My first time ever considering changing diet....

[Kibble]

I hate to post like an un-intelligent guy here, but I decided to stop being cocky about my diet. I need some help. I will not ask anybody here for a diet. Instead, I will post mine and hope that you all can help me make a few changes. I am going grocery shopping soon, and I am about to start my cycle, so I want to make permenant changes. Well, here is my diet that I usually stick to:

7am:
1 whole egg, 5 egg whites fried
2 slices low fat cheese
2 slices whole wheat bread (egg sandwich)
apple, bananna or grapes
multivitamins
protein shake

930am
protein shake
apple, bananna or carrots

1130-1pm Exercise

1pm
protein shake w/creatine
1 slice whole wheat bread
gummy bears or jellybeans (small amount)

130pm
roast beef and turkey sandich plain, with nonfat cheese
(extra meat)
apple, bananna or carrots

[sometimes instead of a sandwich I have yellow (saffron) rice, with beef strips. I sometimes alternate the yellow rice with brown rice]

330pm
tuna
protein shake

530pm
usually some sort of pasta, or whatever wife makes for dinner

9pm
cereal
protein shake
multivitamin
fruit

sometimes I wake up around 2 am and have another shake


I have decided to eliminate pizza, and bbq pork out of my diet for a while (want to help my cholesterol).

I am hoping to find some sort of sodium-reduced food to replace the sandwiches. Any help would be amazing. Thanks guys....

[Klimax]

Macros?
Stats?
Goals?
Tdee?
If have high cholesterol, you should consider delaying your cycle.

[hybrid83]

I'm struggling 2 brother. And I've done like you and put it on paper, and made it look all pretty. I usually last about 2 weeks before I want that huge freakin meal lol. My problem I "think" is my wifes cooking is so damn good. I just can't stop, and it throws off my other meals.

I know this is know help just saying i'm here with ya brother lol

[**TOP**]

I hate to post like an un-intelligent guy here, but I decided to stop being cocky about my diet. I need some help. I will not ask anybody here for a diet. Instead, I will post mine and hope that you all can help me make a few changes. I am going grocery shopping soon, and I am about to start my cycle, so I want to make permenant changes. Well, here is my diet that I usually stick to:

7am:
1 whole egg, 5 egg whites fried
2 slices low fat cheese Cut out the cheese
2 slices whole wheat bread (egg sandwich)
apple, bananna or grapes ADD OATMEAL OR GRITS INSTEAD
multivitamins
protein shake tHERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS HERE?

930am
protein shake
apple, bananna or carrots ELIMINATE THE BANANAS PLEASE! ADD 1 SWEET POT.
1130-1pm Exercise

1pm
protein shake w/creatine
1 slice whole wheat bread I WOULD DO AWAY WITH THIS
gummy bears or jellybeans (small amount) UH-OK
ADD YOUR BANANA AND A GATORADE W/CREATINE

130pm
roast beef and turkey sandich plain, with nonfat cheese
(extra meat)
apple, bananna or carrots NO BANANAS MONKEY LOL!!!! ADD 1 TBS NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER[sometimes instead of a sandwich I have yellow (saffron) rice, with beef strips. I sometimes alternate the yellow rice with brown rice]

330pm
tuna
protein shake NO NEED FOR BOTH? DO 1 OR THE OTHER AND ADD FISH OIL
530pm
usually some sort of pasta, or whatever wife makes for dinner CUT THE CARBS OUT ADD SOME GOOD FAT AND PROTEIN!
9pm
cereal =NO NO O N NO NO N O NO NO
protein shake
multivitamin
fruit.........ADD 2 TABLESPOONS OF NATURAL PB

sometimes I wake up around 2 am and have another shake


I have decided to eliminate pizza, and bbq pork out of my diet for a while (want to help my cholesterol).

I am hoping to find some sort of sodium-reduced food to replace the sandwiches. Any help would be amazing. Thanks guys....

Fixed in bold BUT this is only me cleaning house on your horrible diet! We will need more info from you to tweek it better,i assume you are wanting to add lean mass whilst decreasing bf?

[hybrid83]

Geez if you think his is horrible lol. But I guess you have to make sacrifices to get your body lol.

My question is topher, how do you stay on track of your meals. Do you have a timer or something. What do you do when something pisses you off and you dont wanna eat or you wanna eat some more.

Not trying to hijack your thread bro, but my diet looks like yours( minus the gummy bears lol). I'm having trouble just sticking to that, and it looks like that might be a horrible diet lol.

[Damienm05]

Too many shakes, too much sugar. All of your whole food choices are solid. If you follow Topher's corrections 100%, you have yourself an ideal bodybuilding diet. Also, as someone who follows a pretty strict diet, all I can say is - THIS FOOD DOESN'T HAVE TO SUCK. Granted, I have a culinary degree but you don't need to in order to make tasty, healthy food without simple carbs and sugars. For example, all my meals after my mid-day PWO meal contain no carbs. Some exampled: my last meal of the day is usually a soy/sesame marinated flank steak with almond sauteed green beans. Another one I frequently have before that is pistachio crusted chicken breasts with a small bit of home-made garlic mayonnaise (using EVOO). These meals are not hard to make, they simply require planning (crusting chicken/marinating beef at the beginning of the week when u get back from the grocery store). The secret to sticking to these diets is GOOD food. Eventually, unless you're 1 in 100, you'll feel the need to cheat more and more regularly if your food tastes like the gasoline your body is using it for.

[hybrid83]

See thats just cheating you have a degree LOL. I think thats the problem I have. I'm all about whole foods. Its just they taste horrible when I make them. Its harder to make a nasty cheeseburger you know. My problem is all seasoning.

[FireGuy]

See thats just cheating you have a degree LOL. I think thats the problem I have. I'm all about whole foods. Its just they taste horrible when I make them. Its harder to make a nasty cheeseburger you know. My problem is all seasoning.

Why is seasoning an issue? I dont know of anyone who ever got fat from seasoning.

[Damienm05]

Kosher salt (sodium isn't the devil), fresh cracked pepper (not that pre-ground fake shit), a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano,chili powder, and a very small amount of cumin makes for a fantastic southwestern-style chicken breast seasoning. Sautee em in EVOO and top them with 2 slices of avocado and a squeeze of lime juice on top. The easiest, and one of the best pro/fat meals for late in the day. A sprinkle of the same salt/pepper and them a dash of cumin/coriander/oregano will give you a fantastic middle-eastern style flavor on chicken as well. Spread some roasted red pepper hummus on top and fresh tomato with salt and eat it inside a whole wheat pita. I really could go on endlessly, it's all hard at first but just like the act of bodybuilding itself, these meals becomes second nature within a few weeks.On a much more simple note, get to know how sea salt and kosher salt feel between your fingertips. Once you assess the right amount for sprinking on your protein before grilling/sauteeing, so that food isn't salty but actually tasty and your meals will be much better. An even easier way yo attain great taste, IMO, is marinating. I like to use this technique for beef since it is a very high quality protein source, especially for late in the day. The problem with beef is that any tender steak cut (filet mignon, ribeye, ny strip, etc.) are very high in marbled fats. Using simple marinades, we can take cuts like top round, flank, and standard chuck - slice them thin and let em sit in our fridge for a day or 2 and have restaurant quality, low-fat protein. A good example is an 8 ounce lean top round steak (very cheap). cut into long, thin slices and throw em in a ziplock bag with some soy/hoi-sin/sesame oil/chili sauce and when u finally get around to grilling em on a skewer, u have incredible vietnamese style bbq. Same zip bag technique with some bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, mustard and garlic on a whole flat iron steak will give u an incredibly juicy, tender steak as well. I could go on forever, and find myself rambling. But it's not hard, degree or otherwise.

[**TOP**]

Kosher salt (sodium isn't the devil), fresh cracked pepper (not that pre-ground fake shit), a sprinkle of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano,chili powder, and a very small amount of cumin makes for a fantastic southwestern-style chicken breast seasoning. Sautee em in EVOO and top them with 2 slices of avocado and a squeeze of lime juice on top. The easiest, and one of the best pro/fat meals for late in the day. A sprinkle of the same salt/pepper and them a dash of cumin/coriander/oregano will give you a fantastic middle-eastern style flavor on chicken as well. Spread some roasted red pepper hummus on top and fresh tomato with salt and eat it inside a whole wheat pita. I really could go on endlessly, it's all hard at first but just like the act of bodybuilding itself, these meals becomes second nature within a few weeks.On a much more simple note, get to know how sea salt and kosher salt feel between your fingertips. Once you assess the right amount for sprinking on your protein before grilling/sauteeing, so that food isn't salty but actually tasty and your meals will be much better. An even easier way yo attain great taste, IMO, is marinating. I like to use this technique for beef since it is a very high quality protein source, especially for late in the day. The problem with beef is that any tender steak cut (filet mignon, ribeye, ny strip, etc.) are very high in marbled fats. Using simple marinades, we can take cuts like top round, flank, and standard chuck - slice them thin and let em sit in our fridge for a day or 2 and have restaurant quality, low-fat protein. A good example is an 8 ounce lean top round steak (very cheap). cut into long, thin slices and throw em in a ziplock bag with some soy/hoi-sin/sesame oil/chili sauce and when u finally get around to grilling em on a skewer, u have incredible vietnamese style bbq. Same zip bag technique with some bbq sauce, apple cider vinegar, mustard and garlic on a whole flat iron steak will give u an incredibly juicy, tender steak as well. I could go on forever, and find myself rambling. But it's not hard, degree or otherwise.

A-Rs CHEF!!!!

[teamrock22]

Seasoning won't necessarily make you fat, but the majority of seasonings have high levels of salt and sodium in them. And as everyone knows salt will make your body retain water. There are some good seasoning substitutions thought. For example, Ms. Dash has a full line of NO SODIUM/SALT seasonings and they are fantastic. I don't have one near me or I would include the nutritional facts (all my friends borrow them b/c they are so good). I have used them for chicken, steak, fish, sweet potatoes, etc. Yes I said sweet potatoes. Has anyone eaten so many of them that they begin to just make you angry trying to eat it? So I took some Southwestern Chipotle seasoning and split the sweet potatoe down the center and sprinkled some in the middle, closed is back together and microwaved it so the seasoning would cook into the potatoe. It adds a whole new flavor to it thats actually pretty good. But less is always more so if you can do without it, more power to you. God blessed me with the ability to eat without thinking or caring what it really tastes like. I eat for nutrition, not for taste. To me it's the same as putting low octane fuel in your car vs. high octane. You put crap in and your car runs like crap, you give it high nutritional gas and it'll run like a champ Ive heard thats a rare and great thing for bodybuilding!

[hybrid83]

I didn't mean seasoning in a bad way. I meant I suck at it lol. Thats awesome damienm. You obviously know your shit. My Add prevents me from following directions well LOL.

I'll pass those recipes along to my wife hahaah

[FireGuy]

Seasoning won't necessarily make you fat, but the majority of seasonings have high levels of salt and sodium in them. And as everyone knows salt will make your body retain water. There are some good seasoning substitutions thought. For example, Ms. Dash has a full line of NO SODIUM/SALT seasonings and they are fantastic. I don't have one near me or I would include the nutritional facts (all my friends borrow them b/c they are so good). I have used them for chicken, steak, fish, sweet potatoes, etc. Yes I said sweet potatoes. Has anyone eaten so many of them that they begin to just make you angry trying to eat it? So I took some Southwestern Chipotle seasoning and split the sweet potatoe down the center and sprinkled some in the middle, closed is back together and microwaved it so the seasoning would cook into the potatoe. It adds a whole new flavor to it thats actually pretty good. But less is always more so if you can do without it, more power to you. God blessed me with the ability to eat without thinking or caring what it really tastes like. I eat for nutrition, not for taste. To me it's the same as putting low octane fuel in your car vs. high octane. You put crap in and your car runs like crap, you give it high nutritional gas and it'll run like a champ Ive heard thats a rare and great thing for bodybuilding!

Simply not true.

[teamrock22]

my bad hybrid, i must have misread the post i guess vicodin jacks up your train-of-thought lol. not to mislead anyone and fireguy1, its proven that salt does retain water in the body. im not saying its fat and you are going to get fat. its simply the body storing extra water. its temporary and you will lose it when your body uses that excess sodium but you will appear larger, or bloated, until then. your body does need sodium but not in excess amounts. a prime example for this is when someone is preparing for a competition. almost every pre-competition diet cuts as much sodium as possible from every meal. i have done this and seen the results first hand. its incredible! if you would like further info check out the info on this page:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Reveal...ain&id=2957729

[FireGuy]

my bad hybrid, i must have misread the post i guess vicodin jacks up your train-of-thought lol. not to mislead anyone and fireguy1, its proven that salt does retain water in the body. im not saying its fat and you are going to get fat. its simply the body storing extra water. its temporary and you will lose it when your body uses that excess sodium but you will appear larger, or bloated, until then. your body does need sodium but not in excess amounts. a prime example for this is when someone is preparing for a competition. almost every pre-competition diet cuts as much sodium as possible from every meal. i have done this and seen the results first hand. its incredible! if you would like further info check out the info on this page:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Reveal...ain&id=2957729

Really? In my avi pic I am ADDING in sodium to the tune of 7,000mgs a day. Sodium is one of the most misunderstood elements of diet there is. I wont hijack this thread and get it off course.

[FireGuy]

my bad hybrid, i must have misread the post i guess vicodin jacks up your train-of-thought lol. not to mislead anyone and fireguy1, its proven that salt does retain water in the body. im not saying its fat and you are going to get fat. its simply the body storing extra water. its temporary and you will lose it when your body uses that excess sodium but you will appear larger, or bloated, until then. your body does need sodium but not in excess amounts. a prime example for this is when someone is preparing for a competition. almost every pre-competition diet cuts as much sodium as possible from every meal. i have done this and seen the results first hand. its incredible! if you would like further info check out the info on this page:

http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Reveal...ain&id=2957729

Also, I have done numerous shows and run my sodium as high as 14,000 mgs right up until 24 hours before prejudging.

[teamrock22]

wow thats a first that ive heard that! thats a good ex of how everyones body reacts differently i guess.thanks for the input!

[FireGuy]

wow thats a first that ive heard that! thats a good ex of how everyones body reacts differently i guess.thanks for the input!

It's not just me, I have prepped several competitors for shows with the same regimine and it works very well. I know where you are coming from and you do make some valid points. Do a search of this forum for sodium and you will find some great threads and info on it. Also, if someone has blood pressure issues or other underlying medical problems I would not recommend such high sodium intake either.

[Kibble]

Hey thanks a lot guys for the input. I will make those changes to my diet. The hardest part I wil have to adjust to is making time to prepare the foods. I am going to try those diet changes for a while and see where it takes me. And yeah, I am trying to decrease bodyfat, while exchanging it with lean muscle. I do not want to be 6%bf, but arouns 12% would be nice

[Kibble]

How do you all make sweet potatoes? I really don't want to spend an hour baking them everyday because my gas bill is rediculous

[eglassman88]

poke a couple holes in them with a fork and microwave them for 5-6 mins on high

[Kibble]

I have always been skeptical of microwaves. The whole radiation vs nutrition

[Kibble]

Usually when I smoke pulled pork or ribs I toss in the sweet potatoes at 225 F, and smoke for about 2-3 hours. So I am all set on my grillin days.... Maybe I will try baking at 450 F for an hour

[FireGuy]

440F for 40 minutes.

[POPS]

For me Im always against the clock. Microwave them for 5 min in a ziplock bag and youre set...

[Kibble]

Thanks guys. I bought 6 sweet potatoes, so I will start cooking them the night prior. One a day right? I might add some cinnamon though, and that nonfat Parkay butter stuff

[collar]

umm there really is no number.
it will depends on how much carbs your ment to be consuming on the day.
thats why macros are important.

but it dont look like you want to go down that road.

so i would start with one a day and similar size everytime.

and see what results you get and go from there, reducing or increasing the intake.

[teamrock22]

as an x-ray tech i feel comfortable saying microwaving your food is not going to hurt you. unless you put metal in your potatoe then try to eat it after the "light show" stops, you will be fine. the amount of radiation exposure you get from a microwave is probably less than what you get from talking on your cell phone. and please dont test out the "light show" if you haven't already, it can cause bodily harm! watch the idiots on youtube do it if you must see it haha

[Kibble]

Bumping this to show my current diet(which still needs changes).

7am.........................7 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, 2 slices wheat bread, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil butter, fruit

930am(preworkout).....White yellow or brown rice, chicken, carrots

1230pm.....................2 scoops whey protein

100pm.......................Baked fish, whole grain pasta, broccoli

3pm..........................Can of tuna, 1/4 cup mixed nuts, fruit

530pm.......................Dinner with family(usually a lean meat, vegetables, rice, potatoes

830pm..................3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon jelly, one slice wheat bread, 2 scoops whey

I still need changes- please help lol

[Phate]

Bumping this to show my current diet(which still needs changes).

7am.........................7 whole eggs, 2 egg whites, 2 slices wheat bread, 1-2 tablespoons olive oil butter, fruit

930am(preworkout).....White yellow or brown rice, chicken, carrots

1230pm.....................2 scoops whey protein

100pm.......................Baked fish, whole grain pasta, broccoli

3pm..........................Can of tuna, 1/4 cup mixed nuts, fruit

530pm.......................Dinner with family(usually a lean meat, vegetables, rice, potatoes

830pm..................3 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 tablespoon jelly, one slice wheat bread, 2 scoops whey

I still need changes- please help lol

need macros for each meal bro

[Kibble]

Yeah you are right. I havea day off of work on Friday. I will count up all macros then