# Critique my diet, please



## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Long story short, I used to be 21 stone (I'm 6' 3"), pure fat, and dropped down to 14 stone in 6 months. That was 15 years ago. Since losing the weight I dieted most of my 20s (I'm 36 now), then started running and found I could eat a bit more without putting on weight. I actually ended up getting down to 12 1/2 stone 3 years ago, but looked anorexic.

I started going to the gym about 3 years ago, and last year tried putting on muscle by actually increasing my diet. Up until then I'd had a fear of eating too much as never want to get fat again. I know that you can't build muscle without eating correctly, but as someone who was fat throughout their childhood, and until they were 20, it's something that has stayed with me - the fear of putting on fat again. I got up to about 15 stone, and did put muscle on, but put a lot of fat on around my stomach too, and hated how I looked. I'd have estimated my body fat at high 20 % at this stage.

I burst two discs in my spine last year, so had to have 9 months doing nothing, so put some weight on, even though I tried not to.

I was 15 stone 3 months ago, and I've managed to lose a lot of the fat I put on, to get down to 14 stone a couple of weeks ago. I've been using myfitnesspal to track my macros, and have been increasing their target calories from losing 2 pounds per week when I started the diet 3 months ago, through to -1.5 a week, -1, -.05 and now I'm at maintenance calories on the app's level.

My aim is to try and put on lean muscle, without putting on too much fat if I can help it. I am doing stronglifts 3 times a week, and seeing some good progress. I also either do three HIIT cardio sessions a week, or 2 HIIT cardio sessions if I have a football match at the weekend (play every other week).

I try and keep my diet similar 7 days a week, and it usually looks like this:

7am - 75 grams of porridge oats, mainly made with water, little skimmed milk

8am - diet whey protein shake, 1 banana

10am - 1 tin of tuna in a pitta

1pm - 350 grams (uncooked weight) chicken thigh, 60 grams (uncooked weight) bulgur, 1 low fat yoghurt

4pm - diet whey protein shake

6pm - get in from work and usually have a crumpet and a tea

7:30pm - 350 grams (uncooked weight) chicken thigh, 50 grams (uncooked weight) basmati rice, 1 small onion, mushrooms, 100 grams low fat greek yoghurt, tomato puree - all mixed together to make a low fat curry.

This is coming out at 2500 calories - 270 grams protein, 250 grams carbs, 35 grams fat.

Sorry for the essay, but thought I'd try and include as much as possible.

Any feedback would be gratefully received.

Thanks.


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## tommygunnz (Feb 17, 2011)

what time of day do you train?


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

I train lunch times, Monday to Friday - 12pm to 1pm.

So Monday/Wednesday/Friday is stronglift program. Tuesday/Thursday HIIT cardio for 30 minutes. Sunday morning is football.


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Sorry to bump it up, but any feedback, please?


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

I'd personally swap the first 2 meals around if that's what you want to go with... not a fan of eggs?

I've recently dropped my own protein intake down to around 1g per pound of BW (Im about 245lbs) and found it made absolutely no difference than it being 1.5+ and it gave me extra cals to add more fat or carbs in, could be something to look at?

Also what time do you got to bed normally?


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## pooledaniel (May 8, 2013)

At first glance - fats are far too low. I believe rule of thumb (if natural) is minimum 0.8g / kg, so that'd put your minimum fats at just over 70g. You've not really got any pure fat sources in your diet as it stands, so look to add in some variety from nuts + seeds, oils and maybe oily fish.

Naturally, that extra 40g or so of fat will add ~360 cals, so if you want to keep intake the same you'll have to cut back elsewhere. You say you are at maintenance based on the app, but are you actually at maintenance in real terms? i.e. are you losing or gaining at current intake? If you are still losing weight, then regardless of what the app says, you are below maintenance. If you are looking to lean bulk - you'll need to up your calories above maintenance, so adding in the fat as above without taking anything else out may be a good first step.

You can then run that for a few weeks and monitor what happens. If your weight stays flat, you can then start adding more in (I prefer to do this gradually, say ~200-300 cals after a couple of weeks with no weight change).

Other than this, for a starting point - the diet looks fairly ok. I'd probably replace the crumpet, but if looking to add size it's not exactly going to hurt. Make sure you are getting plenty of veg in too!


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## MrSilver (Aug 4, 2014)

What's your lifts like?

Bench?

Squat?

Deadlift?

It might be that your past the stage of doing SL.


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks very much for all that.

pooledaniel - so swapping out the crumpet for some nuts and seeds would be a good start?

I'm weighing myself today (do it the same time every week on the gym scales) so will see. I'm currently at 25-2600 calories a day. If I'm not going up 1/2 pound a week then I'll look to increase calories by another 200. Just don't want to be eating for the sake of it and putting fat on.

jimmy26 - do you mean swap the protein shake around with the oats? The main reason it's this way around is the oats are had at home, so it's easy to make them there, and the shake at work, where I don't have access to a kitchen. Do you think it would make a lot of difference?

silverzx - I wish mate, but I doubt it. I struggle with squats as had several knee operations, including have both ACLs reconstructed. I've been increasing with SL, but still only up to 100kg for 5X5. My bench has always been pretty poor, and am only up to 80kg on that, and I can't deadlift again yet. I'm still not back to normal from bursting the discs. I try light deadlifts every 2-3 weeks, but every time I do them, I can't sleep that night from the inflammation in my back. Sorry for that to sound like a list of excuses, don't mean it to.

Thanks again for the advice.


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Sorry jimmy26 - yeah I love eggs. I was having those for breakfast when cutting the fat, then swapped them to oats a couple of weeks ago as was trying to get my carbs up gradually to help try and build some muscle.


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## pooledaniel (May 8, 2013)

It certainly would. I'd look to add some fats earlier on in the day too, perhaps some flaxseed in your oats? Or some peanut butter? Then you could maybe consider say adding avocado to your tuna pitta. As I say, from my point of view, it's really important to get your fats up to at least 70g. If you want to keep the same calories, then you'll have to drop some off your protein and carbs (perhaps drop one of the shakes and the crumpet - shouldn't be too far off).

@silverzx - Stronglifts actually has a lot of mileage in it if you're looking primarily for strength gains.


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## MrSilver (Aug 4, 2014)

@pooledaniel

I can understand that but he's said in his first post he's looking to put on lean muscle.

Isn't SL aimed more toward strength?

Please correct me if I'm wrong.


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

I'd always go with a protein/carbs or protein/fats meal to start the day, think about how long you've fasted whilst sleeping

what i've started doing is throwing half a cup of oats in with my eggs in a morning to save time bit weird to start off with but I love it now

as @pooledaniel said look at raising fats

Not a bad diet overall though


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## pooledaniel (May 8, 2013)

silverzx said:


> @pooledaniel
> 
> I can understand that but he's said in his first post he's looking to put on lean muscle.
> 
> ...


You are correct - SL is generally aimed more at strength. Depending on assistance though, it can be fairly good for size too. As he said, he's making good progress - so no need to change things up straight away!


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks a lot, all of you.

My thinking was to get my strength up in the compound exercises by doing SL up until Xmas, unless I hit a plateau for a month or more on all of the exercises. Then move to a three day split p/p/l program for another 3-4 months. Then look at changing it up again.

The gym scales must have been having a bad day today, as reckon I'm 4 pounds down (13" 12'), which just can't be right. Will hope it corrects next week.

I was also given the advice that whilst SL is primarily aimed at strength, if you sort your diet out, and continue to improve weights wise, the muscle will follow the strength. Is that not right?


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Also, regarding the fats, sorry I should have included this. I have mayonnaise (I'd say a desert spoon full - light mayo) with the tuna pitta, and my chicken is cooked in extra virgin olive oil. I reckon about a tablespoon per 2 x 350g portions.

So for fats, add in a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 30grams of mayo.


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

If I add in the virgin olive oil and mayo to the above diet in myfitnesspal, I now get the following:

Carbs = 250

Protein = 265

Fats = 53

Calories= 2700

If I drop the crumpet that goes down to:

Carbs = 230

Protein = 265

Fats = 53

Calories= 2600

If I add in cashew nuts, they come in at: 25g = 11g fat and 150 calories. So how much should I have? 25g? Or 50g?

Thanks again for helping with all this!


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

Sub97 said:


> Thanks a lot, all of you.
> 
> My thinking was to get my strength up in the compound exercises by doing SL up until Xmas, unless I hit a plateau for a month or more on all of the exercises. Then move to a three day split p/p/l program for another 3-4 months. Then look at changing it up again.
> 
> ...


Correct you will still build muscle..have you seen the bloke who invented the SL method?


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## simonthepieman (Jun 11, 2012)

I'm not sure I've ever seen a critique my diet thread with more than 1 days food outlined or enough fat in the diet


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

simonthepieman - how do you mean? I said at the start I have pretty much exactly the same thing 7 days a week. Mon-Fri is exactly this, Saturday and Sunday is pretty much this again, maybe with tiny variations. Boring, I know! But I find it easier to create a diet I like, and can stick to every day, than change things every day and have the constant headache of trying to work out calories/carbs/protein etc. of each day's diet.

If I added 50g of cashews, to take fats up to 75g, is that around about right, please? Or still more?


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

Sub97 said:


> simonthepieman - how do you mean? I said at the start I have pretty much exactly the same thing 7 days a week. Mon-Fri is exactly this, Saturday and Sunday is pretty much this again, maybe with tiny variations. Boring, I know! But I find it easier to create a diet I like, and can stick to every day, than change things every day and have the constant headache of trying to work out calories/carbs/protein etc. of each day's diet.
> 
> If I added 50g of cashews, to take fats up to 75g, is that around about right, please? Or still more?


Use that as a start and see what happens

Im pretty sure almonds have higher protein and less calories per gram than cashews? could be worth looking at?


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks very much Jimmy26.

Would you go with 25 grams or 50grams, please? (Of either)


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

Sub97 said:


> Thanks very much Jimmy26.
> 
> Would you go with 25 grams or 50grams, please? (Of either)


start lower and go higher if need be so 25

Don't over think stuff mate you'll end up getting bored of it unless you're planning on stepping on a stage or prepping for a show +/- a hundred calories isn't going to kill you


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks a lot, Jimmy.

I guess I'm concerned about eating too much and putting on fat, just need to clear my head of that, or at least try things for a while and keep an eye on the waist line, and if it's increasing, cut back.


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## jimmy26 (Apr 1, 2009)

Sub97 said:


> Thanks a lot, Jimmy.
> 
> I guess I'm concerned about eating too much and putting on fat, just need to clear my head of that, or at least try things for a while and keep an eye on the waist line, and if it's increasing, cut back.


That's precisely it

Now's the time to not worry about putting fat on whilst it's cold and you'll be under jackets for winter

No worries mate I'm no expert just saying what's worked for me


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## Sub97 (Dec 6, 2012)

Thanks mate, really appreciate you taking the time to post all the information.

I'll hopefully be back in a few months with an update of some progress.


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