Carb/Protein Intake

[DarkManX]

Hi all,

I have recently started working out, I am having trouble getting clear answers about what my carb/protein intake should be.

I am 27 yrs old, Male, 5'9... My weight was getting close to 170 a few months ago... I am now down to about 158. Ive been extremely skinny my whole life but in my 20's started gaining more fat. Since the begging of the year ive been running a few miles a day, and about 5 weeks ago I started weight training. I am not trying to become a body building, just want to eliminate body fat and get toned, and fit.

My weight has remained the same since I started working out 5 weeks ago, ive certainly noticed a difference in my body with fat going away, and muscle growth.

I just want to make sure I am eating right, I have made changes in my diet, I stooped eating alot of bad cabs (white flour, cut out baked goods, cakes, cookies, pretty much all desert) I was never a soda drinker.

I have heard mixed feedback regarding protein intake.. such as 1g per lb. but not really hearing anything about carbs, or other nutrients.

I have been keeping up with a food journal on fitness pal and I am usually in the 100-150g protein range, but I am finding it hard to exceed 2500 calories, and my carb intake.

I am eating more smaller meals per day.

I eat alot of chicken, fish (baked salmon, baked tilapia, packaged tuna for snacks) steak, egg whites, oatmeal, whole grain breads, brown rice, Spinach, kale, arugula, apples, bananas, blackberries, raspberries. These are the foods I eat most frequently.

If anyone cares this is the routine ive been following: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/lee-labrada-12-week-lean-body-trainer.html

I dont think there is a way for me to share my fitnesspal diary.

Please advise.

 

[Pantlegz]

It really depends on how you diet is structured, when I was doing low carb stuff I would have considered anything more than 100g a day too many carbs. Anymore my carb intake is about 2x my protein intake and fat makes up the rest. It think these guidelines are pretty standard for most novice to intermediate athletes.

for example my guideline for a training day is about 5000 calories, 245g protein 508g carbs and 226gfat. My one rest day is also my 'cheat' day so I get more carbs than I should those days. My rest day guideline is 245g protein 400g carbs and 130g fat putting me at about 4000 calories. If you're trying to lose wight, I would even out the calories from fat and carbs on your rest days, given my example it would be ~298g carbs and 132g fat.

 

[DarkManX]

The thing is im not on a "diet" Im just eating healthier food, with no real structure. My goal is not to loose weight, my goal is to eat the most optimal quantities to make my workouts as efficient and productive as possible.

 

[z1ggy]

I don't have any real structure either, but my diet is about 4:3:3, carbsrotein:fats. I am lifting 3 days a week, and attempting for 4 days of cardio. Since November, I have put on about 6 pounds, and lost 2% body fat.

Mainly, I eat baked boneless chicken, 2% milk, BSN protein shake, whole grain pasta, almonds and sometimes some low fat cheese. There's other small things in their like coffee and what not, but those are the main staples of what I eat. Every now and again I will toss in brown rice and yams to change up the carb mixture, but you get the idea.

Also, how you lift is important, too. If you aren't trying to body build and want some lean muscle gains and strength, keep your reps to the lower side and make sure you are doing your squats and dead lifts.

 

[Pantlegz]

The thing is im not on a "diet" Im just eating healthier food, with no real structure. My goal is not to loose weight, my goal is to eat the most optimal quantities to make my workouts as efficient and productive as possible.

Your diet is simply what you eat. You are on a diet, just not what most people consider "dieting

 

[surfsatwerk]

Carbs are the enemy!

 

[pauldun170]

chicken, (How are you preparing this?)
baked salmon, <--Good
baked tilapia, <-- How are you preparing this since Tilapia sucks on its own.
packaged tuna for snacks <--You eatin this plain? The corners of your mouth hate you.
Steak, <-- Try and keep this down to a minimum. Pay attention to the cut of meat.
egg whites, <-- saute some raw spinach, mushrooms and maybe a little garlic...nice breakfast.
whole grain breads <-- Drop the bread. completely. Replace with Broccolli or some other manly green vegetable
brown rice
Spinach,
arugula,
oatmeal, <-- Replace with some prunes and a shake made from below
(kale+apples+bananas+blackberries+raspberries+almond milk+natural peanut butter)

Drop the bread...I don't care if it says "fortified by unicorn tear incrusted immortality spunk". Replace it with Brussel sprouts, Brocolli...fresh green vegetables.

Even if you don't follow my yapping, you seem to be on the right track

 

[DarkManX]

chicken, (How are you preparing this?)
baked salmon, <--Good
baked tilapia, <-- How are you preparing this since Tilapia sucks on its own.
packaged tuna for snacks <--You eatin this plain? The corners of your mouth hate you.
Steak, <-- Try and keep this down to a minimum. Pay attention to the cut of meat.
egg whites, <-- saute some raw spinach, mushrooms and maybe a little garlic...nice breakfast.
whole grain breads <-- Drop the bread. completely. Replace with Broccolli or some other manly green vegetable
brown rice
Spinach,
arugula,
oatmeal, <-- Replace with some prunes and a shake made from below
(kale+apples+bananas+blackberries+raspberries+almond milk+natural peanut butter)

Drop the bread...I don't care if it says "fortified by unicorn tear incrusted immortality spunk". Replace it with Brussel sprouts, Brocolli...fresh green vegetables.

Even if you don't follow my yapping, you seem to be on the right track

90% of the time all the chicken and fish I make is made in the toaster oven, ill put some random spices on it, lemon juice, olive oil.

Steak I will eat once or twice a week.

Tuna.. ill eat the little snack packs with a tiny bit of mayo or plain if im on the road, occasionally ill get the little kits that include crackers.

I eat quite a bit of broccoli, I will make a stir fry mix with broc, onions, peppers, cauliflower.

Cutting out bread is so hard, ive probably reduced my bread intake at least 60% from prior to starting working out, and like 98% of white bread. I can eat a pretty huge meal of chicken or steak with a full plate of stir fry mix mentioned above, I will feel hungry within an hour or two.

I am wrapping up week 6, my weight has remained the same, deff getting toned and seeing improvements with strength. I can feel my abs, but its hard to see them lol. In the morning they are more visible/defined.

 

[KoolDrew]

I generally recommend determining a caloric intake appropriate for you and your goals first, then figure out protein and fat needs. Once protein and fat needs are accounted for carbs would simply be used as a buffer to fill the rest.

This is what I would suggest...

1) Set protein at least at 1 g/lb. This does vary depending on the individuals preferences, bodyfat levels, caloric intake, etc. Feel free to take it up to 1.25xbw. More than this (up to 1.5x) can be useful for guys that are very lean (contest bodybuilders) or on extreme deficits, but for moderate bodyfat levels and a moderate training load 1-1.25xbw works well. For you this would be between 160-200g. We'll go with 175g. 175 x 4 = 700kcal
2) Set fat intake at 20-25% of total calories. So let's say you're consuming 2500kcal. 25% would end up being 625kcal or 70g from fat.
3) Now simply fill the rest with carbs. We have 1175kcal left over, so it'd be ~300g

Putting it all together and you end up with...

2500kcal
175g protein
70g fat
300g carbs

That would be a good starting point. After the newbie gains stop you can adjust accordingly to your goals.

 

[DarkManX]

I figured out how to share my fitnesspal data.. http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/diary/djrkd85 I try to keep it pretty accurate.

I guess the hard thing with playing with the numbers is figured out if the changes are working or not.