reworked diet - how does this look?

[nikegurl]

reworked diet - w8? Dr. Pain? etc

ok - i did my homework last night. so much good information here.

how does this diet look? (i'm 5'9" weigh 136 at about 17% bodyfat trying to get leaner and put on some more muscle)

MEAL 1
1 1/2 protein (whey shake 34 grams protein)
4 frozen strawberries
2 Tbs whipping cream

MEAL 2
5 egg whites
2 yolks
1/2 cucumber

do I need any oil here or do the 2 egg yolks cover it?

MEAL 3
1 can tuna
1 Tbs mayo
chopped celery (1 stalk)

MEAL 4
4 oz chicken (grilled) or ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 cup salad (lettuce, tomato, green pepper, cucumber) with
1 TBS olive oil and vinegar

MEAL 5 (after gym)
1 1/2 protein (whey shake - 34 grams)
4 strawberries
2 Tbs whipping cream

MEAL 6 right before bed (is that ok?)
1 can tuna
1 Tbsp mayo
2 whole eggs


working to get my water intake up
started taking glutamine
take a good multi
have been taking 1 or 2 xenadrine a day
(can't tolerate the full dosage)

**************************************

Now my questions - Is this too much mayo? (2 Tbs in one day)
Is flax necessary? Rht now I have pb, olive oil, egg yolks and mayo for fat.

As for carbs - how do you decide if you carb up on day 4 or if you have more active carbs every day? If i do the carb up every few days would it be 3 days of going without and then on the 4th day carb up last meal at night? Is it better to start with one method and then switch? Which comes first?

If any of the meals don't look right, need more or less or something please let me know.

Also - once I get going if I need to stray from this exact plan how do i make substitutions. I want to be getting about 30-35 grams of protein at each meal right?
Then fat too - pb, olive oil, egg yolks, mayo. are these all ok? how much at each meal?
as for veggies - i'm not a big fan. are cucumber, green pepper, lettuce, tomato and celery all ok? is it ok to mix them sometimes and other times just eat 1/2 a cucumber?

 

[w8lifter]

Okay, it's good to see that you're not fat phobic, but we still need balance. So a general guideline is to get 30-35 g protein per meal, 10-15 grams fat & 25-30 grams active carbs per meal (till you reach your max carb total for the day). Usually, if you're having carbs daily, you'd take 25-30g in each of three meals.

Whether you have daily carbs or bi-weekly carbs is kind of a preference, but each should be considered for tweaks. I'd suggest beginning the diet w/ depletion so you can switch over to fat-burning from sugar-burning as fast as possible. You could do the depletion/bi-weekly carb-ups for ~3 weeks, then try the daily carbs for a week or so and go back to depletion when that stops being effective. But if you think you might screw up, like it's too strict, go w/ the daily slow-burning carbs.

If you're having olive oil, p/b etc, the flax will help to balance out your EFA's. Safflower & olive oil can substitute for flax in terms of the ratio of 3's-6's, but they're not going to carry the same health benefits as flax.

When thinking substitutions, keep in mind the general guidelines above and you'll be fine. Fats, protein and carbs are interchangeable. You're fat sources are good...don't forget heavy whipping cream! Use it now and you can cut it later when you need to tweak.

Your veggies are a source of fibre....eat 'em! tomatoes aren't the best, use them rarely and only a few slices at a time. Spinach will have more fibre and vitamins than lettuce, but if you must lettuce, make sure it's a dark green such as romaine. you can mix your veggies or eat them separately like you want, that's okay.

The diet below is a depletion diet, if this is what you want to use, make sure you carb up twice a week, pick two days, say Monday & thursday and carb-up in your last meal.

MEAL 1
1 1/2 protein (whey shake 34 grams protein)
4 frozen strawberries
2 Tbs whipping cream

Excellent, but make it 3 tbsp of whipping cream. This brings the fat up to 15 g for the meal. I think it's important to have a good meal first thing in the morning and after your w/o. If you were having carbs here, the 10 g fat would be okay though.

MEAL 2
5 egg whites
2 yolks
1/2 cucumber

do I need any oil here or do the 2 egg yolks cover it?

No need to add any oil here, the yolks cover it.

MEAL 3
1 can tuna
1 Tbs mayo
chopped celery (1 stalk)



MEAL 4
4 oz chicken (grilled) or ground turkey breast
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 cup salad (lettuce, tomato, green pepper, cucumber) with
1 TBS olive oil and vinegar

So here's where I'm talking about balance. Your chicken will have ~5 g fat, p/b ~9, oil&vinegar ~15 depending on how your counting that. Now this isn't necessarily bad, I do this all the time, and in fact I never even count the fat I put on my salad! Just be aware of it for future tweaks and if you change the source of protein...beef and possibly ground meat are going to have more fat than chicken.

MEAL 5 (after gym)
1 1/2 protein (whey shake - 34 grams)
4 strawberries
2 Tbs whipping cream

Good....but add veggies

MEAL 6 right before bed (is that ok?)
1 can tuna
1 Tbsp mayo
2 whole eggs

Yes, it's okay to eat before bed, but again, balance....1 tbsp mayo = 11 g fat + 2 yolks = 10 g for a total of 20 g. Again, not bad now, but be aware of it for future.

The reason I'm pointing these things out to you is so you're aware of different ways to adjust. If you start your cut (or healthy eating plan) using ALL the tricks, then you have no where to go (nothing to change or cut out) when your body has adjusted to the diet and needs a tweak. So I'm saying to enjoy what you can now, i.e. whipping cream, let your body adjust to the new plan and become a fat-burner, and tweak later by eliminating certain foods and substituting others. Overall, I can tell you've done your homework, and it looks pretty awesome

*blah*...that was another mouthful

 

[nikegurl]

cool. i'm ready to go. will start monday. i think it makes sense to do the carb up twice a week. i'll do that for 3 weeks and see where i'm at.

do you think if i'm at 17% now i'll be able to see what's happening? by that i mean - you're so lean now that you can see your body change from the slightest stuff. i'm thinking it will be harder for me to tell if/when i should tweak.

i guess i'll worry 'bout that later. for now i'll do this for 3 weeks. do you think i should yank the pb from meal #4 or start with it as i have it and then change later? it is a lot of fat in one shot.

i don't have flax anywhere. where do you think i should put it? (since it's good for you)

one last thing (honest i swear!)

when you stir fry....i was thinking chicken stir fried in 1 Tbs olive oil with brocolli. brocolli is good right? anyway - do you use a wok on the stove? may need to get one. i'm not much of a cook though! seems easy enough. if you use the olive oil to cook (1 Tbs) do you get that in for your fats or does it get left behind in the wok?

is it ok that i have 2 tbs of mayo in one day or not so good?

 

[nikegurl]

Originally posted by w8lifter
...a general guideline is to get 30-35 g protein per meal, 10-15 grams fat & 25-30 grams active carbs per meal (till you reach your max carb total for the day). Usually, if you're having carbs daily, you'd take 25-30g in each of three meals.

I'd suggest beginning the diet w/ depletion so you can switch over to fat-burning from sugar-burning as fast as possible. You could do the depletion/bi-weekly carb-ups for ~3 weeks, then try the daily carbs for a week or so and go back to depletion when that stops being effective.

OK - I'm going to start with depletion. So would that mean as a general guideline I have 30-35 grams protein per meal and 10-15 grams fat and only some veggie carbs?

Then my twice weekly carb up would be at last meal and be about 1 cup of oatmeal, 7 1/2 oz yam, 3 1/2 oz banana, 1 cup veggies and 1 Tbs flax/butter. (that's a LOT)



When I switch to daily carbs I'd have 25-30 grams at each of 3 meals for a total of about 75-90 a day? That's not too high? and then I'd opt for oatmeal or sweet potato?

 

[w8lifter]

When you start the diet there's going to be a couple of days where you'll feel like shit as you're body switching to burning fats for fuel instead of sugars. After this initial period, your energy levels will stabilize and you'll feel good again. Also, there will be a drop in your weight at first, as you drop glycogen and water, after which time your weight will stabilize. It'll also fluctuate after your carb ups. This is all normal. You will be able to tell you need a tweak by several things. First, you'll not be seeing any results, you will get to know your body (the drop in water/glycogen will help w/ this) and even at 17% you'll know. Second, your energy levels may decline...if you're not feeling good w/ the the diet as is, it's time to tweak. Third, you'll go mental, lol...that sounds funny, but it's true...ask DP, I went mental on him it's hard to describe but again, if you don't feel well, change it. Fourth, if you're not hungry come meal time (repeatedly, over several meals/days) you need a tweak...a sure sign your metabolism has slowed.

You can put the flax anywhere you need you need it, easiest is in your shakes and on your salads, if you're brave enough down it str8

I think you're fine w/ meal 4...do you happen to know the total counts for the whole plan? 2 tbsp mayo is fine. Be careful cooking w/ oils...some can turn to TFA's at high heats...I use a cast iron pan seasoned w/ olive oil, spray a bit of pam and "saute" w/ a bit of water if needed.

If that's too much food in your carb up, skip the veggies if you want, keep the fat....but knowing from experience I bet you scarf it down ....Take meal 5 a little earlier if you want, so you'll be a bit hungrier for it.

And you're right w/ the other 2 questions in your last post.

 

[Dr. Pain]

Ask DP if w8 went mental, I'd say w8 went to awesome!

Nikegurl, you just received the best advice I've ever seen anyone give!

Very Impressive, kind of a turn-on!

DP

 

[nikegurl]

you're both my heroes and i'm not being a wiss a*s!

ready to give it a go monday. when my mind is made up - i'm a force to reckon with and it's made up. just needed the info to know what to commit to!

thanks for the tip on cooking with the oil. i'm really no cook - i just grill the chicken or turky and that's the extent of it. i'll probably stick to raw mostly. i hope i'll stop hating the veggies. right now i think cucumbers and green peppers are about all i actually like. oh well. i'll do it anyway!

 

[mandypumpkin]

This sounds awesome! I think I will copy it and start it on Monday (5/6/02)!

 

[nikegurl]

you'll be surprised how fast you start creating new and better and different meals. at first i needed the EXACT thing written out. then after the first week i started finding ways to substitute and get the same protein/fat/veggie numbers still.

 

[mandypumpkin]

What are some things that you have found to be good for variety? I know I'll get tired of eating the same thing over and over, so I need to make sure I have plenty of options.
Got another question....in your first meal, are you supposed to cut out the carbs (strawberries) or go ahead and eat them? Don't they count as low gi carbs....and if so, exactly how many carbs am i supposed to eat a day?

 

[nikegurl]

hmmm....well, i'm hating chicken lately. so i got ground turkey breast instead and grilled them up. but they are SO dry. looked at the other ground turkey and found it had 8 grams fat.....hmmm....not quite enough protein in one or fat in one for a full meal but too much fat to have with flax.
yesterday i had one with a hard boiled egg and cucumber. fat,protein totals cool and a veggie that tastes fine to me totally plain.

then i've been buying the tiny size frozen shrimp and using them with brocolli and flax. yummy. not enough protein in that amount of shrimp either for the whole meal but have all the fat i need that meal in the TBS flax. so....i add 5 egg whites.

if one day i really want pb i'll put it in my shake (1 Tbs) and instead of 3 Tbs whipping cream I lower it to 1 Tbs and my fat content is the same as it would have been. those kind of fiddles

see what i mean? i try to get about 30 grams of protein every meal and about 15 grams fat. then add in the veggies.

i still have plenty to learn. i'm only in my second week but it's really not so hard. maybe next week i'll be less of a spazz and not have a zillion questions for dr. pain and w8lifter every day. (dpw8)

maybe. seriously i'm gonna try real hard to just chill and stick with the program until tweak time comes along.....

 

[Jodi]

Hi Nikegurl,

Your diet is looking pretty sweet. If you go to any Supplement store or more so Natural Foods store you can find Flax Oil in the fridge. Also, while I'm there I get the Safflower Mayo in place of regular Mayo. The Safflower mayo IMO is a better choice of fat than regular. I get a brand made my Hain. Taste just the same to me as regular mayo. You will do great on your new adjustments. I am getting ready to redo mine soon as well.

 

[Jodi]

Oh 1 other thing. I put the Flax Oil in my shake. Like this

1 1/2 Protein powder
1 T. Heavy Cream
2 tsp. Flax Oil
Strawberries or raspberries

or the other one I do is 1 T of Natural PB or Almond Butter in place of the Heavy Cream w/ dash of nutmeg and some cinnamon. This one is my favorite.

 

[nikegurl]

yep - got the flax. like it lots especially on brocolli. never tried the safflower mayo - very good tip!

thanks. really i need patience more then anything now. upper body is coming along. i can really see the changes. lower body (that means my big butt!) is still making me mad.....but it had farther to go so i guess it will just take longer!

overall i have to say i feel good, it is working and it's not so hard. (thanks to dr. pain and w8! we're all so lucky to have them around.)

 

[Jodi]

Oh just read a little more noticed you do the PB in the shake too. Must have missed it. Sorry

 

[w8lifter]

NG...you're going good...I'm just teasing about the questions

Other meal combos/suggestions

tuna w/ mayo, chopped onions & celery

tuna w/ olive oil, chopped onions, celery, broccoli & cauliflower

grilled chicken cut up and mixed w/ mixed veggies, topped w/ flax & aplle cider vinegar

stir-fried (not really fried ) veggies...broccoli, celery & mushrooms work well, toss in a can of salmon when veggies are almost done and stir fry for about a minute

Steak (or roast beef) & eggs w/ mushrooms & onions

 

[nikegurl]

oooohhhhh... steak and eggs! how indulgent.
for some reason cutting up chicken and adding to veggies seems way better then eating that big hunk of meat. i've been anti chicken lately.

the tuna celery mayo meal gets eaten every day. i'm on a roll with that one - loving it!

thanks for the new ideas! i worry a bit on beef though b/c whenever i go to buy it the cuts of meat are hardly ever called the things that i hear are lean. never know how to figure cals/protein/fat. what cuts do you buy?

 

[mandypumpkin]

Other meal options sound great! Thanks for the tips.