Thread: Cal Intake/Plateau Help Plz!

Hi everyone,im 17 5'9 145lb and i would say around 20%bodyfat,i strength train 3 times a week and do cardio 4 times a week.ive been workingout for just over a year now and my last goal is to just lose that last bit of weight around my belly and lower back but i aways seem to hit a plateau and i just dont kno what to do anymore .im taken in 1700 cals a day now 40%pro/30%carbs/20%fats, what do you guys think would be the best corse of action for someone like me,up the calories or lower them and by how much a day?any help is deeply appreciated thanks.

At 17 and 145 pounds and 5'9 I don't think you need to focus on cutting. You are already pretty 'light' so I would focus on training hard, eating well and letting your body do the work for you through adding some lean mass.

You are also not eating very much at all - and it looks like you might not be eating frequently enough. When are you meals? (times etc).

That said, your diet could certainly use some tweaking - this will help you reach a better body composition.

Originally Posted by EL Colombiano

first thing when i get up i have whey with water(1scoop)

I would just skip this... Start the day off with a good breakfast instead.

Meal 1- 1/2 cup oatmeal/2egg whites/1whole egg/1 tbp of all natural peanut butter.

So, instead of the scoop of whey first thing, have more protein here. You are only getting ~14g from your eggs and you want to aim for about ~35g. So you want to add another 20g. This you could do with 0.5 cups of cottage cheese (14g) and 2 more egg whites (7g).

Meal 2- turkey sandwich on whole grain/whole wheat bread with 1slice off fat free mozzarella /1 tp of flaxseed oil.

I would ditch the bread and fat-free cheese. Generally, the more processed a food, the less helpful it will be for your body. So go for something like some brown rice or a whole grain (such as pearl barley) with some lean turkey and vegetables. This is especially important if it is a PRE-workout meal!! You want a good carb and good protein source. Consider swapping the flax for fish oils.

Meal 3-(PWO)whey with water(1 1/2 scoop)/3oz chicken breast/2cups mixed veggies/1 piece of fruit.

Ok - PWO you are better off making a shake with whey and having some good carbs (like a banana and some oats or skim milk).

Meal 4- 3oz chicken breast/2cups mixed veggies.

This is good - but add some good carbs here - they will help with your recovery. Something like oats, rice, sweet potato etc.

Meal 5- whey shake(1 scoop) with fat free yogut/1 tp flaxseed oil.

Take that FF yoghurt and have it PWO.

When is this meal?? If it is very late at night I would change this to a casein shake or use cottage cheese instead. Then add some healthy fats to that. You could also go for something such as salmon (good fats, and solid protein).

As I said - you might need another meal in there somewhere...

i cooked my chicken with only 1 tp of olive oil,i drink a gallon of water a day and also take multi vitamins?

You might want to consider dry-baking or grilling the chicken instead. And make sure it is lean chicken breast (not thigh).

Are you taking anything other than a multi-vitamin??