Hello everyone, been lurking around T-Nation since I started taking working out seriously and finally broke down and signed up to post. First and foremost, thank god for this site, articles are great! Now, I have been lifting seriously for 6 Months. Lol, yeah pretty much a newbie, have always been fit, played soccer all my life and worked construction since I can remember.
I started in June weighing 23 YO / 5’9" 147lb and I am up to 165lb now. Very happy with my gains/strength increase. The gains look pretty lean, I still have a six pack, muscles are nice and defined. My question is… with the following diet, is that going to continue or am I going to start looking sloppy. Anybody have an idea on making some adjustments make slower/leaner gains ??
Meal 1: Shake 800 Calories 80g Carbs 50g Protein 12g Fat / Animal Pak Multi
Meal 2: 3 Eggs w/ 2 Slices Wheat Bread 360 Calories 26g Carbs 24g Protein 17g Fat
====WORKOUT====
Meal 3: Shake 800 Calories 80g Carbs 50g Protein 12g Fat
Meal 4: Tuna/Mayo w/ Crackers 300 Calories 20g Carbs 30g Protein 8g Fat
Meal 5: Grilled Chicken Breast w/ Potato/Broccoli 350 calories 41g Carbs 37g Protein 5g Fat
Meal 6: Shake 800 Calories 80g Carbs 50g Protein 12g Fat
Snacks: I sneak in 3 fruits (Orange, Banana, Kiwi) daily and a Tiny bag of Unsalted Peanuts for an additional:
Banana: 120 Cal 30g Carbs 1g Protein 0g Fat
Orange: 69 Cal 18g Carbs 1g Protein 0g Fat
Kiwi: 46 Cal 11g Carbs 1g Protein 0g Fat
Peanuts (42g Pouch): 270 cal 6g Carbs 12g Protein 22g Fat
1 Gallon of Water
Total Calories: 3915
Total Carbs: 392g
Total Protein: 256g
Total Fat: 88g
This is exactly what I ate yesterday, I make changes daily, instead of the Tuna, I’ll have a bag of Beef Jerky, or instead of the Chicken, I’ll have a homemade double patty turkey burger on wheat.
If anything they will get leaner, for now you have more lean mass then before and require more calories. If that is indeed the case less Calories would “spill over” to fat gain and you would continue to gain, albeit more slowly.
I think I look good, I am pretty happy with my build and progress so far. Strength is still increasing, but not as rapidly as it was 3 months ago. Am I taking in too many carbs with this diet? Does it look solid overall ?
[quote]zan3 wrote:
I think I look good, I am pretty happy with my build and progress so far. Strength is still increasing, but not as rapidly as it was 3 months ago. Am I taking in too many carbs with this diet? Does it look solid overall ?[/quote]
No one can tell you any real answer to that.
If its been working for you, and you still have a six pack there is no reason to assume you will magically stop gaining muscle as long as you keep working out hard.
To truly answer this questions, keep a log, and take weekly or bi-weekly photos to monitor how your progressing, if you start seeing fat gain beyond what your comfortable with then adjust, drop some carbs later in the day or add some cardio.
P.S. at your weight/age and the fact that you still have a six-pack i wouldn’t worry about getting fat…keep getting bigger and stronger, monitor and adjust.
Thank you Jud, I think you’re right - I need to keep a written log, the mental one isn’t cutting it Feel like I am cutting myself short by not monitoring my progress. What’s your opinion on the overall quality of the diet ?
[quote]zan3 wrote:
Thank you Jud, I think you’re right - I need to keep a written log, the mental one isn’t cutting it Feel like I am cutting myself short by not monitoring my progress. What’s your opinion on the overall quality of the diet ?[/quote]
Well two answers i can give here.
It works, and you can consistently do it, you have made great gains, have kept your body-fat and comfortable levels for you and thus i would say fantastic.
Some of the measurements such as the carb and protein amounts are just grams of the nutrient so i really don’t know if your blending up oats for your shakes or sticking 40 mini reses peanut butter cups in a blender and calling em carbs.
This leads me back to my first point, if your doing the second option and its working like it has been the shit me a brick keep doing it (not that i would advise this health-wise, but i think you get my meaning)
So log your progress, keep some records and monitor that way lets say in three weeks your like…shittttttt im getting fat, easy you know what your doing, so trim some carbs from later meals. add some walking before breakfast and continue to grow. On the other hand lets say in three weeks you slam into a strength/gains sticking point. Again no problem, look at what you have been doing, add calories until progress begins anew and look at that you have become your own source not only of information but of solace in the fact that you KNOW what your doing so when dip-shit McGee tries to feed you some line about how you need to change X,Y,Z you can say fuck off i control my own progress.
That was long winded as hell, but i hope it helps man.
@jud, thank you! that definitely helped, to clear up the “shake” - i used to drink opt nutr. gold whey, but after reviewing my diet i realized i was only at like 3000 calories for the day. so a month ago i started drinking real mass by gaspari to up the cal/carb count.
@brick, i guess you really don’t know, but i am pretty sure that there are plenty people on this board that have a better understanding of nutrition than i do, and i am looking for some input from those people - after all i think thats what these boards are for ? no ?
[quote]Bricknyce wrote:
“with the following diet, is that going to continue or am I going to start looking sloppy.”
How would we know? [/quote]
Nothing against you, but honestly how is that helpful…? Can you give him a godsend answer that will outline the perfect diet for him? No, but what in the world is the point of even posting something like that? If someone is asking for help and you don’t want to help, cool, but why post anything at all?
[quote]zan3 wrote: @jud, thank you! that definitely helped, to clear up the “shake” - i used to drink opt nutr. gold whey, but after reviewing my diet i realized i was only at like 3000 calories for the day. so a month ago i started drinking real mass by gaspari to up the cal/carb count.
@brick, i guess you really don’t know, but i am pretty sure that there are plenty people on this board that have a better understanding of nutrition than i do, and i am looking for some input from those people - after all i think thats what these boards are for ? no ?[/quote]
Well, I know quite a bit, considering I have a BS in nutrition and an MS in nutrition and exercise physiology and am a registered dietitian. I work in nutrition.
With that said, there’s no way of clearly knowing a diet will definitely work.
Yeah, I am not looking for a golden answer, I am looking for advice to TWEAK the diet. I was hoping by posting my diet someone would catch something and say hey zane i think you should bla bla bla. Then when I saw what Jud said it kinda clicked. Really gotta look at myself and see what I have to do to get the results I want. I just got a little worried when I noticed I am consuming close to 400g of carbs. It just seemed alot for someone my size.
[quote]zan3 wrote:
I just got a little worried when I noticed I am consuming close to 400g of carbs. It just seemed alot for someone my size.[/quote]
I agree, but you have to give it a try first. If you start to feel like you’re gaining more fat than you’d like, maybe this would be a good place to look for tweaking first. You have to figure that out for yourself. You should add some fish oil to that diet.
I do take Fish Oil. I ran out last week, never got another bottle and it’s crazy the difference that I feel without it. I’ve broken a lot of bones in the past and without the stuff my joints are horrible. Thank you everyone for the advice!
Feel like I am cutting myself short by not monitoring my progress. What’s your opinion on the overall quality of the diet ?