1st post - New Member - Need Help!

[HumanPilot]

Hey everyone,

This is my very first post on Bodybuilding and I must say that i'm excited to be here. Up until this point, I've taken my training quite seriously over the last 6 months and thought it was time to get on here and take my training to the next level. Really looking forward to learning from everyone and seeing how I can fine tune my nutrition and workouts to reach my goals.

Before I start with my question, i'd like to try and make one thing clear. 2018 was an extremely negative time for me. I went through a lot of growth and personal issues with family health and set backs. Nothing new and nothing that no one else has gone through already or isn't going through now but I took to the gym to better my health and break through some of the limitations I have set myself up with over the last few years. The reason I am saying this is because I have made a promise to myself to make 2019 my year. I've failed numerous times at maintaining this resolution as I have set it as a resolution for many years so if you are going to start my 2019 off with rude, obnoxious posts, or reply with information to tell me to search the forums, please refrain. As mentioned I've taken my training quite seriously over the last 6 months so have done quite a bit of searching already and have yet to find the correct answers i'm looking for.

Thanks in advance for your understanding and hope everyone is having happy new year! I wish you all the success in 2019 and hope we all reach our goals.

So here it goes....

I started training again back at the end of June. I've trained many times before but was never really consistent with my training regiment or my nutritional plan. When I started to take things seriously 6 months ago, I really wanted to meet my goals and sculpt the body of my dreams. I was determined and from that determination came some pretty good results (I think).

At the end of June, I weight just over 130 lbs. I was skinny, and had some definition but I was lacking that bulk in muslce which screams "God" like. I wanted to be stronger, more agile, and lets be honest, for my body to look like the God's us Greeks have come to worship in story books. Fast forward to today, and after weighting myself I am now fluctuating at around 146-150lbs. I'm pretty sure that most of my gains have been muscle as I haven't really gotten fat, although I do have to shed the body fat off at some point to get the definition i'm looking for. Problem is, I want to gain to around 160-165 before shedding the fat.

Here is my problem. I'm pretty sure I hit a plateau and that my diet probably isn't on point. I think i'm eating fairly well but I just can't seem to keep the gains coming. The last month has felt like a waste in the gym and I got a little discouraged so, I took the last week and half off for the holidays to restructure.

Current nutrition as of Dec 31 2018 MyFitnessPal data:

Calories: 2459
Macros: 225g Carbohydrates / 82g Fat / 217g of Protein


Meal 1 between 6:30 - 7:30 am

- 2 scoops GNC Whey Protein
- 1 cup strawberries
- 2 tblsp Natural Peanut Butter
- 2 cups Almond Milk
- 1 Banana

Meal 2 between 9:30 - 10:30 am

- about 1 cup of oats
- 2-3 tblsp of 0 or 2% oikos greek yogurt
- about a cup of blueberries

Meal 3 between 12:30 - 1:30 pm

- 2 dempsters wholewheat tortilla wraps
- 8 oz of chicken breast
- 1/2 of a bell pepper

Meal 4 between 3 - 4 pm (pre workout)

- Slow Cooker Beef Stew (Google Slow Cooker Beef Stew by Buchko on All Recipes for details)

*** I make half of what the recipe calls for and it makes about 4 servings so not sure how many caloires/protein/etc. i'm getting).

Pre Workout

- Rivalus - Powder Burn 2.0 Intense Pre-Workout Powder
- GNC Pro Performance Creatine Monohydrate

Post Workout

- 2 scoops GNC Whey Protein
- Water

As mentioned, I have noticed some gains since i'm now fluctuating around 146-150lbs and can see much better definition in my gains. People have even complimented me but I'm having trouble pushing past this mark and getting to my goal of 160-165 before cutting.

Problems:

- I don't have a very good kitchen to cook in.
- I don't have a whole lot of time to meal prep and my budget is king of small
- I find it hard to eat a lot of food. 3000 Calories makes me feel like i'm over eating and I feel like i'm forcing myself to eat just to meet the calorie intake I need.

My question is, what is the best diet to reach my goal yet is easy enough to prep quickly and efficiently? I want to get past this plateau but I feel like i'm missing something and that my time over the last month has been wasted in the gym since I haven't noticed any further gains. I have noticed my strength has gone up though. I'm now benching close to my body weight and the weights I once thought were heavy are definitely much lighter.

I'm currently workong on a 4 day split:

Monday - Chest/Triceps
Tuesday - Back/Biceps
Wed - OFF
Thursday - Shoulders/Chest
Friday - Legs

I usually do abs every workout at the end.

[Heisman2]

What is your squat and deadlift?

If you are benching close to your bodyweight and your bodyweight is 130 pounds then the good news is that you still have a lot of gains in your future.

Read the stickies at the top of the forum. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more. You do not need that much protein; take out the protein powder and get your protein intake down to no more than 130 grams or so. Protein is more satiating than fat and carbs; this will let you eat more calories overall.

Also consider getting on a good beginner routine like Fierce 5.

[HumanPilot]

What is your squat and deadlift?

If you are benching close to your bodyweight and your bodyweight is 130 pounds then the good news is that you still have a lot of gains in your future.

Read the stickies at the top of the forum. If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more. You do not need that much protein; take out the protein powder and get your protein intake down to no more than 130 grams or so. Protein is more satiating than fat and carbs; this will let you eat more calories overall.

Also consider getting on a good beginner routine like Fierce 5.

I was at 130lbs. I'm now floating around 146-151. Fluctuates but been stuck here.

I can bench 2 x 45 lbs wights for about 3-4 sets at 6-8 reps.

Squat is around 200lbs.

Should I ditch the protein powder all together or still take it post workout? Was thinking of getting ride of the protein in the morning shake only.

Also, i have some jamaican patties and protein bars at work for a snack. For instance, i'm getting hungry right now before lunch so are these ideal for a solution when I need to "eat more". lol

[Heisman2]

I was at 130lbs. I'm now floating around 146-151. Fluctuates but been stuck here.

I can bench 2 x 45 lbs wights for about 3-4 sets at 6-8 reps.

Squat is around 200lbs.

Should I ditch the protein powder all together or still take it post workout? Was thinking of getting ride of the protein in the morning shake only.

Also, i have some jamaican patties and protein bars at work for a snack. For instance, i'm getting hungry right now before lunch so are these ideal for a solution when I need to "eat more". lol

Sorry, I did read the whole post and somehow 130 stuck in my mind. You still do not need more than 130 grams of protein. You can get rid of all of the protein powder. Please read the stickies before asking further questions. I am not telling you to search the forums, I am telling you to read the stickies. If you do, you'll know that getting in protein powder after a workout is irrelevant if you eat before the workout, which you do. You'll also learn that meal timing is largely irrelevant if you get protein in at least 3x/day (and thus, your choice of when to have snacks is also largely irrelevant). Please read the stickies.

[HumanPilot]

Sorry, I did read the whole post and somehow 130 stuck in my mind. You still do not need more than 130 grams of protein. You can get rid of all of the protein powder. Please read the stickies before asking further questions. I am not telling you to search the forums, I am telling you to read the stickies. If you do, you'll know that getting in protein powder after a workout is irrelevant if you eat before the workout, which you do. You'll also learn that meal timing is largely irrelevant if you get protein in at least 3x/day (and thus, your choice of when to have snacks is also largely irrelevant). Please read the stickies.

No problem. It's quite a lengthy post so surprised you even took the time to read and respond. Much appreciated.

There are a number of stickies. Which one are you pertaining to exactly?

Thanks for the responses and advice.

[Heisman2]

Start here: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=173439001

After that you can simply read through 5-10 pages of threads here and you'll have most of the basics down. It really is not that complicated, just hard to sort out all the misinformation society throws at you.

[HumanPilot]

After that you can simply read through 5-10 pages of threads here and you'll have most of the basics down. It really is not that complicated, just hard to sort out all the misinformation society throws at you.

Much appreciated!

Yes. I have to be honest, i'm finding myself second guessing every decision I make. From the food I eat, to the training, to the nonense about proper programs and which diet to follow.. It's so overwhelming. I really want to simplify things and understand more about the nutritional aspect because I don't want to be gaining fat and create more work for myself.

Once again appreciate the responses. If you have any insights on the best sources for meeting my dietary needs then that would be awesome too.

So from what the freedieting . com app is saying my maintenance is 2280. So to gain weight, i need to eat around 2580 calories?

[Heisman2]

Much appreciated!

Yes. I have to be honest, i'm finding myself second guessing every decision I make. From the food I eat, to the training, to the nonense about proper programs and which diet to follow.. It's so overwhelming. I really want to simplify things and understand more about the nutritional aspect because I don't want to be gaining fat and create more work for myself.

Once again appreciate the responses. If you have any insights on the best sources for meeting my dietary needs then that would be awesome too.

Whatever allows you stick to your total calorie goal and protein/fat minimums. That said, for general health purposes try to include several servings of fruits/vegetables daily, incorporate some whole grains, keep saturated fat at under 10% of total calories, try to get in 14g/1000kcal dietary fiber, eat fish with omega 3s a couple of times weekly.

So from what the freedieting . com app is saying my maintenance is 2280. So to gain weight, i need to eat around 2580 calories?

You need to pick some number, any number, track your progress for 3-4 weeks, and then adjust the calories accordingly.

[HumanPilot]

Whatever allows you stick to your total calorie goal and protein/fat minimums. That said, for general health purposes try to include several servings of fruits/vegetables daily, incorporate some whole grains, keep saturated fat at under 10% of total calories, try to get in 14g/1000kcal dietary fiber, eat fish with omega 3s a couple of times weekly.



You need to pick some number, any number, track your progress for 3-4 weeks, and then adjust the calories accordingly.

The nutrition part is the worst / hardest.

I just finished grocery shopping too and feel like i've been doing it all wrong.

Are there any meal plans you could recommend or an example of a diet you have used?

[Heisman2]

The nutrition part is the worst / hardest.

I just finished grocery shopping too and feel like i've been doing it all wrong.

Are there any meal plans you could recommend or an example of a diet you have used?

No, you need to find what works for you.

As a rough guide for what I eat, in no particular order as I have an insane schedule:

greek yogurt + blueberries or strawberries + cinnamon: ~170 kcal

peanut butter sandwich + banana: ~530 kcal

oatmeal with milk: ~390 kcal

chicken breast + black beans + vegetables + nuts + apple: ~650kcal

salmon + 2 eggs + baked potato + vegetables + kiwi: ~600kcal

Treats at work: ~200-300kcal

This all assumes my girlfriend isn't cooking for me, that I'm not going over on free pizza or other foods where I work, etc.


For me I do not have time to cook daily or even weekly. I get sometimes at most 4 days off a month, and with those days I tend to like to be social to some degree. So I try to devote one day a month to preparing a large amount of chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and salmon that I divide into portions and freeze. I get bags of frozen vegetables that I throw in the microwave and stay good in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. I get canned beans, peanut butter, bread, apples/banana/kiwi/frozen berries. I only use instant oatmeal with milk. I use cinnamon for flavoring. Overall it does not take me long at all to prepare what I eat.

[AdamWW]

The nutrition part is the worst / hardest.

I just finished grocery shopping too and feel like i've been doing it all wrong.

Are there any meal plans you could recommend or an example of a diet you have used?

it really isn't hard... at all...

don't focus on the specific numbers so much for fats/protein and you'll likely see that it's easy to get enough fat, and as long as you're centering meals/snacks around protein as a priority, you can get your minimum no problem. So, then, it really is more a question of calories and choosing nutritious options when you can.

ANY meat you purchase will have a good protein amount, while some will be leaner and thus have less fat... hell you could hit your fat minimums with a single sandwich if you wanted, and hit your protein in that same meal. Not ideal of course, but you easily could.

Since carbs are discretionary, you don't even need to think about them as long as you know your calorie requirements.]

This is why, more most people (I think), a far easier approach is to simply frame the meal based on protein (say, shoot for a minimum of 20-25g per meal from a 'dedicated' source like meat/dairy/egg), look at the food source and get an idea on fat, then fill the rest with any additional calories you can/want.

Personally, I just enjoy building meals around components like protein/carb/fat/veggie/fruit, because it gives me a lot of flavor profiles and variety... i'm a sucker for that.

So typically i'll just approach each meal/snack by selecting a protein source, then a veggie/fruit if I can, then think about whether it had some fat or not, and finally just look at the total volume/energy and fill in with whatever else I need/want...

Some days I eat like 100g more carbs than others, some days i have more fat... doesn't matter though because I know I hit my calorie goal.

[HumanPilot]

No, you need to find what works for you.

As a rough guide for what I eat, in no particular order as I have an insane schedule:

greek yogurt + blueberries or strawberries + cinnamon: ~170 kcal

peanut butter sandwich + banana: ~530 kcal

oatmeal with milk: ~390 kcal

chicken breast + black beans + vegetables + nuts + apple: ~650kcal

salmon + 2 eggs + baked potato + vegetables + kiwi: ~600kcal

Treats at work: ~200-300kcal

This all assumes my girlfriend isn't cooking for me, that I'm not going over on free pizza or other foods where I work, etc.


For me I do not have time to cook daily or even weekly. I get sometimes at most 4 days off a month, and with those days I tend to like to be social to some degree. So I try to devote one day a month to preparing a large amount of chicken breasts, baked potatoes, and salmon that I divide into portions and freeze. I get bags of frozen vegetables that I throw in the microwave and stay good in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. I get canned beans, peanut butter, bread, apples/banana/kiwi/frozen berries. I only use instant oatmeal with milk. I use cinnamon for flavoring. Overall it does not take me long at all to prepare what I eat.

I'm in somewhat of the same boat as you. Work full time and am also a landlord. House is in my home town though and i work in the city so any days off i'm on the road heading back to manage my property. By the time i get home i usually have no desire to start cooking and my kitchen is less then functional. Mind you these are all excuses and the time I do have to cook i ususally use it to go to the gym or relax on the one or two days i have a few hours of not needing to do anything. Simple and quick solutions are necessary for me.

I'll probably go back to my orignal diet and scrap all this extra carb stuff. I was prepping chicken breast with rice and veggies as my main meals but was getting a bit bored of it. I usually always have tuna steaks in my freezer as well. They are so good when fried up but i hear it's not the best to eat to much tuna.

THanks for the tips!

it really isn't hard... at all...

don't focus on the specific numbers so much for fats/protein and you'll likely see that it's easy to get enough fat, and as long as you're centering meals/snacks around protein as a priority, you can get your minimum no problem. So, then, it really is more a question of calories and choosing nutritious options when you can.

ANY meat you purchase will have a good protein amount, while some will be leaner and thus have less fat... hell you could hit your fat minimums with a single sandwich if you wanted, and hit your protein in that same meal. Not ideal of course, but you easily could.

Since carbs are discretionary, you don't even need to think about them as long as you know your calorie requirements.]

This is why, more most people (I think), a far easier approach is to simply frame the meal based on protein (say, shoot for a minimum of 20-25g per meal from a 'dedicated' source like meat/dairy/egg), look at the food source and get an idea on fat, then fill the rest with any additional calories you can/want.

Personally, I just enjoy building meals around components like protein/carb/fat/veggie/fruit, because it gives me a lot of flavor profiles and variety... i'm a sucker for that.

So typically i'll just approach each meal/snack by selecting a protein source, then a veggie/fruit if I can, then think about whether it had some fat or not, and finally just look at the total volume/energy and fill in with whatever else I need/want...

Some days I eat like 100g more carbs than others, some days i have more fat... doesn't matter though because I know I hit my calorie goal.

Much appreciated! I think i'm going to go back to my mean/veg/rice and or pasta type diet. I've been focusing so much on meeting calorie intake that i lost sight of the foods i should be eating.

After this batch of groceries i'll probably go back to just baking some chicken breast and steaming a crap ton of veggies. The beef stew I made was awesome as well but just hard to track how many calories are in each serving since it makes anywhere from 4-6 servings.

I guess for me it's really the measuring part of it and insuring i'm getting the necessary calories to build muscle and get to my goal of 160ish before starting my cut. I find it hard to eat a lot so trying to find high calorie meal options to hit my target without having to always cook or meal prep. I guess that's what I find a bit hard. Sort of trial and error right now.

Thanks for all your help.

[BS57]

After this batch of groceries i'll probably go back to just baking some chicken breast and steaming a crap ton of veggies. The beef stew I made was awesome as well but just hard to track how many calories are in each serving since it makes anywhere from 4-6 servings.

.

If you use MFP, you can import, or list your own custom recipes and it will do that for you.

[HumanPilot]

If you use MFP, you can import, or list your own custom recipes and it will do that for you.

Hey BS57. Thanks for commenting.

Yes, I noticed that feature the other day. Only issue i have is how much is a portion??? lol Right now, i'm loving MFP. I primarily use the "meal" function. I've built up a few meals i eat on the regular like my chicken wraps and oatmeal with greek yogurt and blue berries so i can just select that as a whole rather then the individual ingredients each time. It's great. I don't know what i would do without it to be honest. Counting my macros and calories was a nightmare before. Had no clue what I was doing. Not new to working out, but fairly new to focusing on the nutritional aspect to take things to the next level.

I'm going to see what happens once I start my regular 4 day split routine again next week. So far, it looks like my weight has been pretty good. I weighed in at around 151.8 lbs today but I know that will probably drop back down to 147-148 by tomorrow morning. I'm taking Heisman2's advice and ditching the protein powder as well. Might just reduce it to one scoop in the morning with my shake since it adds a nice chocolate flavour and leave the rest of my calorie and protein intake to food. Only problem I have is i love the Jamaican patties and eating two gives me some good protein and carbs but puts me over my saturated fat and of course sodium. Probably just have to reduce it to one. I like them becuase for 9 bucks i toss them in the freezer at work and have a bunch of them to nuke whenever i feel hungry before dinner. One pack comes with 9 so i eat one everyday. Today I broke my rule and ate two though to meet my calorie intake.

I want to rework my must have groceries and get the meals and portions right so I don't have to think about this anymore LOL!! Been struggling with the diet for a few months now and just when i think i had it right, it was what was holding me back this entire time.

[HumanPilot]

UPDATE:

Ok, so back at the gym this week.

Mon - Chest/Tries

I found myself in the basement of the GYM where the heavier weights live. Moved up to 45 and 50 lbs dumbells for my dumbell incline and flat bench press and straight bar with two 45 lbs felt like nothing. It's clear I have gotten stronger in my 2018 training so excited to see where things lead off.

Tues - Back/Biceps

curling with 30lb weights now so up in this category as well. I did find myself fatigued a bit on the seated and stand up curl but hit the 50-60lbs curling bars so again... definietly stronger and able to handle the weight.

Now here is the puzzling part. I'm still fluctuating!! I seem to be sitting at 152lbs now (I just got off the scale) but this morning was around 149-150. Obviously water weight or whatever else i pooped out.

I think this week will be the end of my current diet and i will look at other options.

Today was the first day i also stopped taking protein shakes. I have to say I feel much better. Stomach isn't doing al sorts of weird things and my bowels are much different today. I went to the bathroom 3 times yesterday so i'm assuming it's the excessive protein.

Any other tips for gaining muscle/nutrition and good meal plan? I'm trying to understand better what macros are and how much I should need of each. I've read a bunch of it but i can't wrap my head around the whole concept of macro/micro/calories

Really hoping to hit this 160-165 goal before i start cutting but i'm not confident in my plan.

[HumanPilot]

UPDATE:

Did incline bench last night and i'm up 20-30lbs on my lift!!! Exciting

The 2 weeks off really helped me to realize my potential. Going to measure the results of my new tactics and see where it leads.

[BS57]

Start here: https://forum.bodybuilding.com/showt...hp?t=173439001

What you need to read was given to you already OP, it's all explained there. If you have actually read it, and don't understand something....what is it you're not understanding?

Any other tips for gaining muscle/nutrition and good meal plan? I'm trying to understand better what macros are and how much I should need of each. I've read a bunch of it but i can't wrap my head around the whole concept of macro/micro/calories

ETA: Also, stop comparing daily weight. Weigh daily if you like, then average it out at the end of the week.....compare weekly averages.