My Diet, How Is It?

I'm lookin for some positive criticism concerning my diet as a recent T-Nation fan.  I am 19, 6'0, 190 lbs, and an educated guess of about 11% body fat. This is a prospective nutrition plan I'm thinking of following. I'm looking to either maintain my weight or gain muscle and not too interested in inhaling carbs to "bulk."  If I gain weight, fine, if I maintain, fine.  I am a vegetarian so that screws me over in terms of saturated fat and meat and crap. 

Also, I’m at college so I can’t prepare stuff for myself so I must work with what we have in the cafeteria and in my dorm. If it matters, I’m on Waterbury’s TBT plan. Here’s what I intake on an average day. Thanks for the help!

Workout Day

Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Pre-workout (about 2:15): 88g rice, 22g whey protein, fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Workout from 3:15-4

Right after workout (about 4): sometimes a whole bagel, sometimes about 50g carbs from pretzels, water. Creatine with juice.

1 hr after workout (5): 44g whey protein drink, fish oil, Greens plus.

Dinner (6:30 or 7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 44g whey protein (waiting to buy Metabolic Drive), fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Non-workout day

Same for everything except during times of pre-workout and post-workout meals, I’ll have veggie salad or something, fish oil during one of those times, 44g protein drink at one of those meals, snack on some nuts, creatine with juice 2x a day at morning and afternoon, greens plus at one of those meals where veggies don’t exist.

To me it does look like you’re kind of inhaling carbs. Why 88 grams of rice BEFORE you workout and not after?
I would recommend changing your postworkout bagel, with a scoop of dextrose or some other fast absorbing carb and a scoop of protein, you need something that body will just suck up, bagel is too slow to digest.

I would also recommend some more fast absorbing carbs or any carbs in your meal one hour after working out, maybe have the bagel at this time. As well try to incorporate some more protein in your dinner meal on top of the cheese. Other than this the diet looks solid especially up to lunch and towards the end of the day.

I just think you could benefit from changing up your around workout meals, you really don’t need that many carbs before your workout as your body could convert it to fat, maybe if you feel too depleted you could sip a shake, or just some gatorade during workout to give you enough energy.
Good work getting in lots of protein well being a vegeterian though.

My two cents.

thanks for the tips! so, if I get dextrose, where can I buy it and how much do I take after workout? also, I thought a before workout meal should be 4:1 carbs to protein which mine is so I’m a little confused there. good to know everything besides workout meals seems solid. Also, I don’t know how to get more protein at dinner without supplements so any ideas for that? I would appreciate as many criticisms as I can get about anything! Thanks!

Have you added up the calories in that?

It looks like it’s about 1,000 short.

|/ 3Toes

I haven’t added them up. How many calories is it? And how do you suggest I get 1000 more? Also, even though you may say that, I have maintained and even gained gradual muscle so I don’t know how beneficial it is to up the calories. Anyone have any thoughts?

I have an idea for pre-workout and post-workout meals to improve what I have listed above. What if I keep my pre-workout meal the same (88g carbs, 22g whey protein) and during and immediately after workout to have 2 scoops of Surge. Then, about 1 hour after workout, have 44g whey protein shake and snack on some pretzels. Is this an improvement?

Here is my revised nutrition schedule for workout days and rest days. My rest day schedule is certainly lacking in some areas and am not sure how to solve the problem and still stay a vegetarian. Any input would be great and my goals and stats are the same as I mentioned earlier.

Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Pre-workout (about 2:15): 88g rice, 22g whey protein, fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Workout (3:15-4): 2 scoops of Surge

Right after workout (about 4): last of Surge, water. Creatine with juice.

1 hr after workout (5): 44g whey protein drink, 6 pretzels (44g carbs), fish oil, Greens plus.

Dinner (6:30 or 7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Non-Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water. Creatine with juice.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Snack (about 2:15): fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Snack (4): 44g whey protein drink, fish oil, Greens plus. Creatine with juice.

Snack (5:30):

Dinner (7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Pre-workout (about 2:15): 88g rice, 22g whey protein, fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Workout (3:15-4): 2 scoops of Surge

Right after workout (about 4): last of Surge, water. Creatine with juice.

1 hr after workout (5): 44g whey protein drink, 6 pretzels (44g carbs), fish oil, Greens plus.

Dinner (6:30 or 7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Non-Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water. Creatine with juice.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Snack (about 2:15): fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Snack (4): 44g whey protein drink, fish oil, Greens plus. Creatine with juice.

Snack (5:30):

Dinner (7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Pre-workout (about 2:15): 88g rice, 22g whey protein, fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Workout (3:15-4): 2 scoops of Surge

Right after workout (about 4): last of Surge, water. Creatine with juice.

1 hr after workout (5): 44g whey protein drink, 6 pretzels (44g carbs), fish oil, Greens plus.

Dinner (6:30 or 7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.

Continued . . .

Non-Workout Day
Breakfast (10:30): 6 egg whites, 2 pieces of wheat bread, bowl of spinach, bowl of oatmeal, fish oil, water. Creatine with juice.

Snack (about 11:15): apple, maybe some nuts.

Lunch (about 12:30): 32g protein bar, spinach, water.

Snack (about 2:15): fish oil, water. Creatine 30 min after with some juice.

Snack (4): 44g whey protein drink, fish oil, Greens plus. Creatine with juice.

Snack (5:30):

Dinner (7): spinach salad, 2-3 slices of cheese, piece of wheat bread, water.

Snack (9:15): 6 egg whites, 1 serving veggies, fish oil, water.

Between snack and bed-time: snack on nuts.

Bed-time: 2 scoops of Metabolic Drive, fish oil, Greens+ plus.