Please help me with diet, lots of info inside..

[MercuryEvo]

STATS:

26 years old
195 lbs
5'9 1/2 exactly
I have broad shoulders with somewhat of a nature build shape.

My diet is far from perfect, but it helped me lose about 40 lbs. Trying to keep this as short as I can, I was 220 lbs with about 25% BF. I came on here, watched the vids of the jacked russian guy and then started dieting. I now drink about 1 gallon of water a day. I have 5 meals and I keep carbs to a minimum and fat almost non existent. I try to hit at least 200g of protein a day. Doing this I dropped to 180 lbs with around 11%-12% of BF (pic below). I looked way better but I still had this thin layer of fat. I had some unrelated trauma in my personal life and didn’t exercise for 40 days. I ate like shit and gained around 12 lbs. So being 192 I started dieting and exercising again. I started taking British Dragon Anavar hoping to accelerate muscle growth and fat a loss a little bit. I’m now back on my regular diet and working out 5 days a week. I do 30-60 mins of weights (depending on which muscle I’m doing) and then I swim about ¾-1 mile in 45-60 mins every day for cardio. I’m now about 195 lbs, I still fit in the same clothes I did at 180 (but a little more snug) and I have noticed some muscle increase. I used this electric current thing to measure BF and it claims 14%-14.5%. I have this thin layer of fat on my stomach and chest as well as mid section. My legs and arms have almost no fat. I just want to cut up my mid section and my diet now needs to be stepped up. I'm also considering some dieting supplements but not sure if I need them or what is effective. So please help.

Meal 1 - 7:30am - Protein Special K (I dont measure, about 1.5 cups) and 1 cup of skim milk. (3 out of 4 times I throw a huge choc chip cookie in there too for taste even though I know that's bad). I take 20mg of anavar at this time.

Meal 2 - 12:00pm - Roughly 6-8 oz of white chicken usually and 4-6 oz of a green vegetable.

Meal 3 - 3:30pm - Isopure meal replacement shake. Has 25g carbs, 50g of protein. I take another 20 mg of anavar at this time.

Meal 4 - 5:50pm - Either another Isopure MRS or some sort of chicken/Tuna/Turkey meal with vegetables similar to my 12:00pm meal.

Workout - 6:15pm-8:00pm doing weight training, then cardio.

Meal 5 - 9:00pm. This is Post workout. I'm usually starving. It's usually another chicken/steak/turkey with veggies, and a 75g isopure protein shake. Because I'm lacking further results, I sometimes have .5 - 1 of a big choc chip cookie again (this is my weakness) or a 1/2 peanut butter/jelly sandwich.



Then it gets real bad. On Fri night, Sat and Sun, I cheat on and off. Sometimes I miss protein shakes if I rested that day and I drink 1-2 nights on the weekend. Usually 1 of those nights is heavy drinking. Sometimes, on 1 of those weekend nights, I will eat something really bad, like a huge dessert at midnight or something if I'm out to eat with my girl.



I know this is alot but I really appreciate any advice. I'm so carb conscious when I'm dieting that sometimes I think I don't eat enough carbs on workout days. And I do notice some workout days where I'm tired, and other days I feel great and kill it. I'm gonna make another thread for my gf because she's going to begin working out today and needs her diet critiqued. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, Please advise.

This is the only pic I have of me when I was 180lbs before I took 40 days off and ate like shit and gained 12 lbs.

[gbrice75]

STATS:

26 years old
195 lbs
5'9 1/2 exactly
I have broad shoulders with somewhat of a nature build shape.

My diet is far from perfect, but it helped me lose about 40 lbs. Trying to keep this as short as I can, I was 220 lbs with about 25% BF. I came on here, watched the vids of the jacked russian guy and then started dieting. I now drink about 1 gallon of water a day. I have 5 meals and I keep carbs to a minimum and fat almost non existent. I try to hit at least 200g of protein a day. Doing this I dropped to 180 lbs with around 11%-12% of BF (pic below). I looked way better but I still had this thin layer of fat. I had some unrelated trauma in my personal life and didn’t exercise for 40 days. I ate like shit and gained around 12 lbs. So being 192 I started dieting and exercising again. I started taking British Dragon Anavar hoping to accelerate muscle growth and fat a loss a little bit. I’m now back on my regular diet and working out 5 days a week. I do 30-60 mins of weights (depending on which muscle I’m doing) and then I swim about ¾-1 mile in 45-60 mins every day for cardio. I’m now about 195 lbs, I still fit in the same clothes I did at 180 (but a little more snug) and I have noticed some muscle increase. I used this electric current thing to measure BF and it claims 14%-14.5%. I have this thin layer of fat on my stomach and chest as well as mid section. My legs and arms have almost no fat. I just want to cut up my mid section and my diet now needs to be stepped up. I'm also considering some dieting supplements but not sure if I need them or what is effective. So please help.

Meal 1 - 7:30am - Protein Special K (I dont measure, about 1.5 cups) and 1 cup of skim milk. (3 out of 4 times I throw a huge choc chip cookie in there too for taste even though I know that's bad). I take 20mg of anavar at this time.

Meal 2 - 12:00pm - Roughly 6-8 oz of white chicken usually and 4-6 oz of a green vegetable.

Meal 3 - 3:30pm - Isopure meal replacement shake. Has 25g carbs, 50g of protein. I take another 20 mg of anavar at this time.

Meal 4 - 5:50pm - Either another Isopure MRS or some sort of chicken/Tuna/Turkey meal with vegetables similar to my 12:00pm meal.

Workout - 6:15pm-8:00pm doing weight training, then cardio.

Meal 5 - 9:00pm. This is Post workout. I'm usually starving. It's usually another chicken/steak/turkey with veggies, and a 75g isopure protein shake. Because I'm lacking further results, I sometimes have .5 - 1 of a big choc chip cookie again (this is my weakness) or a 1/2 peanut butter/jelly sandwich.



Then it gets real bad. On Fri night, Sat and Sun, I cheat on and off. Sometimes I miss protein shakes if I rested that day and I drink 1-2 nights on the weekend. Usually 1 of those nights is heavy drinking. Sometimes, on 1 of those weekend nights, I will eat something really bad, like a huge dessert at midnight or something if I'm out to eat with my girl.



I know this is alot but I really appreciate any advice. I'm so carb conscious when I'm dieting that sometimes I think I don't eat enough carbs on workout days. And I do notice some workout days where I'm tired, and other days I feel great and kill it. I'm gonna make another thread for my gf because she's going to begin working out today and needs her diet critiqued. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE, Please advise.

This is the only pic I have of me when I was 180lbs before I took 40 days off and ate like shit and gained 12 lbs.

Not flaming, but you're diet is pretty terrible! Judging by your pic, you have a decent build but are definitely carrying some bodyfat - with an additional 12lbs since the picture, I imagine you're somewhat unhappy.

I really can't even critique this diet; IMO you need to completely revamp and start from scratch. The time between your 1st and 2nd meal is really bad. See some guidelines below. Reconstruct your diet and repost it here for further help:

1) Eat 6 or more meals per day
2) Eat no more than 2.5 - 3 hours apart
3) Lean protein in every meal
4) eat REAL FOOD - you are relying on shakes way too much. Whey protein is acceptable PWO and first thing in the morning as a quick fix, and Casein is acceptable before bed - that's about it. You can have more shakes IF you are eating enough real food, but they are not meant to REPLACE real food, they are supplements.
5) stick with good clean complex carbs, and keep them in the 1st half of your day
6) healthy fats in the 2nd half of the day
7) keep carbs and fat meals separate as much as possible
8) weigh all your foods, and count ALL macros

Let us know how you make out, good luck!

[MercuryEvo]

Not flaming, but you're diet is pretty terrible! Judging by your pic, you have a decent build but are definitely carrying some bodyfat - with an additional 12lbs since the picture, I imagine you're somewhat unhappy.

I really can't even critique this diet; IMO you need to completely revamp and start from scratch. The time between your 1st and 2nd meal is really bad. See some guidelines below. Reconstruct your diet and repost it here for further help:

1) Eat 6 or more meals per day
2) Eat no more than 2.5 - 3 hours apart
3) Lean protein in every meal
4) eat REAL FOOD - you are relying on shakes way too much. Whey protein is acceptable PWO and first thing in the morning as a quick fix, and Casein is acceptable before bed - that's about it. You can have more shakes IF you are eating enough real food, but they are not meant to REPLACE real food, they are supplements.
5) stick with good clean complex carbs, and keep them in the 1st half of your day
6) healthy fats in the 2nd half of the day
7) keep carbs and fat meals separate as much as possible
8) weigh all your foods, and count ALL macros

Let us know how you make out, good luck!

I do not look much different from that pic. I may have a little bit more fat but I have some more muscle too and I think that's from taking the anavar.

Ok now some questions

-What are healthy Fats?
-Why doesnt the meal replacement shake count as a meal? Isn't that the whole point?
-Complex carbs are like vegetables and brown rice?
-What are some other good sources?
-What are some simple carbs that I should take? And I imagine take them within 30 mins of working out right?
-The protein I take doesn't say whey (if i recall) so how do I know which kind it is?
-What's a good source for casein protein? That digests slowly right? Still good for Post workout or take whey post workout and then casein after?

[gbrice75]

I do not look much different from that pic. I may have a little bit more fat but I have some more muscle too and I think that's from taking the anavar.

Ok now some questions

-What are healthy Fats?
Just a few - natural peanut/cashew/almond butter, pretty much any nuts (most people seem to prefer almonds), avacado, salmon (protein/fat), whole eggs (not the best kind of fat but should still be a staple in your diet), lean steak and ground beef (also protein/fat). There are more, but these are some common ones.

-Why doesnt the meal replacement shake count as a meal? Isn't that the whole point?
That's what they tell you the point is. Meal repacements are crap, and will do nothing for you compared to real food. If your in a pinch and have no choice, it's better to eat one than not eat at all, but it shouldn't be made a part of your daily diet as you have it now.

-Complex carbs are like vegetables and brown rice?
Brown rice, sweet potato, yam, quinoa, beans and lentils, oats... Veggies are fiberous carbs and should be eaten as often as possible (broccoli, asparagus, spinach, etc) but not considered a complex carb as they are very carb/calorie light and mostly fiber.

-What are some other good sources?
Of what?

-What are some simple carbs that I should take? And I imagine take them within 30 mins of working out right?
Not really. Some people will tell you yes, some will tell you no. I like complex carbs, even PWO. I mix dry oats right into my whey shake and chew em up. If you opt to eat simple carbs PWO, look for a dextrose/maltodextrin blend.

-The protein I take doesn't say whey (if i recall) so how do I know which kind it is?
Read the label/ingredients. It should tell you what kind of protein it is, or a blend of different proteins. If it doesn't, THROW IT OUT!

-What's a good source for casein protein? That digests slowly right? Still good for Post workout or take whey post workout and then casein after?Casein protein is typically used right before bed as it's a slower digesting protein. Therefore it will help keep you from going catabolic while you sleep. Add some peanut butter or almonds and the fats will slow the digestion process even further. Most people just use the powder (optimum nutrition casein chocolate or vanilla is awesome!) - but you can eat cottage cheese as well. If you can stand it, even better than casein would be a lean steak such as sirloin or london broil.

Answers above in bold

[MercuryEvo]

when I said other sources, I was asking other sources of complex carbs which you answered, thank you.

Any suggestions on best times of day for whey protein?
And what kind of carb would a meal replacement shake count as? They have 25g carbs in them.

I can't eat every 2-3 hours at work, just isnt possible. I work 9-5:30 about with a 45 min commute. I can squeeze in probably 1 more quick meal, but it's gotta me something I can eat somewhat quickly. Any suggestions?

[gbrice75]

when I said other sources, I was asking other sources of complex carbs which you answered, thank you.

Np!

Any suggestions on best times of day for whey protein?

I think I already talked about this above, but whey protein is good immediately after your workout since it's fast acting. Alot of people have a quick shake upon waking too just to break the fast and get some protein in, however that should be in additon to or followed shortly after by real food. My breakfast is the same everyday - a protein blend shake (whey, casein, milk), 2 whole eggs and 1 cup of oats.

And what kind of carb would a meal replacement shake count as? They have 25g carbs in them.

Check and see how much sugar is in that shake - i'm willing to bet it's alot. So, it would most likely count as a simple carb - like I said, crap.

I can't eat every 2-3 hours at work, just isnt possible. I work 9-5:30 about with a 45 min commute. I can squeeze in probably 1 more quick meal, but it's gotta me something I can eat somewhat quickly. Any suggestions?
I work 8:30 - 5 with an hour commute each way. I cook my food in bulk twice a week, usually Sundays and Wednesday evenings. I portion it all out ahead of time, pack it in tupperware containers and then i'm good to go for a few days. Even if you have to eat it cold at your desk (desk job?), it can be done. It might not be super enjoyable, but it's possible in most cases. Get creative!

Answers above in bold

[Pro-Natural Science]

Your bodyfat seems to be much higher then 11% as stated in the picture. Drop the drinking obviously....up cardio....increase complex carbs, keep protein as is, and dont be afraid to eat some healthy fats.

[MercuryEvo]

Well, I'm 14.5% BF now according to the little computer thing I used at La Fitness. I was assuming I was around 11% in that pic because i was about 12 lbs lighter without much less muscle. I could be wrong though.