My diet - Advices\comments etc... All welcome!

[King Antichrist]

Hey guys, so yeah, i decided to finally post my diet since i just finished tweaking it. It's actually a diet that my trainer first did (Which of course i paid for) but then i tweaked it to my own liking since that really keeps me motivated and i think i somehow managed to learn quite a bit about diets in the last few months. Now i feel it is time to try that diet on my own and see what kind of results i get from it. It'll be a "trial and error" 3 months cut since i will be closely watching how my body reacts to this diet instead of blindly following what my trainer says. I want to learn more about myself.

But first of all, a bit more about me.

I am 5p 11', 23 years old and was at 171,2Lbs when i hopped on the scale last Thursday morning (August 12). I don't have my exact BF% ATM but last time it was taken by my trainer with calipers (about a month ago), i was at 16%.

My goal is to drop BF% to single digit number (below 10%). I want to see my abs. It'll be the first time of my life if i ever get to see them. A dream come true...

Alright, so here's the deal. I made 7 examples of diet which all 7 have the same amount of cals, prots, carbs and fat at maybe 2-3gr differences. All 7 are mixed with different protein sources (shakes, chicken breast, horse meat, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage etc..), different fat sources (fish, natty PB, whole eggs etc...), different carb sources (oats, brown rice, potato etc..) taken at different times during the day. I tried to spread the cals evenly throughout the whole day for all 7 examples. Basically, what i am trying to achieve by doing so is to try each examples for a certain time and see which one gives better results for me. Also, i have a different diet when I'm on my non-training days (Less carbs).

So here goes for the first example. NOTE: I am doing a full-carbs diet. I tried low-carbs and keto diets with mixed results...

Note: I take multi-vitamins and Omega-3s daily but i am not counting them in the diet.

I'll be going Calories\Proteins\Carbs\Fats

----------------------------------------------------------

Meal 1 : 7AM

- 8 Eggs whites 120 \ 28gr \ 0gr \ 0gr
- 1\3 CUP 100% natural Quaker oats 120 \ 4gr \ 20gr \ 2gr
- 125GR Blueberries 70 \ 0.9gr \ 18.1gr \ 0.4gr
Sub-total = 310 \ 32.9gr \ 38.1gr \ 2.4gr

Meal 2 : 9:30AM

- 175GR Greek yogurt 110 \ 20gr \ 6gr \ 0gr
- 125GR Raspberries 65 \ 1.5gr \ 14.9gr \ 0.9gr
- 2 TBSP natural peanut butter 200 \ 8gr \ 4gr \ 16gr
Sub-total = 375 \ 29.5gr \ 24.9gr \ 16.9gr

Meal 3 : 12:30PM

- 100GR horse meat 120 \ 21gr \ 0gr \ 4gr
- 1 potato (Medium size) 165 \ 4.3gr \ 37.3gr \ 0.2gr
- 2 CUPS green veggies 75 \ 5gr \ 10gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 360 \ 30.3gr \ 47.3gr \ 4.2gr

Meal 4 : 3:30PM

- 1 scoop ISO protein + 10gr glutamine 111 \ 27gr \ 0.5gr \ 0gr
- 1 Banana (Large, sightly green) 120 \ 1.5gr \ 31gr \ 0.4gr

Workout : 4:30PM

Intra-workout : 5PM

- BCAAs + 1 Crystal light 10 \ 0gr \ 1gr \ 0gr

Post-workout : 6:15PM

- 1 scoop ISO protein + 10gr glutamine 111 \ 27gr \ 0.5gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 352 \ 55.5gr \ 33gr \ 0.4gr

Meal 5 : 7:30PM

- 200GR chicken breast 220 \ 46.2gr \ 0gr \ 2.4gr
- 2 CUPS broccoli 70 \ 6gr \ 8gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 290 \ 52.2gr \ 8gr \ 2.4gr

Meal 6 : 10PM

- 150GR 1% cottage cheese 120 \ 16.8gr \ 8.4gr \ 1.2gr

Total = 1807 Cals \ 217.2gr Prots \ 159.7gr Carbs \ 27.5gr Fat

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** I drink around 5-6L of water throughout the whole day**

NOTE: All portions are mesure before cooking and i use water for my shakes!**

So this is an example of the macros and certain prot\carbs\fat sources I'll be using during my cut. I'll add other examples later as well as the example of non-training days.

And now for the cheating part... I have a big problem which has gotten worse during the last month. I can't cheat like a normal person on a diet would. I just can't control myself when i decide to cheat. I can eat like 6,000cals in a meal...Full of crap and sugary stuff. I am in a bad period and have been craving for sugar during the last month. It hasn't always been like this... Now it's time to get this fixed. So i decided to take a break from cheating hoping that the next time I'll cheat, i can control myself and have a normal cheat meal. But for now, I'm not going to be cheating for the next 3 months of my cut. If i ever get to, and i really mean IF I EVER GET TO, my portions will be controlled and i will be watching closely how my body reacts to it. I'll write down what i ate, when i ate it (time of the day), how i felt after cheating (physically and mentally) etc... That way i will learn a bit more about myself and how my body reacts to a cheating meal (which i never did before). I feel i need to do it which is why I've decided to take things in my own hands.

So, overall, what do you guys think? Am i good to go? I'll be starting this new diet in a few days. Currently, I'm on my trainer's diet (Which the one i posted above is my modified version of it) at about 300 more cals (mainly from carbs). My trainer told me to do so since the fatloss seems to slow\stop when i reach around 165Lbs... But then, that was when i was cheating every week and not doing any cardio. Now i do 25mins HIIT cardio PWO 4 times a week and i lift weights 5 times a week. Overall time spent in gym, 1h30-1h45.

Thanks in advance!

[gbrice75]

Hey guys, so yeah, i decided to finally post my diet since i just finished tweaking it. It's actually a diet that my trainer first did (Which of course i paid for) but then i tweaked it to my own liking since that really keeps me motivated and i think i somehow managed to learn quite a bit about diets in the last few months. Now i feel it is time to try that diet on my own and see what kind of results i get from it. It'll be a "trial and error" 3 months cut since i will be closely watching how my body reacts to this diet instead of blindly following what my trainer says. I want to learn more about myself.

But first of all, a bit more about me.

I am 5p 11', 23 years old and was at 171,2Lbs when i hopped on the scale last Thursday morning (August 12). I don't have my exact BF% ATM but last time it was taken by my trainer with calipers (about a month ago), i was at 16%.

My goal is to drop BF% to single digit number (below 10%). I want to see my abs. It'll be the first time of my life if i ever get to see them. A dream come true...

Alright, so here's the deal. I made 7 examples of diet which all 7 have the same amount of cals, prots, carbs and fat at maybe 2-3gr differences. All 7 are mixed with different protein sources (shakes, chicken breast, horse meat, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage etc..), different fat sources (fish, natty PB, whole eggs etc...), different carb sources (oats, brown rice, potato etc..) taken at different times during the day. I tried to spread the cals evenly throughout the whole day for all 7 examples. Basically, what i am trying to achieve by doing so is to try each examples for a certain time and see which one gives better results for me. Also, i have a different diet when I'm on my non-training days (Less carbs).

So here goes for the first example. NOTE: I am doing a full-carbs diet. I tried low-carbs and keto diets with mixed results...

Note: I take multi-vitamins and Omega-3s daily but i am not counting them in the diet.

I'll be going Calories\Proteins\Carbs\Fats

----------------------------------------------------------

Meal 1 : 7AM

- 8 Eggs whites 120 \ 28gr \ 0gr \ 0gr
- 85GR Greek yogurt 55 \ 10gr \ 3gr \ 0gr
- 190GR Blueberries 110 \ 1.4gr \ 27.6gr \ 0.6gr
Sub-total = 285 \ 39.4gr \ 30.6gr \ 0.6gr

I would drop the sugary yogurt in favor of 2 whole eggs. They'll make up the lost protein - you can even drop whites to 6 if you'd like. I realize this brings up the fat a bit, but I think you should have some whole eggs. Also, you should get some complex carbs in this meal. 1/2 cup of oats would be ideal, and you can mix the blueberries right in (that's what I do)

Meal 2 : 9:30AM

- 1\3 CUP 100% natural Quaker oats 120 \ 4gr \ 20gr \ 2gr
- 1 TBSP natural peanut butter 100 \ 4gr \ 2gr \ 8gr
- 125GR Rasberries 65 \ 1.5gr \ 15gr \ 1gr
Sub-total = 285 \ 9.5gr \ 37gr \ 11gr

This is a terrible meal, honestly. You have no protein source! You need to have protein in every single meal. Add a lean protein here, keep the oats (or swap for another complex carb) and drop the peanut butter. We'll add it back in later on. I would drop the raspeberries at this point, they're best reserved for the first meal of the day IMO

Meal 3 : 12:30PM

- 150GR Chicken breast 165 \ 35gr \ 0gr \ 2gr
- 1\4 CUP brown rice 160 \ 4gr \ 35gr \ 1gr
- 2 CUPS green veggies 75 \ 5gr \ 10gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 400 \ 44gr \ 45gr \ 3gr

Finally a good meal! Is the rice 1/4 cup dry measure? Consider making it a 1/2 cup

Meal 4 : 3:30PM

- 1 scoop ISO protein + 10gr glutamine 111 \ 27gr \ 0.5gr \ 0gr
- 1 Banana (Large, sightly green) 120 \ 1.5gr \ 30gr \ 0gr

This isn't a good preworkout meal IMO. Lean protein + complex carb. You'll definitely need the carb to fuel your workout. Save the banana for PWO

Workout : 5:30PM

**Intra-workout**

- BCAAs + 1 Crystal light 10 \ 0gr \ 1gr \ 0gr

Post-workout : 6:30PM

- 1 scoop ISO protein + 10gr glutamine 111 \ 27gr \ 0.5gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 352 \ 55.5gr \ 32gr \ 0gr

Add your banana back in here, and/or consider adding a 1/2 cup of oats to your shake

Meal 5 : 7:30PM

- 250GR extra lean horse meat 300 \ 52.5gr \ 0gr \ 10gr
- 2 CUPS broccoli 70 \ 6gr \ 8gr \ 0gr
Sub-total = 370 \ 58.5gr \ 8gr \ 10gr

Smart to drop carbs here. Add some healthy fat - such as drizzle a tbsp of olive oil over the broccoli (don't cook the olive oil)

Meal 6 : 10PM

- 125GR 1% cottage cheese 100 \ 14gr \ 6gr \ 1gr

Make this whole milk cottage cheese, the fat will help slow the absorption of the protein - OR keep it 1% and add a tbsp of natural PB. Conversely, you can change the cottage cheese up with a casein shake for convenience. Also do the peanut butter if you do the shake

Total = 1792 Cals \ 220.9gr Prots \ 158.5gr Carbs \ 25.6gr Fat

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

** I drink around 5-6L of water throughout the whole day**

NOTE: All portions are mesure before cooking and i use water for my shakes!**

So this is an example of the macros and certain prot\carbs\fat sources I'll be using during my cut. I'll add other examples later as well as the example of non-training days.

And now for the cheating part... I have a big problem which has gotten worse during the last month. I can't cheat like a normal person on a diet would. I just can't control myself when i decide to cheat. I can eat like 6,000cals in a meal...Full of crap and sugary stuff. I am in a bad period and have been craving for sugar during the last month. It hasn't always been like this... Now it's time to get this fixed. So i decided to take a break from cheating hoping that the next time I'll cheat, i can control myself and have a normal cheat meal. But for now, I'm not going to be cheating for the next 3 months of my cut. If i ever get to, and i really mean IF I EVER GET TO, my portions will be controlled and i will be watching closely how my body reacts to it. I'll write down what i ate, when i ate it (time of the day), how i felt after cheating (physically and mentally) etc... That way i will learn a bit more about myself and how my body reacts to a cheating meal (which i never did before). I feel i need to do it which is why I've decided to take things in my own hands.

So, overall, what do you guys think? Am i good to go? I'll be starting this new diet in a few days. Currently, I'm on my trainer's diet (Which the one i posted above is my modified version of it) at about 300 more cals (mainly from carbs). My trainer told me to do so since the fatloss seems to slow\stop when i reach around 165Lbs... But then, that was when i was cheating every week and not doing any cardio. Now i do 25mins HIIT cardio PWO 4 times a week and i lift weights 5 times a week. Overall time spent in gym, 1h30-1h45.

Thanks in advance!

Definitely some mistakes IMO, corrections above in bold. Thank you for posting the diet in the proper format, it makes it SO easy to critique!

I would consider eating at your maintenance and relying on cardio to create the caloric deficit. Now that you're doing HIIT, it should make a big difference. If you eat too far below maintenance, you risk losing LBM which is why I suggested eating at maintenance.

As for cheat meals, I think they're necessary while on a cut diet. They're good for your sanity, and good as a metabolism booster. Once a week is fine, preferably before a workout day so you can at least put the extra food to good use. Do a meal that has plenty of all 3 macros, such as a pizza with meat on it, or a big cheeseburger or something like that. Others will disagree and say to keep the cheat meal clean, but I think you can treat yourself once a week to something you like and it will still be beneficial. A cheat meal is NOT an invitation to eat ice cream, cookies, etc. Keep it a cheat MEAL and don't let it turn into a cheat day/weekend (i've had this problem in the past as well). One bad cheat day can negate your caloric deficit for the entire week.

Hope this helps, good luck and keep us posted!

[King Antichrist]

Definitely some mistakes IMO, corrections above in bold. Thank you for posting the diet in the proper format, it makes it SO easy to critique!

I would consider eating at your maintenance and relying on cardio to create the caloric deficit. Now that you're doing HIIT, it should make a big difference. If you eat too far below maintenance, you risk losing LBM which is why I suggested eating at maintenance.

As for cheat meals, I think they're necessary while on a cut diet. They're good for your sanity, and good as a metabolism booster. Once a week is fine, preferably before a workout day so you can at least put the extra food to good use. Do a meal that has plenty of all 3 macros, such as a pizza with meat on it, or a big cheeseburger or something like that. Others will disagree and say to keep the cheat meal clean, but I think you can treat yourself once a week to something you like and it will still be beneficial. A cheat meal is NOT an invitation to eat ice cream, cookies, etc. Keep it a cheat MEAL and don't let it turn into a cheat day/weekend (i've had this problem in the past as well). One bad cheat day can negate your caloric deficit for the entire week.

Hope this helps, good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you gbrice75 for you're input! I'll definitely review my diet. A few things tho, in that yogurt, there is only 2.5GR of sugar for the amount I'll be eating which i thought was ridiculous which is why i like this yogurt. But I'll check it out and swap it with oats and maybe swap the oats in the second meal for the yogurt?

As for eating at my maintenance, Well, my BMR is 1900. I guess i could eat 100cals more and still loose weight. But i thought you know, sometimes portions are a little off on the veggies (I love green veggies and eat a lot of them) and it can be hard to calculate portions for some fruits (Other than raspberries of course) so i thought that i prefer to give me a 100cals of free game if you know what i mean.

As for the cheating, like i said, i prefer to NOT for at least the next month or so to kinda get back into dieting focus. Once I'll feel I'm ready, I'll do a cheat meal the way you described it above. Lot of protein, carbs and fat.

But again, Thanks for your input! I'll review my stuff and get back with it!

EDIT: PS: The rice is measured dry, uncooked like all meats.

[gbrice75]

Thank you gbrice75 for you're input! I'll definitely review my diet. A few things tho, in that yogurt, there is only 2.5GR of sugar for the amount I'll be eating which i thought was ridiculous which is why i like this yogurt. But I'll check it out and swap it with oats and maybe swap the oats in the second meal for the yogurt?

As for eating at my maintenance, Well, my BMR is 1900. I guess i could eat 100cals more and still loose weight. But i thought you know, sometimes portions are a little off on the veggies (I love green veggies and eat a lot of them) and it can be hard to calculate portions for some fruits (Other than raspberries of course) so i thought that i prefer to give me a 100cals of free game if you know what i mean.

As for the cheating, like i said, i prefer to NOT for at least the next month or so to kinda get back into dieting focus. Once I'll feel I'm ready, I'll do a cheat meal the way you described it above. Lot of protein, carbs and fat.

But again, Thanks for your input! I'll review my stuff and get back with it!

No problem bro. If the yogurt is that low in sugar, you can keep it in. I'd still do complex carbs in that meal though. I don't know that i'd swap the oats in the 2nd meal for the yogurt; i'd try to keep both. I like complex carbs in each carb meal, but that's just me. You of course also need to do what fits your goals.

You mentioned your BMR is 1900; you realize your BMR is not your maintenance, right? If you eat at your BMR, you will lose LBM for sure, and FAST! You need to calculate your TDEE/maintenance, and then eat at around that number, or if you feel safer, go a BIT below (maybe 200-300 kcal).

I think you're doing the right thing with the cheat meal. I had to make a similar adjustment while I was 'getting back on track' - no cheat meals until I had my $hit together. Needless to say, I STILL don't have a cheat meal, LOL!

Good luck again bro.

[King Antichrist]

Thanks again for your input gbrice75!

Well, i reviewed my diet (Posted it above) and had a few more hours of research on the net. Also, i kept in consideration my trainer's advices since he's the one following me on my journey.

I took you're advice and i think it makes sense to have a source of protein with each meal. Around 20-30gr per meal i assume would be fine. I also think you are right about having complex carbs upon rising which is why i added oats in the meal #1. I also added some blueberries for a bit more of complex carbs + the simple carbs. Now, i didn't add any whole eggs in that meal since i will be getting my fat other places throughout the day. But i have plans to make another diet example into which i will use whole eggs.

One more thing i need to add is that my job allows me for a strict amount of time to eat. So convenience is one thing i have to keep in mind when i do my diets...

I added a protein source in the second meal as per your recommendation. I think my yogurt can be considered as a lean source since it has virtually no fat in it. Check it out : http://yfrog.com/f/n3imgp1435gj/ I also added some more fruits for a bit of complex and simple carbs. Also, 2 TBSP of peanut butter which i just love to eat at that moment of the day and it's a good source of fat.

The Meal #3, i changed it to hose meat and a potato.

Now for the Meal #4... Well, i spent a lot of time yesterday searching on the web what were the best foods to have an hour prior workouts. Form what i could understand, a solid and bigger meal with complex carbs\fats\proteins (Like my Meal #3) is best to be taken 3-4 hours prior workout to allow it to be fully digested since it seems that i don't want to be working out with undigested food in my stomach. Then, an hour before workout, a liquid meal is best but it has to have some sort of carbs. So i am keeping my protein shake and since i don't have any other protein than my ISO, i have to add some complex carbs. From what i found on the net, fruits and oats are both good before workout. Now, one thing i gotta keep in mind is that i only have 15mins to prep my food and eat it at that period of the day. So, a fruit and a shake is a pretty good one for me. I could always make my self say 1\3 CUP of oats and still have time to eat it. I think i will just switch between both. A day I'll have a fruit and the other I'll have oats. As for the fruit, i found out that a banana does not really induce an insulin spike (Which would be bad before a workout, it could cause an energy crash during it...) and there's even less chance that it does it if i eat the banana when it's green-ish instead of fully ripened. So, Ima going to eat it green-ish if i ever have to. Also, it contains both complex and simple carbs! More simple than complex carbs especially if it's eaten fully ripened but still, it offers a quick energy burst but also longer and steady fuel to the body with it's bit of complex carbs. Apples are also pretty good as preworkouts fruits.

Post-workout meal, well, i found out that it's actually 50\50 to have carbs or not after a workout. Here, i will follow my trainer's advice and not use anything else than my shake + glutamine. I haven't ate carbs after any of my workout ever since i started working out. And anyway, it's already late and if i ever get to have carbs, i won't be hungry for my Meal #5. Even if it's a small amount. Plus, the glutamine supposedly aids in restoring glycogen after a workout.

Meal #5, i switched the protein source to chicken breast and decided not to add any fat just not to add any extra calories and I'm already getting fat from Meal #2 and #3.

Meal #6, same here. Cottage cheese. I don't have casein and anyway, i prefer eating cottage cheese which i love But i will definitely check out the 4% full fat one to slow down digestion of proteins during night!

So, all in all, what do you think?

BTW: Yeah, last time i checked it out, my BMR was 1900cals a day to maintain weight but that wasn't with my activity during the day calculated. I train 5 days and week, the other 2 are full day rest (No cardio or weight training) but one of the 2 day rest, i usually work. I consider my job to be an average kinda job. I don't sit on my ass all day long but i ain't working on a construction site either. I'm a manager in a grocery store. One day i can spend 2-3 hours in the desk sitting my ass off the rest walking in the store and another day, i can move around close to 500 boxes in the day.

Can you help me out with calculating my exact maintenance cals (With exercise included) as i never really figured the maths since English isn't my first language (Even tho i write it pretty well...heh) and sometime the English maths\signs\abbreviations are a bit hard to understand for me. Thanks!

PS: Last Thursday i was at 171,2Lbs and this morning, i hoped on the scale and = 167,2Lbs The cardio's doing it's job and i haven't cheated since 2 weeks already. Good thing

[gbrice75]

Thanks again for your input gbrice75!

Well, i reviewed my diet (Posted it above) and had a few more hours of research on the net. Also, i kept in consideration my trainer's advices since he's the one following me on my journey.

I took you're advice and i think it makes sense to have a source of protein with each meal. Around 20-30gr per meal i assume would be fine. I also think you are right about having complex carbs upon rising which is why i added oats in the meal #1. I also added some blueberries for a bit more of complex carbs + the simple carbs. Now, i didn't add any whole eggs in that meal since i will be getting my fat other places throughout the day. But i have plans to make another diet example into which i will use whole eggs.

20-30g sounds about right. In the end it's all based on your daily macro goals and needs. i.e. if you are aiming to get 200g of protein/day and eat 7 meals a day, you'd want roughly 30g per meal.

One more thing i need to add is that my job allows me for a strict amount of time to eat. So convenience is one thing i have to keep in mind when i do my diets...

I added a protein source in the second meal as per your recommendation. I think my yogurt can be considered as a lean source since it has virtually no fat in it. Check it out : http://yfrog.com/f/n3imgp1435gj/ I also added some more fruits for a bit of complex and simple carbs. Also, 2 TBSP of peanut butter which i just love to eat at that moment of the day and it's a good source of fat.

The yogurt is fine but may not offer enough protein for this meal (i'm editing so I cannot click the like right now). I would not do fruit in this meal; fruit is best saved for when you wake up, or possibly PWO, but remember that it's essentially just sugar. You can be getting good carbs from another source rather than sugar. I would rather see a complex carb in this meal. If you do add a carb, I would drop the peanut butter. The idea is to keep carb and fat meals separate as much as possible, within reason. If your body has adequate energy from carbs, it will store the fat - as fat. So separating these macros ensures that your body only has 1 energy source at a time

The Meal #3, i changed it to hose meat and a potato.

Sweet potato =)

Now for the Meal #4... Well, i spent a lot of time yesterday searching on the web what were the best foods to have an hour prior workouts. Form what i could understand, a solid and bigger meal with complex carbs\fats\proteins (Like my Meal #3) is best to be taken 3-4 hours prior workout to allow it to be fully digested since it seems that i don't want to be working out with undigested food in my stomach. Then, an hour before workout, a liquid meal is best but it has to have some sort of carbs. So i am keeping my protein shake and since i don't have any other protein than my ISO, i have to add some complex carbs. From what i found on the net, fruits and oats are both good before workout. Now, one thing i gotta keep in mind is that i only have 15mins to prep my food and eat it at that period of the day. So, a fruit and a shake is a pretty good one for me. I could always make my self say 1\3 CUP of oats and still have time to eat it. I think i will just switch between both. A day I'll have a fruit and the other I'll have oats. As for the fruit, i found out that a banana does not really induce an insulin spike (Which would be bad before a workout, it could cause an energy crash during it...) and there's even less chance that it does it if i eat the banana when it's green-ish instead of fully ripened. So, Ima going to eat it green-ish if i ever have to. Also, it contains both complex and simple carbs! More simple than complex carbs especially if it's eaten fully ripened but still, it offers a quick energy burst but also longer and steady fuel to the body with it's bit of complex carbs. Apples are also pretty good as preworkouts fruits.

It's your diet and you need to do what works for you. I personally like a whole food meal before working out. 1.5 hours is ideal IMO. Eating a liquid meal is better than not eating at all, but i'm not a fan of it. Again, i'm not a big fruit person pre-workout - complex carbs will be a much better and longer lasting fuel source for a grueling workout.

Post-workout meal, well, i found out that it's actually 50\50 to have carbs or not after a workout. Here, i will follow my trainer's advice and not use anything else than my shake + glutamine. I haven't ate carbs after any of my workout ever since i started working out. And anyway, it's already late and if i ever get to have carbs, i won't be hungry for my Meal #5. Even if it's a small amount. Plus, the glutamine supposedly aids in restoring glycogen after a workout.

I like carbs PWO for a bit of insulin activity (I STILL go with complex, i'm not looking for a spike)

Meal #5, i switched the protein source to chicken breast and decided not to add any fat just not to add any extra calories and I'm already getting fat from Meal #2 and #3.

Make sure you have either fat or carbs in this meal, you need some kind of energy source, it can't just be a protein meal.

Meal #6, same here. Cottage cheese. I don't have casein and anyway, i prefer eating cottage cheese which i love But i will definitely check out the 4% full fat one to slow down digestion of proteins during night!

Perfectly fine!

So, all in all, what do you think?

BTW: Yeah, last time i checked it out, my BMR was 1900cals a day to maintain weight but that wasn't with my activity during the day calculated. I train 5 days and week, the other 2 are full day rest (No cardio or weight training) but one of the 2 day rest, i usually work. I consider my job to be an average kinda job. I don't sit on my ass all day long but i ain't working on a construction site either. I'm a manager in a grocery store. One day i can spend 2-3 hours in the desk sitting my ass off the rest walking in the store and another day, i can move around close to 500 boxes in the day.

Just understand what your BMR is - it is NOT a number for you to maintain your weight. It's the amount of calories that your body needs to EXIST (bodily functions, etc). If you ate exactly at your BMR, and got out of bed to pee, you'd already be in a caloric deficit. That's why you figure out your TDEE which factors in all daily activities, lifestyle, etc.

Can you help me out with calculating my exact maintenance cals (With exercise included) as i never really figured the maths since English isn't my first language (Even tho i write it pretty well...heh) and sometime the English maths\signs\abbreviations are a bit hard to understand for me. Thanks!

Hah, I would have never guessed about your English - it's perfect! You can try searching for an online TDEE calculator, there are many out there. I'm at work but when I get home I'll copy and paste a post for you that includes how to calculate. Or, if Damienm05 sees this, perhaps he can post it up for you, I actually got it from him.

PS: Last Thursday i was at 171,2Lbs and this morning, i hoped on the scale and = 167,2Lbs The cardio's doing it's job and i haven't cheated since 2 weeks already. Good thing

Great job bro, keep going! PS - unless you're very overweight (doesn't sound like you are), you really don't want to be losing more than 2lbs per week max or you can be almost certain you're losing LBM as well as fat. Just keep an eye on it.

All comments above in bold

[gbrice75]

here you go mate, this whole clip is a great read, i'd suggest you read in it's entirety:

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)