Diet Help

Training Bodybuilding
1

I’m in a dilly of a pickle here.

Since around January my friends started a clinic with each other of sorts to maintain accountability. I gained more size and strength than I have ever had but now I am trying to cut down and stay leeeeeaaan for a blowout beach trip these friends and I are going on together at the end of May. I think I’m on the right track, I just finished a cycle of HOT-ROX, but I want some advice/critique/suggestions of my diet, new things to eat and such. I want to get shredded but I don’t want to lose any mass or not eat enough.

I work Mon. - Thurs. from 4:30pm - 3am. I usually go to the gym after work and I don’t get home until around 5am and wake up at 1:30pm to start the whole process over. My weekends are recovery.

My diet usually consist of this…

1:30pm = Wake up, eat two cans of chicken with light tomato sauce and two slices of colby jack cheese.

4:20pm = I usually eat something like a bannana, peanuts, or peanut butter crackers, or this is where I’ll drink a protein shake.

7:00pm (lunch break) = One can of chicken with light tomato sauce and a slice of colby jack cheese.

9:30pm (break) = Protein shake.

12:30am (break) = Bannana and penaut butter and jam sandwich.

As far as my work-out is concerned, I’ve changed drastically. I noticed I’ve shown a good bit of favoritism to my upper body, I think mainly because that’s where I first saw the gains. So right now I’m trying to concentrate on my back and lower body to be more symmetrical, but then I know you can’t really gain mass while you’re trying to cut and especially when you are running correct?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Also, sorry about the lack of a picture comparision, I have no camera of my own and I keep trying to convince my friends to take pictures of me in just a pair of shorts, preferably with a good sweat and glisten on me, but they won’t do it. Homophobes.

2

First step would be to figure out how many grams of protein, carbs and fats you’re eating so you can get an estimate of how many calories you’re taking in. I mistakingly went too low when I was cutting and my weight actually started to go up.

Outside of that, I can’t offer any more advice since it’d be outside of my experience. Train heavy in order to make sure you dont lose too much mass, and good luck looking good for the chicks.

3

Based on the meal structure that I listed in the first post, these are the stats per day.

Protein: ~218

Carbs: ~126

Fat: ~68

I’m trying to figure out how much I need and how much is too much as far as carbs and fat is concerned. I know I have to power my body through a 10 hour shift where all I do is lift heavy steel and aluminum and saw it into different parts, then after that I go to the gym.

4

You have the numbers. Now you must use the fabled scientific method of guess and check.

  1. Form research question/hypothesis. “I think this diet will make me lose weight”.

  2. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning after taking a piss.

  3. Get your BF tested somehow(elect impedance, calipar, bod pod, dunk tank, etc).

  4. Eat healthy and lift weights for a week.

  5. Retest for results. Did you lose weight? Did bodyfat decrease? How much BF did you lose compared to LBM?

  6. Form new hypothesis and repeat process.

P.S. Do you know how to calculate BF and LBM?

5

I forgot to mention that anyone that tells you there is a special % of PROtein/Carbs/fats is full of shit.

You can lose weight on any %, just as long as you are in a caloric deficit(through nutrients or exercise).

Also, do what feels right for your body. Don’t low carb it unless you need to. Its a terrible way of life imho.

6

[quote]Chickenmcnug wrote:
You have the numbers. Now you must use the fabled scientific method of guess and check.

  1. Form research question/hypothesis. “I think this diet will make me lose weight”.

  2. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning after taking a piss.

  3. Get your BF tested somehow(elect impedance, calipar, bod pod, dunk tank, etc).

  4. Eat healthy and lift weights for a week.

  5. Retest for results. Did you lose weight? Did bodyfat decrease? How much BF did you lose compared to LBM?

  6. Form new hypothesis and repeat process.

P.S. Do you know how to calculate BF and LBM?[/quote]

Great, this is what I’ve been doing, well, besides the BF% because I don’t really have a way to do that. I just look at myself in the mirror A LOT.

I’ve been seeing great results, especially after the HOT-ROX cycle, I was just checking to see about going the extra mile and other things I could eat besides just massive amounts of lean chicken and protein shakes.

7

[quote]Fire Walk wrote:
Chickenmcnug wrote:
You have the numbers. Now you must use the fabled scientific method of guess and check.

  1. Form research question/hypothesis. “I think this diet will make me lose weight”.

  2. Weigh yourself first thing in the morning after taking a piss.

  3. Get your BF tested somehow(elect impedance, calipar, bod pod, dunk tank, etc).

  4. Eat healthy and lift weights for a week.

  5. Retest for results. Did you lose weight? Did bodyfat decrease? How much BF did you lose compared to LBM?

  6. Form new hypothesis and repeat process.

P.S. Do you know how to calculate BF and LBM?

Great, this is what I’ve been doing, well, besides the BF% because I don’t really have a way to do that. I just look at myself in the mirror A LOT.

I’ve been seeing great results, especially after the HOT-ROX cycle, I was just checking to see about going the extra mile and other things I could eat besides just massive amounts of lean chicken and protein shakes.

[/quote]

Just don’t get discouraged when the losses slow down. I know that when I look at myself too often I start to stop noticing the small differences that occur. Over time these small differences add up.

A good idea might be to take a snapshot of yourself once every few weeks. When you start to get discouraged, look at the pictures. You will be amazed.

One last thing. From a nutrition perspective, your diet lacks in overall nutrients. Throw in a V8 and some leafy greens or something.

8

[quote]Chickenmcnug wrote:
One last thing. From a nutrition perspective, your diet lacks in overall nutrients. Throw in a V8 and some leafy greens or something. [/quote]

I usually load up on a lot of stuff during the weekend that I think takes care of that. Also, I hate V8 and it contains high fructose corn syrup. All I drink are different 100% fruit juices that are corn syurp free, green tea and water.

Thanks for the advice! It’s good to know from another person that I’m going about things right. Since I’m out of HOT-ROX, I’m going to stay clean from that until my vacation gets closer, then I’m going to go go through a cycle of HOT-ROX Extreme and lower my carb intake.

9

[quote]Fire Walk wrote:
Chickenmcnug wrote:
One last thing. From a nutrition perspective, your diet lacks in overall nutrients. Throw in a V8 and some leafy greens or something.

I usually load up on a lot of stuff during the weekend that I think takes care of that. Also, I hate V8 and it contains high fructose corn syrup. All I drink are different 100% fruit juices that are corn syurp free, green tea and water.

Thanks for the advice! It’s good to know from another person that I’m going about things right. Since I’m out of HOT-ROX, I’m going to stay clean from that until my vacation gets closer, then I’m going to go go through a cycle of HOT-ROX Extreme and lower my carb intake.[/quote]

V8 has high fructose corn syrup? I am gonna have to check that when I get home. Maybe you are thinking about that v8 splash or fusion or whatever that crappy fruit juice is.

Anyways, I don’t think anyone likes the stuff. But to get in a service of veggies at the expense of drinking a 5.5 ounce can, I can deal with that.

10

[quote]Chickenmcnug wrote:
V8 has high fructose corn syrup? I am gonna have to check that when I get home. Maybe you are thinking about that v8 splash or fusion or whatever that crappy fruit juice is.

Anyways, I don’t think anyone likes the stuff. But to get in a service of veggies at the expense of drinking a 5.5 ounce can, I can deal with that.[/quote]

You may be right, it may just be the “splash” brand. Either way I hate V8 a.k.a. Bloody Mary without the alcohol, and you’re talking to a man who eats broccoli raw like candy and searches for whole grain bread that hurts when it is swallowed.

11 
 Nothing like late night carbs to keep you from getting the bodyfat down.  It's tough to say what you need without a good background, but it might be a good idea for you to replace that jelly sandwich pre workout with a quality pre workout shake.  It can make a world of difference when you're cutting down, and will probably have a better nutrient profile overall.  What do you do as a post workout/bedtime meal?  I've found that even on dramatically cut calories, having these two meals dialed in can preserve muscle short term, and even allow for some gains in a longer, controlled cut.

 I would rethink the cheese and peanut butter as well, from what I've read, dairy products are excellent for growth, but promote heavy insulin responses.  The peanut butter, I assume, is not natural pb and carries of a lot of simple sugars in their as well, not too bad preworkout.  Both of which don't work well on a cut.  It might be best to replace one or both servings of it with a complex carb like a whole wheat bread or tortilla type of thing, as they will generally carry between 5 and 9 grams a of protein anyway.  Turn that chicken into a nice sandwich with some greens on it.  Will probably taste better, too.

The percentages, as stated as not as important as people like to think, but your numbers overall look good, I would just be concerned with the sources.

12

[quote]Jeffe wrote:
Nothing like late night carbs to keep you from getting the bodyfat down. It’s tough to say what you need without a good background, but it might be a good idea for you to replace that jelly sandwich pre workout with a quality pre workout shake. It can make a world of difference when you’re cutting down, and will probably have a better nutrient profile overall. What do you do as a post workout/bedtime meal? I’ve found that even on dramatically cut calories, having these two meals dialed in can preserve muscle short term, and even allow for some gains in a longer, controlled cut.

 I would rethink the cheese and peanut butter as well, from what I've read, dairy products are excellent for growth, but promote heavy insulin responses.  The peanut butter, I assume, is not natural pb and carries of a lot of simple sugars in their as well, not too bad preworkout.  Both of which don't work well on a cut.  It might be best to replace one or both servings of it with a complex carb like a whole wheat bread or tortilla type of thing, as they will generally carry between 5 and 9 grams a of protein anyway.  Turn that chicken into a nice sandwich with some greens on it.  Will probably taste better, too.

The percentages, as stated as not as important as people like to think, but your numbers overall look good, I would just be concerned with the sources. [/quote]

Thanks.

After I posted those stats I realized that the jam I used holded nothing but carbs (and contained high fructose corn syurp) so I cut it out. The peanut butter isn’t all natural, due to the closes all natural store being almost an hour away, however that sandwich is ate on whole wheat bread.

As far as the protein shake is concerened, I could do that, I’m out right now and waiting on some Metabolic Drive to arrive on my doorstep.

I usually don’t eat before bedtime. Generally, after my 10 hour shift and an hour at the gym, I pretty much just want to take a shower and sleep. Could adding an extra little meal or even just a shake actually help me?

13

I get my natural PB from the Shop Rite down the road, most supermarkets are carrying it now.

Adding a shake and a little spoonful of peanut butter before bed can make a huge difference. You’re basically not going to eat for 7-8 hours, so that meal before bed helps with both recovery/growth and protecting muscle during a restricted calorie diet.