Some Basic Nutritional Advice

[midton]

Go easy on me and my ignorance. I need some basic advice to help me deal with the huge amounts of online information.

I eat breakfast at around 6 am and I start working out at 8 am. I do my weight training first and then spend arund 20 to 30 minutes doing cardio. My number one short term goal is to lose my spare tire. I am relatively muscular and have done something my whole life. I don't look fat and apart from my spare tire I don't think I am, I have a fairly visibly 4 pack. I am 183 cm and about 82kg. Last year I went through a stressful time at one point (tax audit) and my weight dropped from 80-ish to 73kg in the space of a week. Even at this weight I still had love handles though my stomach had disappeared.

What should I be eating for breakfast (my pre-workout meal) and post workout?

At present I eat 1 or 2 boiled egg whites and a banana at 6am. Then at 7 am I have a protein shake (one scoop).

After I workout I immediately have a protein shake (2 scoops). Then I go home and at around 10:30 I have my lunch. My lunch is normally 2 tins of mackeral, an apple and a raw carrot.

During the day I will probably have another carrot, another apple and some almonds and raisins and sometimes a sweet potato.

At night I eat late at around 9pm. I always have fish and potatoes (I'm going to change to brown rice) and a large salad.


What is wrong with my diet? Where can it be improved? I'm trying my best to learn but swamped with the information and need some basic guidance.

[dazlittle]

This is the sticky that people on here pointed me towards, Its fairly easy to follow and understand. The best starting place is to ensure you are tracking everything you eat in one of the many apps avaialable.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

[chunkysnowman]

Brother, everyone will give you a different answer.

I eat at 6.30 in prep for training at 8.00. My meal consists of 4 egg whites, 2 egg yolks, 2 cups of coffee and a bowl of porridge oats.

Immediately post workout I have a dextrose tab, banana and cottage cheese, but thats more of a snack.

Post workout varies but its usually something like chicken with a small portion of pasta, and I have that 2 hours after training. There is no reason for me to be rush to get my post workout meal (IMO) since I have my breakfast and the snack both giving me protein.

[emp1acur]

Brother, everyone will give you a different answer.

Right. Which is why OP you need to find what works for you based on some basic nutritional knowledge. The thread from dazlittle is great, and teaches you about estimating calorie requirements.

Read post #9 and post #10 in this nutrition thread as well: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=136691851 ---> This is a basic introduction to nutrition. Follow the links in post 10. When you come across Alan Aragon posts and information, you are reading concepts of real value, not broscience. If you really want to get into details of nutrition, buy his book Girth Control which you can google.

Beyond that, you need to know what your goals are and eat accordingly. Read more of the nutrition stickies because there is lots of information condensed into quick reads.

[ironwill2008]

What is wrong with my diet?

Basically, you're starving yourself while at the same time using unnecessary protein supplements. Your dietary fat intake is non-existent.

Where can it be improved?

Everywhere, especially concerning your lack of dietary fat.


As above, see the 'nutrition' forum sticky by Emma Leigh to which you've been provided the link. That will be your best starting point.

[Dman5]

keep reasearching and you'll eventually find answers

[egoatdoor]

Its not rocket scientry. The basic principles of pre and post workout nutrition are
1) 30-90 minutes before training ( depending on your metabolism) have a meal of protein and complex carbs. 2) Post workout, as soon as possible, ingest protein ( preferably a shake) and simple carbs in a ratio of 1 to 2( grams of protein to carbs) and then within 90 minutes of the end of the workout have a meal of protein and carbs.

[midton]

Basically, you're starving yourself while at the same time using unnecessary protein supplements. Your dietary fat intake is non-existent.



Everywhere, especially concerning your lack of dietary fat.


As above, see the 'nutrition' forum sticky by Emma Leigh to which you've been provided the link. That will be your best starting point.

I hesitate to post and reveal my true ignorance but I thought I was getting sufficient fat. I snack on almonds & raisins, put olive oil on my daily salad and take fish oil supplements. What do you suggest?


Oh and thanks for all the responses. I'll just have to try buckle down and learn more, the information is on here.

[chunkysnowman]

Personally, for your breakfast I'd add an extra egg (if eggs are your tipple) and eat some of the yolks too. You'll get some fat that way. Also add some yogurt and a source of good carbs. The banana is being wasted haing it that early, and tbh I'd save it for post workout. I also think your pre-workout meal (breakfast) is a touch too early. You really want no more than 90 mins before a workout. I know I have a slow metabolism so thats why I eat it 90 mins before as opposed to 60 mins like quite a few people.

Its worth finding out about our different sources of protein. All protein is digested to release amino acids, i.e:
How long it takes to [b]start[/] receiving amino acids from a given protein source?
At what [b]rate[/] the protein is broken down for the body to use?

For example, a protein shake (whey)will be digested quickly and so the amino acids from that are usually available in about 30-40 mins, which is why people take it immediately post workout. In my opinion its totally unecessary if you have had a good pre workout meal containing protein that is timed to be available at roughly the same time as you finish your workout (or even during it).

Of our meat sources amino acids from fish are available the fastest but that still takes roughly 50 minutes. Amino acids from red meat, such as steak, takes the longest and will often not be available for 2-3 hours.

Protein in the form of casein from dairy derivatives (such as cottage cheese) release their amino acids at a slow rate. This is due to the fact that it forms a gel while being digested. So while you don't get high amounts of amino acids/hour from casein you will get it over a longer period of time than other protein sources. This makes casein a perfect protein souce for last thing at night.

[ironwill2008]

I hesitate to post and reveal my true ignorance but I thought I was getting sufficient fat. I snack on almonds & raisins, put olive oil on my daily salad and take fish oil supplements. What do you suggest?

I suggest you read the stickie in the 'nutrition' forum that you've already been advised to use.

Along with a boatload of other important information, it will direct you to consume a minimum of a half-gram of fat per pound of body weight. For you, that will be about 90 grams of fat per day, minimum.

Dietary fat is not optional; it is the second of the two essential macronutrients. Dietary fat provides the raw materials for (among other things) all of the hormones that your body produces, not the least of which are Testosterone and HGH.



http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=121703981

[egoatdoor]

Personally, for your breakfast I'd add an extra egg (if eggs are your tipple) and eat some of the yolks too. You'll get some fat that way. Also add some yogurt and a source of good carbs. The banana is being wasted haing it that early, and tbh I'd save it for post workout. I also think your pre-workout meal (breakfast) is a touch too early. You really want no more than 90 mins before a workout. I know I have a slow metabolism so thats why I eat it 90 mins before as opposed to 60 mins like quite a few people.

Its worth finding out about our different sources of protein. All protein is digested to release amino acids, i.e:
How long it takes to startreceiving amino acids from a given protein source?
At what rate the protein is broken down for the body to use?

For example, a protein shake (whey)will be digested quickly and so the amino acids from that are usually available in about 30-40 mins, which is why people take it immediately post workout. In my opinion its totally unecessary if you have had a good pre workout meal containing protein that is timed to be available at roughly the same time as you finish your workout (or even during it).

Of our meat sources amino acids from fish are available the fastest but that still takes roughly 50 minutes. Amino acids from red meat, such as steak, takes the longest and will often not be available for 2-3 hours.

Protein in the form of casein from dairy derivatives (such as cottage cheese) release their amino acids at a slow rate. This is due to the fact that it forms a gel while being digested. So while you don't get high amounts of amino acids/hour from casein you will get it over a longer period of time than other protein sources. This makes casein a perfect protein souce for last thing at night.

Having fat ,especially with protein, is not a good idea pre workout. The fat will slow down the digestion of the protein, which increases the likelihood that the protein will still be in the process of digestin while one is training, which is not a good thing. Also, as written in the book, "Scrawny to Brawny", it is not optimal to having fat and carbs in the same meal. Meals should be mostly either protein and carbs, or protein and fat. The reasons are more technical than can be explained here, so I suggest going to the book itself.