Need alot of dietary help

I've been lifting weights for about 4 years now (not so serious the last 2 years) and never had any special type of diet I follow. I'm kinda green about diets. I want to get a lower BF% at the same time as I build muscle.
My hight is 5'5, around 160 pounds and according to a calculator on the net my BF is 14%. Not sure how accurate it is.

I want to get serious with my workouts and I know the saying "you are what you eat" is very true. I've read that about 50-60% of the results from lifting weights comes from your diet, so a bit of help on how to get started would be appreciated.

I've tried to make some sort of diet, but I've no idea if it's any good.

For breakfast:
6 eggwhites and 1 whole egg, 75g oatmeal with some milk. Sometimes I change out the eggs with a protein shake.
Protein: 89,5g Carbs: 60,3g Fat: 17,4g Calories: 771,5kcal

between breakfast and lunch:
A box of tuna and 2 slices of bread/1 pitabread (whole wheat)
Protein: 42,4g Carbs: 33g Fat: 2,9g Calories: 344

Lunch:
2 chicken breasts with 75-100g rice/pasta (whole wheat) and vegetables. Sometimes I'm not able to eat this meal and I change it out with a protein shake.
Protein: 47,8g Carbs: 58,6g Fat: 1g Calories: 458kcal

Before workouts:
protein shake/bar and a banana.
Protein: 46,1g Carbs: 26,4g Fat: 1,6g Calories: 309kcal

After workouts:
Protein and carb shake.
Protein: 45g Carbs: 73,3g Fat: 3,8g Calories: 486kcal

Dinner:
This meal is very mixed. I have no specific dinner every day.

Before bed:
Casein shake or Cottage cheese.
Protein: 38g Carbs: 4,5 Fat: 13g Calories: 288kcal

Total: Protein 308g Carbs: 256,3g Fat: 39,7g Calories: 2656,5kcal

The total is not entirely correct as I have not included the dinner. That's the only thing that's not static in my diet.
I'm sure this is not a very good dietary plan for me to follow, so any help getting me started would be great.

I'm gonna post my current diet properly soon. Sorry for the lack of info in my original post, but I've been kinda busy all day. I did a new BF measure and it seems like my BF% is 14%. Apparently I used a Calculator for the females of our species earlier. :)

I've updated my first post with total protein, carbs, fat and calories.
I think my protein intake is to high and carbs/fat to low. What do you think?

I don't have any specific goals other than getting bigger and decrease my BF%.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Babel26

I've been lifting weights for about 4 years now (not so serious the last 2 years) and never had any special type of diet I follow. I'm kinda green about diets. I want to get a lower BF% at the same time as I build muscle.
My hight is 5'5, around 160 pounds and according to a calculator on the net my BF is 14%. Not sure how accurate it is.

I want to get serious with my workouts and I know the saying "you are what you eat" is very true. I've read that about 50-60% of the results from lifting weights comes from your diet, so a bit of help on how to get started would be appreciated.

I've tried to make some sort of diet, but I've no idea if it's any good.

For breakfast:
6 eggwhites and 1 whole egg, 75g oatmeal with some milk. Sometimes I change out the eggs with a protein shake. I'd remove the milk. Macros are way off - 90g protein seems impossible from oats and 30g via eggs.
Protein: 89,5g Carbs: 60,3g Fat: 17,4g Calories: 771,5kcal

between breakfast and lunch:
A box of tuna and 2 slices of bread/1 pitabread (whole wheat) Replace the bread with a better carb source (oats, sweet potato, brown rice, beans, etc)
Protein: 42,4g Carbs: 33g Fat: 2,9g Calories: 344

Lunch:
2 chicken breasts with 75-100g rice/pasta (whole wheat) and vegetables. Sometimes I'm not able to eat this meal and I change it out with a protein shake. 2 chicken breasts seems excessive, 1 8 oz. breast is a good portion. Make sure your whole wheat pasta is quality and not enriched
Protein: 47,8g Carbs: 58,6g Fat: 1g Calories: 458kcal

Before workouts:
protein shake/bar and a banana. make this meal look like the one above. Lean meat, complex carbs, veggies - power meal pre-workout.
Protein: 46,1g Carbs: 26,4g Fat: 1,6g Calories: 309kcal

After workouts:
Protein and carb shake. make this look like your old pre-workout - whey/banana and maybe 1/2 cup oats.
Protein: 45g Carbs: 73,3g Fat: 3,8g Calories: 486kcal

Dinner:
This meal is very mixed. I have no specific dinner every day. No specific is fine but it should be veggies, lean meat, healthy fat complex carb, always. Example: spinach salad with 1 tblspn evoo/vinegar, 8 oz. steak, 1 cup brown rice. 40-50g pro/carb - 15-20g fat

Before bed:
Casein shake or Cottage cheese. Good but add 15g healthy fat via nuts, PB, oil, etc.
Protein: 38g Carbs: 4,5 Fat: 13g Calories: 288kcal

Total: Protein 308g Carbs: 256,3g Fat: 39,7g Calories: 2656,5kcal Fat is wayyyyy low but I've fixed that in your last 2 meals. Get 60g from diet, another 10 from an EFA supp like fish oil pills

The total is not entirely correct as I have not included the dinner. That's the only thing that's not static in my diet.
I'm sure this is not a very good dietary plan for me to follow, so any help getting me started would be great.

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Bold. repost with changes and see where you're at.

Thanks for the input. I'm gonna change my diet a bit from your recommendations.

Just a question though. When people say they eat 100grams of rice or pasta.. do they mean cooked or dry?

Dry/raw.

Not sure I can give up the milk with the oats in the morning. Taste horrid with water and to dry without anything. :).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Babel26

I've been lifting weights for about 4 years now (not so serious the last 2 years) and never had any special type of diet I follow. I'm kinda green about diets. I want to get a lower BF% at the same time as I build muscle.
My hight is 5'5, around 160 pounds and according to a calculator on the net my BF is 14%. Not sure how accurate it is.

I want to get serious with my workouts and I know the saying "you are what you eat" is very true. I've read that about 50-60% of the results from lifting weights comes from your diet, so a bit of help on how to get started would be appreciated.

I've tried to make some sort of diet, but I've no idea if it's any good.

For breakfast:
6 eggwhites and 1 whole egg, 75g oatmeal with some milk. Sometimes I change out the eggs with a protein shake.always have the eggs, they are supierior to any shake
Protein: 89,5g Carbs: 60,3g Fat: 17,4g Calories: 771,5kcal

between breakfast and lunch:
A box of tuna and 2 slices of bread/1 pitabread (whole wheat)OK, just make sure its keeping you full enough
Protein: 42,4g Carbs: 33g Fat: 2,9g Calories: 344

Lunch:
2 chicken breasts with 75-100g rice/pasta (whole wheat) and vegetables. Sometimes I'm not able to eat this meal and I change it out with a protein shake.Dont change the chicken for a shake ever, always have the chicken
Protein: 47,8g Carbs: 58,6g Fat: 1g Calories: 458kcal

Before workouts:
protein shake/bar and a banana.nothing wrong with this, but real food would do you better, also banana s are fast digest and wont sustain you... try and have more chicken here, with a slow digesting carb like sweet potatoe or brown rice
Protein: 46,1g Carbs: 26,4g Fat: 1,6g Calories: 309kcal

After workouts:
Protein and carb shake.fine
Protein: 45g Carbs: 73,3g Fat: 3,8g Calories: 486kcal

Dinner:
This meal is very mixed. I have no specific dinner every day.use same meal as lunch

Before bed:
Casein shake or Cottage cheese.ok meal...
Protein: 38g Carbs: 4,5 Fat: 13g Calories: 288kcal

Total: Protein 308g Carbs: 256,3g Fat: 39,7g Calories: 2656,5kcal

The total is not entirely correct as I have not included the dinner. That's the only thing that's not static in my diet.
I'm sure this is not a very good dietary plan for me to follow, so any help getting me started would be great.

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comments above

you food choices are good, just make sure you put the diet into action...

cardio will help you to lose body fat, although at you current weight you better suit a lean bulk....

whats you training rotine like...

oops damien already has you sorted, oh well, we basically say the same thing...

whats you training routine look like please...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by the big 1

oops damien already has you sorted, oh well, we basically say the same thing...

whats you training routine look like please...

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I run a 4-split.

Monday: back, shoulders backside and neck
Tuesday: chest, biceps and abs
Wednesday: day off
Thursday: Legs and light benchpress
Friday: shoulders, triceps, light deadlifts and abs

I'm doing 4 sets and 10-12 reps. lower reps on deadlifts, benchpress and squats.

Does this workout routine look alright, or is there something I should change?

No, it looks bad and redundant.

For a 4-day split, I'd go with something like this:

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Back/Chest
Wednesday: rest - cardio only
Thursday: shoulders
Friday: arms
Sat/sun: rest - cardio 1 day only

Re-configure however but the keys are to give yourself a break between back/chest, bis/tris, and shoulders since all those groups are hit when doing the larger upper body groups. If you deadlift on back day, it may be better to have a rest day between legs/back as well. Don't do multiple chest pressing/back workouts in the same week, just train em hard one day and get plenty of rest. Keep volume light for arms/chest - do as many as 25 sets for legs/back.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Damienm05

No, it looks bad and redundant.

For a 4-day split, I'd go with something like this:

Monday: Legs
Tuesday: Back/Chest
Wednesday: rest - cardio only
Thursday: shoulders
Friday: arms
Sat/sun: rest - cardio 1 day only

Re-configure however but the keys are to give yourself a break between back/chest, bis/tris, and shoulders since all those groups are hit when doing the larger upper body groups. If you deadlift on back day, it may be better to have a rest day between legs/back as well. Don't do multiple chest pressing/back workouts in the same week, just train em hard one day and get plenty of rest. Keep volume light for arms/chest - do as many as 25 sets for legs/back.

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You serious about the chest and back on the same day? Isn't that a bit overkill?

I don't think so. They don't really involve each other and can be super-set. But it's just an example - what's overkill is your current split - anything would be better. You could do:

Mon: Back/rear delts
Tues:Chest/abs
Weds: rest
Thurs:Legs/delts/traps
Fri: Arms

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Damienm05

I don't think so. They don't really involve each other and can be super-set. But it's just an example - what's overkill is your current split - anything would be better. You could do:

Mon: Back/rear delts
Tues:Chest/abs
Weds: rest
Thurs:Legs/delts/traps
Fri: Arms

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This example looks better to me.

Another diet question though.. Is it ok to use some sugarfree jam in the cottage cheese for the taste and is 300g to much as as a last meal of the day?

Hardest thing for me with this diet is the ability to eat this much food during the day. Another thing is that I'm not starting the day so early as most people do. I wake up around 10am and fitting all these meals in my schedule is not easy.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Babel26

This example looks better to me.

Another diet question though.. Is it ok to use some sugarfree jam in the cottage cheese for the taste and is 300g to much as as a last meal of the day?
I would not. Even sugar-free jam still has a lot of natural sugar before bed. If you can't stomach the cheese without it, use casein powder. Or try adding some raspberries and splenda. As for the portion, 300g or 50g it all depends on your protein needs for the day. 1 metric cup (~30g pro) is a pretty standard amount before bed.

Hardest thing for me with this diet is the ability to eat this much food during the day. Another thing is that I'm not starting the day so early as most people do. I wake up around 10am and fitting all these meals in my schedule is not easy. Just force yourself to do it and soon it'll become second nature both with regard to your stomach expanding and convenience in terms of your day-to-day lifestyle

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Yessir.