** The ASK GB ANYTHING thread (diet/nutrition related) **

[mockery]

u dont want sugar do you?

and casein release while you sleep is over rated in my opnion, eat a steak. After seeing first hand the joys of fasting and NOW knowing if i miss a meal or if i sleep straight for 7 hours i am not gonna lose muscle because my body didn't have protein. Just my two cents.

[mockery]

Hey mate, sent u a email this morning. Have a look when u can

[Ben_66]

u dont want sugar do you?

and casein release while you sleep is over rated in my opnion, eat a steak. After seeing first hand the joys of fasting and NOW knowing if i miss a meal or if i sleep straight for 7 hours i am not gonna lose muscle because my body didn't have protein. Just my two cents.

That's interesting. I was actually reading a book ''Health Through New Thought and Fasting'' by Wallace D. Wattles. Good for you man, I would never have that kind of will power to go through that. I'm following your log. Good luck!

[gbrice75]

^^ that is not a multiplier. 1.2 is sedentary. I just divided the (lbm x 15) tdee into the katch mcardle tdee and got 1.26

For myself lbm x 15 = 2655

Katch/mcardle bmr is (lbm kg x 21.6) + 370 = 2104

2104 x 1.26 = 2651

I like math

I hate it. Go figure.

Also would u mind clRifying again? 2655 for me is what? Maintenance? Tdee? What does that number represent exactly?

Are you asking me? You tell me, lol! TDEE = Maintenance. If you ate 2655 calories every day (for the sake of argument), would you maintain your weight? That's your TDEE/Maintenance calories then.

Great info and advise. Still looks like I'm gonna put on a lot of body fat from all the eating . Gonna try to organize my refeed on a rest day. Guess I'll have to start cardio, lastly have to figure out my training. I wanna do a push/pull x 2 a week but I'm concerned while anabolic if this is to much strain on the shoulder girdle and if I should go to a body building 5 or 6 day split. ...

You won't know until you give it a fair shot bro...

Hello Gbrice,

I am going for a clean bulk and was wondering what do you think about having skim milk with a scoop of caseing protein in my shake instead of just water?

Thank you,

Clean bulk - I think it's fine. I wouldn't do it if I were having 5 shakes a day however. 1 shake - no problem - as long as you can handle dairy (lactose specifically).

I forgot to mention that its consumed before bed that is. *
(casein protein (chocolate) with a tbs of peanut butter and skim milk) the taste to my shake is f**** exhilarating.

That's pretty much why. I do have liquid egg whites. Are you trying to say to just have egg whites with a scoop of casein and pb? with water perhaps?

I could also do that, but Skim milk also has casein protein and pretty good in protein plus my scoop of casein and a little bit of the PB is enough protein as it is. My only concerned would be is the sugar in the skim milk. thoughts?

That changes things a bit. Before bed, I personally wouldn't do it. Pre/Post workout, yes. You're mixing a healthy dose of fat and sugars before bed... not exactly what I'd want to do.

u dont want sugar do you?

and casein release while you sleep is over rated in my opnion, eat a steak. After seeing first hand the joys of fasting and NOW knowing if i miss a meal or if i sleep straight for 7 hours i am not gonna lose muscle because my body didn't have protein. Just my two cents.

Casein as a slower digesting protein isn't overrated, it's factual. But beef is even slower, if that's what you're getting at. And IMO, is also a better source considering the 'built in' creatine and what not.

But if you're saying the concept of HAVING to eat a bedtime meal so you don't 'go catabolic' is overrated, I agree with you a million percent. I see guys eating a steak at 7pm and then freaking when they miss their bedtime shake, lmao!!

[hsvcraig]

Gbrice, for bulking mate am I going to notice much of a difference if I swap my white rice to brown rice? I just much prefer the white. And is there a problem with getting some of my carb intake from bread or rolls etc, I've heard there is? Cheers buddy and thanks for all your info

[gbrice75]

^^ no big deal on the rice from a carb standpoint IMO. Nutrient wise is another story but that's not your question as far as I can tell. Bread, rolls etc - wouldn't be my go-to sources, but once a day should be ok.

[--->>405<<---]

gb I think ive reached as far as i can go with UD2.0 its gotten me to 7.8% (based on wifes calipers) twice now and when i get there thats where it stops. ive been doing some reading on leangains and thinking of giving IF a try. it seems it mite work well for me cuz i like big meals and i dont usually eat after 2100 anyways. ive seen martin mention his book but i have yet to be able to find it online? is it out and if so whats the title?

im not having a lot of luck navigating his site to get to a concrete plan or program. everything i click on that says it provides what appears to be the proper info usually leads to a page that is either incomplete or blank and directs u to another website?

was wondering if u mite mind directing me to where i can go or maybe if u know enuff about it u could help me get set up? ive seen where nutrient timing comes into play as well as suggested macro breakdown but i cant find that either? i dont mind doing the homework i just cant find anything. any ideas?

also do u think it mite be the next step for me to get to 6.0% from 7.8%?? thx man! hope ur doing well!

[gbrice75]

I agree... the leangains site isn't the most user friendly. More of a blog than a website really.

I'm not sure if his book is out tbh, but I feel I've done enough research and experimenting with IF and Leangains in particular over the past 1.5 years to offer some solid advice and or a plan for anybody wishing to start. Let me know how you want to go about it.

As far as it taking you to the next level of leaness... I can say it's not for everybody, and like anything else, you have to try it out for a bit to see. I personally love the plan from a life standpoint but I don't know that it works very well for me cosmetically to be honest. Doesn't mean it won't for you. I know some people who didn't do well on it at all, including females. I know others who continue to do well on it after months on the plan, so it's very 'hit or miss' from what I've seen. My personal opinion is leaning towards it being best for the goal the name implies - lean gains. For those who are already lean and looking to get ripped and/or continue to add mass while staying under 10%, it seems to be excellent. I don't find it great for people 15% plus looking to primarily drop bodyfat... but there are guys right on this board (3J's?) who started off with a high bodyfat % and continue to shed the lbs. on this plan.

If you're just looking for a change with the possibility of some great results, I think it's worth a shot.

[--->>405<<---]

yeh man if i could get some help from u thatd be awesome! and i appreciate it

from what ive learned on the site it appears cycling cals/macros based on activity seems to be the way he prefers and suggests so i think thatd be the way for me to go as well. ive come up with a rough draft of a workout day diet:

i get my BMR at 2100cals so i figd maybe 2300cals would be sufficient? (if u think more on workout days id love that! LOL) ive decided to just work off BMR from this point forward and am eliminating the TDEE multiplier to avoid error. 200cals above BRM seems like a good place to start on a cut. im just unsure if this technically would be a cutting diet or a recomp or what? what do u think for cals above BMR for workout days and non workout days?

ill be doing am fasted cardio 4-6days per week for 45mins and lifting 4 - 5 days per week..

[ANIMAL]

Might be a dumb question, but I haven't been on any gear in over 4 years. Right now I'm currently taking in 1,500 calories 45p/40c/15f split. I'm 5'4 155 ~10% BF.

I'm about to start a 12 week cycle, would you suggest I up my calorie intake? I was going to see how my body reacts to it and adjust from there, just wondering you're suggestion ahead of time so I can attack it with a certain direction.

My log I've started: http://forums.steroid.com/showthread...55#post6094955

[--->>405<<---]

ok GB ive been giving this some thought.

LBM x 15 = 2632cals
BMR = 2100

[LET ME ADD THIS IN FOR FIGURING REQUIRED CALS FOR APPROVAL:
BMR = 2100cals
if i do 45mins worth cardio at 10cals/minute = 450cals
then lift (i need to look into this but i think 200cals for lifting would be fair) = 200cals

then 2100 (BMR) + 450(cardio) + 200(lifting) = 2750cals. so if i eat 2500 cals this should help me lean out i would think.. its slower but im in no big hurry now anyways... ]

my goal is to lean out but it doesnt have to be a cut per se. i dont mind losing 1/2lb fat per week or so. i just want it to be consistent. if im lifting 4x per week and doing cardio in the am fasted 5-6 times per week (45mins) do u think itd fare me well to set up workout days like this:

2500cals: 300g pro, 200g carbs, 56g fat
meal1: 50% total cals (1250) PWO
meal2: 30% total cals (750)
meal3: 20% total cals (500)

then on cardio only/off days: 2300cals ??same split, 50, 30, 20

my next thing will be macro split per meal.

im thinking:
CARBS: 50 - 60% total carbs in meal 1 and then the other 30-40%carbs in meal 2 with the remainder (cottage cheese) in meal 3.

PROTEIN: around 50-60g meal1, the other 2 meals split the remainder fairly evenly

FAT: minimal fat in meal 1, whatever i get from pro and carbs in meal 2, supplement almond butter or natty PB. maybe a little 99%cacao but not a lot i just like it and it has not a lot of carbs u think this would be ok?

thx man! im sure there are other things that need addressing. i will prob post a diet just to be thorough once i hear back from u. i suspect most of the sources should be acceptable

id also like to address a cheat meal with u like maybe 1 per week.

also my coffee creamer has 60cals. is this too much and would it be considered a "fast breaker?" what if i reduced it to one scoop (30cals). i DO NOT want to break my fast..

[gbrice75]

yeh man if i could get some help from u thatd be awesome! and i appreciate it

from what ive learned on the site it appears cycling cals/macros based on activity seems to be the way he prefers and suggests so i think thatd be the way for me to go as well. ive come up with a rough draft of a workout day diet:

i get my BMR at 2100cals so i figd maybe 2300cals would be sufficient? (if u think more on workout days id love that! LOL) ive decided to just work off BMR from this point forward and am eliminating the TDEE multiplier to avoid error. 200cals above BRM seems like a good place to start on a cut. im just unsure if this technically would be a cutting diet or a recomp or what? what do u think for cals above BMR for workout days and non workout days?

ill be doing am fasted cardio 4-6days per week for 45mins and lifting 4 - 5 days per week..

You can use the plan for whatever you want to do really... that's up to you. Add lean mass, recomp, cut... whatever. Obviously your choice will dicatate your calories.

Might be a dumb question, but I haven't been on any gear in over 4 years. Right now I'm currently taking in 1,500 calories 45p/40c/15f split. I'm 5'4 155 ~10% BF.

I'm about to start a 12 week cycle, would you suggest I up my calorie intake? I was going to see how my body reacts to it and adjust from there, just wondering you're suggestion ahead of time so I can attack it with a certain direction.

What will the cycle consist of, and what is the goal? How have you been responding to 1500 calories

ok GB ive been giving this some thought.

LBM x 15 = 2632cals
BMR = 2100

my goal is to lean out but it doesnt have to be a cut per se. i dont mind losing 1/2lb fat per week or so. i just want it to be consistent. if im lifting 4x per week and doing cardio in the am fasted 5-6 times per week (45mins) do u think itd fare me well to set up workout days like this:

Sounds like you want to recomp. I'd recommend 3 training days, cardio on off days with 1 complete rest day. Total body workouts each day. Example:

Monday - Train
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Train
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Train
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - REST

I'd eat at maintenance on training days, and below maintenance by a few hundred calories on off days. Moderate carbs on training days, low carbs (less than 50g starchy) on off days.

2500cals: 300g pro, 200g carbs, 56g fat
meal1: 50% total cals (1250) PWO
meal2: 30% total cals (750)
meal3: 20% total cals (500)

Looks decent. I'd make carbs at least 35% and would even add another 100 calories via carbs. Remember that you'll only have 3 opportunities a week (assuming you follow my recommendation to lift 3x a week vs. 4) to top off glycogen stores and get good lifts... might as well make it count. Also, i'd eat the bulk of carbs in my 1st meal, less in the 2nd, and close to none in the last. You don't HAVE to do this (i.e. it's not a leangains protocol), it's just my personal preference. Despite what a lot of people here believe and popular opinion around here lately, I absolutely believe nutrient timing plays a role in our body composition.

then on cardio only/off days: 2300cals ??same split, 50, 30, 20

Assuming that's a few hundred under maintenance (seems to be), it looks ok but i'd probably bump protein here and lower carbs. Try and get starchy carbs down to around 50g IMO, and make it meal 1.

my next thing will be macro split per meal.

im thinking:
CARBS: 50 - 60% total carbs in meal 1 and then the other 30-40%carbs in meal 2 with the remainder (cottage cheese) in meal 3.

Sounds great

PROTEIN: around 50-60g meal1, the other 2 meals split the remainder fairly evenly

Sounds legit

[QUOTE=--->>405<<---;6094923]

FAT: minimal fat in meal 1, whatever i get from pro and carbs in meal 2, supplement almond butter or natty PB. maybe a little 99%cacao but not a lot i just like it and it has not a lot of carbs u think this would be ok?

I wouldn't sweat fats too much on this plan. It's so easy to eat because all meals are big... so you don't have to worry about tweaking this or that to get the fat macro low. At least I didn't. Whatever you need to do to hit your macro is fine, you know what you're doing. No problem with the PB and cacao (good stuff!) - don't forget your fish oils though.

thx man! im sure there are other things that need addressing. i will prob post a diet just to be thorough once i hear back from u. i suspect most of the sources should be acceptable

id also like to address a cheat meal with u like maybe 1 per week.

also my coffee creamer has 60cals. is this too much and would it be considered a "fast breaker?" what if i reduced it to one scoop (30cals). i DO NOT want to break my fast..

Have you read my IF thread that bounces around here from time to time?

[mockery]

Gbrice did you get my last email i sent you asking about my bf %? check your yahoo some time :P

[gbrice75]

lol sorry... will check now.

[--->>405<<---]

Sounds like you want to recomp. I'd recommend 3 training days, cardio on off days with 1 complete rest day. Total body workouts each day. Example:

Monday - Train
Tuesday - Cardio
Wednesday - Train
Thursday - Cardio
Friday - Train
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - REST

I'd eat at maintenance on training days, and below maintenance by a few hundred calories on off days. Moderate carbs on training days, low carbs (less than 50g starchy) on off days.

"maintenance" being LBM x 15 = 2635cals (+100cals from carbs so 2735cals)

on sunday would u maintain the same caloric amt as the other 3 cardio only days?


Looks decent. I'd make carbs at least 35% and would even add another 100 calories via carbs. Remember that you'll only have 3 opportunities a week (assuming you follow my recommendation to lift 3x a week vs. 4) to top off glycogen stores and get good lifts... might as well make it count. Also, i'd eat the bulk of carbs in my 1st meal, less in the 2nd, and close to none in the last. You don't HAVE to do this (i.e. it's not a leangains protocol), it's just my personal preference. Despite what a lot of people here believe and popular opinion around here lately, I absolutely believe nutrient timing plays a role in our body composition.

i agree with u on nutrient timing and have read martin and lyle both seem to think the same!



Assuming that's a few hundred under maintenance (seems to be), it looks ok but i'd probably bump protein here and lower carbs. Try and get starchy carbs down to around 50g IMO, and make it meal 1.

2300 = 365 below maintenance of LBM x 15


I wouldn't sweat fats too much on this plan. It's so easy to eat because all meals are big... so you don't have to worry about tweaking this or that to get the fat macro low. At least I didn't. Whatever you need to do to hit your macro is fine, you know what you're doing. No problem with the PB and cacao (good stuff!) - don't forget your fish oils though.

yeh i take 5000mg Lovaza everyday



Have you read my IF thread that bounces around here from time to time?

no but i intend to i have just recently developed an interest before the carb cycle was doing fine and it may be just the 7000refeed is the prob but im kinda burned out on 3 days of no carbs in a row.. i have come to find and/or learn i really like them! LOL

also on my workout days total body at what 3 work sets per muscle group? compound movements? rep range of ? (as heavy as i can go for 8-10reps?)

also u say less than 50g carbs from starch on "NON workout" days so what then 49g carbs?? LOL

[gbrice75]

Yes, I'd keep Sunday looking like the other non-workout days. You'll be a bit higher that day due to no cardio, but that's by design (my design, not specific to leangains lol). During my last stint with IF, I dropped fasting all together on the weekends and just kept it as low carb as possible but ate when I was hungry - didn't pay any attention to macros whatsoever (but knew I wasn't really overeating - i.e. I wasn't binging or anything). But for now, since you don't know how well it will work for you (or won't), i'd suggest a controlled situation.

2700 and 2300 for training and non-training respectively sounds like a great starting point.

no but i intend to i have just recently developed an interest before the carb cycle was doing fine and it may be just the 7000refeed is the prob but im kinda burned out on 3 days of no carbs in a row.. i have come to find and/or learn i really like them! LOL

I got burned out too. That first no carb day is a bummer when you know you'll be doing it again and again. The high carb day is great but always goes too fast... and I often had things to do that day so I couldn't just sit around the house and stuff carbs all day... missed opportunity.

also on my workout days total body at what 3 work sets per muscle group? compound movements? rep range of ? (as heavy as i can go for 8-10reps?)

I'd stick with mainly compound movements, pretty heavy - 8-10 sounds good - maybe alternate weeks such as week 1: 8-10 reps, week 2: 4-7 (what I'm doing now). 2-3 heavy sets (after warmups) for compound movements, 3-4 for any secondary work (isolations) if you choose to do any.

also u say less than 50g carbs from starch on "NON workout" days so what then 49g carbs?? LOL

lol... just saying keep it at or below 50g. I don't think you'll have a tough time getting UP TO 50g however.

[--->>405<<---]

one final question (prob not but at least for now )

on the days where im eating 50g carbs thats 200cals which will leave 2100cals (minus veggies )to come from protein and fat so do u have a suggestion for ratios? and if say i eat 100g fat that day is it possible to store fat even if i dont exceed my daily caloric requirements but .. eat 100g fat!??

also GB should i ditch my coffee creamer (60 cals supposedly sugar free) while fasting? thats gonna throw a wrench in my day BTW! i LOVE my coffee!

[ANIMAL]

What will the cycle consist of, and what is the goal? How have you been responding to 1500 calories

My cycle (tweaked by swifto):

1-12 Test Prop 100mg EOD
1-12 Anavar 50mg ED
1-12 HCG 500iu 2x/week
4-12 Aromasin 10mg ED
13-16 Nolva 20mg ED
13-16 Clomid 25mg ED

At 1,500 calories I'm still getting stronger each week and I'm losing roughly 1lb/week. The goal of the cycle is to put on muscle and lose fat. I don't want to eat like a house to put on muscle but also put on fat. I'm at ~10% BF roughly right now (picture of myself is in the above link I posted). I've done very well with my diet and no gear. But I have no experience with a proper diet AND gear together. Not sure how the body adapts to the gear. If I increase my macros I know I'll put on size, I just don't want to put on any fat.

I was just going to feel it out and adjust as I went on, but any advice up front I'd take because you have helped get me to where I am today with my knowledge of nutrition after reading all of your posts and answering my questions in the past.

Really do appreciate it as I'm sure everyone else does as well!

[gbrice75]

one final question (prob not but at least for now )

on the days where im eating 50g carbs thats 200cals which will leave 2100cals (minus veggies )to come from protein and fat so do u have a suggestion for ratios? and if say i eat 100g fat that day is it possible to store fat even if i dont exceed my daily caloric requirements but .. eat 100g fat!??

also GB should i ditch my coffee creamer (60 cals supposedly sugar free) while fasting? thats gonna throw a wrench in my day BTW! i LOVE my coffee!

You might store fat... but in the long run if you're in a deficit overall, you'll burn it off. It's all about energy balance over a period of time IMO.

@ 60 calories, you'll definitely have to ditch the coffee creamer bro. Sorry!!!

My cycle (tweaked by swifto):

1-12 Test Prop 100mg EOD
1-12 Anavar 50mg ED
1-12 HCG 500iu 2x/week
4-12 Aromasin 10mg ED
13-16 Nolva 20mg ED
13-16 Clomid 25mg ED

At 1,500 calories I'm still getting stronger each week and I'm losing roughly 1lb/week. The goal of the cycle is to put on muscle and lose fat. I don't want to eat like a house to put on muscle but also put on fat. I'm at ~10% BF roughly right now (picture of myself is in the above link I posted). I've done very well with my diet and no gear. But I have no experience with a proper diet AND gear together. Not sure how the body adapts to the gear. If I increase my macros I know I'll put on size, I just don't want to put on any fat.

I was just going to feel it out and adjust as I went on, but any advice up front I'd take because you have helped get me to where I am today with my knowledge of nutrition after reading all of your posts and answering my questions in the past.

Really do appreciate it as I'm sure everyone else does as well!

Well it's clearly a cutting cycle, and the fact Swifto helped you with it tells me it's gtg.

You can look at it 2 ways. If you really want to get shredded without muscle loss, you can keep calories at 1500 (possibly go even lower although I personally wouldn't) and will likely see some very impressive results. If you bump calories, you may see better gains but the fat loss could slow. IMO you need to decide what your primary goal is (again, based on this cycle you want to continue to cut) and then choose your calories based on that.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need further clarification.

[mockery]

one final question (prob not but at least for now )

on the days where im eating 50g carbs thats 200cals which will leave 2100cals (minus veggies )to come from protein and fat so do u have a suggestion for ratios? and if say i eat 100g fat that day is it possible to store fat even if i dont exceed my daily caloric requirements but .. eat 100g fat!??

also GB should i ditch my coffee creamer (60 cals supposedly sugar free) while fasting? thats gonna throw a wrench in my day BTW! i LOVE my coffee!

If i can give my 2 cents

once you start drinking black coffee, especially proper espresso style black coffee. Try and get a ristritto ( restricted in Italian i think) its the first 15ml extraction You will not like drinking milk based coffee any more. i have put tons of friends onto this and they love it. give it a go

[gbrice75]

^^ thx for the tip... I'd like to stop using dairy/creamer in my coffee as well.

[mockery]

if you are American drinking a pot of coffee or brewed coffee, u should skip that, get one of those little glass or plastic base with the plunger. buy fresh beans ( coffee beans need to be rested for 10 days after roasting then used up asap. buy small pouchs with the gas release valve and look for roasted on dates not best before. grind your coffee up and weight at 22g add to the plunger and add hot water give it a min to extract and pour out and drink.

I make them the night before in a shot glass to give you the amount of volume of liquid you want per 22g of ground coffee. then shoot it back in the morning chilled or just a small amount of warm tap water. it doesnt seem like much but trust me you will be wired and alert.

[--->>405<<---]

You might store fat... but in the long run if you're in a deficit overall, you'll burn it off. It's all about energy balance over a period of time IMO.

@ 60 calories, you'll definitely have to ditch the coffee creamer bro. Sorry!!!

coffee creamer ditched! i assume stevia will be ok.?

as far as the fat and protein days with 50g carbs do u have a suggestion for ratio?
2300cals
50g carbs
300g pro
100g fat
???

i must say the idea of eating that much fat kind of scares me LOL.. and do u have a recommendation of sources? natty pb, almond butter, walnuts, avocado, cashews, peanuts, almonds, EVOO ?? thats a lot of nuts i like the idea cuz i love nuts and nut butter.. bear in mind the nut butters will be from fresh market and it consists solely of ground peanuts into PB or ground almonds into almond butter. they have a machine that grinds it rite there in front of u

[gbrice75]

coffee creamer ditched! i assume stevia will be ok.?

Stevia is probably your best bet. There is still a hot debate over whether these 'no calorie' sweeteners cause a small insulin spike or not, but we have to live a little. I've always used Splenda but Stevia is better IMO.

as far as the fat and protein days with 50g carbs do u have a suggestion for ratio?
2300cals
50g carbs
300g pro
100g fat
???

i must say the idea of eating that much fat kind of scares me LOL..

You know what... I don't like 100g of fat either. Bump the protein to 350g and drop the fat down to around 75g. You know i'm not usually a proponent of especially high protein, but in this case we don't have much room to play since we want to keep carbs low. Note - I don't care of carbs are at 75g here and there... this isn't a depletion phase, so it's not exactly a 'science'. We just want to keep starchy carbs relatively low, so don't fret too much over macros - just get close.

and do u have a recommendation of sources? natty pb, almond butter, walnuts, avocado, cashews, peanuts, almonds, EVOO ?? thats a lot of nuts i like the idea cuz i love nuts and nut butter.. bear in mind the nut butters will be from fresh market and it consists solely of ground peanuts into PB or ground almonds into almond butter. they have a machine that grinds it rite there in front of u

Any/all of the above. Obviously don't overlook whole eggs, beef, and oily fish. I'd try and get my fats from those sources before purposely eating nuts... but if you need additional fat, by all means, go nuts! *I know that was corny*

[--->>405<<---]

Stevia is probably your best bet. There is still a hot debate over whether these 'no calorie' sweeteners cause a small insulin spike or not, but we have to live a little. I've always used Splenda but Stevia is better IMO.

yeh i think martin addresses them and says dont worry too much about them



You know what... I don't like 100g of fat either. Bump the protein to 350g and drop the fat down to around 75g. You know i'm not usually a proponent of especially high protein, but in this case we don't have much room to play since we want to keep carbs low. Note - I don't care of carbs are at 75g here and there... this isn't a depletion phase, so it's not exactly a 'science'. We just want to keep starchy carbs relatively low, so don't fret too much over macros - just get close.

ok so 2300cals, 50g starch, veggies, 75g fat, rest in protein



Any/all of the above. Obviously don't overlook whole eggs, beef, and oily fish. I'd try and get my fats from those sources before purposely eating nuts... but if you need additional fat, by all means, go nuts! *I know that was corny*

yes oily fish! my wife works for a guy who owns a shrimp boat and seafood market. i need to get her to start bringing home some fish! i get it discounted and sometimes free! any recommendations other than salmon?

whole eggs huh? do they have to be those fancy kind i see guys post about on here (omega3 eggs or whatever) or can they just be reg eggs?

"go nuts".. LOL corny and funny

an observation i made while reading leangains is that he seems to put a fair amt of emphasis about hitting cals and not as much on macros or did i misunderstand? i see he said he regularly eats ice cream and talked about dairy calcium being good for (something i cant remember) as well as eating fruit. all big "no no's" in the typical cutting approach im accustomed to.. thoughts?

i may post a complete diet in my thread and come over here and get u so u can look it over if u dont mind

[gbrice75]

yes oily fish! my wife works for a guy who owns a shrimp boat and seafood market. i need to get her to start bringing home some fish! i get it discounted and sometimes free! any recommendations other than salmon?

Nice!!! Some other oily fish: Trout, Mackerel, Sardines, Bluefish, Anchovies, Herring, etc.

whole eggs huh? do they have to be those fancy kind i see guys post about on here (omega3 eggs or whatever) or can they just be reg eggs?

You don't have to buy the eggs that are specifically marketed as Omega3 eggs. Just keep in mind that eggs from free range chickens are naturally higher in Omega-3's than their caged counterparts. This is due to their natural diet.

"go nuts".. LOL corny and funny

Ugh!

an observation i made while reading leangains is that he seems to put a fair amt of emphasis about hitting cals and not as much on macros or did i misunderstand? i see he said he regularly eats ice cream and talked about dairy calcium being good for (something i cant remember) as well as eating fruit. all big "no no's" in the typical cutting approach im accustomed to.. thoughts?

I take a lot of what Martin writes with a grain of salt. I think he sometimes exaggerates to drive his point (and popularity) home. That doesn't mean his fundamental information is bad, but just because he can eat ice cream and cheesecake doesn't mean we all can. You, just like me, have the tendency to get fat. History proves that. Martin, from what I can tell and have read, has never been fat, not even close - even at his 'fattest' he was still leaner than either of us. He's ridiculously shredded now so of course some ice cream or cheesecake isn't going to affect him.

i may post a complete diet in my thread and come over here and get u so u can look it over if u dont mind

No problem.

[--->>405<<---]

good deal man! uve been very helpful! ive been eating 2500cals now for 3 days and i feel leaner than i did last week funnily enuff!

[gbrice75]

^^ np.

[Dyno Dog]

Ok, so I am 53yo and wanting to bulk up. I am now 5'9" and weigh about 175. I work out 5 days/wk for about 1 1/2 hours each day. The supplements I take are protein, creatine and a multi-vitamin pack. I'm not sure how to calculate my body fat but I am definitely carrying some extra abdominal fat. I would really like to lose the fat and add some lean muscle mass. My diet, for the most part is below and I allow myself one cheat day a week where I eat anything I want to on that day. I am eating around 2700 calories a day right now. Any suggestions on improving my diet would be greatly appreciated.
BREAKFAST
1 whole egg
3/4 cup egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup pineapple
1 packet instant oatmeal
2 slices wheat bread
2 tbsp butter
PRE-WORKOUT
12oz gatorade with daily creatine
POST WORKOUT
1 1/2 cups lite soymilk
2 scoops protein powder
1 scoop carbs
LUNCH
1/2 oz cashews
1 5/8oz can tuna in water
1/4 cup no fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp miracle whip
1/2 cup applesauce
2 slices wheat bread
SNACK
1 cup lite soymilk
2 scoops protein
1 cup low sodium V8 juice
DINNER
4oz chicken breast (or salmon)
1 cup peas
1 cup lite soymilk
1 scoop carbs
SNACK
1 cup lite soymilk
1 scoop protein
1 cup low sodium V8 juice

That's about a 40/40/20 split carbs/protein/fat. Protein about 1.2grams per pound of bodyweight. Would appreciate any input you can offer.

[jsn23]

This thread will serve as a Q&A for diet and nutritional related topics. The hope is that over time, the thread itself will become a valuable resource as some questions and subsequent answers will surely give birth to some epic debates.

I will take it on good faith that if you're asking a really simple question here, you've at least tried to find the answer yourself. i.e. "GB, what is a macro nutrient?". I will answer the question, but so will google.

I want to make clear that simply because I am making an 'ask me anything' thread doesn't mean I will have all the answers. If I don't know, and/or cannot research to find the answer, I will tell you I don't know. I will not give you some half-assed irresponsible answer.

There are plenty of guys on this board who are more knowledgeable than myself, but aren't always around. So, for now, you're stuck with me!

I'm off to the gym now and will be back in a few hours, so... let's get it started!

whats your take on dairy in a bodybuilding diet?

[gbrice75]

Ok, so I am 53yo and wanting to bulk up. I am now 5'9" and weigh about 175. I work out 5 days/wk for about 1 1/2 hours each day. The supplements I take are protein, creatine and a multi-vitamin pack. I'm not sure how to calculate my body fat but I am definitely carrying some extra abdominal fat. I would really like to lose the fat and add some lean muscle mass. My diet, for the most part is below and I allow myself one cheat day a week where I eat anything I want to on that day. I am eating around 2700 calories a day right now. Any suggestions on improving my diet would be greatly appreciated.

I try to keep this thread more of a general info / Q&A type format and stay away from personal consultation, but since you're new here, i'll give you a brief critique. In the meantime, I suggest you start a thread in the nutrition section where you can get input from other members as well.

BREAKFAST
1 whole egg
3/4 cup egg whites
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup pineapple
1 packet instant oatmeal
2 slices wheat bread
2 tbsp butter

Here's what I see - a little bit of protein, and a lot of sugar and carbs. When cutting bodyfat, I try to keep sugar intake as low as possible. applesauce and pineapple - while considered 'healthy' by everyday standards (as compared to a typical American diet), they're both loaded with sugar and wouldn't be a part of my diet tbh. The packet instant oatmeal is also loaded with sugar. I'd ditch all of this and go with real oats sweetened with cinnamon and splenda, and i'd add 1/2 cup blueberries - much less sugar, and much more beneficial (high in antioxidants for starters). You have about 16g of protein via the eggs; light. I'd drop the 2tbsp of PB (that's about 16g of fat right there) and add another whole egg and at least another 1/4 cup of egg whites - bringing your egg protein up to 24g. I'd probably add a scoop of protein powder to this meal (or another lean protein source - canadian bacon, nonfat plain greek yogurt, 1% milkfat cottage cheese, etc) to bring it up even more. I'd ditch the wheat bread - not necessary IMO.

PRE-WORKOUT
12oz gatorade with daily creatine

What time is your breakfast/meal 1, and what time is your workout?

POST WORKOUT
1 1/2 cups lite soymilk
2 scoops protein powder
1 scoop carbs

What does 1 scoop of carbs mean???

Also, just out of curiosity - why soy milk?

LUNCH
1/2 oz cashews
1 5/8oz can tuna in water
1/4 cup no fat cottage cheese
1 tbsp miracle whip
1/2 cup applesauce
2 slices wheat bread

The protein sources look good although I can't tell how much this adds up to (need to see your macros for each meal). I'd ditch the applesauce.

SNACK
1 cup lite soymilk
2 scoops protein
1 cup low sodium V8 juice

V8 juice is crap IMO. I'd ditch it and eat some real veggies - leafy green are your best bet.

DINNER
4oz chicken breast (or salmon)
1 cup peas
1 cup lite soymilk
1 scoop carbs

I'd replace the peas with a leafy green veggie like broccoli or spinach, and probably bump the chicken to 6-8oz, and likely would ditch the 'carbs' although I still have no idea what this is.

SNACK
1 cup lite soymilk
1 scoop protein
1 cup low sodium V8 juice

Same deal here with the V8, and still curious about the soymilk. What kind of protein do you use?

That's about a 40/40/20 split carbs/protein/fat. Protein about 1.2grams per pound of bodyweight. Would appreciate any input you can offer.

I used to be a bigger fan of 40/40/20 splits, but IMO they're not ideal for fat loss. 40% of calories coming from carbs is high. I'd rather see something like 50/30/20, or even 55/30/15. There's many ways to break it down - at the end of the day, we need to make sure you're calories aren't too high, otherwise macros won't mean jack. Do you know your total calories?

Again, i'd suggest posting up your diet (feel free to copy this post along with my critique) into a new thread in the nutrition section for additional input from other members. I'll stop by as well. You will be asked for your macros per meal, as well as time of day for each - so please be prepared to have that info available.

Hope this helps.

whats your take on dairy in a bodybuilding diet?

My take on dairy is relatively liberal. First, it depends on how well one handles dairy. Can you digest it? Does it cause you bloating or any other issues? Second, it comes down to the goal at hand. If we're talking about cutting, milk is out for me. I will still include nonfat plain greek yogurt and 1% milkfat cottage cheese however... as gram for gram the sugar content is far less than that of milk. I'm more liberal with bulking - I'd include milk if I could handle it. Unfortunately, I can't - and I happen to love milk!

As you probably know, dairy and milk in particular is a highly debated topic in this circle. It's said to be highly hormonal (estrogen) and is contested as to whether we as a species should even be touching the stuff.

[Ben_66]

Hello Gbrice,

I was wondering your intake on fish oil pills?

my pills says 1000mg per pill. and it says to take 2 pills 3 times a day. I take 3 with my eggs and oatmeal after my post work out shake, and 3 more before bed with my casein shake. so that would be 6000mg = only 6 grams, How much is to much of fish oil pills. I would like to up my dose.

[gbrice75]

Hello Gbrice,

I was wondering your intake on fish oil pills?

my pills says 1000mg per pill. and it says to take 2 pills 3 times a day. I take 3 with my eggs and oatmeal after my post work out shake, and 3 more before bed with my casein shake. so that would be 6000mg = only 6 grams, How much is to much of fish oil pills. I would like to up my dose.

To me, there really isn't a 'too much'. Basically, if I have additional fat macros to fill in, I try to do so using fish oil vs. fun stuff like nuts, PB, and avacado. To put it in perspective, I try and take 3-5 caps with every meal, 6 meals/day. 18 caps vs. your 6... nothing to worry about!

Keep in mind that not all fish oil is created equal. Your caps might say 1000mg, but what you need to pay specific attention to is the total Omega-3 Fatty Acids, specifically EPA and DHA. My caps are 1,400mg fish oil, with a total 980 omega-3's. I've seen cheaper brands that have much, much less. In this case, it's worth spending a few more dollars to get a better quality product.

[Ben_66]

To me, there really isn't a 'too much'. Basically, if I have additional fat macros to fill in, I try to do so using fish oil vs. fun stuff like nuts, PB, and avacado. To put it in perspective, I try and take 3-5 caps with every meal, 6 meals/day. 18 caps vs. your 6... nothing to worry about!

Keep in mind that not all fish oil is created equal. Your caps might say 1000mg, but what you need to pay specific attention to is the total Omega-3 Fatty Acids, specifically EPA and DHA. My caps are 1,400mg fish oil, with a total 980 omega-3's. I've seen cheaper brands that have much, much less. In this case, it's worth spending a few more dollars to get a better quality product.

Thanks for answering my question.

980! wow, mine says only 300 mg: 180EPA and 120DHA. What is the rest of 700mg consist of?

[gbrice75]

Fish oil that isn't rich in or is devoid of the aforementioned omega-3 fatty acids.

[--->>405<<---]

^^Lovaza is good fish oil. i get it by script and i take 5000mg per day and it only costs me $15 for 3 months worth! also out of the 1000mg, 900mg is fish oil vs 350mg in the stuff i was buying at CVS...

[mockery]

Gbrice !

whats your take on crystal light, ??? for teh first time in my life i started drinking this stuff cause i had a ice tea craving one day. and i kinda love it now.

[gbrice75]

^^Lovaza is good fish oil. i get it by script and i take 5000mg per day and it only costs me $15 for 3 months worth! also out of the 1000mg, 900mg is fish oil vs 350mg in the stuff i was buying at CVS...

Good stuff, sounds like my brand (Nature's Bounty).

Udo's is another staple name.

Gbrice !

whats your take on crystal light, ??? for teh first time in my life i started drinking this stuff cause i had a ice tea craving one day. and i kinda love it now.

Crystal Light is gtg IMO, no worries.

[mockery]

Good stuff, sounds like my brand (Nature's Bounty).

Udo's is another staple name.



Crystal Light is gtg IMO, no worries.

Good to know i can have 1 indulgence now.

[--->>405<<---]

Crystal Light is gtg IMO, no worries.

Good to know i can have 1 indulgence now.

boy what have we gotten ourselves into where crystal light is an "indulgence"? LOL