Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
Djeclipse's Intermediate 5x5 take 2.
- Thread starter djeclipse
- Start date
djeclipse
New member
xblitz44x said:
ya, getting enough sleep is a major obstacle for me. On a good day I'll get 7hrs, on average it's 5-6hrs.
Typical diet for a day.
8:30-9:00am Breakfast (I've never been a big breakfast eater, just no time.)
3 hard boiled eggs, I eat just the whites, throw away the middle.
One apple
Sometimes one cup of 2 scoops raisin bran (if I remember to bring it to work).
11:00am Mid morning
1 stick of celery
maybe an apple
12:30-1:00Lunch
Chicken pita
Salad no dressing (just vinegar)
2 carrots
3:00-5:00
One-two pears
2-3 apples
stick of celery
hand full of almonds (thanks to Bunny's suggestion)
5:30 workout
post work out shake
8:00 or so dinner
I just started to try and eat cleaner so it's
2 pieces of chicken
1.5 cups of steamed vegies
sometimes salad
9:00pm-12:00am (sometimes later)
This is where in the past I'd snack on complete shit, like 5 donuts, cake, cookies, hard candy. I eat this while watching the TV I've recorded, so many good shows.
Since last week I am having a hard time finding something healthy to eat here, usually one pear or apple, but I need something else to munch on that won't hurt me.
That is my typical diet as of last week. I don't know how many calories I am getting, never really paid any attention to it until now.
xblitz44x
New member
Are you trying to bulk or are you looking to maintain and just increase strength?
If you're trying to bulk, I don't think you're eating enough - especially enough quality carbohydrates. According to the schedule above, the only carbs you're getting are from the fruit, salad, and pita bread. With the type of training your engaged in, I think you'd greatly benefit from a few pasta/rice meals in there if you can.
Also, I suggest making time for breakfast. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier - it's enough to make some eggs and heat up some oatmeal.
Your training program looks tight; very well thought-out. But it seems like you didn't show as much effort with your diet - the heavier the weights you lift the more fuel your body is going to require. Eat up!
If you're trying to bulk, I don't think you're eating enough - especially enough quality carbohydrates. According to the schedule above, the only carbs you're getting are from the fruit, salad, and pita bread. With the type of training your engaged in, I think you'd greatly benefit from a few pasta/rice meals in there if you can.
Also, I suggest making time for breakfast. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier - it's enough to make some eggs and heat up some oatmeal.
Your training program looks tight; very well thought-out. But it seems like you didn't show as much effort with your diet - the heavier the weights you lift the more fuel your body is going to require. Eat up!
djeclipse
New member
xblitz44x said:
Thanks for the replies.
Well I am Italian so in the past I was eating pasta or some kind of pasta meal at least 3x per week, and a lot of pizza etc. Some weeks every day.
With that diet and no activity (especially with the junk food eating a night) I gained a lot of fat and developed a big gut. When I started training and especially since I started the 5x5 instead of gaining more fat I started to gain muscle. But that fat around the stomach and everywhere else in general is still there.
As of last week my goal is to lose the fat around the stomach area so I can at least take off the shirt and get a tan etc. But I don't want to stop training heavy like this as I love the strength training.
This is the first time ever I've tried to change my diet so like everything else I am new to this.
Where do you suggest I add the carbs, and what kind?
I am 195lbs currently.
Cynical Simian
New member
Err...I'm going to be a slight ass about it in the hope of provoking change: your diet is terrible.
1. Try to have some sort of animal protein with each meal.
2. Per the previous post, replace some of that fructose (from all the fruit) with complex carbs from oats, rice, etc.
3. Your calories look low overall, and this is especially pronounced in everything up to lunch. I'd be surprised if those first two meals top 200 calories.
If you don't want to put the work and time into preparing good meals (again being an ass while hoping you'll prove me wrong) in advance, at least pull a BiggT/Rippetoe and make milk a foundation of your diet. It's cheap and takes no time to prepare/consume.
1. Try to have some sort of animal protein with each meal.
2. Per the previous post, replace some of that fructose (from all the fruit) with complex carbs from oats, rice, etc.
3. Your calories look low overall, and this is especially pronounced in everything up to lunch. I'd be surprised if those first two meals top 200 calories.
If you don't want to put the work and time into preparing good meals (again being an ass while hoping you'll prove me wrong) in advance, at least pull a BiggT/Rippetoe and make milk a foundation of your diet. It's cheap and takes no time to prepare/consume.
xblitz44x
New member
I'd be a lot more help if you were trying to bulk but since you're trying to cut up a little bit I probably won't be able to add too much...
I'd personally get rid of the fruit until post-workout - then you can eat a banana or something like that. Eat some complex carbs pre, and post workout to aid in recovery. Keep the rest of the meals protein/healthy fats (peanut butter, almonds, fish etc) to reduce insulin spikes.
Keep your training heavy.
Hopefully somebody who has more experience in the cutting field will add to this but you'll probably have better luck checking the Diet Forum.
PS: One more thing - I've had success cutting with the CKD diet but I have no idea how that would work with 5x5 training - I'm sure others have asked the same question so maybe try doing a search if CKD is a possibility.
I'd personally get rid of the fruit until post-workout - then you can eat a banana or something like that. Eat some complex carbs pre, and post workout to aid in recovery. Keep the rest of the meals protein/healthy fats (peanut butter, almonds, fish etc) to reduce insulin spikes.
Keep your training heavy.
Hopefully somebody who has more experience in the cutting field will add to this but you'll probably have better luck checking the Diet Forum.
PS: One more thing - I've had success cutting with the CKD diet but I have no idea how that would work with 5x5 training - I'm sure others have asked the same question so maybe try doing a search if CKD is a possibility.
djeclipse
New member
Cynical Simian said:
Ha, no worries bro, I'm an ass so it's all good. the best way to get a point across is to be blunt.
1. How do I incorporate an animal protein into every meal? I would have to eat it cold or something while I'm at work. Also I hate fish, not big on red meat so that leaves chicken.
2. "Replace fruit with complex carbs like oats and rice." I can try that, any suggestions? Just bring in pre-cooked rice to work, eat it cold? Where do I get oats, lol.
3. The rain bran has 188 calories but I hear what you are saying. Basically all I did was take my previous diet and cut out all the crap like pizza, pop chips, cake etc. and what you see above is what I am left with. I do appreciate your help as I am ready to put an effort into eating better.
I don't want to go the drink lots of milk route as I don't want to try and gain weight. I'd like to lose the fat and stay the same weight or a little lower.
Trust me, just cutting out all the crap I eat at night was a very big step for me.
djeclipse
New member
xblitz44x said:
I enjoy the fruit durring the day so I don't want to loose all of it but I am willing to replace some of it with somthing else. So far the morning/lunch diet has been enough to get methorugh my workout etc.
This is why I never really kept track ofmy dietbefore, it's kind of a PIA and confusing.
anotherbutters
New member
Wow, I think you've done pretty damned well on the 5x5 with a diet like that! You must be snacking on a lot in the evening, because it seems like you're not taking in many calories during the day. If I ate like that, I'd have my hands round the neck of the nearest small furry animal my noon, for want of something to eat.
Use skimmed milk if you're worried about having too many calories. Buy a bag of oats, some bananas and throw them in a blender with the milk. Make a shake in the evenings out of it, bottle it and take it to work/school in the mornings. Get some egg whites, they're good to add to your breakfast. Kiwi fruits are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat, so add one of those to your breakfast too. Throw tons of veggies in a steamer for your evening meal, along with the chicken - yams, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts, whatever.
Use skimmed milk if you're worried about having too many calories. Buy a bag of oats, some bananas and throw them in a blender with the milk. Make a shake in the evenings out of it, bottle it and take it to work/school in the mornings. Get some egg whites, they're good to add to your breakfast. Kiwi fruits are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat, so add one of those to your breakfast too. Throw tons of veggies in a steamer for your evening meal, along with the chicken - yams, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts, whatever.
Cynical Simian
New member
What I meant by "animal protein" includes but isn't limited to animal flesh, so dairy products, including protein powders, would count.
You can get oats (without tons of sugar or other crap added) at pretty much any grocery store. Look for rolled oats or steel-cut oats.
A quick way to significantly improve your diet would just be to take those fruit meals and replace them with oats and protein powder in shaker bottles. You can grind up rolled oats in a blender or coffee grinder for this. Once you get in the habit of eating more frequent real meals (i.e. more than just a piece of fruit), you can start doing other stuff depending on what you want to take the time to prepare/store.
EDIT: If you want to keep some fruit, maybe have oats and protein powder with one meal, then fruit as your carbs in the next.
Again as mentioned before, lurking on the diet forum a bit might be a good idea. Also check out xblitz's journal for his very solid diet. He's bulking, but the quantity, not the type, of food is the primary difference between bulking and cutting diets.
You can get oats (without tons of sugar or other crap added) at pretty much any grocery store. Look for rolled oats or steel-cut oats.
A quick way to significantly improve your diet would just be to take those fruit meals and replace them with oats and protein powder in shaker bottles. You can grind up rolled oats in a blender or coffee grinder for this. Once you get in the habit of eating more frequent real meals (i.e. more than just a piece of fruit), you can start doing other stuff depending on what you want to take the time to prepare/store.
EDIT: If you want to keep some fruit, maybe have oats and protein powder with one meal, then fruit as your carbs in the next.
Again as mentioned before, lurking on the diet forum a bit might be a good idea. Also check out xblitz's journal for his very solid diet. He's bulking, but the quantity, not the type, of food is the primary difference between bulking and cutting diets.
