Dieting and putting an end to bad eating habits

[Sasaraf]

Hi, I'm 18 years of age, and I have everything I need to workout! Barbell, up to 300lbs in weights, 15-90lbs in dumbbells, other crazy ab workout machines, I even joined the YMCA for one year, i have 5 months left. But the only thing standing in my way is dieting, and eating right. Every day My caloric intake can range from below 400, to just above 4000. They say i have a high metabolism, but i always find myself getting a gut after i eat so much, then the next day it slims down just a bit. I don't do much of anything, just sit at home, and watch tv, maybe even drive out to see my girlfriend, but When i find myself getting motivated to workout, and put that ymca members card into use, im discouraged because i know that even if i work out every day, my bad eating habits will put me right back in the same place. I don't have much money to spend, which is why i get the cheap, high calorie/fat/Carb foods from say, walmart, or mcdonalds. What are some healthy drinks I could get in packs? Vitamin water? And what are some healthy snacks, or foods I can start buying to stock up in my fridge? I have plenty of powder whey protein, and even creatine, I just need healthier foods with the ideal calorie, protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats intake. I had a friend that worked out constantly, 5 days out of the week, for 2 hours, and he said he ate whatever he wanted, i found him eating at mcdonalds, burger king, any other fast food joint you could think of, and i never understood it! I eat just like him, 2-3 cheeseburgers a day, sodas, etc. but he never looked that fit. he went from flabs to abs in 3 months. Now hes a fitness freak, he just doesnt care about the foods he eats. I guess my overall question of this is, Can I keep my eating habits and workout as much as my friend did, and get results? If not, what are some healthy drinks to replace sodas, some healthy ideal muscle building foods that i can eat around the clock?

[thatonedude_808]

Paragraphs help. Didn't read.

What are your bodybuilding goals? To build mass? To be a certain weight?

[spiderman997]

Count your calories
Increase by 100 daily until you are gaining 0.5-1lbs of useful bodyweight a week
Count protein and get 1 gram per pound of bodyweight

Worry about the specifics when you can do this consistently

[Sasaraf]

Paragraphs help. Didn't read.

What are your bodybuilding goals? To build mass? To be a certain weight?

My goals are to build mass. I don't mind if my abs aren't insanely ripped, I just want a bigger chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders.

[thatonedude_808]

My goals are to build mass. I don't mind if my abs aren't insanely ripped, I just want a bigger chest, back, legs, arms, shoulders.

Some people are just lucky where they really don't have to worry about their diet. It all depends on one's genetics. For those that do, it's important to keep track of macronutrients. I started off pretty much the same exact weight and height as you are right now.

Calories
First, if your goal is to build mass then you want to "bulk" and gain weight/muscle. To bulk, you need a caloric surplus, meaning any amount above your maintenance. As spiderman997 stated, it is vital to count your calories. Figure out how many calories you need to maintain your weight (there are many online calculators online, I like to use http://www.caloriecontrol.org/health...calculator-men. HOWEVER, keep in mind that these aren't 100 percent accurate as people vary with metabolism and such so you have to just play around a bit). After finding your maintenance, add an X amount of calories to gain weight. Most people suggest a 500 caloric surplus but you can either decrease or increase the intake (a smaller caloric surplus for slow weight gain with less fat, a larger one for quicker weight gain--including more fat)

Protein
Restating spiderman997 again, be sure to get at least 1g of protein per bodyweight lb. In your case, you should be getting at least 118g of protein a day.

Carbs/Fats
A lot of carbs are great for bulking. Be sure to get in your healthy fats as well.

List of good & cheap bulking foods
On my grocery list:
Protein
-Chicken Breast
-Ground turkey/chicken breast
-Eggs
-Whey

Carbs
-Brown rice
-White rice
-Whole wheat bread
-Oatmeal

Fats
-Natural Peanut butter
-Olive Oil
-Unsalted peanuts