I weigh 176 pounds and I’m 6’. My goal is maybe 185-190 right now. Pretty low on muscle, my biceps are 11 1/4 and chest 37 3/8 to give you an idea of what I am working with, or without rather.
I am a weightlifting n00b and right now I am working each muscle group once a week with a trainer about an hour a session. Also do light cardio about 4 times a week. He set up a diet for me but was lacking from my research, little calories or carbs. Anyway, here goes:
Meal 1:
-3 whole eggs
-1 piece of whole wheat grain bread with 1 tbsp smart balance butter
-1 cup of oatmeal with banana or raisins
Meal 2:
High calorie/Protein bar
Meal 3:
-Chicken breast/fish/ or other protein with brown rice or wheat pasta, olive oil, with anything green mixed in
-Some kind of fruit
Meal 4:
Same as Meal 2
Meal 5:
Same as meal 3
Meal 6:
Weight gain drink 630 calories, or add milk if calories short on the day.
I have been doing about 3500-4000 calories a day with this plan, 200g+ of protein easily each day, as well as 400-500 carbs and I get good fats from olive oil and smart balance butter.
Can this diet get me where I need to be? I don’t want to gain a bunch of fat, though I understand I will gain some. I already have a small tube around my waist which I would not like to get bigger! Thanks.
Seems like it will work, but you’re being a bit to “clean”. When your goal is to gain size, you need to eat everything you can, clean or not clean. The diet seems solid, if you can eat more, please do.
Can you break that down into calories? Because my guestimating puts that far below the 3500-4000 kcals you mention.
Not that I doubt you, I’d just like to see you post the calorie totals for what your eating. Those must be some pretty hi-po protein bars in two of your meals, I’m guessing.
You can try going to www.fitday.com, they have a pretty good foodlog and it’ll give you a good idea of where your kcals and macros fall over the course of the week.
Don’t be too anal about all this though. You’re six foot and 175ish. I’m assuming you haven’t always eaten “clean” and you’re not a butterball (by my reckoning from your post), so you should be able to eat lots and lots of food without getting fat.
That’s my two cents, I’m no expert so take it with a grain of salt.
No problem. Here is a rough estimate, I use the retail version of fitday to keep track.
Meal 1: 700 calories
-3 whole eggs=210 calories
-1 piece of whole wheat flax grain bread with 1 tbsp smart balance butter=220 calories
-1 cup of oatmeal with banana or raisins=270 calorie
Meal 2: 420 calories Trio-Plex bar 30g protein
High calorie/Protein bar
Meal 3: Calories vary, but the pasta alone is 360 calories for 2 cups, throw in live oil and the rest and it easily gets to about 800 calories.
-Chicken breast/fish/ or other protein with brown rice or wheat pasta, olive oil, with anything green mixed in
-Some kind of fruit
Meal 4:
Same as Meal 2
Meal 5:
Same as meal 3
Meal 6:
Weight gain drink 630 calories, or add milk if calories short on the day to get close to 900.
So you see, I am easily over 4000 with the weight gain made with milk, with just straight weight gain product I am at 3400. Once again, the diet varies if I use fish instead of chicken, or other meat products. Some days I also eat more fruit or maybe hit some natural peanut butter with my bread which has 140 calories per slice. So some days I have to compensate with the weight gain, other days I am ok without it or with half a serving.
I like that it was said I may be eating too clean, at least I know I am on the right track! I will keep what you said in mind, thanks alot for the input!
Looks like a good diet. Try this for breakfast 8 whole eggs and 1/2 a package of lean turkey sausage, and 1 oz cheese and some berrys. Its my magic bullet. That and choc. whey and natty PB.
Good luck
Will42
[quote]Will42 wrote:
Looks like a good diet. Try this for breakfast 8 whole eggs and 1/2 a package of lean turkey sausage, and 1 oz cheese and some berrys. Its my magic bullet. That and choc. whey and natty PB.
Good luck
Will42
[/quote]
I think the point is to keep the food down, so I might need to work myself up to that! LOL.
Thanks for the comments guys. I have been doing this for about 3 weeks and finally got it down as far as the shopping and cooking go.
As for my workout, I have tried so many times in the past and got discouraged and quit, so I sucked up my pride and hired a personal trainer. He has got me doing 2 sessions with him a week, and one on my own (usually legs) I do 20 minutes of cardio after each workout and 30 minutes 2 other days. He is working the chest/tri, back/bi, and legs thing along with shoulders and abs. He switches it up here and there too to keep my muscles guessing. I think next week we are doing a “push/pull” routine where he said we will do chest/back back to back. Getting good workouts with him, he gets every last ounce of push out of me whereas by myself I would likely have quit long before.
Pretty excited this time around about getting results, doing the diet thing as well as I can and sticking to the workouts.
It seems to me that your characteristics are similiar to a ectomorph. An ectomorph is someone who is very lean (skinny) and has a difficult time packing on size. There is a book on the market just released called Scrawny to Brawny. It is a great book. It would serve as a bible for a beginner and a great reference tool for the advanced athlete.
It explains in the book that an ectomorph just has to train a little bit different that a regular athlete.
This could be your problem with getting frustrated at the gym and not receiving the results that your peers are having.
Man … that is a crap tons of calories to only be getting in 200-ish grams of protein. I would say that is your biggest problem, too many carbs and far too little protein. I am on a diet phase now and only eating 2200 calories/day but getting in 265-275 grams of protein per day. If its more muscle you are looking for I’d say you need to get that protein count up … 250g/day minimum. Most of those “high calorie” weightgainer shakes are full of low quality carbs and minimal quality protein (like soy !!) and that bar is probably crap as well.
Instead of some of that stuff try getting in some lowfat cottage cheese. In addition after my workouts I eat 1 pound of 96% lean ground beef …which gives me 540 calories and 88 grams of protein. Try to lower your calories a bit and get in more quality proteins. Stay at 250g for a month to 6 weeks, and if you still don’t think you are getting where you want, try to get it to 275…