Help with a new diet please...stopped gaining!

[lean_ross]

Hi all.

I started training about a year ago now, and started at 125 pounds at
5ft 10 - very skinny lol!

I am still 5ft 10 but now weigh 150 lbs, most of the 25 pounds gained has been muscle which I'm very pleased with. I found it relatively easy to get to this weight with the help of BB.com but now can't seem to gain anymore!

I'd like some advice on what to change in my diet as no matter what I do, i don't seem to gain any weight, I just seem to be maintaining muscle but slowly losing bodyfat. I believe my training is in check, but am not so confident with my diet.

Example day:


Min. 2 litres water throughout the day

Breakfast (2 hours pre workout):

2 Bananas
1 Apple
Weight Gain protein shake

Post workout:

Cellmass
Weight Gain protein shake

Dinner:

Rice, salad, chicken/fish

2 Hours Before bed:

Weight Gain protein shake
1 portion fruit

before bed:

Cellmass


If anybody could suggest any additional foods I could add in to give kick my body into muscle building mode that would be great!

Many thanks,

Ross

[Response]

It looks like you're taking too many shakes. Protein shakes are to supplement what you don't get from food-not to replace food. In the morning eat some form of slow digesting carb, oatmeal is perfect. And replace one of your later meals with whole foods, maybe chix breast, veggies and baked new potato. If you add more complex carbs to your diet you will start to add more muscle.

[lean_ross]

thanks for the reply Response. Well the problem I found is that if I add anymore carbs to my diet I start adding fat rather than muscle, so it looks like I'm already taking in enough calories. So for example pre workout I could have outmeal and fruit rather than my usual protein weight gain shake? But then I would be taking in less protein in that meal.

[zawarudo]

thanks for the reply Response. Well the problem I found is that if I add anymore carbs to my diet I start adding fat rather than muscle, so it looks like I'm already taking in enough calories. So for example pre workout I could have outmeal and fruit rather than my usual protein weight gain shake? But then I would be taking in less protein in that meal.

Is there a reason you're not sticking with the traditional 40/40/20 ratio? It sounds like you've experimented and your body doesn't react favourably to carbs. In which case, drop the fruit and eat veggies instead. It's hard to say exactly how much protein you're getting since you don't show the quantities, but yeah that's a lot of protein shakes.

It seems, however, that your only serious source of carbs are the rice and fruits? So it's surprising to hear you saying you can't add any more carbs!

On the other hand, putting on 25lbs from 125 is a lot. You might have hit a plateau (hard to say without knowing your BF%), if that's the case maybe a short-lasting cut then going back to bulking might "reboot" your metabolism.

[R-G]

thanks for the reply Response. Well the problem I found is that if I add anymore carbs to my diet I start adding fat rather than muscle, so it looks like I'm already taking in enough calories.

You'd be gaining if you were. Eat more.

[lean_ross]

well each shake i take contains 83 grams carbs and 50 g protein. If i drop down to 2 a day, that will be 100g protein from shakes, and then ill be getting it from my main meal at dinner and another proper meal in place of the shake.

My body fat is around 12 %, i was at 14% about 4 weeks ago, but have been trying to add mass, but instead have dropped bodyfat while staying at the same weight! I think youre right zawarudo that ive hit a plateau.

[lean_ross]

You'd be gaining if you were. Eat more.

when i do eat more my weight does goes up, but its almost all fat i gain! but i think youre right, i gota eat more, its just i gota eat the right stuff as at the moment it looks like im eating enough to maintain the muscle i have rather than gain more.

[Distance]

Eat some actual food...

you only have one non-liquid meal. I'd also suggest adding somethings like red meat and eggs in place of your shakes.

[lean_ross]

Eat some actual food...

you only have one non-liquid meal. I'd also suggest adding somethings like red meat and eggs in place of your shakes.

Ok that's a good suggestion, so shall i just keep it to one shake post workout and make the rest up with proper meals?

As I'm a student its sometimes difficult to prepare a meal between classes, but would something like an egg and cress sandwich on brown bread be a good meal to have as its something I can eat between classes that contains a good amount of complex carbs, and protein.

If someone could suggest a good breakfast that I can have, bearing in mind its the meal I eat before my workout.

[lean_ross]

Right ive put together a new diet which I hope will help me gain some more mass. If anybody has any suggestions on how to make it better, please post and let me know!

Meal 1. Breakfast

100g shredded wheat (100% wholewheat)
250ml milk
1 Boiled Egg
Fruit

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Workout

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Meal 2. Post workout

Cellmass
20 mins later: Whey Gain shake (80g Carbs, 50g Protein)
1 Boiled Egg

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Meal 3. Dinner

Multi Vitamin Tablet
Zinc Tablet
Pasta
1 Boiled Egg
Fruit

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Meal 4. 3 Hours before bed

Egg and Cress Sandwich
Fruit

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Meal 5. 1 Hour before bed

500 ml milk
Raw Peanuts

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Just before bed

Cellmass