Can someone please help me.

[StephenMichael]

Can someone give me a general outline to what types of information I need to start a good solid diet.

I'm not asking for a diet plan, just some rules to follow?

How to deal with carbs, what is IIFYM, not eating enough?, or how many times to eat?

Maybe just direct me in the right direction?

[Stilllogicz]

http://www.fitnessfrog.com/calculato...alculator.html

Find out your TDEE and minus 500-700 calories from that. That is your daily calorie intake to lose 1-2lbs a week of fat. 40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat. 1g protein = 4 calories, 1g carb = 4 calories, 1g fat = 9 calories.

Sign up at myfitnesspal and use that to track your calorie intake, makes meeting your goals very easy. IIFYM = if it fits your macros. If you can make it work in your total intake, do it. In a nutshell.

5-7 smallers meals throughout the day. Carbs, fat & protein in each meal. Lift weights atleast 3x a week. Cardio is optional but helps.

Something to get you started.

[InItForFitness]

I'd suggest you start here ; http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=136691851
It'll cover everything you need to know about the basics of nutrition and proper dieting.

[WonderPug]

Energy balance is the primary dietary driver of body weight and it also impacts body composition. A chronic surplus of calories will result in increased body weight and a chronic deficit of calories will result in a loss of body weight.

In other words, in order to gain about one pound of tissue weight (as opposed to transient flux in water weight), you need to consume a total of about 3,500 calories more than you expend. And to lose about one pound of tissue weight, you have to do the opposite -- consume about 3,500 calories less than you expend.

Thus, the first step in constructing any rational diet is to get a sense of how many calories per day, on average, you should consume in order to progress towards your goals.

The average number of calories you expend per day -- called total daily energy intake (TDEE) -- is a function of your basal metabolic rate (BMR) and your average weekly activity level.

To estimate your BMR, it's important to have a sense of how much lean body mass (LBM) you carry. If you're not sure, post a photo or two and we can estimate your percentage body fat and, from this number and your total body weight, it's easy to estimate LBM by using the following formula:

LBM = body weight * (1 - percentage body fat)

To estimate BMR, use the the Katch-McArdle formula:

BMR = 370 + (9.8 * LBM in pounds)
or
BMR = 370 + (21.6 * LBM in kg)

The next step is to estimate average weekly activity using the following guidelines to calculate an activity factor (AF):

• 1.1 - 1.2 = Sedentary (desk job, and little formal exercise, this will be most of you students)

• 1.3 - 1.4 = Lightly Active (light daily activity and light exercise 1-3 days a week)

• 1.5 - 1.6 = Moderately Active (moderately daily Activity & moderate exercise 3-5 days a week)

• 1.7 - 1.8 = Very Active (physically demanding lifestyle & hard exercise 6-7 days a week)

• 1.9 - 2.2 = Extremely Active (athletes in endurance training or very hard physical job)

To estimate TDEE (the calories at which you will neither gain nor lose tissue weight), use the following formula:

TDEE = BMR * AF

Now that you've estimated your TDEE, it's important to refine that estimate empirically. To do so, consume an average amount of calories equal to estimated TDEE for two weeks, monitoring weight change. The results will confirm your actual TDEE.

Once you know your actually TDEE, set your caloric intake to match your goals as follows:

To maintain weight, consume an amount of calories equal to TDEE.
To lose weight, consume 10% to 20% less than TDEE.
To gain weight, consume 10% 20 20% more than TDEE.

Monitor weight change via the scale and also body composition via the mirror and how clothing fits, making adjustments as needed biweekly.


Macronutrient Intake

Protein: ~0.6 to ~0.8 grams per pound of bodyweight -- the highest amount justified by research.

Fat: ~0.45 grams per pound of bodyweight -- the lowest amount implied by clinical observation.

Remaining caloric budget: whatever mix of macronutrients you prefer -- as implied by research.

[StephenMichael]

@WonderPug

So, about the last part?

Are you saying if I meet my Protein and Fat needs for the day that I can fill my remaining calories for any food I want to?

[InItForFitness]

@WonderPug

So, about the last part?

Are you saying if I meet my Protein and Fat needs for the day that I can fill my remaining calories for any food I want to?

Yes and no.
Keep in mind micronutrient content/long term health though.
IIFYM is not an excuse to eat whatever the hell you want.

"The phrase DCA refers to meeting the individual macronutrient needs relevant to one's goals and then filling the remaining calories with foods of personal preference. Keep in mind that this should not be misconstrued as a dismissal of the importance of meeting micronutrient requirements (this should be a given, but I'll state it here explicitly to prevent any false assumptions)."

[StephenMichael]

Yes and no.
Keep in mind micronutrient content/long term health though.
IIFYM is not an excuse to eat whatever the hell you want.

"The phrase DCA refers to meeting the individual macronutrient needs relevant to one's goals and then filling the remaining calories with foods of personal preference. Keep in mind that this should not be misconstrued as a dismissal of the importance of meeting micronutrient requirements (this should be a given, but I'll state it here explicitly to prevent any false assumptions)."

I understand that, and definitely will be taking that into consideration.

My question is, if I'm allowed to fill my calories with other food, will that not effect my total macro nutrient intake for the day and cause me to have over the recommended amount?

[InItForFitness]

I understand that, and definitely will be taking that into consideration.

My question is, if I'm allowed to fill my calories with other food, will that not effect my total macro nutrient intake for the day and cause me to have over the recommended amount?

The recommended amount is strictly the MINIMUM daily requirement.
Exceeding the amount is fine as long as you remain within your calorie goal.

[StephenMichael]

The recommended amount is strictly the MINIMUM daily requirement.
Exceeding the amount is fine as long as you remain within your calorie goal.

Okay, Starting to make more sense to me now. So for instance, Carbs?

I can fill my remaining calories with Rice, Fruit and Vegetables as long as I'm staying under my total caloric goal?

[InItForFitness]

Okay, Starting to make more sense to me now. So for instance, Carbs?

I can fill my remaining calories with Rice, Fruit and Vegetables as long as I'm staying under my total caloric goal?

Yes.

[StephenMichael]

Yes.

Okay, sounds good. I guess I have just been over thinking and rattling my brain.

My Fitness App? Would that be one of the best ways to track everything?

[InItForFitness]

Okay, sounds good. I guess I have just been over thinking and rattling my brain.

My Fitness App? Would that be one of the best ways to track everything?

It's probably the most common.
Works well, always been the one I've used.

[StephenMichael]

It's probably the most common.
Works well, always been the one I've used.

The guy that posted earlier in the post talked about Lean Body Mass, is that something I should try and figure out before I begin?
I don't currently know my Body Fat %

[InItForFitness]

The guy that posted earlier in the post talked about Lean Body Mass, is that something I should try and figure out before I begin?
I don't currently know my Body Fat %

Post a current picture and we can assist.

[StephenMichael]

Post a current picture and we can assist.

Would a web based TDEE calculator be sufficient?, such as FitnessFrog.com

[InItForFitness]

Would a web based TDEE calculator be sufficient?, such as FitnessFrog.com

No.
They are highly inaccurate.

[StephenMichael]

No.
They are highly inaccurate.

Here is a photo of me,

So using the long mathematical formula is best for my TDEE?