chicken, eggs and tuna

[Metrosh]

Basically this is what i feel like my diet has been for the past month or so...

I'm 6'0 about 167pds and my goal was to lose BF but maintain muscle mass (not looking for the body builder look, more like a beach body.) i lift n cardio 3 times a week (1hr and 30min respectively.) I have been getting good results as my weight dropped to 162 and i still lift the same if not more. (in a months span) Now my problem is that my diet consist of chicken strips, no sauce, canned tuna and egg white with veggies n fruits. I eat for about 1800 calories which is my maintenance i believe, but i go very low on carbs (limited to 1-2 toast the morning + 1-2 fruit serving throughout the day)

My progress has seemed to plateau and my taste bud is about to die on me... should i change my diet? or my cal intake? Remember what im really looking for is the 6pack with about the same body frame i currently have, only with more definition.

p.s my shake is iso sensation protein with about 30g proteins per serving, i only take it after the gym.

thanks for any input!

[Metrosh]

bump...

[Opies]

you're very thin for your height. If you want to look better you should be bulking. More muscle = more definition. You can cut all you want but if you have no muscle to cut to you will never look any better.

[Shimshimma]

I would say that you are super skinny as well considering your the same weight as me but 3 inches taller, but thats not what your looking for. So why not add sauces to your diet to kick up your tastes buds if your satisfied with the food that you are eating, hot sauces are usually 0 calories and do well.

If your looking to try new things instead of canned tuna why not buy fresh tuna and grill it or tilapia? and you could sub turkey for chicken

[Metrosh]

you're very thin for your height. If you want to look better you should be bulking. More muscle = more definition. You can cut all you want but if you have no muscle to cut to you will never look any better.

Then i should be clean bulking? i just rly dont wanna gain fat around the stomach area... thats very important. Any advice on what to eat for clean bulking? or which macros to add or %'s to follow?

[chillster84]

1800 maintenance? damn..
my maintenance is 4700..

[dsm_david]

you seriously need to to clean bulk. im 5'5 and 164 and i dont think im fat.

[SPRINGER226]

if your weight loss progress has stunted, opt to increase the duration or intensity of cardio sessions while mainting your current caloric intake...this will be more muscle sparring than simply cutting calories from your diet

however, you've seemed to be interested in gaining LBM...
at 160lbs, bumping your daily calories up to 2,400 a day will allow for a gain of 1lb/week
consider adding...
additional complex carbs to your breakfast (1/2c oats, 2 more slices toast, ect)
bumping protein intake up (going from 6 to 8 oz of chicken/serving, two scoops of whey instead of 1)
finally, ADD FAT...you didn't mention any fats in your post..good fats (nuts, evoo) not only are a great source of calories but also aid in hormone production

if you would post a sample meal plan for me i could help you tweat it to meet your caloric needs

[Metrosh]

if your weight loss progress has stunted, opt to increase the duration or intensity of cardio sessions while mainting your current caloric intake...this will be more muscle sparring than simply cutting calories from your diet

however, you've seemed to be interested in gaining LBM...
at 160lbs, bumping your daily calories up to 2,400 a day will allow for a gain of 1lb/week
consider adding...
additional complex carbs to your breakfast (1/2c oats, 2 more slices toast, ect)
bumping protein intake up (going from 6 to 8 oz of chicken/serving, two scoops of whey instead of 1)
finally, ADD FAT...you didn't mention any fats in your post..good fats (nuts, evoo) not only are a great source of calories but also aid in hormone production

if you would post a sample meal plan for me i could help you tweat it to meet your caloric needs

Ok well a typical day for me is along the lines of:

Meal #1 (around 10-11am):
5-6 egg white with 2 whole eggs
2whole wheat toasts with 2tbps of sugar free jam (1 per toast)

Meal #2 (around 1-2pm):
6-7oz chicken breast
green veggies (cucumber, green peppers lettuce sometimes)

Meal#3 (around 4-5pm)
1/3cup of almonds
1tpbs PB

(On monday, wed, and friday this is when i go to the gym)

Meal #4 (around 7-8pm)
1protein shake (Iso protein, 30g protein per serving with about 170-200ml 2% milk)

Meal #5 (around 11pm-12am)
1can of white tuna in water with a salad, usually lettuce and some tomatoes/olives)


As stupid as this will sound, until the 5th of July im focusing on gaining a 6pac because of a bet, if i lose the bet i have to eat @ mcd's for a week straight (1big mac trio a day)
I know, i know, its the stupidest thing to do but i did it a year ago when i was a cocky idiot and now i pay the consequences. Im kind of close tho, in the morning we see the 6 just a bit, i try and do ab exercices every day to help them grow.

After this stupid bet is done, i will start to clean bulk but i dont know what to do... its really important for me to gain little stomach fat.

[honeydew]

I'm sure you know this but you can't gain stomache fat you either gain fat or you don't. With your diet I wouldn't worry about gaining fat. However, a few things that will help for the circumstances (eating mc'd for a week would SUCK):

* adding fat to your diet would help you loose fat, if you're not ingesting it your body will hold on to whatever it has and produce it. I would spread them out through the day...with each meal. If you don't want to do that atleast take a fish oil pill with each meal.
* cardio....abs are always more defined after a good run (specially the day of the bet) go for a nice long run/cardio session.
* as I'm sure you're doing avoid all sodium the week prior.
* drink a glass or two of red wine the night before....helps show your vascularity more.
* if you're not already use weights for your ab workouts.

for after the bet, I agree with everyone else on the bulking
GL i hope you win!

[Metrosh]

I'm sure you know this but you can't gain stomache fat you either gain fat or you don't. With your diet I wouldn't worry about gaining fat. However, a few things that will help for the circumstances (eating mc'd for a week would SUCK):

* adding fat to your diet would help you loose fat, if you're not ingesting it your body will hold on to whatever it has and produce it. I would spread them out through the day...with each meal. If you don't want to do that atleast take a fish oil pill with each meal.
* cardio....abs are always more defined after a good run (specially the day of the bet) go for a nice long run/cardio session.
* as I'm sure you're doing avoid all sodium the week prior.
* drink a glass or two of red wine the night before....helps show your vascularity more.
* if you're not already use weights for your ab workouts.

for after the bet, I agree with everyone else on the bulking
GL i hope you win!

You dont understand how bad i DONT want to lose. lol i'm going a bit more extreme a few days before... the day before (as dangerous and unhealthy it is i still have to do it) i am going to dehydrate, aka drinking no water and going to a sauna for 10-15mins. I will run a lot of cardio the days before (maybe not the day before if im gonna dry myself, just dont wanna die in the process of this bet....) And yea im (doing/using/performing... dunno whats the right term here) hypertrophy on my abs i do 3-4 ab exercice per day (3sets for each)


lets say i lose, how can i reduce the negative effects of the bigmac as much as possible...? i know starving myself isn't, maybe drink tons of water ? I can have them at any time so going the morning to burn everything off might be good?

[Bdawg22]

DOn't let anyone tell your you're too skinny, hate to say it but 90% of the people on this site are looking to get HUGE. I weigh 162 and am 6'1 yet im the one out of all my friends that has a nice body, I dont give a **** what these people tell me on here about that issue because I know what I want and most the time its not what they are looking for (modeling beach body look). Just keep your protein intake high to prevent muscle loss 1-1.5 g per lb in your body, eat really clean and you'll lose weight (oats/brownrice/green vegetables like broccoli) for your carbs and other then that just lean meats (telapia, tuna, skinless chicken breast, canned chicken breast etc) If you want to gain muscle which in turn will gain fat as you will have a surpluss of calories then eat a hell of alot more. Be a little more lax with your foods but not a whole ton (add in dairly/wheat breads). And there you have it. Experiment with carb intake and see how much you need to take in to lose weight and how much to gain weight. Never do anything drastic start with 100 carbs a day for a week, see how that goes if your losing to much weight add 20 or so until you either start gaining or losing weight slowly (1-2 lbs a week). There is my 2 cents. No offense to anyone on here they are very informative and help you out a ton regardless of difference in goals to get a beach body you must have muscle to start with and that is where these guys can help you big time, but when it turns time to cut for your beach bod at 170 they'll think your a dumbass =)

[Metrosh]

DOn't let anyone tell your you're too skinny, hate to say it but 90% of the people on this site are looking to get HUGE. I weigh 162 and am 6'1 yet im the one out of all my friends that has a nice body, I dont give a **** what these people tell me on here about that issue because I know what I want and most the time its not what they are looking for (modeling beach body look). Just keep your protein intake high to prevent muscle loss 1-1.5 g per lb in your body, eat really clean and you'll lose weight (oats/brownrice/green vegetables like broccoli) for your carbs and other then that just lean meats (telapia, tuna, skinless chicken breast, canned chicken breast etc) If you want to gain muscle which in turn will gain fat as you will have a surpluss of calories then eat a hell of alot more. Be a little more lax with your foods but not a whole ton (add in dairly/wheat breads). And there you have it. Experiment with carb intake and see how much you need to take in to lose weight and how much to gain weight. Never do anything drastic start with 100 carbs a day for a week, see how that goes if your losing to much weight add 20 or so until you either start gaining or losing weight slowly (1-2 lbs a week). There is my 2 cents. No offense to anyone on here they are very informative and help you out a ton regardless of difference in goals to get a beach body you must have muscle to start with and that is where these guys can help you big time, but when it turns time to cut for your beach bod at 170 they'll think your a dumbass =)

Lol, i know im looking for the same kind of results as you actually. Im just afraid that if i eat over my calorie maintenance level and i dont work out enough (i'm a studen, can only afford 3day/week) i will gain fat instead of muscle.
My ideal goal is indeed the "beach body model" look as you mentionned

Looking at ur pics (no homo) u have pretty much what im looking for, more or less, just like to ask how often u work out, what exercice u do and whats a sample diet for a day for ya?
Thanks alot and props to ur goals.

[Bdawg22]

Lol, i know im looking for the same kind of results as you actually. Im just afraid that if i eat over my calorie maintenance level and i dont work out enough (i'm a studen, can only afford 3day/week) i will gain fat instead of muscle.
My ideal goal is indeed the "beach body model" look as you mentionned

Looking at ur pics (no homo) u have pretty much what im looking for, more or less, just like to ask how often u work out, what exercice u do and whats a sample diet for a day for ya?
Thanks alot and props to ur goals.

Aight i'll post my workout as of now which will exclude legs, as they are injured.

Monday- Chest/Abs

Flat bench- 5x5

Incline DB press- (3x10 or 3x10-8-6 or 3x8 just depends what i feel like doing)

Cable Crossover- 3x12 or 3x12-10-8

Pec fly's- 3x10 or 2x12

In any given workout I do the first 2 exercises (flat and incline) and pick flyes or crossovers. I like to switch those 2 up.

Abs

Just depends on the season as of now just some high rep range ab workouts (ball crunches, decline sit ups and hanging leg raises) After summer I will start weighted ab exercises.

Tuesday- Tris, Biceps
Triceps- I switch between these two workouts every month

Workout 1
V-bar pulldowns
3x10-12
Skullcrushers
3-4x10-12
Overhead cable pull
3x10-12
Rope pulldowns 3x10-12

Workout 2
Rope pulldowns 3x15-20
Straightbar pulldowns 3x15-20
Overhead pullovers (I use rope for these) 3x15-20

Biceps (same goes for this rotate between workouts every month)
Workout 1
Wide grip ez bar curls 3x10
Incline curls (on the same bench you'd use for db incline press)
3x10 (10 for each arm rotate)
Machine curls
3x10-8-8
Cable curls 3x10 or 3x10-8-8

Workout 2
3 sets of 21's (if you dont know what these are just ask)
Concentration curls 3x10 (10 with each arm)
Hammer curls 3x10 or 2x12 or 3x8 just depends.

Wednesday- Shoulders/Abs
Shoulders
Shrugs 2x15
Arnold Press
3x8 or 3x10
Dumbbell raises frontways (dunno what they are called haha)
3x10 (10 with each arm)
Dumbbell raises sideways
3x10 (10 each arm)
Bent dumbbell raises (dunno what they are called either)
3x10 or 3x10-8-8

Abs same thing as above

Thursday- Back
Pull ups 2 sets to failure. Any kind of grip, use a machine if you can not do them yet.
Bent over barbell rows 2 sets of 12.

Underhand lat pull machine 2 sets of 10
Overhand 1 set of 10

Single arm dumbell rows 2 sets of 10
Seated rows 1 set of 10
Back extentions 4 sets of 15.

Friday I repeat Monday but that is because I have personally found it better for my body to lift bench 2x a week and not just once. During weighted ab season I only work abs 1-2 times a week.

Currently diet is pretty clean I try to stick to clean foods and with the fast metabolism I don't really worry a whole ton about calorie/carb counting unless im looking to lose alot of weight. I eat the following foods basically. Salad, Telapia, Tuna, Protein shake, Creatine, GNC vitamins, fish oil pills, Boneless skinless chicken breast, very little dairy or breads, oats, a little peanut butter, 1 gallon of water a day, egg whites, almonds broccoli, salad with no carb/fat ranch. On a strict diet, no dairy or breads. That is basically the gist of it. I dont do a whole lot of cardio as much job is a physically demanding job and I can lose weight easily just dieting. Hope this helped some.

[Jordan_S]

Seriously brah up the cals and the carbs a bit before your body starts eating away at your muscles for fuel. Do you even have the energy to work out?

[Bdawg22]

Seriously brah up the cals and the carbs a bit before your body starts eating away at your muscles for fuel. Do you even have the energy to work out?

If you knew anything about nutrition you'd know that if your protein intake is high enough your body will be very unlikely to eat away at muscle for energy. Yes there will be some muscle eaten, but that is true in any cut regardless of weight.

[Jordan_S]

If you knew anything about nutrition you'd know that if your protein intake is high enough your body will be very unlikely to eat away at muscle for energy. Yes there will be some muscle eaten, but that is true in any cut regardless of weight.

If you knew anything about nutrition you'd know that regardless of him cutting, for his weight his cals are way too low. Even on a cut. Not healthy IMO.

[Bdawg22]

If you knew anything about nutrition you'd know that regardless of him cutting, for his weight his cals are way too low. Even on a cut. Not healthy IMO.

Everyone is different, if he isnt losing weight to fast his cals arent way to low. Besides the fact i never even got on the subject of his caloric intake. I said as long as protein intake is high enough he will lose minimal muscle mass, not that his caloric intake was fine.

[SPRINGER226]

go with this flip...
meal 1: replace the 2tbsp of jelly w/ pb (or keep the jelly but add the pb)
meal 2/3: put the 1/3c of almonds from meal 2 in meal 3...then meal 3 add 4-6oz chicken breast or a can of tuna
meal 4/5: put the milk from meal 4 in meal 5....add 1/2c of oats to meal 4 and just use water

so, it looks like this...
Meal #1
5-6 egg white, 2 whole eggs
2whole wheat toasts
2tbps of sugar free jam, 2tbsp peanut butter

Meal #2
6-7oz chicken breast
green veggies
1/3c almonds

Meal#3
4-6 oz chicken breast or can of tuna
1tpbs PB

Meal #4
1 scoop whey
1/2c oats

Meal #5 (around 11pm-12am)
1can of white tuna
salad
170-200ml 2% milk

so we've added pb in the morning, another serving of meat in the afternoon, and put some carbs in post workout...everything else we've justed moved around...
this will give you ~550-700 more calories a day
on your off days, skip the oats in meal 4