Need help with diet [Forum Archive]

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Need help with diet

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Posted by: xpk199

I have learned a great deal from reading these forums, however I’m still lost when it comes to planning the proper diet. I used to lift weights 10 years ago but the results didn’t justify the effort I was putting in. I realize now my diet was completely out of whack.

I wish to start over, and take it serious this time. I’m 30 years old now, 5’8”, 168 pounds and my bf% is around 17 to 19%. I want to build mass (15 to 20 pounds) and lose some body fat too. I would start slow, workout 3 days a week (intensive), and get plenty of rest, and increase my workouts down the road.

There are lots of sample diets on this forum but are any of them right for me?
What should my calorie intake be?
Protein / Carbs / Fats ratios?
What should I eat and when?
Because of work, I wouldn’t be able to workout till the evening? Should I alter my diet because of this?

As you can see I’m clueless. Any help would be appreciated. Any websites you can direct me to would be fine too.

Thanks

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpk199

There are lots of sample diets on this forum but are any of them right for me?

One you can stick to!

Seriously - there is no perfect diet for everyone. You are going to have to experiment to see what works for you. As long as it is not a really stupid diet and as long as you follow the general guidelines then, unless you are looking to do something very specific (like compete) it is not going matter if you eat particular macronutrient ratio's or at special times.

Personally - I think that, as long as you make sensible food choices and practice moderation in most things, you can't go wrong.

Quote:

What should my calorie intake be?

Once again - it is impossible to say... With your stats (30 years old now, 5’8”, 168 pounds and my bf% is around 17 to 19) you could start out with something like 2400-2500 cals and see how you went over the first 2-3 weeks.

Quote:

Protein / Carbs / Fats ratios?

Depends on level of cardio, level of activity during the day, level of insulin sensitivity and your preference.

I usually suggest something like:
2 x lean mass carbs (270g)
1.5 x lean mass protein (200g)
0.4 x lean mass fat (55g)

To start with and then modify accordingly - if you don't like carbs, drop carbs down and increase fats.

Quote:

What should I eat and when?

That you will have to work out. If you read this here and this thread here you should get some more idea's.

If you do a search and read through the old posts you will get a better understanding of what you can/should do.

Quote:

Because of work, I wouldn’t be able to workout till the evening? Should I alter my diet because of this?

To a certain extent. You should make sure your pre and post workout meals allow you adequate carbs and protein for recovery(including, ideally, your pre-workout meal, PWO shake and a meal ~1 hr after this too).

Once you have a bit of a read around, if you post up an example of a diet you could stick to, we can all take a look and make specific suggestions.

Posted by: xpk199

Thanks for the reply. I'll begin working on a diet plan.

One more question. As I get bigger and increase the amount of weight I lift, do I have to increase my calorie intake?

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpk199

Thanks for the reply. I'll begin working on a diet plan.

One more question. As I get bigger and increase the amount of weight I lift, do I have to increase my calorie intake?

To a certain extent - as you become more active and as you add muscle mass you will need slightly more calories to maintain this - but it is not going to be a sudden and drastic increase and it will not happen excessively quickly - you may simply notice a decrease rate of gains at which time you would want to re-assess your diet and training program.

Posted by: xpk199

Can someone tell me how many almonds (or peanuts, or walnuts) make 1 oz?

Posted by: alexvega

ahhh , i´m in the same situation.
i´m 33 years old, just that i´m train for long time. my boddy fat is like 25last time . now is like 22,
work in the hospital, my day is bussy.
train 4 times p/week.

the difficult to me is calcule the fat and carbs .
thanks

Posted by: BulkMeUp

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpk199

Can someone tell me how many almonds (or peanuts, or walnuts) make 1 oz?

www.nutritiondata.com

Posted by: Emma-Leigh

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpk199

Can someone tell me how many almonds (or peanuts, or walnuts) make 1 oz?

~ 25 medium almonds
~ 30 small peanuts
~ 14 walnuts

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