Things that could be hurting my gains...best physical changes..

[largerthannormal]

Hey guys looking for maybe some truth on a few things to help me stop the things I think would be slowing my progress..


ps stats 190 12% 5ft 10ish, wide thick bulky 17.5" arms / no abs but mainly flat stomach with a deacant set of wheels... ( best i culd do with no pics)

diet I have in other threads but its so far on the money , on a 40/40 20 mac split at 3000 cals.



So heres a few things I would like to know how much is actually holding me back.......................

I have a nasty addiction..................... freakn AMP energy drink. ( it says its 0 cals ) which I know whats all in the can and am not a complete dummy. I have 1 every morning after meal 1 to get a jump on the day...... thats it.. I admitt it................. sooo is this killing me? ive tried to go a few days without and it stinks.........

Next white rice vs brown.... even though I got my macros set perfect does it matter between the two?

Also another question related to that as for one of my carb sources at my 230 meal I have a whole wheat bagel... i know this is a processed food and wondering if its hurting me in anyway..

I can post diet or anything else if need be...........

another note my cals are at 3000 and my tdee is about 3200. my goal is lean gains and loose bf% cardio is min 2 miles per day 6 days a week in a sprint on and off type fashion... what would make the best visible changes in the next 2 months..

im 4 weeks in a moderate cycle. Had a few compliments of blowin up a bit so far, in my head i have none of the normal sytoms I normally have. nipples are not very soar, morning wood isnt as prominent as when normally on...

maybe im freakn out and asking to much.. LMAO

[mockery]

best visual changes would come from your diet if it was clean and regimented.

[mockery]

what exactly is lean gains with loss of body fat?

[digsy1983]

For the energy drink, nole brought up some good points in a thread about sugar. 1 point being that although the drink says it's 0 cals the manufacturer only tests on a very small amount of the liquid , say 5ml it the drink could be 0.5 cals. 500ml of drink = 50 cal. (numbers just used for an example)

The white rice Is fine, your just not getting all the goodness ( vitamins and minerals) of wholegrain.

The bagel shouldnt make too much of a difference In the scheme of things, but a more complex non processed carb would maybe be more advised.

And the lean gains and BF% reduction, it's trying to do two different things at once. May have to choose 1 and then do the other at a later day.
Or maybe hit 405 up on carb cycling. I'm sure he said he lost BF and also gained some lbm while doing it. Could be an option.

[largerthannormal]

Cool thanks bro... I hear ya... wasnt to sure how bad that drink was killn me........

glad to hear about the rice and wheat bagel.

Ive seen 405s progress and a few of his posts.. maybe i should contact him

Thanks!

For the energy drink, nole brought up some good points in a thread about sugar. 1 point being that although the drink says it's 0 cals the manufacturer only tests on a very small amount of the liquid , say 5ml it the drink could be 0.5 cals. 500ml of drink = 50 cal. (numbers just used for an example)

The white rice Is fine, your just not getting all the goodness ( vitamins and minerals) of wholegrain.

The bagel shouldnt make too much of a difference In the scheme of things, but a more complex non processed carb would maybe be more advised.

And the lean gains and BF% reduction, it's trying to do two different things at once. May have to choose 1 and then do the other at a later day.
Or maybe hit 405 up on carb cycling. I'm sure he said he lost BF and also gained some lbm while doing it. Could be an option.

[largerthannormal]

lean gains = um gains with minimal fat ... in turn would lower bf due to it being a percentage .. if I can gain 10 lean lbs my percentage would change

what exactly is lean gains with loss of body fat?

[largerthannormal]

best visual changes would come from your diet if it was clean and regimented.

gothcya n yes.. diets clean and very regimented... sorry i guess this was a stupid question on my part.


i guess i meant in more of lines of changes to current macros. at this point im staying steady. dunno if i should bump up cals in certain percentages or bump them all to keep current macro split

[mockery]

bulk or cut and stick with it.

if you want these lean gains or body recomp be prepared to spend 6-12 months for you to achieve this. To gain muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. surplus comes with the addition of gaining fat along with lbm. And u are on gear for..?

once you know what you want, many of the beautiful people here in the form can help u achieve that. but they cant help you decide to bulk or cut

[EngineeredMayhem]

Next white rice vs brown.... even though I got my macros set perfect does it matter between the two?

I am studying nutrition in school right now (only my first semester!) and we have been talking about carbohydrates the last couple weeks. I will do my best to provide some information here but I’m certainly not an expert on the subject.

When considering white rice vs. brown rice the most obvious difference is the vitamins, minerals and possibly essential oils they provide. Whole grains, such as brown rice, contain three parts of the kernel; the bran, germ and endosperm. Thinking of rice like an egg, the bran is the shell, the endosperm is the white and the germ is the yolk. Refined grains such as white rice have the bran and the germ removed leaving only the endosperm. The endosperm contains the bulk of the carbs and protein found in grains. The bran is the primary source of fiber. The germ contains most of the vitamins, minerals and oils.
Most types of white rice are fortified in some way to restore some of the nutrients lost during the refining process. The type and quantity of nutrients restored can vary widely and may or may not be as effective as the nutrients originally found in the food source.

Removing the bran will also effect digestion which can in turn affect blood glucose levels and the like.

Phytochemicals are another reason why whole grains may be the better option of the two. Phytochemicals are non-essential nutrients found in plants that may provide health benefits. However, not all phytochemicals have been properly identified or are completely understood. This unique combination of nutrients and chemicals means whole grains provide more than just basic nutrients, and can actually help protect against disease. Soluble fiber, such as that found in the bran of brown rice, is thought to help lower blood cholesterol levels.

There are tradeoffs either way you go but remember, it’s better to have a diet that includes refined foods that you can actually stick to than to include a bunch of whole grains in your diet and then never eat them!

[mockery]

I am studying nutrition in school right now (only my first semester!) and we have been talking about carbohydrates the last couple weeks. I will do my best to provide some information here but I’m certainly not an expert on the subject.

When considering white rice vs. brown rice the most obvious difference is the vitamins, minerals and possibly essential oils they provide. Whole grains, such as brown rice, contain three parts of the kernel; the bran, germ and endosperm. Thinking of rice like an egg, the bran is the shell, the endosperm is the white and the germ is the yolk. Refined grains such as white rice have the bran and the germ removed leaving only the endosperm. The endosperm contains the bulk of the carbs and protein found in grains. The bran is the primary source of fiber. The germ contains most of the vitamins, minerals and oils.
Most types of white rice are fortified in some way to restore some of the nutrients lost during the refining process. The type and quantity of nutrients restored can vary widely and may or may not be as effective as the nutrients originally found in the food source.

Removing the bran will also effect digestion which can in turn affect blood glucose levels and the like.

Phytochemicals are another reason why whole grains may be the better option of the two. Phytochemicals are non-essential nutrients found in plants that may provide health benefits. However, not all phytochemicals have been properly identified or are completely understood. This unique combination of nutrients and chemicals means whole grains provide more than just basic nutrients, and can actually help protect against disease. Soluble fiber, such as that found in the bran of brown rice, is thought to help lower blood cholesterol levels.

There are tradeoffs either way you go but remember, it’s better to have a diet that includes refined foods that you can actually stick to than to include a bunch of whole grains in your diet and then never eat them!

interesting info, thanks.

[largerthannormal]

WOW bro this was a good read!! thanks for your info! that def helps

I am studying nutrition in school right now (only my first semester!) and we have been talking about carbohydrates the last couple weeks. I will do my best to provide some information here but I’m certainly not an expert on the subject.

When considering white rice vs. brown rice the most obvious difference is the vitamins, minerals and possibly essential oils they provide. Whole grains, such as brown rice, contain three parts of the kernel; the bran, germ and endosperm. Thinking of rice like an egg, the bran is the shell, the endosperm is the white and the germ is the yolk. Refined grains such as white rice have the bran and the germ removed leaving only the endosperm. The endosperm contains the bulk of the carbs and protein found in grains. The bran is the primary source of fiber. The germ contains most of the vitamins, minerals and oils.
Most types of white rice are fortified in some way to restore some of the nutrients lost during the refining process. The type and quantity of nutrients restored can vary widely and may or may not be as effective as the nutrients originally found in the food source.

Removing the bran will also effect digestion which can in turn affect blood glucose levels and the like.

Phytochemicals are another reason why whole grains may be the better option of the two. Phytochemicals are non-essential nutrients found in plants that may provide health benefits. However, not all phytochemicals have been properly identified or are completely understood. This unique combination of nutrients and chemicals means whole grains provide more than just basic nutrients, and can actually help protect against disease. Soluble fiber, such as that found in the bran of brown rice, is thought to help lower blood cholesterol levels.

There are tradeoffs either way you go but remember, it’s better to have a diet that includes refined foods that you can actually stick to than to include a bunch of whole grains in your diet and then never eat them!

[largerthannormal]

Will any physical changes occur if im pretty much at my tdee if my choices of food are 1000x more superior and a well thought out macro system and timing all recently came into play? alos cardio has increase 400%. i would think id be at enough calories to still build muscle ifnot a huge amount at least maintain what I have and drop bf%.. or would you still suggest to just bump it up another 500 and see what it does? im very carb sensitive so it would have to come from another protein source...

yes on gear.... im on a very odd cycle which i dont get to in depth about cause its pretty controversial because I use a cutter with a bulker along with some test.... so yes im on...

bulk or cut and stick with it.

if you want these lean gains or body recomp be prepared to spend 6-12 months for you to achieve this. To gain muscle you need to be in a calorie surplus. surplus comes with the addition of gaining fat along with lbm. And u are on gear for..?

once you know what you want, many of the beautiful people here in the form can help u achieve that. but they cant help you decide to bulk or cut

[largerthannormal]

technically at my tdee and increase to a much leaner style of cals and increase cardio i would think i should lean out maintaining current weight?

[mockery]

1.) there is no drug that is a cutter or a bulker, your diet controls this.

2.) You dont want to share info about yourself so its really impossible for anyone to help you if they dont know your complete stats.

3.) u say your diet is dialed in? then im confused what u are trying to ask or learn.

4.) cardio 6 days a week isnt going to magicly help you shred body fat. Not when you are eating at a surplus. and not when you havent replaced the calories you are using. 2 hours a week, 3x 40 mins should be plenty to aid in recovery, increase appeitite and help stay in shape. Again if your diet isnt dialed in, nothing you do will work 110%

5.) posy pictures, all your stats, your diet, your macros and work out routine and im sure people will coem in here and give you solid advice.

6.) again, bulk, cut or slow body recomp. choose one. You will have lean muscle mass loss when losing fat, up to 25% and even higher.. yes being anabolic can help with this. But when trying to lose body fat "IF" ur strength is not at very least staying the same or still progressing forward but instead there is loss of strength this is a indication of rapid loss of LBM. You gain fat and muscle and you lose fat and muscle. All of this changes if you have reached yor genetic limit natural before using the drugs. Unless you are pinning Everyday, even with longer half lifes yoru hormones are not 100% stable and our hormones play a huge role in our diet.

[largerthannormal]

I'll post in AM buddy.. my diets in this thread a few down...I'll get it all together...I just tried to mke it generic with the macro split and total cals rather than posting everything but I can...

[ShredMN]

Cut the energy drinks out, that shit is eventually going to be the death of you. Try yerba mate tea instead, that should put some ants in your pants.

[largerthannormal]

Yerba mate tea hmmmm cool thanks man.. I'll check it out!! Thanks!

[ShredMN]

Apparently there have been some links between cancer and consuming more than a liter of hot yerba mate a day. There hasn't been a large association when it is warm or iced though. But then again, a liter of tea is A LOT to drink in one day. More than likely you're safe to drink it hot, but just thought I'd share anyways. If you tend to err on the safe side, I'd just drink it iced.

[mockery]

im guessing you have to get by with these drinks cause your diet and hormones are out of wack. So it goes back to your drugs and or diet and lifestyle that makes it hard for you to function with out them.

[largerthannormal]

1.) there is no drug that is a cutter or a bulker, your diet controls this. i agree but i do associate characteristics of a certain drug to the goal wanting to be achieved.

2.) You dont want to share info about yourself so its really impossible for anyone to help you if they dont know your complete stats.

lol ok man i havent hid anything about me, i have been a long time member to this site , i have gave my stats and did not hide one thing. its an open forum and my diet /pics and all other stats are all over, i am anabolic and dont mind sharing what I am using I just didnt want it to become the topic.

3.) u say your diet is dialed in? then im confused what u are trying to ask or learn. i am asking the harm of a substance, the difference n white vs brown rice , if 1 processed food is hindering my movemnt forward, and also if there is a faster way to do what you called a " lean body composition" I just worded it wrong I guess ( not being a smartass thats my bad

4.) cardio 6 days a week isnt going to magicly help you shred body fat. Not when you are eating at a surplus. and not when you havent replaced the calories you are using. 2 hours a week, 3x 40 mins should be plenty to aid in recovery, increase appeitite and help stay in shape. Again if your diet isnt dialed in, nothing you do will work 110% i am not triying to shred fat or cut I am trying to add lean body mass I am asking if keeping closer to my tdee will be better for this or is the only way to gain is full out bulk? i found my answer from 405 for the new calorie number and macro split for my goal

5.) posy pictures, all your stats, your diet, your macros and work out routine and im sure people will come in here and give you solid advice.Goal,

Gain LBM, swap out a few fat lbs for lean lbs, not expecting huge weight gains due to the calorie intake

I revamped my diet slightly to get closer to where I wasnt to be, Im sub about 200 cals from my tdee as I dont want a full out cutter and still would like enough cals to support current tissue and able to build more if need be.

Please critique

Macro split 40/40/20 ( tried to get that close to in each meal but in the end its pretty close)

It comes out to a little over 2,800 but daily i sneak in a few extra cals pretty easy with supps and and flax

7:00 serving protein carbs fat CALS
22g whey 1 22g(88c) 14g(56c) 5g(50c) 200
egg wo/ yolk 44g16c ea(64c) 0 .5g( 4c) 100
oats 1/4c 5g(20c) 27g(108c) 3g(27c) 150
fruit 1/4c (4 cal) 4g (12cal)
flax 2tab
TOTAL 176 176 81 500

9:15
99% ff G. Turkey 6oz 39g(156c) 0 3g(27c) 188
white rice 1 cup 4g(16c) 40g(160c) 3g(25c) 200
greens 1/2 cup 2g(8c) 5g(20c) 25
TOTAL 180 180 52 413

11:45
chicken breast 6 oz 34.5g(138c) 3.8g(33) 192
sweet potato med/L 2g(8c) 33g(132c) 140
TOTAL 146 132 33 332

2:30
22g whey 1.5 33(132C) 21g(84c) 7.5g(67.5c) 300
egg wo/ yolk 44g16c ea(64c) .5g( 4c) 100
flax 2tab
whole wheat bagl 1/2 5g(20c) 27g(108) 15.g(13c) 140
TOTAL 216 192 83 565

during workout
BCAA 5g
GLUTAMINE 5G

post workout
22g whey 1.5 33(132C) 21g(84c) 7.5g(67.5c) 300
BCAA 5g
fruit 1/4c (4 cal) 4g (12cal) 25
TOTAL 136 96 67.5 325

1 hour after
chicken breast 6oz 34.5g(138c) 3.8g(33) 192
green 1/2 cup 2g(8c) 5g(20c) 25
whole wheat bagl 1/2 5g(20c) 27g(108) 15.g(13c) 140
TOTAL 166 128 33 357

before bed
egg wo/ yolk 4 4g16c ea(64c) 0 .5g( 4c) 100
FF cottage cheese 1/4 cup 8g(32c) 2.5g(10c) .3(3cals) 38
Natural PB 2tb 8g(32c) 6g(24c) 16g(144) 190
TOTAL 128 34 151 328

287G /1148C 234.5G/938C 55G/500C 2,820

6.) again, bulk, cut or slow body recomp. choose one. You will have lean muscle mass loss when losing fat, up to 25% and even higher.. yes being anabolic can help with this. But when trying to lose body fat "IF" ur strength is not at very least staying the same or still progressing forward but instead there is loss of strength this is a indication of rapid loss of LBM. You gain fat and muscle and you lose fat and muscle. All of this changes if you have reached yor genetic limit natural before using the drugs. Unless you are pinning Everyday, even with longer half lifes yoru hormones are not 100% stable and our hormones play a huge role in our diet.

im guessing you have to get by with these drinks cause your diet and hormones are out of wack. So it goes back to your drugs and or diet and lifestyle that makes it hard for you to function with out them.no man geez your way off where do you come up with this? my hormones are out of wack? Dude i get blood work done and keep in check, also my lifestyle is an avid lifter/athlete im not a hack who puts in 2-3 days effort or just started lifting a year ago and expect the world for results, I been at this 7 years plus and like most of us I still do not have all the answers.. I enjoy something just like one would a beer or a certain food. your kinda just bashing things bro..

I just dont accept the fact your view I can not simply add lean mass, main question was how close to my tdee would make me still able to do this. add lean weight inturn lower bf% yes i may gain a lil fat as well just attempting to not sloppy bulk bro

[digsy1983]

have i picked it up wrong that youre trying to get every meal to a 40/40/20 splt? this is the spilt of your overall daily split, not every meal.

the goal/s you are trying to achieve and in the way you are trying will prove difficult. but by the by,

id try and split the carbs into 3 meals. breakfast, PREWO and PWO. these are the most beneficial times to eat carbs.

id utilize fasted cardio this will ensure your burning mostly fat (sparing carbs for growth) cardio after your workout would be good aswell, but fasted being superior.

[largerthannormal]

have i picked it up wrong that youre trying to get every meal to a 40/40/20 splt? this is the spilt of your overall daily split, not every meal. I def agree just happend to come out this way when i designed it.. lol

the goal/s you are trying to achieve and in the way you are trying will prove difficult. but by the by,kinda lost me on this one.. yes very difficult but i think adding lean mass is possible

id try and split the carbs into 3 meals. breakfast, PREWO and PWO. these are the most beneficial times to eat carbs. ill try this

id utilize fasted cardio this will ensure your burning mostly fat (sparing carbs for growth) cardio after your workout would be good aswell, but fasted being superior.

ill try this as well!!

[digsy1983]

the goal/s you are trying to achieve and in the way you are trying will prove difficult. but by the by,kinda lost me on this one.. yes very difficult but i think adding lean mass is possible

^^^ that was the lead into the 2 bits of advice! poorly set out, my bad!

[mockery]

im guessing you have to get by with these drinks cause your diet and hormones are out of wack. So it goes back to your drugs and or diet and lifestyle that makes it hard for you to function with out them.no man geez your way off where do you come up with this? my hormones are out of wack? Dude i get blood work done and keep in check, also my lifestyle is an avid lifter/athlete im not a hack who puts in 2-3 days effort or just started lifting a year ago and expect the world for results, I been at this 7 years plus and like most of us I still do not have all the answers.. I enjoy something just like one would a beer or a certain food. your kinda just bashing things bro..

I just dont accept the fact your view I can not simply add lean mass, main question was how close to my tdee would make me still able to do this. add lean weight inturn lower bf% yes i may gain a lil fat as well just attempting to not sloppy bulk bro

If you need these energy drinks to get through your day, your hormones are off. take it as a personal attack i don't care.. but this is a tell tail sign something isn't right. you shouldnt need these drinks if your diet and lifestyle are normal.

Gaining lean mass takes a long period of time. Too long for most people to even stick with it. No one will know the answer you are looking for. you have to eat and see what makes you grow and or doesn't make you grow. Everyone is different. Clean your diet up , drop half your protein shakes and energy drinks eat whole real food and start from scratch. with out your accurate bf% and ur "RMR" NOT "BMR" u cant be really sure of anything. Im telling you things and its not want you wanna hear so u puff your chest out.

You are anabolic on who knows what so really you can sit on teh couch and play world of Warcraft all day and gain lean mass , "IF" ur diet is CLEAN. diet diet diet diet diet diet,

You can

a.) BULK, surplus of calories to grow

b.) CUT, deficiet of calories to lose weight , fat and muscle.

c.) Do a long progressive body re-comp where over time the transition of fat and muscle change. You don't go by weight, u take pictures every day ( like frank zane did) and look at the progress via the mirror, you can take measurements but this can also mess with your head much like scales do.

d.) u can find your true maintenance , eat at that and maintain your gains from teh past 7 years with minimal training and food.

I know first hand i can be on a shit ton of gear but if i eat at maintenance or below i don't grow. the second i start going 50 calories over maintenance i blow up in the mirror the next day. Gaining muscle comes with fat as simple as 50/50% , u can minimize fat loss VIA a CLEAN DIET . Everyone asks for help and claim they eat good. 6 shakes a day and using sugar free and calorie free dressings dont fit the bill.

THe question gets asked everyday " how to do a lean mass bulk. " , eat clean and dont go above 5% of your goal weight, but as Lyle McDonald has said 10000000000000000000000000 over the past 9 years , you dont just grown muscle and have fat magically fall off and get replaced with the muscle. If this was possible everyone in teh gym would be walking around year round at 4% bodyfat , jacked! U need to first learn the necessary stimulus for muscle growth, calories in and calories out. Then genetics, if you dont have them, then just be happy with who and what you are.

how are you going to carry on this quest for lean muscle mass when you go into pct and 2-3 months after pct? whats your diet plan for those 4 months, how is it set up.

[largerthannormal]

If you need these energy drinks to get through your day, your hormones are off. take it as a personal attack i don't care.. but this is a tell tail sign something isn't right. you shouldnt need these drinks if your diet and lifestyle are normal. I have 1 in AM as ive done even bofore i started messing with anobolics it became an acquired taste not and chemical addiction as if it were i could just take caffien supps.

as for lifestle I have 3 kids to take care and gym 2 hours per day and a normal 8 hour workday and do not own video games or even a computer at the house, i think i do rather well.

Gaining lean mass takes a long period of time. Too long for most people to even stick with it. No one will know the answer you are looking for. you have to eat and see what makes you grow and or doesn't make you grow. Everyone is different. Clean your diet up , drop half your protein shakes and energy drinks eat whole real food and start from scratch. with out your accurate bf% and ur "RMR" NOT "BMR" u cant be really sure of anything. Im telling you things and its not want you wanna hear so u puff your chest out. been sticking with it for 7 years...if you seen wher I came from and what i was i would put myself in the top 5 people on this site for transformation but am too embarrsed to even share the before photos. not here to puff my chest out man if i was i would kick myself off the site for not taking others advice, i hear ya on the enegery drinks and thats what i wanted to hear from others how bad it was to maybe help me find a reason to stop them.

You are anabolic on who knows what so really you can sit on teh couch and play world of Warcraft all day and gain lean mass , "IF" ur diet is CLEAN. diet diet diet diet diet diet,
posted my diet

You can

a.) BULK, surplus of calories to grow

b.) CUT, deficiet of calories to lose weight , fat and muscle.

c.) Do a long progressive body re-comp where over time the transition of fat and muscle change. You don't go by weight, u take pictures every day ( like frank zane did) and look at the progress via the mirror, you can take measurements but this can also mess with your head much like scales do.

d.) u can find your true maintenance , eat at that and maintain your gains from teh past 7 years with minimal training and food.

I know first hand i can be on a shit ton of gear but if i eat at maintenance or below i don't grow. the second i start going 50 calories over maintenance i blow up in the mirror the next day. Gaining muscle comes with fat as simple as 50/50% , u can minimize fat loss VIA a CLEAN DIET . Everyone asks for help and claim they eat good. 6 shakes a day and using sugar free and calorie free dressings dont fit the bill. i am the same way was mainly looking how far to be over to make gains lean..

THe question gets asked everyday " how to do a lean mass bulk. " , eat clean and dont go above 5% of your goal weight, but as Lyle McDonald has said 10000000000000000000000000 over the past 9 years , you dont just grown muscle and have fat magically fall off and get replaced with the muscle. If this was possible everyone in teh gym would be walking around year round at 4% bodyfat , jacked! U need to first learn the necessary stimulus for muscle growth, calories in and calories out. Then genetics, if you dont have them, then just be happy with who and what you are.my genetics are that of a fat person

how are you going to carry on this quest for lean muscle mass when you go into pct and 2-3 months after pct? whats your diet plan for those 4 months, how is it set up.

i have a very well thought out pct with help of a fellow member swifto who helps me though every pct .. along side of this I am bridging with a few peptides. if this is necessary to know?

cmon man.. not trying to be a jerk but i dont have the puffy chest syndrome.. main goals you are going way around and picking on one thing....

[mockery]

Then improve your diet, make it clean(er) and start from there, you claim maintance for you at 190 is 3200 calories? thats pretty high, id try at 2500, and if your metabolism is strong then 2700.

everything i have said, comes down to one thing. Diet. ask yourself if you need bagels, ( most are deep fried by the way ) do you need shakes?, do you need these energy drink that are BAD for you. and fruit ? No one is gonna tell you what to eat, u have been in teh game for a long time you should know when you buy food what you can eat and what you should avoid. spend more money on food then gear, yes having kids might mean you have to eat white rice. But the money you would spend on gear use for your own food stash so you ensure you are eating properly.

take your bi weekly budget you can spend on food for yourself, now piece your diet together from this. and see what you can afford to buy, eating clean is not cheap. i was a 40 inch waist in march and now down to 33 inces from eating clean and strict.

fix yoru diet, fix your problem

[largerthannormal]

ill drop the bagels... agreed......

shakes are fast they are usually only half servings to keep my macros where they should be. getting kids ready for sckool and work im not trying to make excuses just kinda do what works and i dont see the shakes being a real problem. I eat a crap ton of real food a day. I spend 2 hours every night at the stove and oven. kinda stinks... i can move and adjust what i have..

any other suggestions to break the habbit of the drink? i feel like im a smoker and going from real ciggarettes to "lights" i guess ill just go cold turkey........... physically i dont need the energy i may not have made that clear in my post.. "appologies" i just have the aquired taste for it. " im pretty energetic as it is and cant stand sitting in my office chair and find excuses to get up and walk around

fruit i use for a simple carb usually i skip the AM, i use the post workout fruit to restore the glucose depletion from workout. been diong some reading on it not to sure how much i am a believer on it yet.

ive been at 3200 for past 4 weeks and i am up 6lbs looking actually leaner, i guess this is a slight surplus maybe a lil water retention.