->chicken meal, and no PWO shake .. so 4302/421/281/161 [cal/pro/carb/fat] would reduce to 3462/366/215/122 on non-workout days.

I find it hard to reduce protein intake and increase carb intake based on my food choices, which I selected because they're easy for me to get/cook (I'm 19 and am not signing up for my own cooking show anytime soon). As far as the protein intake - I feel I need those 3 shakes - the wake-up shake b/c I would never be able to get out of bed and go straight to cooking, the PWO b/c it's PWO, and the casein before bed b/c I cannot STAND cottage cheese - I hate cheese in general (those 3 shakes start me off with 144g protein). Then chicken I get in bulk by 20pounds and freeze them until I run out and order another 20pounds, so I'll have chicken twice a day. Steak - I don't care how much it costs, once I eat a steak I feel amazing .. I personally think that my body reacts quickly to food and that the steak just makes me feel that much better 45 minutes later in the gym [could be mental but it helps]. Tuna in a can b/c so easy to make. That's my rationale, and if I dropped the 8oz chicken servings to 6oz chicken servings, that's only dropping it by 16g protein. Could you edit the diet a little to help?

[YoungGunsNY]

This is how you make a freakin diet plan!! All the kids who come on and put a dam subway sandwhich should look above and study what he did, the time and effot he took to make a GOOD meal plan. Ultimatly, the perfect meal plan varies from person to person but this is great. Just adjust it to how you see it working for your body.

Thanks a bunch man, about time I got some compliments LOL. I feel that people don't realize I'm only 19, and before this I had no idea how to actually cook anything besides pasta & burgers.

Also, I put a lot of time & effort into studying this - I'm not saying it's rocket science but it sure as hell isn't as easy as 1+1. I know 4200 isn't supposed to be too much on the lean/ripping side but more so on the lean/bulking side, but that's leaning more towards my goal to put on some more mass for the summer before ripping it up to shreds.

Anyway, I'm very active and have a fast metabolism to which my body reacts to foods VERY quickly [could be a mental thing for me, but I feel so much better once I know I ate, especially a good meal]. I get in my "cardio" by playing some handball (American [NY] sport) whenever the weather's nice and I have the time, [usually 3-5 times a week] but the only thing I hate about handball is that I use my right arm and my right shoulder is unbelievable - huge, full, and ripped -while my left is smaller, less defined, etc. but it makes me sweat like you wouldn't believe.

BTW

Im bulking right now, from 235 and at 252 today after 6 weeks and im on 4300 calories. My only advice is at your weight 4200 might not be as "lean" of a bulk as your looking for. Good luck though man.

Nice job at gaining 17pounds in 6 weeks man, especially if it was gear-free. Bulking at 4300 calories though? I always thought that once I bulk, I'd consume like over 5000 calories.

[YoungGunsNY]

Mix Whey/Casein for your PWO shake, not just Whey. A mix is superoir.

Keep the Casein shake before bed too.

Unless he returns, anyone have any comment on this? Normally, I would disregard this statement because I have believed that whey protein was the best source, but this guy's a vet - so I guess his advice holds some weight.

[RoadToRecovery]

Currently, my calories do lower on off days due to a substitution of an 8oz chicken breast for the 9oz steak, 1 cup instead of 1 &1/2 cup sweet potato in the revised steak->chicken meal, and no PWO shake .. so 4302/421/281/161 [cal/pro/carb/fat] would reduce to 3462/366/215/122 on non-workout days.

I find it hard to reduce protein intake and increase carb intake based on my food choices, which I selected because they're easy for me to get/cook (I'm 19 and am not signing up for my own cooking show anytime soon). As far as the protein intake - I feel I need those 3 shakes - the wake-up shake b/c I would never be able to get out of bed and go straight to cooking, the PWO b/c it's PWO, and the casein before bed b/c I cannot STAND cottage cheese - I hate cheese in general (those 3 shakes start me off with 144g protein). Then chicken I get in bulk by 20pounds and freeze them until I run out and order another 20pounds, so I'll have chicken twice a day. Steak - I don't care how much it costs, once I eat a steak I feel amazing .. I personally think that my body reacts quickly to food and that the steak just makes me feel that much better 45 minutes later in the gym [could be mental but it helps]. Tuna in a can b/c so easy to make. That's my rationale, and if I dropped the 8oz chicken servings to 6oz chicken servings, that's only dropping it by 16g protein. Could you edit the diet a little to help?

You dont have to add different foods, just increase and decrease portions that you already have. 3 shakes @ 144g is no good. Thats half your protein intake in shakes.

[RoadToRecovery]

Unless he returns, anyone have any comment on this? Normally, I would disregard this statement because I have believed that whey protein was the best source, but this guy's a vet - so I guess his advice holds some weight.

The combination of casein and whey magnifies the absorption rate. There is a study on here somewhere about this exact topic.

[YoungGunsNY]

The combination of casein and whey magnifies the absorption rate. There is a study on here somewhere about this exact topic.

Wouldn't the casein stretch out the absorption rate of the whey or vice versa - the whey shortens the absorption rate of the casein? Either way - is whey ideal for PWO or a whey/casein combo?
If I miss a meal, I use a whey/casein combo for the replacement, but so far that's the only time I use that combo.

[YoungGunsNY]

You dont have to add different foods, just increase and decrease portions that you already have. 3 shakes @ 144g is no good. Thats half your protein intake in shakes.

I understand that I should up my carb portions of sweet potatoes from 1 cup to 1 & 1/2, but if i decrease my protein intake of chicken from 8 to 6oz, that's only a 16g drop - then 1 can of tuna is already pretty small - a 9oz steak.. I prefer to eat the whole thing b/c it is costly.. could you edit the diet itself and see what you would decrease/increase?

As far as the 3 shakes - I know it takes up a lot of my protein intake - but I need those 3 shakes.. wake-up, PWO, and before bed.. really need them..

[indcolts8718]

Huge bump!

[npb]

I understand that I should up my carb portions of sweet potatoes from 1 cup to 1 & 1/2, but if i decrease my protein intake of chicken from 8 to 6oz, that's only a 16g drop - then 1 can of tuna is already pretty small - a 9oz steak.. I prefer to eat the whole thing b/c it is costly.. could you edit the diet itself and see what you would decrease/increase?

As far as the 3 shakes - I know it takes up a lot of my protein intake - but I need those 3 shakes.. wake-up, PWO, and before bed.. really need them..

I get the PWO shake, especially if you're a fan of the waxy maze/dextrose concept, but why AM/PM? I think egg whites/oats RIGHT as you wake up is ideal, only takes 10 min to cook TOPS, start to finish. I take it you hate cottage cheese (too bad because its cheap and bomb casein protein source), have you ever tried it with pineapple or strawberries? It's pretty good! Otherwise, stick to casein protein before bed, but damn that stuff is expensive! :P

Overall, very nice diet. Keep us posted with your gains, comments and questions! Good luck.

[YoungGunsNY]

thanks - i updated the diet in a new thread, but i have a shake in the morning b/c i am just not a morning person at all so i compensate by having the shake in the morning to buy me an hour and a half to shower and cook .. when my classes end - i'm going to wake up and cook right away and take out the shake which will help me lower my calories too =) for the ripping diet for the summer
http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=426681

I currently follow the advice damien gave me in the edited post for my diet now.. which i feel a lot better doing (probably mental but it helps)