I need beginner's diet advice (practical)

[rtm93]

Hey,

So even though I've been lifting for a while now, I've never taken a diet or nutrition seriously. I mean the big jump I took was when I gave up unhealthy food, especially junk food and aerated waters; but frankly that's all I've done - I haven't really started to eat healthy. Now I think it is time I do, because if I try so hard at the gym, I should be kind enough to let the second dimension of bodybuilding also come in and seal the deal.

So let me mention a few factors to be considered. I'm home for breakfast and dinner, so anything can be done/made at those times, but lunchtime I am out. And to worsen things, I leave mid-morning, and have to make something that is easy to carry, easy to eat anywhere, and which does not get spoilt after being carried around for hours.

So I would be EXTREMELY grateful to anyone who could pen down some essentials in my 3 meals of the day. I have convenient access to eggs, salads, rice, meat, fruits, vegetables etc.

I don't mind bulking up a bit, but not as much as at the cost of losing the detail and cuts in my physique. So I guess this means a lower fat diet.

We could make this interactive if you require, where you could ask me for more information before constructing a diet plan for me.

Thank you so much, eager to hear some expert as well as beginner, but particularly personal feedback.

[coopermax]

start with the stickies, then ask whatever questions they dont answer...seriously, they contain a wealth of info

[45poundbench]

your 3 essentials :

water, veggies, & a multivitamin(to make up for any nutrients your meals might be missing)

the rest is up for debate.

[nathan183]

your 3 essentials :

water, veggies, & a multivitamin(to make up for any nutrients your meals might be missing)

the rest is up for debate.

Protein and Fat are essential. A multivitamin is not.

[45poundbench]

Protein and Fat are essential. A multivitamin is not.

he's bound to get that from other foods he eats.. hence why i said it is up for debate, whereas all the essential nutrients he might not get.

edit : I also noticed he didn't ask what macronutrients are essential.

[nathan183]

he's bound to get that from other foods he eats.. hence why i said it is up for debate, whereas all the essential nutrients he might not get.

edit : I also noticed he didn't ask what macronutrients are essential.

About half of the diets people post here are way too low in fat, so I don't think it's a given that he is bound to get enough fat. He even said that he thinks not getting fat means eating a low fat diet!

[45poundbench]

About half of the diets people post here are way too low in fat, so I don't think it's a given that he is bound to get enough fat. He even said that he thinks not getting fat means eating a low fat diet!

Help him out (:

[rtm93]

Ok, so far thank you for the advice, and here's an update. Here's a male teen muscle building example meal plan that I've gone through, and according to my weight, here is what it recommends:

Meal 1
Oats
1.5 Cups Uncooked
Calories: 461 Fats: 7.5 Grams | Protein 19 Grams | Carbs 81 Grams

Egg Whites
4 Eggs
Calories: 68 Fats: 0.2 Grams | Protein 14.4 Grams | Carbs 0 Grams

Whole Eggs
2 Eggs
Calories: 147 Fats: 10 Grams | Protein 12.6 Grams | Carbs 0.8 Grams

Meal 2
Natural Peanut/Almond Butter
3 Tbs
Calories: 292 Fats: 24 Grams | Protein 12 Grams | Carbs 9 Grams

Wheat Bread
2 Slices
Calories: 260 Fats: 4 Grams | Protein 8 Grams | Carbs 46 Grams

Banana
1 Large
Calories: 105 Fats: 0.4 Grams | Protein 1 Gram | Carbs 27 Grams

Meal 3
Lean Meat
4 Oz
Calories: 186 Fats: 4 Grams | Protein 35 Grams | Carbs 0 Grams

Brown Rice
2 Cups Cooked
Calories: 432 Fats: 3.6 Grams | Protein 10 Grams | Carbs 90 Grams

Broccoli
1 Cup
Calories: 55 Fats: O.5 Grams | Protein 3 Grams | Carbs 11 Grams

Olive Oil
0.5 Tbs
Calories: 60 Fats: 7 Grams | Protein 0 Grams | Carbs 0 Grams

Meal 4

Salmon
4 Oz
Calories: 207 Fats: 12.3 Grams | Protein 22 Grams | Carbs 0 Grams

Sweet Potato
12 Oz
Calories: 324 Fats: 0.7 Grams | Protein 7 Grams | Carbs 75 Grams

Meal 5: Pre-Workout
Whey Protein
1 Serving
Calories: 110 Fats: 1 Gram | Protein 22 Grams | Carbs 1 Gram

Oats
1 Cup Uncooked
Calories: 312 Fats: 6 Grams | Protein 12 Grams | Carbs 54 Grams

Meal 6: Post-Workout
Whey Protein
1 Serving
Calories: 110 Fats: 1 Gram | Protein 22 Grams | Carbs 1 Gram

Karbolyn
1 Serving
Calories: 120 Fats: 0 Grams | Protein 0 Grams | Carbs 30 Grams

However, there are a few items that I do not have access to. If anyone could help me find possible substitutes, with similar nutritional qualities, I would be grateful.

Natural Peanut/Almond Butter ;
Salmon;
Sweet Potato;

And what exactly is Karbolyn, and what does lean meat refer to?

[jmart21]

You don't need to find a detailed "eat ___ for breakfest; ___ for lunch; __&__ for dinner" response.

You need to know what your macro targets are; eat ___gCarbs, ___gProtein and ___gFat.

Once you know this, its just a matter of picking foods available to you and balancing out the serving sizes/#of meals untill the macronutrients meet your targets.

-For carbs, try to stick to whole grains (oats, bread, pasta, rice, sweet potatoes etc).
-For protein I stick to eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, chicken and beef (don't like fish), but fish is also very good for you. Also, whey/casein protein powder (obviously).
-For fat; nuts and things like natural almond/peanut butter are great. Extra virgin olive oil too.

[rtm93]

Ok, and how many meals do you suggest I spread it over? I need about 3000 calories. Is there any particular way I have to divide all the macros in each meal? Or can I divide it anyhow, with just the intention to consume x amount in a day?

[Wtf?]

You don't need to find a detailed "eat ___ for breakfest; ___ for lunch; __&__ for dinner" response.

True. But some people really do better with following a specific meal plan and sticking to it. It works for people who can stick to eating the same foods every day and not get bored and quit.

[Wtf?]

Ok, and how many meals do you suggest I spread it over? I need about 3000 calories. Is there any particular way I have to divide all the macros in each meal? Or can I divide it anyhow, with just the intention to consume x amount in a day?

www.fitday.com or www.dailyplate.com

Start there.

And no.. you don't have to be specific every meal. Just consume X amount in a day. Some people eat 6 meals, some eat 3.

[nathan183]

Ok, and how many meals do you suggest I spread it over? I need about 3000 calories. Is there any particular way I have to divide all the macros in each meal? Or can I divide it anyhow, with just the intention to consume x amount in a day?

As many (or few) as you like. Divide it however you want.

To answer your other questions:

Substitutions:
- for peanut butter -> any nut, or another fat source
- for salmon -> any fatty fish, or another protein source
- for sweet potato -> white potato, or another carb source

Karbolyn appears to be a carb powder, you don't need it, just replace it with any carb.
Lean meat is any meat with relatively low fat content (for example, beef sirloin)

[jmart21]

Ok, and how many meals do you suggest I spread it over? I need about 3000 calories. Is there any particular way I have to divide all the macros in each meal? Or can I divide it anyhow, with just the intention to consume x amount in a day?

I usually take in 3 meals (brkfst, lunch, dinner) with 3 snacks thru out the day for a total of 6. But it's up to you.

Having frequent meals (as opposed to just eating 3 larger meals) is the popular choice around here. Keeps your metabolism firing, keeps you feeling "fuller" all day.

There's no set weighting factor to give the calories in each meal. My 3 "meals" are always higher in calories than my snacks.

I usually do something like this:

Brkfst 6:00am
2 eggs
2 slices WW bread w/ PB
1 cup yougurt w/ 1/2 cup of oats
Turkey Sausage

Snack1 9:00am
Cottage Cheese
Whole Grain Tostito Chips

Lunch 12:00pm
1 cup brown Rice
1 chicken breast
2 slices WW Bread
1 slice Cheese
2 Slices Deli Turkey Meat

Snack 3:00pm
1 slice of WW Bread w/ PB

Pre-Workout Snack 4:15pm
1 Bananna

Gym: 5:00-6:45

Post Workout
2 scoops Whey (w/water)

Supper 730pm
WW Pasta/Rice
Chicken Breast(s)
Broccoli/Beans/Cauliflower

Snack (Bedtime) 10:00pm
1 scoop Casein Protein Poweder (w/ water)

[jmart21]

Also, do you have a Blackberry?

If so, download the app "Calorie Counter by FatSecret". A very very very good app for quickly tallying up your daily calories and macros.

Just about any food you can think of is already stored in their database and can find in a matter of seconds. If it's not there, you can add it.

I owe much of my diet success to this app!

[Harleywood24]

Figure out what calorie amount your body maintains weight at, you can do this by finding the formula online by just googling TDEE calculator. In reality you’ll have to run trial and error to find where you actually maintain your weight at, this requires tracking your calories and staying consistent with it. If you’re not already familiar with calorie tracking apps such as MFP, I’d start to learn how to use that app or another one that you’d like to use, and start using a scale to weigh your food that way you know how much you are actually consuming.

Once you know what you maintain at, if you’re trying to gain weight eat more calories than you burn. On a ‘lean bulk’ (I.e. gaining size and weight with the least amount of fat as possible) most people recommend starting with a 200-300 cal surplus and continually assessing to see how your body responds to this surplus, and add calories in as you see fit. Shoot for 1g of protein per pound of body weight, but realistically speaking as long as you are somewhere between 0.6-1g of protein per pound of body weight, you’ll be okay, but 1g/lb is an easy to remember number which is why I think a lot of people go with that.

As far as meal plans go I don’t really subscribe to the whole ‘meal plan’ ideology, I like to eat what I like to eat and make things work in my daily calorie/macro allotment. Tons and tons of recipes and suggestions on the internet for macro friendly foods and recipes though. My go to proteins are chicken, fish, eggs & egg whites, red meat, and beans. Carbs — rice, quinoa, pasta, breads, cereals. Fats — oils, nuts, avacados, etc.

At the end of the day if you’re trying to gain weight you need to be in a calorie surplus, and for optimal growth you should try to hit a decent protein intake. Remember also that sleep is just as important as the eating and training, so make sure you take recovery just as serious as the diet and training.

When I was in my gaining weight phase this winter I pretty much ate what I normally eat when trying to diet, I just swapped out lower calorie things for high calorie options, and kept my carbs high to fuel the workouts.

So when I was actively trying to gain weight my day would look something like this:

Breakfast: Some combination of eggs/egg whites for protein and a carb source (pancakes, oatmeal, cream of rice, etc.), sometimes I’d add turkey sausage links, normally have a black coffee for caffeine, and a glass orange juice for extra carbs. Would usually shoot for 70-100g of carbs, 40-50g of protein for this meal as it was my preworkout meal.

Go workout

Post workout snack: usually an apple or banana, plus protein shake made with whole milk for the extra calories. Sometimes a protein bar, sometimes greek yogurt with fruit, sometimes I’d skip this and go for a larger lunch.

Lunch: Sometimes pasta with chicken, sometimes spaghetti, or a burrito with veggies and chicken or beef, sometimes a sub sandwich, maybe just rice and seasoned chicken with veggies, doesn’t really matter what it is as long as it has a moderate amount of protein and carbs.

Dinner: Similar to lunch, same story - make sure you’re headed towards your calorie/macros

Pre-bed snack: Similar to the first snack except as I got farther in and needed more calories I’d usually go for like vanilla ice cream, or pop tarts or cereal, something easy to digest and high in calories. With my meals throughout the day I’d cook with more oils, add higher calorie condiments, etc. while still focusing on my macros.

[SuffolkPunch]

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