Beginners Diet Help

[FloridaGator]

Stats:

Age; 47
Weight: 236
TDEE: 2418
BMI: 30.3
BMR: 1808.5

Well where to start. I am a 47 yoa male that was recently put on HRT (Blood Testostrone came back at 184) and have been on Test C 200 mg per week after my first round of injections and the Estrogen levels came back increased and the doctor has now prescribe .5mg of Ademdrix 2 times a week. After reading the forum on HRT I have come to the determination that the estrogen is most likely a biproduct of the innertube that I have just above the belt. I figure it is time to re-evaluate my eating habits and do some exercising. In addition I am prescribed medication for HBP and Colesterol and if I can get ride of some of the weight I may be able to back down on the meds. My biggest problem is I don;t know where to start and am looking for someone to offer up a suggestion. I have read through some of the threads in this section and I large portion of the individuals at least have some sort of diet they are trying to refine. I don't have one other than I like food and am looking for someone to give me a starting place so that I can get rid of some of the weight. The doctor said that he would like to see me at 190 at which I could only laugh at because I have not been there since high school but he said that if I could get to 205 - 210 he would be happy. Looking for all suggestions. I don't have any experience in weight lifting and little knowledge of whey and protein shakes so I ask everyone to bear with me on this learning curve. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[nk92mi]

u have done the first thing already, realize that u need to lose weight. second, keep reading these forums. they have helped me realize that diet is everything if you want to lose weight. write down everything that goes into your mouth, EVERYTHING! even that little pack of ketchup. you basically want to have a diet that is 40% Protein/40% Carbs/ 20% Fats. want to eat about 6-7 times a day. as you read thru these different threads, you will notice a similar trend, oatmeal in am! i just started a diet that i put together, waiting to hear a reply from the 'vets' that never reply to anything!

SAMPLE DIET (40/40/20)


Cardio every AM for at least 45 minutes!

MEAL ONE:
1 c of Egg Whites
½ c of Oats
¼ c of blueberries

MEAL TWO:
2 Pouches of Tuna (or some other source of protein)

MEAL THREE:
6 oz. chicken
1 cup veggies
1 complex carb (preferably a sweet potato)

MEAL FOUR:
6 oz. chicken
1 complex carb

MEAL FIVE:
1 slice whole wheat bread
2 tb natural peanut butter

WORKOUT FROM 5:45 PM to 7:00 PM

PWO:
(may want to find a protein shake that has protein/carbs)
1 scoop of whey protein


MEAL SIX:
8 oz. chicken
1 cup veggie

MEAL SEVEN:
2 tb natural peanut butter
1 c of fat-free cottage cheese
or 1 scoop of protein (casein)

TOTALS
PERCENTAGES









WHAT TO EAT!

Interchangeable lean protein sources:

The goal is to eat lean protein. Meats/other sources low in fat/carbs.

Ground beef (93% lean or better)
Lean steak (Flank, flat iron, or top sirloin)
Bison sirloin (the highest quality red meat)
Chicken breast
Turkey breast
Tuna (canned or sushi grade)
Salmon
Tilapia (mostly all white fish)
All shellfish
Venison
Whey protein (post-workout recovery purposes only)
Casein/Cottage cheese (before bed only)

Black-list protein:

Bacon
Sausage
Expensive fat-marbled Steaks (Ribeye, Strip, Filet)
Pork and beef ribs
Pork/Lamb chops
Restaurant ground beef (80/20 fat – most burgers)
Duck
Chicken legs/thighs
Chicken skin
Cheese

Interchangeable complex carbohydrates:

Complex carbs are now your creed. These are slower-digesting, natural, low on the glycemic index carbohydrates that digest slowly and provide us with sustained energy. They do not drastically affect our blood sugar and do not cause insulin spikes. Thus our body sees no reason to store them as fat, it would rather burn them for energy. Simple carbs such as enriched white breads/pastas/rice/potatoes/sugars (including most fruit) cause insulin spikes and are high GI foods. They should not be eaten when on a strict diet. Fruit can be consumed early in the day or pre/post-workout because of it’s high nutritional value but should usually be avoided due to being a form of simple sugar. Remember, healthy, low-calorie foods aren’t always the correct foods and such is the case with fruit.

Oats/Oatmeal
Grits/Cornmeal
Unsalted/non-buttered popcorn (great, low-cal snack)
Sweet potato (the best choice)
Butternut squash
Whole wheat pasta (not enriched)
Organic whole wheat bread (not enriched wonder bread crap)
Brown rice
Ezekiel bread
Swedish grain bread
Gluten free bread
Wheat couscous
Corn
Quinoa
Lentils
Beans
Many more, look up the GI (glycemic index) for healthy choices

Black-list carbohydrates:

White pasta
White Potatoes
White bread
Baguette
Bagels
Cookies, cake, muffins, cupcakes, all sweets basically.
White couscous
White rice
You get the idea…

Interchangeable fat sources:

We look for fat sources that are high in omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids. Also, many are high in protein. We do not want saturated fats such as butter, cream, meat fat. We don’t want test tube fats like trans (the worst). We want mono/polyunsaturated fats that our body can use for something other than calories. Remember, even good fats are high in calories.

Natural peanut butter (no sugar added, just roasted peanuts)
Natural almond butter
Cashews
Almonds
Peanuts
Flax seeds/oil
Salmon and Trout (great fatty proteins)
Fish oil
Extra virgin olive oil (should be used on all veggies/salads)
Chia seeds
Grapeseed oil
Macadamia nut oil
Udo's oil
Walnut oil
Sunflower seeds/oil

Acceptable miscellaneous foods:

These foods don’t provide much as far as macronutrients but are great for adding vitamins/minerals and taste. Notice some of these other foods are dairy. Dairy is another animal’s milk. We lack the enzymes to digest it as they do and it’s high in fat/sugar. It should only be eaten early in the day for nutrient purposes with the exception of whey and casein (cottage cheese).

Skim milk (Hood brand is only 45 calories and 3g of sugar per cup)
Greek yogurt (no sugar added)
Berries (all berries are much lower in sugar than other fruits and packed with fiber/nutrients – eat berries)
Green Vegetables. These are technically carbs but they are packed with fiber (a type of carb that isn’t used as energy or stored). In bodybuilding/nutrition – we refer to most vegetables as fibrous carbohydrates. While a serving of Broccoli may have 6g of carbs, 5 are from fiber. Meaning that it contains only 1g of storable carbohydrates. In addition, green vegetables are a calorie neutral/negative food (our body uses more calories to digest them than they contain – think celery). Veggies should be eaten with every meal. Every day. If you do this, you can become almost impervious to getting sick. Some vegetables are better than others for healthy diets.
Many non-green vegetables. Most are fine – just check labels, some have a good bit of sugar and should be eaten in moderation only (carrots)

[shredhead]

wow great reply

[MaNiCC]

Your in the right place. before i post this link i will say it was discovered by Booz and was posted on another board, so no credit here
8 Top Tips For Beginners Wanting To Lose Weight



EVERYONE who wants to get leaner should read this article. Sometimes we veterans forget what we once knew or we don't practice what we now know. If you're a beginner, this will be an introduction. If you're experienced, let this be a reminder.


1. JUST GET STARTED - TAKE DECISIVE ACTION!

There are so many opinions about how to lose body fat that many people end up completely confused and they don't do ANYTHING!
They've read about 27 ways to diet, 34 ways to do cardio, 101 ways to lift weights and 79 supplements to take. But they still don't have a clue how to start.
You stuff your brain with so much information it feels like it's going to explode, but then you never do anything about it. You're like a deer stuck in headlights. Sound familiar?
I call this the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome.

The most important thing you can do is take action. Just begin the journey and figure it out as you go. Better still; get a coach or trainer right from the start.
Actually, losing fat is not that complicated. You don't need a PhD in exercise physiology to figure out that any exercise is better than no exercise. You don't have to be a genius in nutritional biochemistry to figure out that an apple is better than a pop tart. Getting lean is simple: Exercise. Eat healthier foods. Eat smaller portions. Isn't this stuff just common sense? Didn't your mother tell you this?

So what's stopping you? What makes you freeze up?

If you're like most people, FEAR is stopping you. You're so afraid of doing something wrong, you choose to do nothing rather than make a mistake or look foolish.
What you must understand is that people who accomplish much and people who accomplish little BOTH have fears. The difference between the two is that the latter feels the fear and lets it immobilize them. The former feels the fear and does it anyway.

Begin the process. You can always fine-tune your program as you go. Naturally, it's better to aim and then fire, but its better to fire and then adjust your aim later than not to fire at all. You can't win a battle by hiding in the trenches.

2. WALKING IS A GREAT WAY TO START A CARDIO PROGRAM

Ok, so you've decided to forge ahead in spite of your fear and start working out. Congratulations. Now what? How do you choose between Stairmaster, Tae Bo, Lifecycle, Yoga, Kickboxing, Elliptical machine, jogging, swimming, etc.?
Any exercise is better than no exercise so stop over-analyzing: just pick something and start. Just do it.

If you can't make up your mind, then here's the simplest, easiest, most guaranteed way for any beginner to successfully start a fat loss program:

Walk!

Here's why:

It requires no equipment

It requires no knowledge of exercise technique

It can be done by almost everyone, regardless of experience

It can be done almost anywhere

It's safe

For all these reasons, walking is the perfect way to begin. However, the better your condition becomes, the more you'll need to advance to higher levels of exercise intensity to reach higher levels of fitness.

I'm not saying you should abandon walking, but if you decide to keep walking, a casual stroll will no longer do. For an experienced exerciser, I would consider walking a method of locomotion more than a serious workout.

There's a big difference between walking for health vs walking for fat loss. Even a 10 or 15-minute casual walk has health benefits. But if you want to turn walking into an effective, fat-melting workout, you'll need to push yourself for 30 minutes or more several days per week. Walking briskly uphill (or on an inclined treadmill) is an excellent fat-burning workout for anyone.

3. DON'T GET CAUGHT UP IN MINUTIA - FOCUS ON FUNDAMENTALS

Read any book about success and it will tell you "pay attention to detail." Sounds like good advice - unless you haven't mastered the fundamentals yet. In that case, it's the worst advice you could follow.

Every day people ask me questions like these:
"Should I use a fast acting protein powder like whey or would casein be better? What if I mix both and also add a little bit of Soy? If I use all of them, what ratio of the three would be ideal and when should I take them?"
"I want to do the ephedrine-caffeine stack and it says to take 20 mg of ephedrine with 200 milligrams of caffeine. The ephedrine comes in 25 milligram tablets, so should I chip a little bit off the tablet to get the right ratio?"

Do you see the problem here?

These are legitimate questions, but they're completely moot if you're eating doughnuts and sitting on the couch all day long. Fix your diet and get your butt moving first, then worry about the little things.

Emerson said, "The height of the pinnacle is determined by the breadth of the base." The heights you reach will depend entirely on how broad a foundation you build. Great coaches such as Vince Lombardi and John Wooden credited most of their success to drilling their players on fundamentals.

Forget about ALL the minutia until you have the fundamentals down cold!

Forget about supplement dosages

Forget about macronutrient cycling

Forget about tempo manipulation

Forget about glycemic indexes

Forget about the latest Bulgarian or Russian periodization program

Master the fundamentals first!

The fundamentals of fat loss include: (1) Do your cardio, (2) Lift weights, (3) Burn more calories than you consume (4) Eat 5-6 small, frequent meals and never skip meals, (5) Keep your fat intake low, but include small amounts of good fats, (6) Eat natural foods; avoid processed & refined foods, (7) eat more complex carbs, fruits & vegetables, (8) eat lean proteins with each meal, (9) Think positive: visualize yourself as you would like to be.

If you're not doing all these things, and you're looking for the perfect supplement stack or the optimum periodization plan, I'm afraid you're barking up the wrong tree.
I don't want you to think that details don't matter - they do. The "Law of Accumulation" states that every success is a matter of hundreds or even thousands of tiny efforts that often go unnoticed or unappreciated. Everything counts. Everything either helps or hurts. Nothing is neutral.

The problem is when you get bogged down in minutia before you've even learned the basics. Minor details produce minor results. Major fundamentals produce major results.

Don't major in minor things. Lay your foundation first, then move on to the finer points. And remember, as Jim Rohn says, always be suspicious of someone who says they've found a new fundamental.

4. KNOW YOUR CALORIES

The most important dietary factor in fat loss is not how many grams of carbohydrate, protein or fat you eat, the most important factor for fat loss is calories. Eat more than you burn each day and you will store fat. Eat less than you burn each day and you will lose fat.It's just that simple.

Where the calories come from is important too, but unless you understand the calorie concept, nothing else matters.

I'm appalled at how many people claim to sincerely want to lose body fat who admit they haven't a clue how many calories they eat.
Get serious! If you don't have the faintest idea how much you're eating, how can you expect to make any progress?

Did it ever occur to you that your ONLY problem might be overeating!
Do you realize that too much of anything gets stored as fat?

That's right - even if you're eating nothing but "natural and healthy" foods, if you eat too many of them, you're still going to get fat.

Portion control, my friend, portion control!
On the other hand, maybe you're under-eating and slowing down your metabolism. There's a fine line.

5. NEVER, EVER QUIT! MAKE FITNESS A LIFESTYLE!

Do you know what is the biggest mistake made by beginners?
They quit!

Remember in the January issue, where I mentioned how attendance in our gym shoots up for about 6-8 weeks around New Year's? Well, it's back to normal now because all the quitters dropped out already.
What's especially sad is that most people quit right when they're on the verge of making substantial progress.

Remember: You're never a failure as long as you're working on the progressive realization of a worthy goal. But the second you quit, then it's official - you're a failure.
Quitting should not even be an option because...

FITNESS IS A LIFESTYLE!

Don't let these four words slip by you just because it's an oft-repeated cliché. This is an important mindset! You have to stop thinking of getting in shape for a New Year's resolution, vacation or wedding (or a contest, you bodybuilders). You must start thinking about getting healthy and in shape FOR LIFE.

When you're just starting out, firmly resolve that quitting is not even an option. Don't approach this endeavor with an "I'll try" attitude. If you accept quitting as a possibility, you might as well not even start; just grab that remote control, a bag of chips and get back on the couch where you were before.
Also, understand that results may come slowly in the beginning if you're not the genetically-gifted type. This process requires great patience and persistence for most people.

Most beginners never allow themselves the time it takes to get any momentum going. They expect too much too soon, get discouraged and quit.
It takes a big push to get started. It's like getting a rocket off the ground - it uses most of its fuel just launching off the pad, but once it's in the air and the inertia has been overcome, it can keep going with very little energy expenditure. Don't quit just because it's difficult to "launch!"

6. GET A PERSONAL TRAINER, COACH, OR MENTOR

Life is too just too short to learn everything there is to know on your own. Don't waste time climbing the ladder only to find it's leaning against the wrong wall! Learn from the experts. Get a trainer, personal coach, or mentor to help you start right - right from the start.


7. JOIN A GYM IF YOU CAN, BUT A SET OF DUMBBELLS ARE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO GET YOU STARTED

I admit I'm showing my bias by saying everyone should join a gym (I'm in the health club business), but I sincerely believe nothing beats working out in a high quality health club. In a well-equipped gym, the possibilities are endless, the atmosphere is motivational and people are there to help you.

More often than not, however, beginners start at home. That being the case, I admit that you don't need a gym to get started. You also don't need any of that garbage advertised on late night TV. The only piece of equipment you need has existed for over 100 years - that's right, the humble DUMBBELL!

Remember - don't overcomplicate this - think basics, basics, basics (and dumbbells are as basic as it gets.)

Dumbbells are the single most versatile piece of equipment in existence. You can perform hundreds, even thousands of exercises with dumbbells.

Ladies, a set of 3 to 20 pounds will be more than sufficient. Guys, a set from 10 to 40 pounds should do the trick (for now). I've also heard wonderful things about Powerblock dumbbells for space-saving, although I don't have first hand experience to cite.
If you also get yourself a bench and clear out a little corner in your favorite room, then you're ready to roll!

Here it is - The beginner's all-dumbbell routine:

1. Dumbbell bench press (chest)

2. Dumbbell side lateral raise (shoulders)

3. One arm dumbbell row (upper back)

4. Dumbbell extension behind head (triceps)

5. Dumbbell Bicep curl (biceps)

6. Dumbbell Lunges (thighs)

7. Dumbbell One leg calf raise (calves)

8. Dumbbell leg curl (hamstrings)

9. Crunches (abs)

There you have it. Simple and effective. At home or in a gym.

If you're just starting, do this routine for 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps per exercise, except calves and abs which you can go up to 20 reps. Rest 1 minute between sets. You'll train your whole body in each workout, 2 -3 three days per week, non-consecutive days.

After 3 - 6 months, you'll probably need to add exercises and move up to a split routine. (So I guess I have to do another article, called 8 tips for intermediates: How to keep going).

8. WEIGHT TRAINING IS NOT OPTIONAL - IT'S MANDATORY!

It's is a common misconception that you should start with aerobic workouts and lose the fat first before adding weight training.
Unfortunately, the best you can hope for from diet and aerobics alone is to become a "skinny fat person." You may lose weight, but you'll have a poor muscle to fat ratio and a "soft" appearance.

Obviously, weight training is the key to developing strength and muscle. What few people realize is that weight training also increases fat loss, although it occurs indirectly.

Weight training is anaerobic and burns carbohydrates (sugar).Cardio is aerobic and therefore burns fat. So it seems logical to focus on aerobic training for fat loss.
However, something interesting happens "beneath the surface" when you lift weights. Weight training increases your lean body mass - aerobic training does not.
Low calorie dieting and aerobic training without weight lifting can make you lose lean body mass. If you lose lean body mass, your metabolism slows down, and this makes it harder to lose fat.

If you increase your lean body mass, you increase your metabolic rate and this makes it easier to lose fat. With a faster metabolism, you'll burn more fat all day long - even while you're sleeping!

If you have limited time, and your main priority is fat loss, then do a very brief weight training program and spend the majority of your time concentrating on cardio. But never neglect the weights completely - always do both, and if possible, devote equal attention to each.

[FloridaGator]

I would like to thank you guys for replying and I have begun the start of changing my diet and watching my daily intake. As i have been reading over this board I see that oatmeal is usually used in the a.m. as a meal. when I look at the values though the carbs are high for the oatmeal. So my question is in watching your diet to loose weight is it more important to watch/count the calories or watch/count the carbs since they are more likely to be what is turned into the fats.

I appreciate everyone input and look forward to feeling better in the future.

[MaNiCC]

You are Welcome

If your main aim is to lose weight i would watch the amount of carbs you are taking in, also the times that you are taking them. for example you wouldnt have a high carb intake near to bed time as they will not be used for energy and stored.

These video's last for about 90 minutes in total but they will help you greatly imo

http://forums.steroid.com/showthread.php?t=323516

[gbrice75]

I would like to thank you guys for replying and I have begun the start of changing my diet and watching my daily intake. As i have been reading over this board I see that oatmeal is usually used in the a.m. as a meal. when I look at the values though the carbs are high for the oatmeal. So my question is in watching your diet to loose weight is it more important to watch/count the calories or watch/count the carbs since they are more likely to be what is turned into the fats.

I appreciate everyone input and look forward to feeling better in the future.

I think it's less about carbs in general, and more about the type of carbs you choose. You will want to stay with carbs that are relatively low on the GI Index, which would be things like oats, brown rice, sweet potato, yam, etc. They are a slow steady burning fuel source which your body is more likely to use for just that - burn slowly for energy, vs. high GI carbs which cause an insulin spike and are much more likely to be stored as fat. High GI carbs cause an insulin spike due to the sudden high levels of glucose in the blood. Insulin takes that glucose and stores it in the liver, muscle cells, and you guessed it - FAT CELLS.

Another thing to consider is trying to keep your carb and fat meals separate, within reason. I like to do carbs the 1st half of the day, and fat meals the 2nd half and into the night. All meals should have protein of course.