I have not gained a single pound since december, and I have decided to come forward and ask some basic questiosn and tell you about myself.
Here is my current diet
9am: Either a bagel/cream cheese / juice or a full egg / french toast / milk / OJ breakfast. Depends on the day.
Noon: Usuaully a turkey sandwich or some kind of sandwich, maybe some chinese food or salad, I just basically eat as much as I can. Try to get meat/carbs in. I have to eat at a cafeteria so Im limited
3pm: 1/2 serving of GNC weight gainer. basically a ton of dextrose and some protein. Comes to about 1000 calories.
7pm or so, deending on how hungry I am: Dinner. Usually a large meat portion, some bread of some kind, basically carbs/meat again. Sometimes a salad. usually have a few glasses of milk.
10-11pm. Protein shake.
Now, I just got a george forman grill and a toaster oven, so I can use those now. Im fairly poor so all I take is optimum whey and a multi, in addition to my meal plan. I could probably aford to eat out a few times a week extra than what I do right now. I dont know how easily my body can get it down, im eating a lot for me right now. I get to bed at 11-12pm, and get 9 hours a sleep a night. I may go back on cell-tech within the next few weeks. My body responds well to creatine.
For training im doing the OVT training for 2 more weeks, then Ill either go back to westside training or a basic 3x10 routine for a few weeks then hit something harder.
Im 170lbs 6’2. VERY cut… Decently strong. (ME bench 200, ME Deadlift 300+, ME Squat 350+). Looking for volume gains, while keeping a cut look. Have maintained this weight for about 5-6 weeks now.
For starters your breakfast is about the least anabolic start to your day you could put together aside from a glass of water and some tofu. WAY more protein for breakfast (you’re already eating eggs occasionally, this is good. More eggs + a shake and you’ll be well on your way).
At least your lunch has some meat. A sandwich isn’t much of a lunch though. Once again, more protein. And as a sidenote, I hope you’re eating whole wheat (whole grain, whatever) bread. White bread has no place in your diet. Ever, anywhere, period.
Your dinner sounds OK as long as you’re eating alot of meat compared to all that other stuff. Make sure you get some casein in that pre-bed shake too.
But looking at your diet as whole; you’re eating next to nothing useful before 3pm, then throwing back a ridiculous amount of calories in the weight gainer (which as you said is mostly just a big whack of sugar w/ some protein). This is Not Good™. If it’s post training it might not be a bad idea, but I can’t find anything about when you train (which is very important).
Well, it’s not really a complicated situation. If you are not getting bigger, you need to eat more. I did not see a whole lot of direct fat consumption, so that might be a great way to get your calories up. Natural peanut butter, mixed nuts, whole eggs (organic or omega), flaxseed oil, and olive oil.
The other issue I would make sure you are doing is having good post workout nutrition. I realize you are strapped for cash, so just drink some of the weight gainer right after exercise.
One other thing to look at would be to evaluate your overall cardio amount. If you are doing a lot of extra activity, building muscle is much tougher.
Just off hand, I don’t think that you’re getting enough protein early in the day. Basically, it comes down to eating more calories than you’re currently eating. Keep a food log. Add 500 to whatever total calorie number you get. If that doesn’t work, add 500 more. Also, check out this AFC column by JB for more info:
You have to have a food log, particularly until you’re acquainted with the amount, type, and frequency of your meals necessary to get bigger. Also, you’re eating 5 meals a day right now. Why not try bringing that up to 6-7? That 1000 calorie bomb of a weightgainer really should be subsituted with two 500 (or more) calorie whole-food meals. Basically I’m saying come back to us with a breakdown of every macronutrient you’re eating, gram-by-gram.
I want to stress that my breakfast/lunch meals I eat as much as I can. When I say a sandwich, I’m talking a 15" sub with double meat. When I say eggs, I’m talking 6-7 whole eggs.
It seems I need more protein in the morning. Perhaps before class. I will do this.
It seems I need a better before bed meal with casein. I will amend this.
I will use whole wheat bread always.
I train usually before or after the weight gainer shake. Really sorry for leaving that out.
One thing that kills me I think is that I skateboard every day for an hour or two. It drains me a lot, but its what makes me as cut as I am.
For a few months now I’ve been taking a different post-workout nutritional strategy: for an hour or so post-workout, EAT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE! Well, as much decent food as possible.
Give it a shot. I’ve noticed no significant fat gain since I started doing this, but I’ve definately noticed muscle gains. Weight gainers, whey, soup, meat, milk, whatever. Eat, eat, eat, eat.
