New to EF and somewhat new to the game

[Pure Drama]

I started working out when I was in high school, it's been off and on until about 2 years ago, I got dedicated like I've never been. I was weighing a measly 135 at 5'6 pretty damn scrawny. I currently 150 in the am and 155 in the pm, I have a pretty good workout regime with a three day split, but I'm at a plateu and I know it's due to my diet. I need some help in this area because I have absolutely no clue about dieting. I am about 10-11% bf also, if that will help. Looking for size without gaining too much fat, by the way I have what people say is a "fast metabolism". 26 years old also

 

[cuthroat]

Welcome to EF Bor!

I too, like many others, started out small and got big. I was 135-145lbs at best in HS...granted that was a number of years ago but hard work and dedication pay off and I am no longer that scrawny kid at 225lbs.

If you are looking to put on mass ( I am assuming that is what you mean by having plateud as you said your lifting regime is solid )you simply need to increase your caloric intake - you put to many calories into your body for it to process, it puts on the excess as weight. It is fairly important to note however that the source of those calories are extremely important. You can't just go out and eat a 3k cal stuff my face burger to fill that caloric need. You need to eat clean!

Here is a solid list of clean eating food's borrowed from another thread - there are many of them floating around the forums here.

Broccoli
Green beans
Brussel Sprouts
Asparagus

Rotate them... so you don't get bored...

Some good food sources and not so good sources:

Protein:

• Whey Protein isolate
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Soy Protein
• Casein
• Lean Beef
• Fish/seafood
• Lean Poultry
• Egg whites
• Cottage Cheese
• Lean Pork
• Skim or Soy Milk

Not so good protein Sources:

• Deli Meat
• Fatty meats like Duck and Ham
• Processed Meats (Hot dogs, cold cuts etc...)
• Hard Cheeses
• Whole Milk

Better Carbohydrate Sources:

• Rice (Preferably Brown)
• Potatoes (Preferably Sweet)
• Beans
• Whole Oats
• Fruit (in moderation)
• Green leafy Vegetables

Not so good Carb Sources:

• Cake
• Cookies
• Candy
• Sugary anything


Recommended Fat sources:

• Avocados
• Raw Nuts (cooked in moderation)
• Cold Pressed oils:
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Borage oil
• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Cod Liver oil
• Udo's Choice 3-6-9 oil

Unacceptable fat sources:

• Butter
• Margarine (the kind that have trans fats)
• Lard

This is a small list… with most things that *I* eat… but this is not too say you can or cannot eat other things… here is a sample list of my grocery list:

PROTEINS
White fish (any kind)
Shrimp
Tuna
Salmon
Chicken breasts no skin
Lean turkey
Ham (moderation) low fat
Steak (moderation) and lean
Extra lean ground beef
egg whites

DAIRY
Non-fat or low –fat yogurt (any flavour)
Low –fat or fat-free cheese (any)
Skim milk
Non-fat cottage cheese

VEGGIES/FRUITS
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Beans
Asparagus
Radishes
Romaine/mixed greens/spinach
Cucumber
Tomatoes (moderation)
Peppers (all colours)
Onion/garlic
Squash (spaghetti or pepper)
Sweet potatoes
Bananas
All berries
Apples
Peaches
Kiwi

FATS
Walnuts
Olive oil
Peanut butter (moderation)
Omega oils 3-6-9 (udo's choice)

GRAINS
Brown rice
Oatmeal
Whole grain bread (1 piece)
Rice cakes
Whole wheat tortillas
Low-fat granola

CONDIMENTS
Vinegars
Non-fat dressings
Mustard
Hot sauce
Spices
Salsa

BEVERAGES
Coffee
Tea
Water
Fresco
Skim milk (moderation)

TREATS
Low-fat frozen yogurt
Popcorn (moderation)
Arrowroot cookies

 

[Pure Drama]

Thanks for responding so quickly, this info will help me out in a tremendous way. As of now I take in about 160 grams of protein 2000 cals and around 200 carbs should I up intake on everything or just my caloric intake?

 

[cuthroat]

Target protien needs to be at least 1 gram per pound of body weight, don't listen to the BS that most personal trainers etc will feed you about to much protein intake. (Personally I try and shoot for 1.5-2grams of protein per lb of body weight a day. It may sound like a lot but it is achievable.

When you first start eating like this it will almost seem like eating is a chore.

For Protien/Fat/Carb Ratio try using 40/30/30% Of calories.

If you want to put on some weight fast google GOMAD - this won't work for you if you can't stomach lactose but for those that can it is a very effective method of weight gain - I have had better results with 30 days of GOMAD than mild cycles of AS. Note, you will gain a little fat with this there is no way around it but if you do cardio 3-4 times a week along with your normal regime that will keep off any excess bloat.

 

[Pure Drama]

i can handle the lactose no problem, i try to eat a lot now my problem is the weekend always sleeping late and it screws up my appetite for the entire day. thanks for the info. i gotta ask, have you ever gotten depressed over your body even though you know theres nothing wrong with it? ive taken two cycles one in high school dumb move did because my friends were doing it and on when i got back in the gym steady. just test e in high school and test e sust deca anadrol and tren (loved that one) got rerady for my honeymoon lol. thanks for helping me out with my nutrition it really is my downfall.

 

[cuthroat]

i can handle the lactose no problem, i try to eat a lot now my problem is the weekend always sleeping late and it screws up my appetite for the entire day. thanks for the info. i gotta ask, have you ever gotten depressed over your body even though you know theres nothing wrong with it? ive taken two cycles one in high school dumb move did because my friends were doing it and on when i got back in the gym steady. just test e in high school and test e sust deca anadrol and tren (loved that one) got rerady for my honeymoon lol. thanks for helping me out with my nutrition it really is my downfall.

Nutrition is the hardest part of the game to master. And of course everyone is their greatest critic; this is beneficial though if you know how to turn that judgement into a drive for change. I could complain about many things with my body (and do) when there are plenty of people who envy it. Not being content is a catalyst for change...embrace it!

 

[Pure Drama]

yeah man, i definitely feel i am my biggest critic, and your right i should use that to push myslef towards perfection, if there is such a thing. all the information you have given me is excellent hopefully i can put it all together and make one hell of a nutrition plan. once again thanks for all your help. im gonna try to get some pics up of when i started two years ago and a current, decent progress but cant wit to get over this hump and pack on some more size.