Help me tweak my diet

[Lucasta]

Hey guys, I wanted to get your advice on how I'm doing with my diet and what changes you would recommend. Here's just a typical days breakdown:

7am:
1 cup of oatmeal with 1 tbsp of honey, 1 tbsp of ground flax seed, 1/4 cup of fresh blueberries
2 pieces of whole wheat toast
protein shake/16 oz skim milk

10am. protein bar or granola bar

12pm:
1 can of tuna
salad with diced chicken breast
16 oz diet lipton green tea

2 pm:
protein bar or granola bar

4pm: banana or handful of grapes
1 cup of greek yogurt

6pm:
2 pieces of frozen salmon or talipia
brown rice
carrots white beans

9pm:
banana or grapes
protein shake 16oz skim milk

Usually have 2-3 16oz bottles of water throughout the day. That is a typical day. Usually on lifting days I will have 2-3 scrambled eggs for breakfast instead of oatmeal.

Im currently starting my second round of P90x as I dont have access to a gym at the moment. I lift on Mon, Wed, and Fri and do cardio on Tues, Thurs, and Sat with Sundays off. So all I have is a set of dumbbells, a chinup bar and push bars.
I havent worked out in close to 20 yrs so Im new to all of this and need some guidance. Im 5'9" and around 170lbs. I'm starting to see my body making some changes especially in my chest and arms and shoulders. What I'd like to do is burn off some more flab around my waist. Now Im not fat by any means, but I do have some flab there that just doesnt seem to want to move. I'd like to get up to around 185 -190 and just get lean. I dont think I have the genetics to get real big, but I just want to get toned and ripped. I do try to run a couple times a week if I can squeeze it in.

I know I need to get in a gym and start lifting some heavy iron but right now a gym membership isnt in my budget. Its hard being a single parent of 2 kids.

Any help you guys can give would be greatly appreciated. Ive been religiously reading here since I found this site a month or so ago you all seem like great group of folks who are willing to help guys like me get in shape and do things right. Thanks in advance. I want to learn all I can and get myself where I want to be.

 

[rikishi]

A post from RADAR

So you want to build muscle and burn fat? Then read this Here i'm going to list 20 superfoods you can eat to burn fat and build soild muscle.
To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating Protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.

Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don’t eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.

Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you’re too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.


1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of Protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the Protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.

Don’t worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn’t bound to blood cholesterol. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.


2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you’ll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.



3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g Protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it’s corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.


4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.


5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don’t buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.


6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, Protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it’s unstable and contains no fiber.


7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.


8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you’re a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.

Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, … Peanut Butter also works as long as you buy natural Peanut Butter without added salts/sugars.

9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin b12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin. Read Dr. Lonnie Lowery’s article on Meat.


10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, …


11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.


12. Turkey. If you don’t believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it’s so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.


13. Quinoa. South American “king of grains”. Quinoa is higher in fiber & Protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it’s better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.


14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.


15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.


16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.


17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.


18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.


19. Water. Your body holds water if you don’t drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.


20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.


Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you’ll build muscle

 

[Lucasta]

Ok so did I post this in the wrong forum or what? Feel free to chime in guys