DIET HELP!! confused about macronutrient percentages and when to eat what...

[brollickby06]

Hi everyone. I have been working out for the past 2 and a half weeks. I have a 5 day schedule:

Mon-back/chest
Tues-bicep/tricep
Wed-leg/Shoulder
Thurs-back/chest
Fri-bicep tricep

I just came off of a low-carb diet (losing 25ish lbs) and now want to gain some muscle. I am still confused about how much fat/carbs/protein to eat.

From what i gathered so far, i should eat about 1x to 1.5gx my bodyweight of protein a day. Being 165, I try getting in about 200g a day.

Now after this whole low carb thing, Im not sure how many carbs i should be taking in. Lately i have been taking in around 100 to 150g a day...i dont know if this is too little/less. I try eating carbs very high in fiber (oats/fiber cereal) and eat starchy veggies such as corn/peas.
My goal is to bulk, but i really want to stay away from gaining any more fat. Even though i lost so much, i still have some gut..but its at a bearable level.

And with fats, i am just completely lost. I see people on the forums eating chicken breast/turkey..which is low fat. Then i see them throwing in things lik peanut butter. I dont get it. How much fat is good for someone like me?
I bought a bottle of cod liver oil (i coudlnt find fish oil)..so i have been taking 3 of those evryday.

I even attempted making a carb-cycling diet, but i was suggested not to follow it because i am just a beginner (http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showthread.php?t=56282)


So basically right now i have no diet..and im just confused. I try eating sensible though. Today i ate like this

7: preworkout..4 egg whites, 1 full egg (boiled)
workout arms
9: 1 cup of 1% milkfat cottage cheese
11: 1/2 cup oatmeal, 1 tbs peanut butter, 6 slices of turkey
2: 1/2 cup of corn, 1/4 cup broccoli
then i meant to do some studying then eat but i fell asleep
7: 1 6oz can of tuna, 8 honey wheat pretzels
then tonight, i will eat 60z chicken breast



so basically evrythings a mess. I just need some direction as to when i should eat what. I know carbs are good to eat after the workout correct? Actually the postworkout meal is probably the most important. And if i want to keep the fat gain to a minimal but still bulkup, should i stop eating carbs later on in the day?

I really apreciate any help you guys can give me..i am one confused kid lol

btw, heres some background info: 17 yr old male. Probably 25ish% bodyfat
want to bulk up. Currently im pretty damn weak.

 

[brollickby06]

anyone??

oh, and one more thing..right after i have a intense workout or even run, i start feeling lightheaded these days. Sometimes i even get a headache for a few hours. Does that mean im not eating enough?

 

[lnvanry]

that you posted looks pretty meager...put your cottage cheese before you go to bed too...just switch it w/ the chicken. Cottage cheese is slow digesting protein which is needed during sleep.

You really should eat more...that probably is the reason for the headaches
Some one will calc you daily values w/ that meal and you'll be suprised how low the values are....1/2 cup corn and a 1/2cup of broc...WTF is that? Corn has very little nutritional value. Your diet definitely needs some help.

I also recommend training your legs too.

 

[brollickby06]

i do train legs: wednesday's

and ill start eating cottage cheese half an hour before bed if that helps...
i dont know, im just confused what to eat when. Should i keep carbs low later on during the day?

 

[NeilPearson]

I would drop the protein down to about 120-130 grams a day. You only need about 1.6 grams of protein a day per kilogram of body mass to bulk. Any more than that is wasted.

What is your total calories per day? You need a lot more carbs. They are what is going to give you the energy to have effective workouts. Susan Kleiner in her book Power Eating recommends 7-9 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight for weight trainers. You weigh 75 kg so this would translate to 525-675 grams of carbs a day.

As far as fat goes, we have already allocated about 2600-2700 calories. You have to know what your maintenance + 500 calories is and then make up the rest of your diet with healthy fats (and maybe more carbs depending on how high your maintenance is)

 

[Gordo]

7 am: protein + a little fat

9 am: protein

2 - 7pm is a long time between meals....especially fuelled by only corn and broccoli.....That's not a meal, that's a side dish. No wonder you fall asleep....you bascially run out of gas. Less carbs than my 4 year old eats

7 pm: protein + the tiniest bit of carbs


Dear lord....

Uh, you need WAY more fats and a lot more carbs, Like a ton more....how are you able to function? No wonder you are weak and light headed.

You'll find yourself in the hospital if you're not careful....don't continue this "diet"

Your spacing between meals isn't ideal either....you put a lot of meals up front in the morning and then have next to nothing for the afternoon and evening.

Carbs will shuttle in protein....allow you to have more productive more intense workouts, that will burn more fat in the long run than a low calorie low carb or carb cycling diet. Get your metabolism up, eat more, you'll train harder and burn MORE fat in the process.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

From what i gathered so far, i should eat about 1x to 1.5gx my bodyweight of protein a day. Being 165, I try getting in about 200g a day.

200g/day sounds reasonable. I would aim for ~1.25 x total weight in protein (or 1.5 x lean mass).

And with fats, i am just completely lost. I see people on the forums eating chicken breast/turkey..which is low fat. Then i see them throwing in things lik peanut butter. I dont get it. How much fat is good for someone like me?

I bought a bottle of cod liver oil (i coudlnt find fish oil)..so i have been taking 3 of those evryday.

Fat is good for you - but you have to eat the right types, which is why people are eating those fats from fish oils, nuts, seeds, olive oil and avocado. These are the 'healthy fats'. Saturated fats from meats and dairy is not healthy.

Wait until your cod liver oil runs out and then get plain fish oil too - for these you want to take ~6g a day (6 tablets).

In total, I would not get less than ~50g for someone your size. Something around 65-70g of fats would probably be a good target.

So basically right now i have no diet..and im just confused. I try eating sensible though.

Have you read the sticky up the top of the page?

Also - read this:
http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/showpost.php?p=1038861&postcount=4

It might help too.

 

[NeilPearson]

200g/day sounds reasonable. I would aim for ~1.25 x total weight in protein (or 1.5 x lean mass).

I know it isn't what most body builders would suggest but studies have shown that protein helps build muscle up to about 1.4 g/kg (~0.65 grams per pound) of body weight. After that increased protein intake didn't show any additional muscle growth.

 

[Emma-Leigh]

I know it isn't what most body builders would suggest but studies have shown that protein helps build muscle up to about 1.4 g/kg (~0.65 grams per pound) of body weight. After that increased protein intake didn't show any additional muscle growth.

I am not only talking about muscle growth (and it is usually 0.8g/pound that is the muscle growth indicator - not 0.65). I am also talking about preserving lean mass whilst lowering calories.

For both of these things you want more protein than you are suggesting. If you look at the research for the use of protein in athletic individuals (those looking for hypertrophy) the goal is usually 1.6-1.8g/kg body weight. You can read these for more information:
http://fitness.gov/Reading_Room/Digests/Digest-March2004.pdf
http://www.gotmilk.com/news/health/pour_pdfs/513S_np.pdf
http://www.krow.fi/files/docs/training/protein/protein.htm#_Toc23169029


For weight loss - protein is both vital in maintaining lean mass while dieting, but it is also very important in maintaining satiety and stabilising blood glucose levels. Both of which help a person stick to a diet - which will improve results.