Newbie needs help, Please critique my diet plan!

[Kingen]

Hey everyone. I'm a 22 year old male, 74kg/163lbs, 174cm/5'7. I'm probably one of the smallest guys on this forum. I've attatched some pics so you can see my starting point.

I did a cycle with 250mg test e e5d in mid 2017. Got pretty bad acne and was on accutane for almost a year. Jan to Dec 2018. Now I'm finally free from acne, left with some small keloid scars on my back.

I'm planning on doing another cycle of only test in some months, probably in summer. Therefore I'm trying to cut down as much as possible so I can eat +500 cals/day when I'm on juice. I don't want to dirty bulk this time.

I've read and listened to stickys in this diet and nutrition section. This is what I've come up with, PLEASE critique!:

Caloric maintenance is 2400 cals per day (desk job) so I'm aiming for 1900.

Meal 1:
Egg whites 300g, 123 cal, 30.3g protein + 1 dl oatmeal, 111cal, 3,9g protein = 234 cal + 34,2g protein

carbs: 17,4g. Fat: 2.1g

Meal 2:
1,5dl Whey 80, 219 cal, 42.2g protein

carbs: 2.8g Fat:4.5g

Meal 3:
Veggies + 200g chicken, 230 cal + 43g protein + 200g potatoes= 172 cal, 3.4g protein = 402, 46,4

carbs:40g Fat: 6.4g

Meal 4:
post workout; 1,5dl whey 80, 219 cal, 42.2g protein

carbs:2.8g Fat:4.5g

Meal 5:
veggies + cod and potato. 200g cod= 210 cal, 45.7g protein. 200g potato = 172 cal, 3.4g protein = 382cal,49.1g

carbs:40g Fat:1.9g

Meal 6: Cottage cheese 300g, 309cal + 37.5g protein

carbs: 8g Fat: 13.5g

Meal 7:
Casein: 120 cal, 25,5g protein

carbs: 2.8g Fat: 0.7g


total:
CAL: 1885 cal, PROTEIN: 277.1g, CARBS: 113,8g, FAT:33,6g

Is there any other supplements I need? How does this look? Please critique, I want the best possible guidance.

Thanks!

[GearHeaded]

one glaring thing here that pops out at me . your post workout meal contains NO Carbs. carbs post workout is more anabolic and more important then protein.
when glut 4 levels are high post workout carbs are going to do extremely anabolic things. they will illicit an insulin response (the most anabolic hormone on the planet). They will drive glucose into muscle cells, water into muscle cells, nutrients and electrolytes, etc.. (these are all things that make up what muscle is in the first place, its carbs that put them there) . Also , that ever so important protein, which is made up of amino acids, how do you think those aminos get into the muscle to help repair and build? well they get there by catching a ride with the carbs when the carbs are stored as muscle glycogen via insulin. you want to put that protein to use , well you need to give it a ride into the muscle cells with the carbs.


another thing. your only 160 pounds to begin with.. why are you doing a low carb diet with a severe 500 calorie per day deficit (your deficit is probably higher then that when you really factor in your training).
thats not exactly ideal for the goal of getting muscular and jacked.

I would change things up to promote more muscle building and more growth.. getting more muscular over all now will only help you get leaner in the future. getting leaner now when your already small to begin with will simply delay your ability to get more muscular and leaner later on.


you have a good structure. you just need to optimize a few things . does not matter wither your not on a cycle yet , you still can grow and put on muscle and get/stay lean.

[GearHeaded]

also, cutting while not on cycle is one of the fastest ways to lose muscle (for someone who is enhanced to begin with). both natty and enhanced guys can put on the size, but only the enhanced guys can get lean and still maintain lots of muscle mass.
I personally would never do a very aggressive cut or contest prep type diet without being on a cycle. doing a bulk without being on cycle is fine. but not a cut. for most bodybuilders the last 50 years, when dieting down for a contest is when they would choose to be on cycle or run the most gear.

your kinda doing things opposite here by wanting to cut naturally ahead of time before getting on cycle to bulk. again, thats a fast track to losing gains.. anytime I'm off cycle (which is rarely ever) I'm definitely going to be in a calorie surplus to make up for things and try and not lose muscle.

[Kingen]

also, cutting while not on cycle is one of the fastest ways to lose muscle (for someone who is enhanced to begin with). both natty and enhanced guys can put on the size, but only the enhanced guys can get lean and still maintain lots of muscle mass.
I personally would never do a very aggressive cut or contest prep type diet without being on a cycle. doing a bulk without being on cycle is fine. but not a cut. for most bodybuilders the last 50 years, when dieting down for a contest is when they would choose to be on cycle or run the most gear.

your kinda doing things opposite here by wanting to cut naturally ahead of time before getting on cycle to bulk. again, thats a fast track to losing gains.. anytime I'm off cycle (which is rarely ever) I'm definitely going to be in a calorie surplus to make up for things and try and not lose muscle.

Thank you so much for taking the time!

Did not know that I needed carbs after workouts. I’d assume that this applies to bulking as well. Should the post workout be eaten in 15 minutes as it says in one of those stickies?

I’ve cut down from 88kg/193lbs with a 500 calorie deficit, only caring about calories and protein. Not fats or carbs. I used an app and weighted the food. I’ve probably lost a fair amount of muscle in the process, not strenght though.

Ever since I found this forum, my view of bodybuilding has changed. I’m learning that I should monitor every Marco and it’s so much new information to get in.

You’re probably right, I should go with a caloric surplus. The real reason I’ve been cutting is because I’ve been told that you should have a low bf% when starting a cycle. I don’t really know when that is, but I’m thinking to myself that I should atleast see my abs before starting a cycle.

The reason I’m planning a cycle in some months is because I want my scars to fully heal before taking another cycle.

I will take your advice and start with a caloric surplus. I’ll have to read more about this as well since it’s probably not a good Idea to eat only cookies and protein shakes while bulking .

Thanks again for your advice, I need all the knowledge there is.

[GearHeaded]

no you don't have to slam a post workout meal down within 15 mins .. glut 4 will be elevated for a couple hours post workout. so just get the protein and carbs down within a reasonable time

yes macros are extremely important. every diet I've ever programmed for clients has been based and designed around macro calculation first and foremost and then calories fall where they fall. I break down each meal based on macros , not calories.
also I put a big emphasis on which macros to consume based a lot on timing.. your body is in a constant flux between lipolysis and anabolism (its not constantly just one or the other). so my meals are planned around this to take advantage of these opportunities.


in regards to having to be lean in order to run a cycle. this comes from the idea that aromatase enzyme is located within body fat and the more body fat you have the more you'll convert and aromatize test/aas into estrogen . and therefore being lower body fat is better so you are less likely to convert a lot of estrogen. as true as this may be biologically , its based on a couple false presumptions. one, that estrogen is bad and you don't want to aromatize and produce estrogen (this is BS. estrogen is not only an anabolic hormone that will build muscle, but also has many health benefits... estrogen conversion can be a useful tool in a cycle). two, that you have to run test only as a first cycle. the fact is that a ton of steroids don't even aromatize into estrogen in the first place (so the idea of high body fat = more estrogen conversion is not even relevant to 80% of the steroids available anyhow)

also, consider that steroids are not fat burners themselves, but they do have lots of indirect properties that will help you get or stay lean. you don't need to be lean to run gear, in fact the gear can help you get lean.


learning to 'bulk' on clean foods now and getting your nutrition and even your digestion and nutrient assimilation dialed in NOW will only help you for when you do cycle.

keep in mind that your only as capable of building muscle in regards to how capable your are of assimilating/absorbing proper nutrition . if you can't assimilate it you can't build muscle.

we speak in bodybuilding a lot about genetics. well digestion is a huge genetic factor. the reason some guys are 300 pounds while other guys can only get to 225 pounds is simply because the 300 pound guy is better at digesting/assimilating nutrients to build him to that 300 pounds and the 225 pound guy is not.

so , working on getting your digestion and nutrition dialed in and made better will only help you over all when you do go to cycle.

[Kingen]

no you don't have to slam a post workout meal down within 15 mins .. glut 4 will be elevated for a couple hours post workout. so just get the protein and carbs down within a reasonable time

yes macros are extremely important. every diet I've ever programmed for clients has been based and designed around macro calculation first and foremost and then calories fall where they fall. I break down each meal based on macros , not calories.
also I put a big emphasis on which macros to consume based a lot on timing.. your body is in a constant flux between lipolysis and anabolism (its not constantly just one or the other). so my meals are planned around this to take advantage of these opportunities.


in regards to having to be lean in order to run a cycle. this comes from the idea that aromatase enzyme is located within body fat and the more body fat you have the more you'll convert and aromatize test/aas into estrogen . and therefore being lower body fat is better so you are less likely to convert a lot of estrogen. as true as this may be biologically , its based on a couple false presumptions. one, that estrogen is bad and you don't want to aromatize and produce estrogen (this is BS. estrogen is not only an anabolic hormone that will build muscle, but also has many health benefits... estrogen conversion can be a useful tool in a cycle). two, that you have to run test only as a first cycle. the fact is that a ton of steroids don't even aromatize into estrogen in the first place (so the idea of high body fat = more estrogen conversion is not even relevant to 80% of the steroids available anyhow)

also, consider that steroids are not fat burners themselves, but they do have lots of indirect properties that will help you get or stay lean. you don't need to be lean to run gear, in fact the gear can help you get lean.


learning to 'bulk' on clean foods now and getting your nutrition and even your digestion and nutrient assimilation dialed in NOW will only help you for when you do cycle.

keep in mind that your only as capable of building muscle in regards to how capable your are of assimilating/absorbing proper nutrition . if you can't assimilate it you can't build muscle.

we speak in bodybuilding a lot about genetics. well digestion is a huge genetic factor. the reason some guys are 300 pounds while other guys can only get to 225 pounds is simply because the 300 pound guy is better at digesting/assimilating nutrients to build him to that 300 pounds and the 225 pound guy is not.

so , working on getting your digestion and nutrition dialed in and made better will only help you over all when you do go to cycle.

Wow... Everything got so much easier now when you said that you count macros and not calories.

When I tried to make that meal plan it took me hours lol because I had to look up every individual food and their nutrition content. Now it's so much faster when counting macros before calories.

Atleast I think I did right.

185g protein (2.5 * 74kg*)
85g fat (25%)
375g carbs ( 185 * 4 = 740, 85 * 9 =765, 740 + 765 = 1505. 3000 - 1505 = 1495. 1495 / 4 = 375)

Thats

6 meals per day:
31g protein
14g fat
63g carbs.

Will start taking carbs post workout. Does it matter which type of carbs? I'd guess that dextrose/maltodextrin or white rice is a better alternative than oats, cause of digesting.

[GearHeaded]

well when you know your macros up front, the calories are automatically known so you can just add up the cals if you want after the fact.

for protein there are 4 cals per 1 gram of protein
for carbs there are 4 cals per 1 gram of carbs
for fats there are 9 cals per 1 gram of fat

so , being I know what your macros are I also know what your cals are.
protein 185g = 740 cals
carbs 375g = 1500 cals
fat 85g = 765 cals

so 3005 cals

yes you want high glycemic fast digesting carbs post workout. you also don't want any fat in this meal as it will slow digestion of carbs and proteins.


then of course the math for counting macros/cals becomes even faster once you get used to your diet. their are roughly 7g of protein per ounce of lean meat . so if your used to eating 7 ounces of chicken per meal, your roughly getting 50g protein per chicken meal. also theres roughly 45g of carbs per one cup or rice. so all you need to know is the cups or rice you eat per day to know the math .

I can break down a a clients diet fairly efficiently just by prescribing ounces of meat and cups of rice (I don't need to refer to nutrition labels)

[kelkel]

so , working on getting your digestion and nutrition dialed in and made better will only help you over all when you do go to cycle.

My mind works in weird ways but that comment reminded me of this. Actually relevant after all these decades: