This is what I ate today: What do you think??

[Marty502]

Hi everyone, this is my first post on this forum. Been stalking for a while, but now I feel it's time to join.

To begin, I'm 5"9, 150 lbs, around 10% BF I think and I'm 21 years old. I'm pretty skinny.

I'm currently working on having a good diet; I'm doing some cardio at home, push-ups with a loaded backpack, and some dumbells for biceps and back; pretty basic stuff. I'll try to join a gym but I'm not sure I can.

This is what I ate today:

-Morning:

·1 glass of low-fat milk.
·Wheat bread sandwich with 2 slices of cheese and 2 slices of turkey ham.

I had half a glass of milk, an apple and 2-3 glasses of water after that.

-Lunch:

·Mid-sized beef steak with 3 potatoes and a tomato.

Chugged some more milk and water.

-Post Workout:

·2 slices of wheat bread with tuna; used the whole can.
·Two bananas, and some more milk.

-Dinner:

-Still working it out.

---

According to Fitday.com, all of this sums up around 2300 calories, nicely divided by 40/40/20. Is this a good starting point? What do you think? I sure can pump the calories up if I try. For example, I forgot eggs on the breakfast! Silly me. I just don't wanna go overboard and start pumping unnecessary fat.

Thanks in advance!

[nath123]

ya I am guesing that, thats not even your mainten level of calories i may be wrong so i would try and eat more. THe food looks clean enough as the cheese is skim cheese.

[fitzy7722]

I take it since you said you were skinny you idealy want to gain mass? If so, your diet wont get you there. You need anywhere from 1.5-2x your body weight in protein in order to gain lean muscle mass. It looks like you didn't come close to that at all in your diet. Consume foods like chicken, fish, turkey and veggies (for amino acids) and you will gain mass.

[Marty502]

Yeah, I want to gain mass, but not that much to be honest. I'm going after a lean look, with a low BF % and good looking muscles; I'm not going for 220 pounds or something crazy like that. Actually I care more about my health than about getting 'big'.

Fitday.com says I had 188 protein grams today. Certainly not close to 1.5x/2x my weight!

I'll update this tomorrow with my new intake.

Thanks!

[wumple]

You're missing EFAs. Also did you have a multivitamin? Those are very important.

[Marty502]

Are EFAs found in eggs? If not, I'll buy a peanut butter jar tomorrow.

And about multivitamins... I have to admit I have no clue what you're talking about. Anything I should have read already on this site, maybe? Thanks again.

[user179143]

it really depends on what your workout looks like

is it high intensity?

also i am curious to know.. are you only working on bicep and back??
because with dumbells you can easily do chest, back, triceps, biceps, forearms, traps/lats, shoulders

if you are only working out with 10 pound dumbells for each exercise, then your going to need more weight my friend.

you dont need 1.5-2grams of protein. IN MY OPINION with such basic exercises

i say 1 gram to 1.5 MAX for your workouts.
you'll get many quick gains because you are new.
have fun.

2 grams per pound is overboard, and is only needed if you are hitting the big 3 (deadlift, squat, bench press) and hitting it good.

as to answer your questions..

there are eggs which contain a decent amount of omega-3 fats, you can always supllement more.

multivitamin supplement, is exactly what it soiunds like: its basically a supllement of vitamins, lol not much explannaation needed.

[dexterium]

you need to do deadlifts and squats. eat more: OATS. For the love of god sir, eat more oats. If you are going to get big, you need to eat a ton of oats. You need more water. 4 L at least. get nuts woot woot

[Marty502]

Originally Posted by exaltedangel09

it really depends on what your workout looks like

is it high intensity?

also i am curious to know.. are you only working on bicep and back??
because with dumbells you can easily do chest, back, triceps, biceps, forearms, traps/lats, shoulders

if you are only working out with 10 pound dumbells for each exercise, then your going to need more weight my friend.

you dont need 1.5-2grams of protein. IN MY OPINION with such basic exercises

i say 1 gram to 1.5 MAX for your workouts.
you'll get many quick gains because you are new.
have fun.

2 grams per pound is overboard, and is only needed if you are hitting the big 3 (deadlift, squat, bench press) and hitting it good.

as to answer your questions..

there are eggs which contain a decent amount of omega-3 fats, you can always supllement more.

multivitamin supplement, is exactly what it soiunds like: its basically a supllement of vitamins, lol not much explannaation needed.

I'm taking all of this into consideration! I think I'll keep a similar diet to what I posted yesterday, plus some eggs in the morning and maybe a bit more milk. Just had two scrambled eggs with ham... yummy.

When I start hitting the gym (in a couple of months, probably) I'll start bumping the numbers. I'll try more exercises with the dumbells, which can go to 35 lbs. each. I'm sure I'll have tons of fun... Thank you!

Also, thank you dexterium.

[gymgrown]

Originally Posted by Marty502

Yeah, I want to gain mass, but not that much to be honest. I'm going after a lean look, with a low BF % and good looking muscles; I'm not going for 220 pounds or something crazy like that. Actually I care more about my health than about getting 'big'.

This is a very common mentality for beginners, and one that I had too when I started working out. Basically, "I'm not trying to become The Incredible Hulk, so I'm not going to train for huge muscles. I only want to get cut."
Well, this approach makes no sense. After your beginner's gains, you'll find that putting on a little muscle takes a LOT of effort. There's no danger of getting too yoked by training and eating for big muscles. Getting "cut" is a combination of two things: big muscles and low bodyfat. Muscles themselves can only be big or small. There's no danger of you waking up one day after a long period of training and saying "oh no, I've got too big!" You will only look better and better. So once you get into your routine, start training hard and heavy, and eat like a man, and you'll make the modest gains you're going for.

As for your diet, I think 20% fat is way too low. You need to eat fat to be healthy. Just take it easy on the Omega-6 (vegetable oils).

[xXSeanXx]

At that weight, I'd aim for at least 2800 calories. Oats, PB, Tuna, chicken, Beef, Nuts, Fruit. Plenty of Milk and Water.

[Marty502]

Originally Posted by gymgrown

This is a very common mentality for beginners, and one that I had too when I started working out. Basically, "I'm not trying to become The Incredible Hulk, so I'm not going to train for huge muscles. I only want to get cut."
Well, this approach makes no sense. After your beginner's gains, you'll find that putting on a little muscle takes a LOT of effort. There's no danger of getting too yoked by training and eating for big muscles. Getting "cut" is a combination of two things: big muscles and low bodyfat. Muscles themselves can only be big or small. There's no danger of you waking up one day after a long period of training and saying "oh no, I've got too big!" You will only look better and better. So once you get into your routine, start training hard and heavy, and eat like a man, and you'll make the modest gains you're going for.

As for your diet, I think 20% fat is way too low. You need to eat fat to be healthy. Just take it easy on the Omega-6 (vegetable oils).

Thank you for your answer, and I know what you mean; I've done my homework!

I know I won't gain 20 pounds in 3 months, and my goal it's not an excuse to do lighter work. I was just pointing out what I'm after; I'm pretty conscious it won't happen by accident! Gyms would be full of 250 pounders...

The thing is, I'm pretty limited with my current gear (A couple of dumbells, some wimpy ankle weights, a backpack, a chair and an old stationary bike) but I'm working my a$$ off with what I've got.

I'll take into consideration your fat recommendation. The thing is, my stomach is disagreeing with me a bit... especially on the huge milk intake. Plus I'm getting headaches, maybe because of dropping coca-cola and coffee cold turkey? I'm certainly not overtraining, not even close to it!

Gotta buy me some whey protein.

[gymgrown]

Originally Posted by Marty502

I'll take into consideration your fat recommendation. The thing is, my stomach is disagreeing with me a bit... especially on the huge milk intake. Plus I'm getting headaches, maybe because of dropping coca-cola and coffee cold turkey? I'm certainly not overtraining, not even close to it!

You're drinking a lot of fat-free milk and having an upset stomach, and so you don't want to increase your fat intake? That doesn't make sense. Try switching to whole milk, or at least 2%, instead of drinking gallons of non-fat.

[Marty502]

Originally Posted by gymgrown

You're drinking a lot of fat-free milk and having an upset stomach, and so you don't want to increase your fat intake? That doesn't make sense. Try switching to whole milk, or at least 2%, instead of drinking gallons of non-fat.

Argh, that happens for typing too fast. I was just mentioning something that's going on. No relation with fat at all, sorry.

I won't have it easy munching ~3000 calories.

[gymgrown]

Originally Posted by Marty502

Argh, that happens for typing too fast. I was just mentioning something that's going on. No relation with fat at all, sorry.

I won't have it easy munching ~3000 calories.

Sure you will, once your metabolism catches up to your regular lifting.

[Marty502]

All right, this is what I ate today. Much better than yesterday! And I'm still missing dinner, which will be a chicken leg and a salad probably. Here we go:

-Breakfast:

·2 scrambled eggs with ham, with 2 slices of wheat bread.
·1 cup of low-fat milk.
·An apple.

Had a few chugs of milk during the morning, as well as a banana.

-Lunch

·Beef steak, with a large ration of spaghetti, sided with a mashed avocado. Weird, but I like it.

More water, more milk.

-Post Workout:

·2 slices of wheat bread with tuna (the whole can)
·A cup of Oat Squares.
·1 banana.
·Gobs of water.

Had another apple already.

---

Grand total without dinner? 2500 calories, 69 grs. of fat, 289 grs. of carbs and 193 grs. of protein. 25/43/32.

(Did 30 minutes of cardio and weightlifting for biceps, back and shoulders today)

I'll have chicken tonight to add to the proteins. At least it's all looking better than yesterday! And I'll buy the peanut butter to add some healthy fats which I'm missing.

What do you think? My diet's still under construction.

[nc9892]

That is probably pretty good. I can gain a bit on that type of calorie intake, and I lift regularly. We are similar heights. I eat 20% fat, as 25 seems to make me gain faster than necessary. Even a slight difference in my diet seems to have big effects. Certainly no less than 20% though.

[Marty502]

UPDATE: Ate chicken with lettuce and tomato... made it to 3k calories according to fitday.com, with very little carbs at this dinner.

I'll work like a pig tomorrow.

[macky85]

Originally Posted by Marty502

The thing is, I'm pretty limited with my current gear (A couple of dumbells, some wimpy ankle weights, a backpack, a chair and an old stationary bike) but I'm working my a$$ off with what I've got.

I know this is a nutrition section but man, at least go out and buy a bench press. How long can you expect to stay with working out if you're working out with dodgy gear like that. Sounds sketchy.

[Baker19]

IMO I think thats pretty hardcore putting together a gym like that at least hes trying, and not sitting around all day..

Keep up the good work and you'll get there.. The diets looking better and better man.. GL

Happy Holidays

[macky85]

Originally Posted by Baker19

IMO I think thats pretty hardcore putting together a gym like that at least hes trying, and not sitting around all day..

Keep up the good work and you'll get there.. The diets looking better and better man.. GL

Happy Holidays

you think its hardcore to have a chair, two dumbbells and a back pack? I agree its good he's trying, but how can you keep up your motivation without even some basic equipment. Not trying to knock him, he just makes me think of my friend who started working out using bricks as weights and gave up very quickly.

I don't think i could keep it up in the long term with two dumbells and pushups with a back pack. Before i got into it seriously i started out the whole pushups and dumbbell curls thing quite a few times and its just hard to stick with it.

[Mia Monster]

Marty ... go to this site and make sure you have your maintenance cal level nailed down.
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/cal...alculator.htm#

[Marty502]

Hey Mia Monster, that's an awesome site! It says my maintenance level is 2400 cals. I'll try to keep it around 2800 and a bit more maybe... can't hurt. Thanks!

--

Macky85, I know what you mean. I wish I could buy some extra gear. The thing is, I'll be moving pretty soon to a really small flat, so I won't have too much space available. The other thing is that I'm pretty broke too, so buying a bench press is out of the question. However...

In 2 months college starts again, so I'll be free to go to the gym whenever I want. I'll stay working my a$$ off at home, I'm pretty sure I'll have some gains (if modest) anyway, but it will get much better in mid February!

You can be sure I'm pretty motivated. Sure, the gear itself doesn't help much, but that's what this site is for! Reading stories and watching pictures of people who were fat fat FAT and now are 10% BF with big muscles is just inspiring. And here I am, definitely not fat, with a good physicial condition, with a good diet on the way, and plenty of free time. Why not? I'll keep fighting. My dumbells weigh way more than bricks, that's for sure!

[gymgrown]

Your diet is looking better now! But again, don't be afraid to add in saturated fats. Just try it for a week and see how you feel, and then go back to avoiding them if you don't like it.

[Blahzay128]

If I drank all that milk, I'd be sick to my stomach. Why not add in cans of tuna or protein shakes? I would be willing to bet that you are also not drinking enough water.

***As someone stated earlier, being "ripped" is about having low BF as well as having the muscles.

[Marty502]

I'm having a tuna can at this moment, with a hint of low-fat mayo.

I've tried some protein shakes and they all taste like crap to me, with water or milk or whatever it is. Even tried mixing it on the blender with some bananas... no no. I just don't like them. And believe me, it frustrates me. Proteins aren't easy (or cheap) to eat. I guess it will be meat and fish for me by now.

I don't see a problem with my milk ingestion. If it's not making me sick (now it isn't) then fine, right?

And I'm having around 2 liters of water a day. I'll try to drink more, I know I could do better.

EDIT: A question: How much peanut butter do you guys eat on a day?

[Baker19]

Originally Posted by macky85

you think its hardcore to have a chair, two dumbbells and a back pack? I agree its good he's trying, but how can you keep up your motivation without even some basic equipment. Not trying to knock him, he just makes me think of my friend who started working out using bricks as weights and gave up very quickly.

I don't think i could keep it up in the long term with two dumbells and pushups with a back pack. Before i got into it seriously i started out the whole pushups and dumbbell curls thing quite a few times and its just hard to stick with it.

If you read his prbably getting a gym membership in a few months

[Marty502]

If I get lucky, I might get the membership next week!

Stay tuned.

[Marty502]

Good news people!

I'll start going to the gym tomorrow! There's everything I'll need over there. I'll do Rippetoe's program, and I've already settled on a diet around 2700-2800 calories. (Maintenance: 2400) I'd try 3000, but here it's summer and I don't wanna get fat, not one bit! Plus I don't mind growing a bit slower! I'll have nice gains anyway.

Here's a picture of my torso, for future comparison. I'm at 152 pounds currently. It's not a morning shot.

By the way, anybody feels like trying to guess my BF % from this shot? I'm not sure I'm on 10%.

Thanks everyone.

(I know all of this is off-topic from this subforum; some people got interested and that's why I resurrected this topic. From now on I'll stick to the appropiate topics.)

[Marty502]

Bump.