Take a look at my diet

[BIGGZY]

Hey for a while now ive been trying to work out a healthy balanced diet between good quality protein sources & low fat healthy meals. so could someone take a look at my daily diet & see what i could improve

10:30AM : 3 egg whites 1 whole egg w/ mushrooms, low fat non processed ham and 36 grams of porridge oats w/ skimmed milk, half a scoop of protein powder.

1:30pm 1 bananna 1 peak body pro50 bar half can tuna w/ low fat mayo & wholemeal bread

3:30pm 1 banana 1 orange

5:30pm 1 and a half chicken breast w rice & veg

9:00pm fruit smoothie with 1 scoop protein powder

so thats my average daily diet give or take a few things but no cheating hope someone can help

[gbrice75]

Honestly, the diet is terrible. I'd be surprised if that equates to 2000 kcal/day. Not trying to offend you, just being honest. I would not expect to see any gains with that diet. Don't try and adjust it; it needs a complete overhaul, needs to be started from scratch.

Use the information below to educate yourself, and take a look at other diets posted here that have been refined and tweaked into good diets. Then come back, post up a new proposed diet with all macro nutrient info listed for each meal (protein/carbs/fat/total calories) as well as time of day and where your workout fits into the day. Good luck!

BMR/TDEE formula:

Let’s start with BMR. This is your Basal Metabolic Rate. AKA – how many calories you burn each day by just sitting on your ass. In order to figure out your BMR, you need to know what your lean body mass is. In turn, you need to know what your body fat percentage is.

If you don’t know your body fat percentage, go to your gym and get tested (please don’t use electronic scales to get your bf % checked, they're horrible). If you don’t have a gym that offers this service; ask me and I’ll give you a pretty good estimate.

With your bf % in hand, here’s the formula:

BMR (men and women) = 370 + (21.6 X lean mass in kg)

Total weight x bf % in decimal form = total bf weight

Total weight - total bf weight = total lean body mass

For example:

I am 6'1 210 lbs at 10% body fat... so I would multiply 210 by .10 (converted from percent to decimal) = 21 lbs
210 – 21 = 189 lbs lean body weight

189 / 2.2 = 86.0 lean mass in kg

370 + (21.6 x 86) = 2227.6 BMR (this is high for the average person)

Now that we have a BMR figure, we can move on to TDEE. Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is how many calories we actually use during the day via our BMR and activities such as work, exercise and various tasks. We can figure this number out with simple math but be honest because this figure is to be the cornerstone of your diet and healthy lifestyle. We need to determine your activity level. We’ll choose from a few levels:

§ If you are sedentary (little or no exercise): Calorie - Calculation = BMR x 1.2
§ If you are lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
§ If you are moderately active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
§ If you are very active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
§ If you are extra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training): Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

For example:

I train with weights 5 days for 90 minutes per week. I play hockey three times per week
for 90 minutes. I do 60 minutes of cardio training 5 times per week as well. I also practice my sport 3 times per week for 90 minutes. Either via skating or puck/shooting drills. All are high-intensity. I am between very and extra active. Let’s say BMR x 1.8. My TDEE is 4010.

In terms of food choices, here goes:

I love analogies. Let’s use a good one. Think of your perfect body as a house that you must build. You’ve figured out your BMR and TDEE, so you know the exact specs of the property you have to work with. You know how exercise affects weight loss and how much of a caloric deficit/surplus we must create to lose/gain said weight; so you know how to build - you understand architecture. You also know the pace you intend on losing/gaining weight at based on these other factors, so you know it will be harder to get your house built in weeks as opposed to months. The only thing left is the tools/building material you must use and because you don’t know how to eat, you still can’t build anything. At least, not well. Sure, you can starve yourself for a few months but you’ll just gain all the weight back in a couple weeks of binge drinking and shitty eating on a vacation – you’re house will fall down!

So, let’s talk tools baby. Let’s talk food. First off, there are only 3 types of foods/macronutrients. Protein. Carbohydrates. Fat. That’s it.

Protein – 4 calories per gram - Building material. Bricks. You can’t gain energy from protein, you can only use it to build muscle/skin/hair/nails. It’s basically just amino acids and it’s what our bodies are made of. As such, we need lots of it. 1g of protein per body lb is a good number to shoot for . Go as high as 2g per body lb if you’re lifting weights and trying to build muscle. For example, I am 207 lbs and I eat between 300-400 grams per day. Our body can only break down so much at one time however, so we want to eat 20-40 grams of protein in every meal, several times per day. Protein, being building material only and not energy/labor – the body can rarely find a reason for it to be stored as fat. If you must over-eat – make it lean meat/fish.

Carbs – 4 calories per gram - Think of these as human labor for your house. Think of sugar as dudes you pick up out front of home depot and oatmeal as a skilled carpenter. Both are carbs, both serve very different purposes. Carbs help transport essential nutrients to the muscles, create glycogen stores, and as such, increase protein synthesis but do not build muscle; they are simply an energy source. As such, they should only be eaten/used when we need energy. Any carbs we ingest before bed or before watching a movie, or something sedentary are not used as energy, and as such, are more likely to be stored in the body as glycogen (glucose/water in our muscles that we will use when doing high-intensity exercise). Once our glycogen reserves are full, they will spill over and be stored as fat. Yes, they will make you fat. Carbs can be your best friend or your worst enemy.

Fats – 9 calories per gram - Like carbs, fats are an energy source, not a building material like protein. They provide nowhere near as much energy as carbs however. Ask anyone who's on a ketogenic diet. With regard to our house, think of fats as the glue/cement. They provide much needed essential fatty acids, which are great for joint/organ health and increase our protein synthesis. Going back to our analogy, cement/glue increases the effectiveness of bricks! If we give our bodies the right fats, it will be able to burn stored body fat quickly as it won’t see any use in keeping it. Remember, like carbs – not all fat is good and ALL fat is high in calories so watch out. A tablespoon of peanut butter can be a good addition to a meal. Snacking on 5-6 tablespoons, however, means you’ve just eaten over your TDEE for the day.

Acceptable proteins for your healthy lifestyle diet:

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 sources. Do not eat these because they are high in fat. And not the
good kind we find in nuts and olive oil – I’m talking about cholesterol raising saturated
fat!

§ 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

Acceptable Carbs for your healthy lifestlyle:

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:

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

Don’t get discouraged upon reading this list. I still make desserts all the time with whole
grain flour and splenda. I buy bagels and baguettes at the health food store that use
complex carbs as a base. If you’re dedicated, you don’t have to miss out 100%

Acceptable fats for your healthy lifestyle:

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
§ Flax seed 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

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)

[BIGGZY]

wow! cheers for all the info mate thats given me some good insight firstly do you think my diet sucks purely due to the caloric content in my meals or that i dont have enough lean protein sources throughout the day?

I have also worked out my BMR which is 2098 and also my TDEE which is 3251 by using the formulas you have given, i'm in the gym at around 11:15 i have the bananna and pro 50 bar immediately after my workout hence the time i eat. then i will have the tuna sandwhich once ive got home. I'm trying to get my bf% down to 14 while still gaining muscle by doing 20 mins of high intensity interval cardio 3 times a week while still doing my normal weight sessions, which i failed to write on my first post (my bad).
i have looked at some other diets on the forum and i cant really see where im going wrong with my diet and still reaching my goals, apart from changing some of my snacks like the bananna and orange i eat at 3:30 to a meal and having a whole can of tuna in my sandwhich at 1:30pm instead of half i cannot where else i could improve on my current plan. cheers

[zoltans4]

If your trying to lose bf and gain lean muscle (which is incredibly difficult most of the time, its easier to do one or the other), I don't think its that bad with the exception of having one of those times a real meal.
this certainly isn't a bulking meal, but I would actually EAT at 3:30 instead of snack and push the 5:30 dinner up if needed to eat again.
IMO, especially since you work out earlier your biggest meal should be breakfast and then taper down which you are.
From completely off my head looking at your meals you are taking in about 60g protein from lean meats the rest from grains and supplements of powders and bars...
throw something else in at 3:30 and cut elsewhere if needed.
A good example is I buy sprouted bread with 12g protein a slice, full can of tuna is about 23 and cut up a hard boiled egg on there with some miracle whip and bam 55g of protein, throw on a slice of cheese to make 60g, and not super filling...
Otherwise continue on the plan to cut and then bulk afterwards...

[SuperBird]

I buy sprouted bread with 12g protein a slice, full can of tuna is about 23 .

maybe your unaware of the other 20? a can of tuna is 40-45.

[BIGGZY]

superbird i dont know if its different in the states but in the uk our cans of tuna are only 20-25g of protein :|

[SuperBird]

superbird i dont know if its different in the states but in the uk our cans of tuna are only 20-25g of protein :|

where do you get your tuna? are you sure? i was unaware that the uk canned its own tuna.

whats the label on your can, i would love to google it. that has a to be a very small can.

i think your going to be surprised that your tuna says there is 20gms of protein (per serv) but has at least 2 servings per can. either your cans are super small, in which case get the big one. or your buying distressed and malnutritioned tuna from china.


by the way...... i hope your eating later and earlier both, and added about three more adequate portions of meat to your day. youre catabolic for nearly 12 hours!!! woa! your last protein should be casein and a heavy dose.

[BIGGZY]

The tuna i buy is branded john west its the best quality tuna on sale in most of the supermarkets the can is 130gram and upon a closer inspection theres 34grams of protein in a can.

I already have some casein powder on order just waiting to recieve it, ive also added 2 more meat based meals into my diet being the 3:30 and 09:00 also having a casein shake before bed. i would include some more quality meat to my diet but things have been a bit tight recently so im doin the best i can with my budget.

[Harry Manback]

(not going to quote the whole post, rather giving credit where credit is due)

This is excellent information. I in fact am subbing to this thread, to this post more specifically, for reference purposes. Gbrice75, if I had rep points at this point, I'd hook you up. Anyone who doesn't have their diet dialed in should take a look at this. Great post gbrice!

[SuperBird]

The tuna i buy is branded john west its the best quality tuna on sale in most of the supermarkets the can is 130gram and upon a closer inspection theres 34grams of protein in a can.

I already have some casein powder on order just waiting to recieve it, ive also added 2 more meat based meals into my diet being the 3:30 and 09:00 also having a casein shake before bed. i would include some more quality meat to my diet but things have been a bit tight recently so im doin the best i can with my budget.

see you picked up 14 grams of protein right there in one can. cans are cheap. three a day of those and thats another 45 grams of protein you just snatched up.

[gbrice75]

This is excellent information. I in fact am subbing to this thread, to this post more specifically, for reference purposes. Gbrice75, if I had rep points at this point, I'd hook you up. Anyone who doesn't have their diet dialed in should take a look at this. Great post gbrice!

Thanks for the kind words bro! However, I cannot take credit for actually writing the info; that credit goes to Damienm05.

[BIGGZY]

Cheers for the feedback everyone, i have made the changed that where advised to me, they are highlighted in red

10:30AM : 3 egg whites 1 whole egg w/ mushrooms, low fat non processed ham and 36 grams of porridge oats w/ skimmed milk, half a scoop of protein powder. Changed to 4 eggs scrambled with 50 grams of oats taken out the half scoop of protein powder

1:30pm 1 bananna 1 peak body pro50 bar WHOLE can tuna w/ low fat mayo & wholemeal bread

3:30pm 3 whole mackerel fillets w/ brown rice & veg

5:30pm 3 chicken breasts w/ brown rice & veg

9:00pm Fruit smooothie

11:30pm 2 scoop cassein shake

[gbrice75]

Cheers for the feedback everyone, i have made the changed that where advised to me, they are highlighted in red

I can't quote your quote, so I'll just reply below to each line.

10:30am - make it 2 whole eggs, 4 whites. Use water instead of skim milk with the oats. Protein powder is fine. Ham IS a processed meat, no such thing as unprocessed. I'd drop it

1:30pm - drop the banana and protein bar. Keep the tuna, preferably drop the mayo and use a dash of olive oil and vinegar, eat it over a bed of greens.

3:30pm - how much fat in the mackerel? Careful mixing too much fat with carbs (brown rice)

5:30pm - good meal - 3 might be alot, how big are the breasts? Need to see portion size and macros for each meal next time you list your diet

9:00pm - Fruit smoothie? horrible idea, how'd you still come up with this after reading all of that info???

Drop the smoothie and replace with a lean protein + healthy fat and more veggies. Also, this meal is too far after the 5:30pm meal - make this 8:30pm instead.

11:30pm - Add 1tbsp natty PB

[SuperBird]

I can't quote your quote, so I'll just reply below to each line.

cool of you to tune up his diet like that.

it would be nice if he could pre-mix something for around 6:30am so hes not catabolic for so long.

i like to premix shakes because i know i'll get up to pee around four or five and it wont take me a minute to chug before i go back to sleep.

[gbrice75]

cool of you to tune up his diet like that.

it would be nice if he could pre-mix something for around 6:30am so hes not catabolic for so long.

i like to premix shakes because i know i'll get up to pee around four or five and it wont take me a minute to chug before i go back to sleep.

Agreed - I figured he just wakes up late and 10:30am is his first meal of the day eaten upon waken.

OP if you're up earlier in the day, you ideally want to get a meal in ASAP - but at least a quick shake to break catabolism as SuperBird suggested.