loki <---

damn, should have started a journal a long time ago...

i'm currently 160 lbs @ 10% body fat. i started eating right about 3 weeks or so ago. at that time i was still 160lbs and quite a bit chubbier around the gut, chest and arms. i should have done a bf test before i started the diet but i didn't know if i was going to be able to stick with it. about 6 months ago i was at 25% bf. but after 3 weeks on this diet i'm wearing pants that are 2 inches smaller, my muscles are bigger, everywhere. and i still weigh the same so this is definitely working as i don't appear to be losing muscle mass. i think i'm ready to start tweaking my diet now. my main goal at first was to eat right 6 times a day consistenly everyday. now i'm ready to see if my current diet needs to be modified or if i need to move food around.

when i first started diet:

pre workout:
coffee, creatine

post workout meal 1
protein drink w/skim milk (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
banana

meal 2
3 eggs
2 slices of wheat bread
8 oz glass skim milk
1 table spoon flaxseed oil

meal 3
4 to 6 oz fish
med russett potato

meal 4
can of tuna
2 slices wheat bread

meal 5
4 to 6 oz skinless boneless chicken breast
med russett potato

meal 6
protein drink w/skim milk (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
banana

after using this website diet:

pre workout meal 1
1 whole egg
5 egg whites
1 med green apple
creatine
16 oz water

post workout meal 2
protein drink w/water (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
1 med green apple
16 oz water
multivitamin

meal 3
4 - 6 oz chicken or sirloin or ground turkey or fish
6 oz sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup carrot
1/cup broccoli
16 oz water

meal 4
4 - 6 oz chicken or sirloin or ground turkey or fish
6 oz sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup carrot
1/cup broccoli
16 oz water

meal 5
4 - 6 oz chicken or sirloin or ground turkey or fish
1 med green apple
16 oz water

meal 6
protein drink w/water (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
1 tbl spoon flaxseed oil
16 oz water

extra meal <-- i eat this when i have time, typically earlier in the day on my off workout days.
1 can of tuna (sometimes mixed with a couple of table spoons of cottage cheese to help my craving for cheese. hmm...cottage cheese burger...mmm)
1 med green apple
16 oz water

foods now use:
skinless chicken breast
tuna
salmon
fresh fish
sirloin
turkey
whey protein
eggs
sweet potatos
brown rice
spinach
broccoli
apples
squash
cucumbers
grapefruit
flaxseed oil

i guess what i need to know now is, is there anything i should exclude or include or switch around. i never used to eat before working out in the morning so i just started eating before working out now. i had all the calories, protein, carbs and fats calculated to where roughly:

macro 40/40/20 or 35/45/20 or 45/35/20
bmr 2700
calories consumed a day 2400

these are just rough estimates as i'm still trying to get used to eating this often. i'm eating about 160+ grams of protein a day and i believe about the same in carbs. the rest of the fat i get is from the protein and flaxseed or cottage cheese. absolutely no junk food. oh and the workout schedule:

workout 1
chest
triceps

workout 2
hamstring
quads

workout 3
calves
shoulders

workout 4
back
traps
biceps

right now i'm doing 3 sets light, high reps then 2 sets of 6 to 8 reps for each body part incorporating drop sets and supersets. i've cut cardio and replaced it with 12 minute hiit a couple of times a week. so i guess my questions so far are.

1. how long should i go through a cutting phase?
2. how long should i go through a bulking phase?
3. should i worry about carb ups? <-- still don't know what that is yet.
4. is j'bo single?
5. should i incorporate cheat days if i'm used to eating like this now?
6. what is a good realistic bf % to have.
7. should i comsume more fish fats?
8. once my diet is where it should be, should i tweak any of it later if i'm getting positive results?

btw, it's pretty awesome that i know none of you and more than likely will never meet any of you but you guys have provided the best resources i think i'll ever need.

1. how long should i go through a cutting phase?

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As long as you feel it is neccesary.

2. how long should i go through a bulking phase?

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Again, as long as you feel it is neccesary.

There is no rule about cutting/bulking phases. You can go on them and stay on them until you get your desired results.

3. should i worry about carb ups? <-- still don't know what that is yet.

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If you are eating in a caloric defecit and your carbs are less than 70 or 80 grams per day in my opinion a carb up can be used once a week. 50 grams or less per day and you may need to carb up every 3-4 days.

4. is j'bo single?

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I don't know for sure but I do believe so. She is very pretty, isn't she??

5. should i incorporate cheat days if i'm used to eating like this now?

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Cheat days are going to slow your progress down and keep you from getting to where you want to go. They can be good as a mental break from dieting though. I say just carb up and/or use your refeeds in a smart way and you will be able to stay sane while dieting and still be able to hit your goals as planned. Once you cheat and go crazy and spill over to much that is when things go down hill.

6. what is a good realistic bf % to have.

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A healthy bf% for males is about 10-15%. I like to go under 10%. Some people have a harder time breaking 10% and then once they are down under it they have a hard time staying down there. It is basically up to your body and what it can handle. For some going under 10% is a real challenege. Set a goal for yourself and work as hard as you can to achieve it.

7. should i comsume more fish fats?

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There is no FDA regulation on the amount of Omega 3 that should be consumed. I have heard that you can take a tablespoon for every 50lbs of weight that you carry. In you case 3 tablespoons a day. I like to get 2 tablespoons of flax daily.

8. once my diet is where it should be, should i tweak any of it later if i'm getting positive results?

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A tweak is neccesary to prevent your body from acomidating to the same old diet. If your results have slowed down a lot or even stopped then it is time to tweak things in order to keep your body guessing and keep your metabolsim moving so that you can reach your goals.


Good luck

ok, i've been on this diet for two weeks or so. i'm seeing steady progress. my weight is still the same but i'm definitely more toned upper and lower body. even the fat on my midsection is getting smaller. i'm seeing parts of my abs i didn't know i had. now i'm ready to optimize my diet now that i'm getting used to it and sticking to it. here's what i eat now.

pre workout meal 1
1 whole egg
5 egg whites
1 med green apple
16 oz water

post workout meal 2
protein drink w/water (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 tbl spoon whipping cream
16 oz water

meal 3
6 oz can of tuna
1 med green apple
16 oz water

meal 4
4 - 6 oz chicken or 96/4 sirloin or ground turkey or fish
6 oz sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup carrot or broccoli or squash
1/2 cup cottage cheese
16 oz water

meal 5
4 - 6 oz chicken or 96/4 sirloin or ground turkey or fish
6 oz sweet potato or 1/2 cup brown rice
1/2 cup carrot or broccoli or squash
1/2 cup cottage cheese
16 oz water

meal 6
protein drink w/water (whey includes 2.5 g glutamine)
2 tbl spoon whipping cream
1 tbl spoon flaxseed oil (taken separately)
1/3 cup oatmeal
16 oz water

i'm still not sure about the exact totals or macros now. i'm trying to get to the point where i can buy the same brands of foods each week so i can use the nutritional info on the container to get my numbers as close as i can. i'm assuming i'm getting at least 160 grams of protein and carbs. not too sure on the fats yet. anyone have suggestions on any changes or additions for this diet? when i have time i'll start recalculating my bmr, calorie intake and macro. i had it typed up and all calculated and my computer crashed.

The diet looks okay. I don't like carrots or squash on a cut so much (would rather use green veggies or sweetpotato) but provided they fit in the caloric intake they can work, they aren't that bad IMO.

Just looking at it your assumtion of 160g of protein is off. You are getting more protein than that. Try and figure out the exact macros....looks like a good start.....you're on your way!!

ugh...i'm really pressed on time with my work hours and school but here's a minimum of what i'm eating in a day. on days i'm less busy i add broccoli and cottage cheese in 2 of my meals or some more oatmeal and pb. on days like below i add another apple or eat more rice to bump up the carbs a little. so my question is, as i'm going through a cutting phase is my calorie intake good at 1800? i'm currently still between 157 to 161. my weight hasn't gone up much but my main concern is to not lose weight.

protein/carb/fat/calories

meal one:
whey w/water 23/3/1.5/110
heavy cream 1/1/10/100
oatmeal 5/27/3/150

meal two:
tuna 32/0/1/180
green apple 0/21/1/80

meal three:
4 oz lean ground beef - or chicken/fish 27/0/4/130
1/4 rice 5/30/1/170

meal four:
1 eggs 5 whites 21/2/5/165
green apple 0/21/1/80

meal five:
4 oz lean ground beef - or chicken/fish 27/0/4/130
1/4 rice 5/30/1/170

meal six:
whey w/water 23/3/1.5/110
heavy cream 1/1/10/100

p/c/f/cal
164/116/42/1755

bmr: approx 1800
caloric exp: 2880 on workout days - 2 on/one off/2 on/2 off

you can probably eat more cals if you are expending that much energy.

just changed my diet again and added more food:

protein/carb/fat/calories

meal 1 (8am)
1 can tuna 32/0/1/180
1/3 cup oatmeal 5/27/3/150
two egg whites 7/0/0/32
1 tbl spoon picante 0/0/0/5

p/c/f/cal
44/27/4/367

meal 2 (11am)
4 oz lean ground beef - or chicken/fish 27/0/4/130
1/8 cup of rice 2.5/15/0/65
1/3 can of bush beans 7/20/0/110

p/c/f/cal
37/35/4/305

meal 3 (2pm)
1 can tuna 32/0/1/180
1/3 cup oatmeal 5/27/3/150
two egg whites 7/0/0/32
1/2 avocado 2/7/15/160

p/c/f/cal
46/34/19/527

meal 4 - (5pm preworkout (i leave work about the time i need to eat this meal so i do something i can eat and drive with))
whey w/warm water 23/3/1.5/110 (disolves easier)
1 med green apple 0/21/1/80

p/c/f/cal
23/24/3/190

w/o (6pm)

meal 5 - (7:30pm to 8pm post workout)
2 scoops whey w/water 46/6/3/220
2/3 cup oatmeal 10/54/6/300
2 table spoons of heavy whipping cream 1/1/10/100
2 tablespoons natural (arrowhead mills) peanut butter 9/6/15/200

p/c/f/cal
66/69/34/820

meal 6 (10pm (i go to bed a little before 11pm and wake up at 7am or so)
4 oz lean ground beef - or chicken/fish 27/0/4/130
1/8 cup of rice 2.5/15/0/65
1/3 can of bush beans 7/20/0/110

p/c/f/cal
37/35/4/305

p/c/f/cal
253/224/68/2624

bmr: approx 1800
caloric exp: 2880 on workout days - 2 on/one off/2 on/2 off

still 155 to 160. need to do a body fat test. been about 1.5 months since the last one. been on a consistent diet for a little over a month but i can see things are going good. not losing any body weight which is what i'm concerned with while figuring out this cutting thing. also, to have the fat look smaller on mah belly which it is. i don't feel there's any point in me trying to do a bulking diet right now until i can successfully do a cutting diet. once i get a six pack then i'll know for sure what to do if i start getting too fat from a bulking diet. hopefully this makes sense. unless there's other suggestions? meaning, right now i'm sure i'm at 10% or maybe a little less, however i've read that around 8% you should pretty much have a six pack. i don't however. i still have a a little flab i can pinch and i can see the top four and feel the bottom two when i rub mah belly, which i have not been able to do before this diet. is it possible to be at that low of a bf % and not be ripped? everywhere else is pretty tight. i now see veins in my forearms which i have not before as well as my biceps and chest a little more. i'm not really sure what to expect towards the end of getting a six pack as i've never had one before. of course the guy doing the bf % at 24 hour fitness may have been off or the count inaccurate. i'll find out this weekend or next when i take another bf test. oh and i'm doing the gopro workout. i've done one 3 week cycle, power, rep, range, i started documenting what i'm doing and the weight/reps in an excel sheet so i can track my progress.

mon: chest/shoulders/calves
tues: back/traps/lower back
wed: off
thur: quads/hams/calves
frida: bis/tris/forearms
sat: off
sun: off

haven't been working on abs as they're pretty developed and don't want them getting bigger. also, after back day and leg they're sore so i'm assuming they're getting their own workout on these days. i'm not sure what to do for ab strengthening yet, as opposed to making them bigger. any suggestions would help. so i guess my questions are:

1. is this diet ok p/c/f/cal wise on a cut?
2. is meal 4 ok for preworkout? i eat this as i'm leaving work. my work shedule will change to where i can workout in the morning as opposed to night so my meal placements are subject to change after next week. right now this is just convenient but i can change it.
3. is meal 5 ok for post workout? damn that's almost half of what i was eating a day p/c/f/cal wise before i changed my diet. is this too much? should i split this meal into two meals? i like this meal and i'm still friggin hungry afterwards.
4. what the hell is that clear stuff in the nat pb? i couldn't mix it with the pb. too thick so i removed it, refridged it and didn't touch it for like 3 weeks cus it was so dry to eat by itself, until i decided to try mixing it with whey/water/hw cream/oat meal and damn it tastes good. am i using too much pb?
5. sweet potatoes make me ill. think i just ate too many plain. need to find some good recipes. is it ok to just stick with brown rice, oats, beans and apples?
6. meal 1 and 3 i take 1 can of tuna, 1/3 cup of oats, 2 egg whites, sometime onions, mix it all up and fry on skillet with pam. damn it tastes good. thanks prince! on meal 3 i have half an avocado. is that ok?
7. what should i move around? remove? add? my workout schedule will be the same, w/o in the evening, until the week after next. then i'll be working out in the morning around 9am with my meals starting at 8am.
8. hey p-funk! how the hell are ya?

oh yeah,

9. instead of eating 1/4 cup of rice or 1/2 can of beans i've been eating 1/8 and 1/3 can of beans. mixing rice and beans tastes good. is that ok?

btw it's brown rice, not white.

Welcome fellow Texan

howdy there!