Dummy's guide to diet

[Jariel]

I'm not a nutritionalist nor a mathematician so I actually find it quite difficult working out what to eat and how much I should be eating. But I have found it extremely useful seeing people's personal menus in their journals and figured such a thread could prove useful to guys like me.

So would it be possible for some of the experts to produce some cutting and bulking menus, along with suggested eating times?

At the moment, a typical day's cutting menu for me looks something like this:


9am - Bowl of oatmeal
12pm - 2 scoops whey
1pm - 2 scoops of whey
2pm - Can of tuna
4pm - omelette
7pm - chicken fillet or lean steak

I also eat fruit throughout the day and take multivitamins and minerals.

Usually I work out between 11-12pm so that my first whey consumption follows immediately after.

Criticism would be extremely welcome, but some good menus (cutting and bulking) would be even more appreciated. Thanks.

 

[DJBen]

What the hell... sorry, constructive

Avoid whey like the plauge unless it's post workout nutrition. You should really eat proper food as much as possible.

A day in the life of DJBens cutting cycle [low cal as it goes]:


Jacket potato + tuna
Salmon steak + cup and a half of salad
Chicken breast, some fruit, half cup of salad
3 Pieces of egg on toast [wheat bread. Not the best for cutting, so sue me ]
Sugar/Whey shake.
potato, cottage cheese, fruit
essential fatty acids, cottage cheese

I cant really total all that up for you in calories... its something you'll have to do yourself.

Where the hell are your carbs man? You still need carbs when you're cutting.

Weight train as per usual, add in cardio 3/5 times a week.

I really dont know why theres no carbs in there... Jariel has much reading to do

www.t-mag.com <---- mega ownage for info + suppliments. Upgrading supps atm though, so be patient.

www.bodybuilding.com <--- just for some of the articles.

www.animalpak.com <--- purely insane ****.

Just cause you're cutting doesnt mean you dont have any carbs, you just reduce them and up your protein intake slightly. Reduce carbs until you start losing weight.

Thats way too keto for my liking.

EDIT: theres no oats cause my body doesnt really like them all that much... combine that with a slight lactose intolerance, and it's wayyyyy too hectic for me to cook up in an early morning rush Stick with oats for brekkie.

 

[Jariel]

Thanks a lot DJ Ben. I guess my poor knowledge of nutrition (i.e. what foods contain carbs, fatty acids, protein etc) is one of my big problems. Although I do have a bad habit of seeking fast results.

Looking at your list and advice I think I could manage that quite comfortably.

I'm estimating that I want to lose around 5-7% bodyfat. How long would you expect this to take based on your cutting cycle?

Anyway, thanks again. I have the determination, but my head is swimming with so much conflicting (not to mention overly complicated) information.

 

[DJBen]

No worries. I've been at work for 10 hours, I dont have the energy to go indepth right now

The fact is, if you burn more calories than you consume, you'll burn *something*. By keeping your protein high, you're more likely to be burning fat.

Training balls to the wall, focusing on eating low GI carbs, taking the right post workout shakes and eating enough protein will get you results. Period. Everyone over-complicates things.

When cutting the same applies, but with less carbs, a bit more protein, and some cardio.

Stop worrying about it so much and just DO it I reposted a list of foods you should stick to, try and dig it up if you can. Then you know you have things pretty spot on.

www.calorieking.com <--- PRAISE THE LORD! TESTIFY! This site is pretty hot for nutritional info.

 

[Matt Rogers]

I can't advise on cutting, never really felt the need. If I need to lean up a little I just super clean up my diet, so that it is just lean meat, grains, vegetables, fruit and nuts and olive oil, and the pounds melt off.

For bulking, this is my area. Most of my gains have come from short spurts of bulking. It requires a lot of effort and spare time.
Here is a typical menu:

Breakfast:

3 eggs
2 slices of toast
Big bowl of porridge
1/2 litre of orange juice

Midmorning:

Large beef/chicken sandwich
Fruit

Lunch:

Large knife and fork meal. Something like chicken, 100g of raw pasta and 2 tbsps of olive oil with vegetables.

Afternoon:

Protein Shake with a tbsp of flax oil
Peanut butter sandwich

Evening:
Large steak with a couple of baked potatoes and a couple of glasses of milk

Before bed:

Blender Bomb:
scoop of protein powder, icecream, 2-3 cups of milk, 1-2 bananas, 2 tbsps or so of peanut butter.

Another alternative approach when I really cannot be bothered is simply making a huge blender bomb and drinking it between meals along with lots of Peanut butter sandwiches>
something like:

1-2 litres of milk
2-3 scoops of protein powder
2-3 scoops of ice-cream
1-2 bananas
2 tbsps or so of peanut butter.

If you can tolerate it milk really is your best friend when bulking. Aim to build up to around a gallon a day if you are really serious, and as a bare minimum 2 litres. That is how the old-timers got really big and strong.

 

[felony]

Hey a thread like this is great!

Can people please post more daily menus! I need more ideas for decent sized meals during the day. Also, are there any meals that a suitable to eat which aren't home cooked? Such as a meatball subway... how would that go down in a bulking diet?

I'm about to embark on a diet high in protein and moderate in carbs and need more ideas for simple quick and easy meals that are of approximately the correct amount of calories / protein etc.

Cheers
f.

 

[Matt Rogers]

For meals on the go, you really cannot beat milk or shakes containing milk.

If for whatever reason you cannot tolerate milk, then a sub is good.