Need Advice From the Pros

[MoreBallsThanBrains]

I just spent 3 hours searching and reading and I *think* I've I got most of it figured out.


Me
- 24
- 6'
- 220lbs
- 33" waist
- roughly 20% BF, mostly sitting on my gut
- Quick gainer/loser
- I've got a good frame

Diet
- In a word, shit.
- I don't eat a lot of crap, but being a student, meals are few and far between.

Activity
- Just took up running 3 times/week, starting with 4km, 20% uphill
- I was heavy into sports when I was younger, so I'm not afraid to work.

Goals
- 10% BF
- Gain some mass on my arms, chest, back and obliques
- Get some proper eating habits
- I don't wanna be Ronnie Coleman huge, but I do want to fill out my frame and look proportioned.


I understand I've gotta hit a lot of cardio and build some muscle to lose the fat, which is why I'm planning on 3 days of running or swimming and then 3 days of heavy weights for mass. Hows that sound?

The problem I'm having is with diet. I can't find a whole lot of info for somone who isn't cutting or bulking. What carb/protein/fat intake do I need to drop some pounds and put on mass at the same time? Or am I missing somthing here?

Any help you guys can offer would be huge.

 

[huskyguy]

Your main problem is the fact that your meals are few and far between. Being a student is a cakewalk, try having a full time job, and an old house that needs lots of work. My suggestion is that you have small pre-prepared meals available throughout the day. Hard boiled eggs, stir fry that can be reheated etc. Also it is very difficult to put on mass and lose weight at the same time, in fact it sounds like an oxymoron to me. Get as lean as you can, then bulk up a bit while making your workouts primarily hard heavy core movements...squats, deads, bench, shoulder press- in front of neck. Being a student is not a valid excuse except for the fact that you are probably strapped for cash. Set your priorities and make diet an important priority.

 

[MoreBallsThanBrains]

Thanks for the reply man.

So you suggest that I lean up to say my 10% goal by doing cardio and eating smaller meals throughout the day and then switch to a high cal/protein diet to add mass later? Would running every other day with swimming in between be enough cardio?

I wanna mention that I'm not saying that being a student is a valid excuse for being fat, I mentioned it because its the reason my eating habits are shitty. Ie, breakfast, nothing throughout the day and then a big meal around 5 followed by a smaller meal after work. But making one big meal and portioning it out for the day is a great idea.

 

[rubberduckyo]

What do you have available to you in your dorm? Microwave? Cooktop?

Your diet is your the major thing holding you back right now imo.

 

[MoreBallsThanBrains]

I'm off campus, so I've got a full kitchen. From what I keep reading, I think you're right.

 

[rubberduckyo]

I'm off campus, so I've got a full kitchen. From what I keep reading, I think you're right.

Well there are lots of things you can do to make it easy to get in the amount and frequency of meals you need.

Saying you're a student and can't do it, with a full kitchen, is just an excuse.

 

[MoreBallsThanBrains]

So the question remains, what should I be eating?

And I got ahold of the caliper at the gym, I'm actually at 15% BF opposed to the 20% I estimated earlier.

 

[DADAWG]

So the question remains, what should I be eating?

And I got ahold of the caliper at the gym, I'm actually at 15% BF opposed to the 20% I estimated earlier.

i suspected you overestimated your bf when i read your 1st post . congrats bro everyone else underestimates theirs by 5-10%
i wouldnt get crazy with the cardio just enough for the health benefits try to get at least 4-5 meals a day with at least 3 being from food and 1-2 protein shakes .get at least 200-300 grams of protein a day from shakes and lean meat [ theres nothing wrong with good old lean hamburger meat , its cheap and can be made into burgers , chili,pasta dishes , meatloaf ,etc. ] by doing this along with a solid 3 day a week workout you could stay at or near your same weight and drop bodyfat . if you swapped 10 pounds of fat for muscle at 200 pounds thats 5 % body fat for you and that would make a amazing diff in your looks

 

[jhov]

First off you need to understand a few things. Loosing fat and gaining muscle are not possible for the most part without the use of drugs since they are physiologically opposing processes with the former needing a caloric deficit+depleted glycogen stores and the latter needing a caloric surplus+full glycogen stores. In trainees who just start with resistance training then it happens via a switch in cellular energetics and substrate metabolism, basically the more muscle you have the more fat you burn giving that seemingly leaning out effect while gaining muscle when first starting to train.

So IOW you need to add some muscle first, fill out your frame while eating cleanly and once you reach you desired muscular size/fullness then diet down the remaining pounds. As far as diet goes then it is as simple as Cals in/Cals out. IOW eat healthy and the only thing that adjusts is the total amount of cals you consume and burn depending on your goals. For the most part here are some guidelines for bulking and food choices:
1. Get some whey or a good blend. Some good ones would be Isomatrix, sustained release protein, Vp2, Nectar. The best times for a shake would be upon rising in the morning and post wo, for the rest stick to wholesome foods
2. Figuere out what your macronutrient requirements are! (protein/fats/carbs). Get some EFA's and use those as your sources of fat for the most part. When you figuere this out then eat above it! Make sure to get in about 5-8 meals a day including shakes!
3. Stick to wholesome, healthy protein rich foods! Low-moderate GI/GI2. As for the sources of these macronutrients:
Protein
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Protein Powder
Egg Whites or Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)

Carbs (complex):
Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Brown Rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Pasta
Rice (white, jasmine, basmati, Arborio, wild)
Potatoes (red, baking, new)

Fibrous carbs:
Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussels Sprouts
Cauliflower
Celery

EFA's:
Natural Style Peanut Butter
Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds
Flaxseed Oil

Diary/Eggs:
Low-fat cottage cheese
Eggs
Low or Non-Fat Milk

etc. etc.

4. Get in loads of fluids! Water being the most important!
5. No need to train everyday! Get a good routine/split and stick to it. Make sure to stick to compounds, heavy, full rom, always good form and every bp 1-2 a week.
6. Get at least 8hours of sleep per night!
Do all the above well and you will grow!!!
peace
J

P.s If you are having trouble getting all the food down then just eat small amounts every hour for a few days and when your body adjusts switch to every 2-3 hours!

 

[MoreBallsThanBrains]

You guys fuckin' rock, thanks for the advice. I'll post up results in a few weeks.

 

[Soul Rebel]

jhov good post man, foundation for nutrition.

 

[diesel]

you may be able to drop some bf while adding muscle, considering its not already very low...eating every 3 hrs, avoiding sugar and processed foods (but eating veggies and complex carbs, protein, low fat), at least 5 times a day stimulates your metabolism. paired w/ consistent intenste training..you should make progress.