Diet

[Alone]

How does this look as a diet for losing a bit of fat, without draining myself of energy?

Breakfast: Shake with oats, protein (30g), 1/2 cup skim milk, banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, couple eggs (with yolk).

Lunch: 1 can tuna with yellow mustard, or boneless, skinless chicken breast. Shake with 30g protein, fruit (apples, strawberries, banana, depends on what I feel like).

Dinner: Same as lunch, except I'll have chicken if I had tuna earlier.

Snacks in between each could be pickles, raw carrots, sunflower seeds.

Am I missing something?

5'10, 180lbs. Cardio 3-5 times a week, planning on trying Starting Strength.

 

[kamper]

Looks a little low on veggies.

 

[deniel.volt]

Hi Guys,

Thanks a lot for sharing but nowadays i want to gain my weight.

Deniel.

 

[bommy261]

more veggies.. u can get a whole bag for like 1.25 @ giant. get em frozen, and steam em in the microwave for like 7 minutes and enjoy. throw some cheese in there if u don't like em plain.

you should be eating veggies whether your gaining or loosing

 

[KoolDrew]

What's the macronutrient breakdown?

 

[Kipper]

What's the macronutrient breakdown?

Looks like OP is guzzling protein, protein, protein, with very little carbs, veggies, or anything else, for that matter. I mean, a can of tuna and a protein shake for lunch? C'mon...

I would like to see a bit of balance brought to that meal. I have no idea what kind of diet you're shooting for, but assuming your goal is weight loss, I use this "Healthy Plate" method a lot with patients, as illustrated in this image:

http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/jan/images/06_0050_01.jpg

Basically, it encourages a TON of nonstarchy vegetable consumption (meaning everything but potatoes, peas, corn, yams, parsnips, etc.; at least 1/2 of plate) with moderate starches (1/4th of plate) and lean protein (1/4th of plate). This would be perfect for you as you aren't engaging in a large amount of resistance training and so don't have mega-high protein needs. I would increase a *bit* for weight loss to promote retention of muscle, but that doesn't mean you need to start guzzling protein shakes. Most people get more than enough protein from their diets.

 

[ThorofThunder]

How does this look as a diet for losing a bit of fat, without draining myself of energy?

Breakfast: Shake with oats, protein (30g), 1/2 cup skim milk, banana, 2 tbsp peanut butter, couple eggs (with yolk).

Lunch: 1 can tuna with yellow mustard, or boneless, skinless chicken breast. Shake with 30g protein, fruit (apples, strawberries, banana, depends on what I feel like).

Dinner: Same as lunch, except I'll have chicken if I had tuna earlier.

Snacks in between each could be pickles, raw carrots, sunflower seeds.

Am I missing something?

5'10, 180lbs. Cardio 3-5 times a week, planning on trying Starting Strength.

Drop the skim milk in your oats and replace it with water. Humans, beyond a single-digit age, aren't meant to drink milk.

Throw in some berries other than strawberries--blackberries, blueberries, etc.

Replace your "snacks" with almonds or other nuts. They're very healthy for you and very filling at the same time.

Also, with all that protein you're chugging, you have to add some massive amounts of cardio exercise to your weekly habits to keep it from turning into fat. If you want to gain muscle while losing fat (the slow way of becoming toned), then you need to stick with lean protein. Whey/casein powders, tuna, steamed chicken, eggs, broccoli.

If you really want to get hardcore, use Ryan Reynolds as a case study. He powered through 3-4 months of rotating eggs, steamed chicken, and tuna. 1 week was dedicated to each protein source, and all he "snacked" on was raw broccoli.

 

[Alone]

If you really want to get hardcore, use Ryan Reynolds as a case study. He powered through 3-4 months of rotating eggs, steamed chicken, and tuna. 1 week was dedicated to each protein source, and all he "snacked" on was raw broccoli.

Aside from the milk I was consuming, and the lack of vegetables, it's pretty close.

I've looked up his diet and it seems reasonable. I'll give it a shot.

As for cardio, I'm in the military so I get a reasonable amount of exercise, plus whatever I chose to do on my own time.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Leafy greens are needed in there and while cans of tuna are a good crash diet tool, you should consider adding some fresh salmon (wild or farm) or other oily fishes.

I highly recommend picking up some fish oil capsules and adding them to supplement your intake so you don't have to eat as much fish and still help flush fat out of your system.

 

[Alone]

I'll have to do that, as Tuna is the ONLY seafood I can tolerate.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

Drop the skim milk in your oats and replace it with water. Humans, beyond a single-digit age, aren't meant to drink milk.

I think this is news to everyone on earth...

Milk is a great source of casein protein which will stick in your stomach for quite a while giving your body some fuel in the process. In my opinion saying that humans aren't supposed to drink milk after the age of 9 is like saying you shouldn't breathe air because it's bad for you.

Now I'm assuming the protein you are taking is Whey which is a fast acting protein that is be used around the time of your work out. Because it's fast acting the slow to absorb casein in milk can inhibit how fast the whey gets to your muscles. Which is why I use water with whey protein. This is just something I do because I think it works. Don 't take my word for gospel. Just like you shouldn't take most people's advice about your own health.

Find out what works for you, and adjust accordingly to achieve the results you desire.

 

[brikis98]

Humans, beyond a single-digit age, aren't meant to drink milk.

Except... many of us have evolved to do exactly that.

Also, with all that protein you're chugging, you have to add some massive amounts of cardio exercise to your weekly habits to keep it from turning into fat.

Protein doesn't magically turn into fat anymore than carbs or fat do. In fact, it takes more energy to digest protein. At any rate, it'll only get turned into fat if he is eating a caloric surplus. If you follow the guide in the fat loss sticky, you'll be in a moderate caloric deficit, so your theory is wrong.

If you want to gain muscle while losing fat (the slow way of becoming toned), then you need to stick with lean protein. Whey/casein powders, tuna, steamed chicken, eggs, broccoli.

With the exception of beginners to weight training, you really won't ever gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Eating lots of protein while cutting helps preserve muscle mass, but it doesn't have to be lean protein.


To the OP: eat some damn veggies. I don't see a single one in your diet. Hell, gorge yourself on them, especially leafy greens. They make you feel full, are stuffed with vitamins/nutrients and are very low calorie.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Except... many of us have evolved to do exactly that.


Protein doesn't magically turn into fat anymore than carbs or fat do. In fact, it takes more energy to digest protein. At any rate, it'll only get turned into fat if he is eating a caloric surplus. If you follow the guide in the fat loss sticky, you'll be in a moderate caloric deficit, so your theory is wrong.


With the exception of beginners to weight training, you really won't ever gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. Eating lots of protein while cutting helps preserve muscle mass, but it doesn't have to be lean protein.


To the OP: eat some damn veggies. I don't see a single one in your diet. Hell, gorge yourself on them, especially leafy greens. They make you feel full, are stuffed with vitamins/nutrients and are very low calorie.

To support brikis' point of human milk consumption: western european individuals can actually handle milk quite well. We actually have the enzyme lactase that enables lactose to be broken down into galactose and glucose. Asians actually don't have quite the same genetics for this, resulting in a high incidence of lactose intolerance among the Asian populations.

 

[ThorofThunder]

Does it not seem strange to anyone that humans are the only mammals on this planet that drink milk after suckling ends?

Just sayin'...

 

[ThorofThunder]

Now I'm assuming the protein you are taking is Whey which is a fast acting protein that is be used around the time of your work out. Because it's fast acting the slow to absorb casein in milk can inhibit how fast the whey gets to your muscles. Which is why I use water with whey protein. This is just something I do because I think it works. Don 't take my word for gospel. Just like you shouldn't take most people's advice about your own health.

No, you're right. Taking whey and casein simultaneously isn't as good as taking either separately.

Have a little more confidence with your suggestions! Taking whey immediately before/after workouts is optimal. Just as your suggestion states: you're supposed to consume casein protein before going to sleep at night (as opposed to fast-acting whey), so that your body doesn't run out of a source of protein halfway through the night.

 

[coreyb]

nothing wrong with milk. people been getting big and strong on milk for years.

 

[HomerX]

Does it not seem strange to anyone that humans are the only mammals on this planet that drink milk after suckling ends?

Just sayin'...

And we are without a doubt the ruling mammal on this Planet!

coincidence?

-> Milk Rules!


Seriously... Is that your only argument? We are also the only mammal that wears clothes...

Are you wearing clothes?

Besides i guess because milk is bad you also pass on cheese, yoghurt, quark, cottage cheese etc?

 

[KoolDrew]

At any rate, it'll [protein] only get turned into fat if he is eating a caloric surplus.

Even then protein is basically never going to be converted to fat. If energy input exceeds energy output you will gain fat, but not through conversion of protein to fat. Even carbs are rarely converted to fat (a process called de novo lipogenesis) except under certain dietary conditions. Excess carbs simply make you fat by inhibiting fat oxidation and increasing carb oxidation. Excess protein does so by increasing protein oxidation. Both result in decreased fat oxidation, which results in fat being directly stored.

The only exception to this being very high carb intake (800-1000g a day, for multiple days), or a very low fat diet where the body ramps up de novo lipogenesis.

 

[TheBDB]

Does it not seem strange to anyone that humans are the only mammals on this planet that drink milk after suckling ends?

Just sayin'...

Animals stop drinking milk because they grow up and don't need it...not because it magically becomes bad for you at some age.

 

[Alone]

To the OP: eat some damn veggies. I don't see a single one in your diet. Hell, gorge yourself on them, especially leafy greens.

Well, then you weren't paying attention, because there are a couple.

But I understand. I just chose not to include them yet because I'm still working my way up to eating them on a regular basis. I do enjoy romaine/green leaf/red leaf lettuces, so I'll certainly add that (can turn my chicken into a chicken salad).

However, I must ask: Why is it that it seems acceptable for a vegetarian to supplement vitamins and minerals they would usually get from meat, but not for someone to supplement the vitamins and minerals they would usually get from meat?

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Does it not seem strange to anyone that humans are the only mammals on this planet that drink milk after suckling ends?

Just sayin'...

Western Europeans relied on farm-based food supply. They found out that cows lactate much more than is necessary for their young so they decided to try to drink it. Eventually, an early farmer/somebody was less lactose intolerant than most and that trait prevailed eventually. You can't "just say." Many people have a specific genetic ability to digest milk. It's called evolving. If any other animal knew how to farm, those who could digest milk would be more fit, resulting in a greater number of descendants with that trait. Especially in a famine, this can result in some very quick population genetic changes.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

No, you're right. Taking whey and casein simultaneously isn't as good as taking either separately.

Have a little more confidence with your suggestions! Taking whey immediately before/after workouts is optimal. Just as your suggestion states: you're supposed to consume casein protein before going to sleep at night (as opposed to fast-acting whey), so that your body doesn't run out of a source of protein halfway through the night.

Whether you get whey or casein doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is overall protein intake throughout the day. If you weigh 150lbs and take in 130-170g of any type of protein, you will maintain muscle mass or, in a caloric deficit, increase LBM. The whole bodybuilder mentality that you need to take in proteins that digest at different rates actually has no basis in research. However, there's been plenty of research to show that if an individual gets sufficient overall protein (and a certain amount post-weightlifting), then there is absolutely no loss in muscle mass, as many bodybuilders like to threaten.

 

[MetalMat]

Whether you get whey or casein doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is overall protein intake throughout the day. If you weigh 150lbs and take in 130-170g of any type of protein, you will maintain muscle mass or, in a caloric deficit, increase LBM. The whole bodybuilder mentality that you need to take in proteins that digest at different rates actually has no basis in research. However, there's been plenty of research to show that if an individual gets sufficient overall protein (and a certain amount post-weightlifting), then there is absolutely no loss in muscle mass, as many bodybuilders like to threaten.

So if you do alot of cardio, just stock up on 1-2g of protein per LBM every day and you wont have any problem losing muscle? Sounds easy enough. So what is your opinion on getting the protein from supplements versus food?

 

[KoolDrew]

So if you do alot of cardio, just stock up on 1-2g of protein per LBM every day and you wont have any problem losing muscle?

Resistance training and the severity of the deficit are important as well.

 

[brikis98]

Even then protein is basically never going to be converted to fat. If energy input exceeds energy output you will gain fat, but not through conversion of protein to fat. Even carbs are rarely converted to fat (a process called de novo lipogenesis) except under certain dietary conditions. Excess carbs simply make you fat by inhibiting fat oxidation and increasing carb oxidation. Excess protein does so by increasing protein oxidation. Both result in decreased fat oxidation, which results in fat being directly stored.

The only exception to this being very high carb intake (800-1000g a day, for multiple days), or a very low fat diet where the body ramps up de novo lipogenesis.

Yup, good catch. I didn't mean to say that the protein itself got stored as fat but that whether you lose/gain fat is more about caloric deficit/surplus and not simply the result of eating one macronutrient or another.

Well, then you weren't paying attention, because there are a couple.

The only veggie I see are carrots, which you have for snacks. That's better than nothing, but still a very long way from a balanced diet.

But I understand. I just chose not to include them yet because I'm still working my way up to eating them on a regular basis. I do enjoy romaine/green leaf/red leaf lettuces, so I'll certainly add that (can turn my chicken into a chicken salad).

There are many ways to enjoy veggies. Salads are an easy start, but you can also try steaming them, stir fry, soups and my personal favorite, roasted veggies (just take a bunch of your favorites, put them in a pan, sprinkle w/ salt, pepper & olive oil and bake for 45 minutes).

However, I must ask: Why is it that it seems acceptable for a vegetarian to supplement vitamins and minerals they would usually get from meat, but not for someone to supplement the vitamins and minerals they would usually get from meat?

Here is the thing: a vitamin pill can be useful to deal with a very specific vitamin deficiency, such as what you might get if you don't include meat in your diet because you are a vegetarian. However, it cannot replace a whole category of foods such as fruits & veggies. The problem is that diet & nutrition science are not nearly advanced enough to build a pill that can replace whole food. Foods contains thousands of chemicals & structures and we only understand the effect a small percentage of them have. For example, consider the history of baby formula. The recipe has been updated countless times over the years but still can't compete with real milk. First they discovered the protein content was too low, so they upped that; then it was discovered that babies needed more iron; then the whey:casein ratio was adjusted; lately the ratio of fatty acids (DHA and ARA) was tweaked. And you know what? It's still not as good. Who knows how many other essential compounds and ratios are missing or incorrect that are essential for human development?

Well, the same applies to fruits and veggies. They contain FAR more than just vitamins, so replacing them with a vitamin pill will not even come close to making up for their full nutritional value. If you just browse the numerous health benefits of vegetables, you'll get a very small glimpse of just how complex food is and how inadequate a simple vitamin pill is to replace all that.