Workout plateau -- looking to make changes in diet

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 11:42 am

Background: I'm 27. In good to very good shape. Lift weights 5-6 times a week on average at a moderate pace meaning I don't do a set and sit there for several minutes before starting my next set. Instead, I do a lot of supersets where I am doing different exercises back to back and building up a good sweat in the process. I have been in a maintenance stage where I have not improved at anything in two years but I also haven't pushed myself enough while at the gym to actually improve.

Goal: To get in better shape. (Who doesn't?)

Idea: Perhaps it's time to take nutrition seriously. I try and limit the bad stuff and eat the good stuff and consume enough protein etc but obviously I am doing it wrong. I'd like to really take it seriously and eat like a fitness pro for about a month to see if it makes a difference. I suspect it will but I'd like to have a good plan. For now, that plan is to limit sugars, bad carbs and eat more frequently. I am fine with eating the same thing repeatedly so having a few days worth of meals lined up would go a long way with me since I could repeat them constantly. At 185lbs I probably need about 2700 calories a day (maybe I'm wrong here and someone can help) which should be around 550 calories per meal. Each day would be pretty similar to this. note: I almost always work out in the afternoon-evening.

How does this one day snapshot look?

Breakfast: 2 servings of plain oatmeal. (I'm big on the oats.)

Lunch part 1: Small grilled chicken breast, side of greens, plain greek yogurt.

Lunch part 2: 7oz can of tuna, cup of quinoa, greens.

workout

Post-workout: 2 scoops protein with water.

Dinner: Turkey meatloaf, plain greek yogurt, greens.

Anyways, that's the basic plan right now. Each meal would be about 3 hours apart and around the 550 calorie goal aside from the Breakfast and Post-workout meals which are around 300 each. Maybe I need to balance them out some. Maybe the greek yogurt isn't ideal. I don't really know! Anyways, if anyone has some advice on this or even if they know of a good forum for this kind of thing I'd appreciate it.

Cuzz35 · Post by **Cuzz35** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:34 pm

Could you be more clear with your goal? Gain mass. Cut fat. You can be very healthy and not stick to a strick diet. If you just want to eat healthy your diet sounds good.

I agree with the oats. Been eating them for breakfast for 5 years.

Bodybuilding.com is a great site to track your goals and have others critique you. They have a great forum. Also its more than just people trying to become bodybuilders.

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:46 pm

I'd like to gain mass and cut fat at the same time but I don't think that I physically put in enough effort to gain much more mass at this point. So, for the sake of this thread, the goal is to become more toned which is going to happen via cutting fat.

Outside · Post by **Outside** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:02 pm

Why not get involved with something that will push you harder?

Join a Crossfit gym?

Start running 10Ks?

Join an MMA gym?

Join a rock climbing gym?

I like hitting the weights as much as the next guy, but unless you are training for a specific goal, you're bound to hit a plateau. Whenever I get into a rut, I always try to change it up and take on a new challenge.

Best of luck whatever you decide.

Watty · Post by **Watty** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:03 pm

If your goal is really " To get in better shape." and not just to bulk up then the part you are missing is aerobic exercise like swimming, running, or bicycling several times a week. Just doing weightlifting at a brisk pace is not the same.

Greg

arthurb999 · Post by **arthurb999** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:04 pm

I've had tremendous success following the workout and dietary guidelines on marksdailyapple.com.

Before - 196lbs at 18.8% bf, working out 6x a week (bodybuilding routine) and eating what I though was ok.

After (2 years) - 175 lbs at 9.8% bf, workout out 4x a week (2 strength, 1 hill sprints, 1 yoga) and following his nutritional guidelines.

I'm ripped compared to myself 2 years ago and stronger, faster and way more flexible.

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:12 pm

This is more of an aside than anything else, but I'm not personally big on post-workout nutrition. The way I see it, you want carbs and protein in your stomach before the workout so your energy level is high, and the protein can be trickling into your system while you're working.

That said...

Once you're past the newbie stage in lifting, it's nigh impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, so you'll need to pick one. For me personally, since it's spring and soon to be summer, I'm trying to lean out while keeping whatever muscle I can. That means a cleanish diet with adequate protein, lower-than-maintenance calories, and lifting the heaviest weights I can as frequently as I can without injury.

What does your program look like? Exercises, sets, reps? Hopefully you're on some kind of split routine, as 5-6 days of weightlifting per week is a lot.

- Scott

vesalius · Post by **vesalius** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:14 pm

In addition to dietary changes you may want to consider adding in some High intensity interval training. That AND diet was what allowed me to get where I want to be in my early 40's. Used to bodybuild, and never really quit working out, but was no longer interested in the meat-head look. For the first 6 months I did Tabatha intervals on an elliptical 4-5 times a week and found it to be the holy grail, with a proper diet. Now do 3-4 miles on the elliptical 1-2 per week and HIIT 1-2 per week. The Tabatha method will only take 5-6 mintutes a day, but will completely and utterly kick your butt if you actually give 100% during the high intensity intervals. Added benefit is you don't lose mass or look like a long distance runner, if you don't want to.

High-intensity interval training

EDIT- Scott S above try HIIT, it may work for you as well. It is one of the few ways I know of to get lean while gaining or maintaining muscle mass.

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:23 pm

@Outside:

Crossfit style programs are very appealing. I looked into the local crossfit gyms here and they are too expensive for me to rationalize. I do try some new workouts from their site here and there but nothing that really materializes.

You are right, though, in that having no goal makes plateauing inevitable. Currently my goal is to be able to dunk a basketball on a 10' rim and while that helps the motivation a little it's not the kind of goal I'm looking for.

@Watty: cardio is something I used to do a lot when my goal was weight loss but I have really cut back over the last few years when my goal turned into muscle development and bulking up. Too much cardio made it really hard to put on any muscle. I think at this point I'd like to focus on diet and nutrition instead of cardio in order to lean out.

@arthurb999: I think that is the kind of thing I'm looking for. Reducing bf% (no idea what I'm at now) and feeling more ripped than I currently am.

sjb19 · Post by **sjb19** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:24 pm

I was able to lose a few pounds by getting protein at breakfast. Interestingly, I never used to eat breakfast and I don't think my lunches are any smaller, so I actually added a couple hundred calories, but still lost weight. I'm not sure if it will last or if other factors are involved, just my personal experience.

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:25 pm

vesalius wrote:EDIT- Scott S above try HIIT, it may work for you as well. It is one of the few ways I know of to get lean while gaining or maintaining muscle mass.

Good stuff. I have been doing an average of a session per week, but neglected to mention it.

- Scott

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:34 pm

this is a great free body weight hiit progression that will get you cut

start on level one and ease into it, it can surprise you. in my hay day I got to level 7

[commercial solicitation removed by Mod]

SP-diceman · Post by **SP-diceman** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:35 pm

My mom is 91:

Never cared about what she ate. (except for common sense)
Wouldn’t know a protein from a carb.
Never exercised in a gym.
Never ate “health food”.
Never took a vitamin.
Never jogged.
Never drank bottled water.

The advice she tells everyone:

Walk everywhere you can. (instead of driving)
Go to the doctor and get checked.

Thanks
SP-diceman

LFT_PFT · Post by **LFT_PFT** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:41 pm

Question: What do others think about protein powders? A number of nutrition experts advise against them.

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:46 pm

Scott S wrote: Once you're past the newbie stage in lifting, it's nigh impossible to gain muscle and lose fat at the same time, so you'll need to pick one. For me personally, since it's spring and soon to be summer, I'm trying to lean out while keeping whatever muscle I can. That means a cleanish diet with adequate protein, lower-than-maintenance calories, and lifting the heaviest weights I can as frequently as I can without injury.

What does your program look like? Exercises, sets, reps? Hopefully you're on some kind of split routine, as 5-6 days of weightlifting per week is a lot.

- Scott

Probably a big reason I have plateaued for so long was that I had no goal. Sometimes it would be muscle gain but I wouldn't be able to push myself hard enough to actually do it so I think I need to go with fat loss.

Before my aforementioned dunking goal started a couple weeks ago my routine was:
A days:
4 sets of a rotation of: As many pull-ups holding a 50lb weight (11-12 the first set and then declining towards the 4th set), and Squats (6-8 reps per set starting at 230, going up to 280, trying to keep good form going down to seated position). After that, a p90x ab ripper X video which was always hard, especially after doing legs.

B days:
4 sets of a rotation of: Benchpress (starting relatively light and then peaking at about 3-4 reps at 215), Seated rows (heaviest setting on the machine. capable of about 8 reps on the last set), Random bicep work.

Each day would take about 40 minutes so I wasn't spending all that much time at the gym. I think I'd be happy if I spent an hour total but the lack of motivation is hard sometimes.

Anyways, now my routine has changed a little bit to include more leg work. I do a lot of box jumps, more squats including deep squats to the ground and 1-legged squats, that kind of stuff.

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Wed May 25, 2011 1:57 pm

LFT_PFT wrote:As a long-time (20 yrs) regular exerciser (bicycling, jogging, weight lifting, swimming) of 4 to 5 times (often weights & cardio on same day) per week, I kept roughly the same weight and look (thin, athletic build). My diet over that time period was health conscious with a generally balanced diet including lean protein and low fat meals including protein powders (soy & whey primarily).

About a year ago, I started and continue to eat a vegetarian/vegan like diet (meat & dairy included in diet about 2-3 meals per week) while maintaining same exercise regimine described. I have lost, for the first time in my life, about about 6% of my long-time body weight and gained muscle tone and haven't lost strength. I think my % body fat has gone down due to the diet change. My goal was not to lose weight.....I am not sure how I feel about the weight loss as my clothes don't fit as they use to.

Question: What do others think about protein powders? A number of nutrition experts advise against them.

I think a pure whey protein isolate like what jarrow makes is a fantastic option it is just whey no fluff

KyleAAA · Post by **KyleAAA** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:07 pm

Watty wrote:If your goal is really " To get in better shape." and not just to bulk up then the part you are missing is aerobic exercise like swimming, running, or bicycling several times a week. Just doing weightlifting at a brisk pace is not the same.

I don't know, many of my weightlifting sessions get my heart rate up far higher for a longer period of time than running or swimming, even if I run or swim relatively quickly. You can also do intervals with weights. I don't think specific, separate cardio is necessary for most people if their goal is general fitness.

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:10 pm

RaleighStClaire wrote:Probably a big reason I have plateaued for so long was that I had no goal. Sometimes it would be muscle gain but I wouldn't be able to push myself hard enough to actually do it so I think I need to go with fat loss.

Before my aforementioned dunking goal started a couple weeks ago my routine was:
A days:
4 sets of a rotation of: As many pull-ups holding a 50lb weight (11-12 the first set and then declining towards the 4th set), and Squats (6-8 reps per set starting at 230, going up to 280, trying to keep good form going down to seated position). After that, a p90x ab ripper X video which was always hard, especially after doing legs.

B days:
4 sets of a rotation of: Benchpress (starting relatively light and then peaking at about 3-4 reps at 215), Seated rows (heaviest setting on the machine. capable of about 8 reps on the last set), Random bicep work.

Each day would take about 40 minutes so I wasn't spending all that much time at the gym. I think I'd be happy if I spent an hour total but the lack of motivation is hard sometimes.

Anyways, now my routine has changed a little bit to include more leg work. I do a lot of box jumps, more squats including deep squats to the ground and 1-legged squats, that kind of stuff.

I'm liking the big compound stuff.

Squats and deads are supposed be good for your vertical, but I've never trained specifically for that.

Doing back work everyday probably isn't a good idea, though. You might consider making your A days legs-only and add hamstring work, then alternate between the weighted pullups and rows on your B days. If you can do all the weight on the seated row machine, it's time to switch to freeweight rows! Then do bicep work if there's any gas left in the tank.

- Scott

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:20 pm

KyleAAA wrote:I don't know, many of my weightlifting sessions get my heart rate up far higher for a longer period of time than running or swimming, even if I run or swim relatively quickly. You can also do intervals with weights. I don't think specific, separate cardio is necessary for most people if their goal is general fitness.

That's my line of thinking as well.

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:26 pm

Scott S wrote:I'm liking the big compound stuff. Squats and deads are supposed be good for your vertical, but I've never trained specifically for that.

Doing back work everyday probably isn't a good idea, though. You might consider making your A days legs-only and add hamstring work, then alternate between the weighted pullups and rows on your B days. If you can do all the weight on the seated row machine, it's time to switch to freeweight rows! Then do bicep work if there's any gas left in the tank.

- Scott

I try and focus on the best compound exercises as you can tell. Unfortunately, I workout in a relatively small apartment gym that has a Smith machine but the dumbbells only go up to 50lbs so bent-over rows aren't really an option. Also, because the Smith machine is the only real weight that I can lift, deadlifts aren't an option. The bar just doesn't go down far enough.

I may have to join a real gym at some point but I think that for now I really want to focus on my nutrition for a while and see how much that helps. I've read that fitness models/professionals talk about how important diet is and that eating clean is essential but, of course, few ever post what they actually eat. That's what I'm curious about and the main purpose of this thread.

stoptothink · Post by **stoptothink** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:29 pm

Bottom line is nutrition is at least 90% of the ballgame, as far as your training, there really is 1000 ways to skin a cat...If you had specific athletic or aesthetic goals, training specificity would be more important. Generally when someone says "they just want to get into better shape" it means they want to cut bodyfat. I am a sports nutritionist and strength & conditioning coach by trade, and will be among the first class awarded a PhD in Obesity Studies from U of Houston; I have spent my life researching this stuff.

Everything that is "common knowledge" regarding nutrition is pretty much backwards. A large part of my current job is teaching medical doctors about nutrition and obesity; sad to say they don't have any formal education regarding these very timely issues. Read a few books, learn to eat and you will be that much closer to reaching your goals. Really, the training is tertiary unless you have specific goals.

http://www.amazon.com/Primal-Blueprint- ... 599&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Defense-Food-Eate ... 620&sr=1-1

empb · Post by **empb** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:29 pm

http://www.scoobysworkshop.com/

Check out that guy's site. It's Bogleheads for weightlifters. No fancy equipment, no gimmicky lose/gain-20 lbs-in-2-weeks stuff, big on nutrition etc. He's a big dude...might have some info in there you haven't seen before.

Caveat: Site's a bit difficult to navigate.

tbradnc · Post by **tbradnc** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:34 pm

RaleighStClaire wrote: @Watty: cardio is something I used to do a lot when my goal was weight loss but I have really cut back over the last few years when my goal turned into muscle development and bulking up. Too much cardio made it really hard to put on any muscle. I think at this point I'd like to focus on diet and nutrition instead of cardio in order to lean out.

You'll likely need some cardio.

Think of cardio and weight training in the same way as asset allocation.... 20/80 is usually better than 0/100....

KyleAAA · Post by **KyleAAA** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:48 pm

tbradnc wrote:
RaleighStClaire wrote: @Watty: cardio is something I used to do a lot when my goal was weight loss but I have really cut back over the last few years when my goal turned into muscle development and bulking up. Too much cardio made it really hard to put on any muscle. I think at this point I'd like to focus on diet and nutrition instead of cardio in order to lean out.
You'll likely need some cardio.

Think of cardio and weight training in the same way as asset allocation.... 20/80 is usually better than 0/100....

He already has some. Weight lifting is like a balanced fund where the cardio component can range from 10%-60% depending on how you do it. Traditional weight-lifting that most people do has a relatively small cardio component, but compound exercises like squats, pull-ups, etc have a large cardio component. And if you are doing something like tabata intervals with a kettlebell, your cardio component is through the roof.

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:55 pm

RaleighStClaire wrote:I try and focus on the best compound exercises as you can tell. Unfortunately, I workout in a relatively small apartment gym that has a Smith machine but the dumbbells only go up to 50lbs so bent-over rows aren't really an option. Also, because the Smith machine is the only real weight that I can lift, deadlifts aren't an option. The bar just doesn't go down far enough.

I may have to join a real gym at some point but I think that for now I really want to focus on my nutrition for a while and see how much that helps. I've read that fitness models/professionals talk about how important diet is and that eating clean is essential but, of course, few ever post what they actually eat. That's what I'm curious about and the main purpose of this thread.

That's a bummer! If you haven't checked out www.exrx.net before, that site may give you more ideas for that Smith and dumbbell set.

As for the diet... the best approach I've heard is to start with the macros, then eat as much of each food to get there. 1g/lb of protein, a couple grams per day of EFAs (fish/flax oil), then fill out the rest of your calories with clean carbs/fats.

I don't think whey is a bad thing, but it's not very filling and leaves your system a lot sooner than "regular food". I generally only use it to add protein to a glass of non-skim milk I'll drink as a pseudo-meal.

- Scott

Beantown85 · Post by **Beantown85** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:24 pm

I would consider adding some additional protein to your breakfast. It seems to make a difference for me.

brisni · Post by **brisni** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:37 pm

I recommend joining a crossfit affiliate even if the cost seems high at first. The coaching and nutritional information will be worth it. They encourage paleo diet and it really works in my experience.

- Brian

Outside · Post by **Outside** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:42 pm

Also, most Crossfit gyms offer a free class every Saturday morning called "weekend warriors". It might a nice way to change up your routine w/o having to join a Crossfit gym.

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:46 pm

+1 on crossfit

also check out [commercial solicitation removed by Mod] it is crossfit methodology applied with body weight so no need to get equip great way to get a base for crossfit many members are also crossfitters

abuss368 · Post by **abuss368** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:48 pm

Consider supplements from Gaspari Nutrition.

www.gasparinutrition.com

Triple digit golfer · Post by **Triple digit golfer** » Thu May 26, 2011 5:32 pm

Get adequate protein in your breakfast. I like to have a good amount of protein in my three biggest meals.

Get some more carbs post-workout. Add a piece of fruit with the protein shake. For that matter, your diet is lacking fruit. I'd take take out one of the greek yogurts and one of the oatmeal servings and add in fruit instead. Add those two with the post-workout shake and you have a solid three servings of fruit each day. Also, you're not eating two servings of the same thing each day, as you were originally with the oatmeal and greek yogurt.

If your goal is to add mass, increase your calories.
If your goal is to lose fat, decrease your calories.

It's highly unlikely that you'll increase muscle mass, lose fat, and gain strength all in one shot. For a beginner, that could happen, but you're an experienced weight trainer so you're not going to have that happen.

Calculate your BMR and figure your activity level and go from there.

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Then go to the basic calorie needs below. It'll tell you how many calories to eat to maintain your current weight, based on the activity level you use. If you want to gain mass, add 500 calories. If you want to cut fat, subtract 500 calories.

I'm in a cutting stage. I'm eating about 1,900 calories per day right now, which is about 800 less than my estimated maintenance caloric intake. It may be a bit low but I feel fine so I'm sticking with it. I'm losing just about 2 lbs per week

Breakfast:
Kashi GoLean cereal
8 oz 1% milk
Orange

Snack:
Almonds
Banana

Lunch:
Whole grain pasta (I get 8 servings out of a box)
Very little red sauce (I get 12 servings out of a jar)
Broccoli
4-5 ounces chicken breast or extra lean ground beef

Snack:
Walnuts
Apple
Carrots

Dinner:
Small-medium sweet potato
4-5 ounces pork tenderloin or chicken breast
Green beans

About an hour before bed:
4-6 ounces greek yogurt

The key is a good balance. You'll see that I eat grains, fruit, vegetables, lean meat, dairy, and healthy fats every day.

Anyway, you seem to have a good idea what you're doing so I'm sure you'll find success. Good luck.

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Thu May 26, 2011 5:35 pm

if you are trying to cut fat I like paleo

day 1
breakfast
spinich omlette
2-4 eggs
as much spinach as you want
small handful of walnuts
1-2 cup blue berries

snack small handful of nuts

Lunch
2-4 oz chicken
as much salad as you want with oil and vinegar dressing
(1 table spoon olive oil)
1-2 oranges

snack small handful of nuts

dinner
2-4 oz lean grass-fed beef
as much broccoli as you want
small handful almonds
1-2 apples

day 2
breakfast
2-4 oz ham
small handful of almonds
1-cup strawberries

Snack small handful of nuts

Lunch
3-6 oz salmon
as much salad as you want with oil and vinegar dressing
(1 table spoon olive oil)
1-2 kiwi
1 teaspoon almond butter

Snack small handful of nuts

Dinner
2-4oz chicken
as much boiled cabbage as you want topped with tablespoon sesame oil and sesame seeds
1-2 cup berries with walnuts

Day 3
breakfast
salmon and asparagus omelet
1-cup melon with small handful of walnuts

snack small handful of nuts

lunch
4-6oz can tuna with olive oil and vinegar over lettuce tomatoes and celery
1 cucumber sliced thin with sesame oil rice vinegar and sesame seeds

snack small handful of nuts

dinner
chicken sauteed in olive oil with onions and mushrooms
spinach salad with walnuts diced apple and olive oil and vinegar dressing.

*Adjust carbohydrate intake to your specific needs.

[commercial solicitation removed by Mod]

Scott S · Post by **Scott S** » Thu May 26, 2011 6:37 pm

I call shenanigans. Paleo man didn't cook omelettes or boil cabbage. :lol:

Both of those diets look good though. I'm a big fan of eating Kashi GoLean Crunch with a little goat milk yogurt instead of milk.

- Scott

Triple digit golfer · Post by **Triple digit golfer** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:28 pm

Yes, Kashi GoLean Crunch is good. Right now I have GoLean Crisp "Toasted Berry Crumble." Very good. A bit pricey, but worth it for the extra protein compared to other cereals.

leonard · Post by **leonard** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:43 pm

Better shape can be a lot of different things:

1. Absolute strength
2. Better cardio/endurance
3. A blend of Strength and cardio/endurance,
4. And, any sport specific combination of the above.

So, no one can really give you answers until you define "better shape" for you. BTW - your diet will also likely differ depending on how you define "better shape" as well.

TRC · Post by **TRC** » Thu May 26, 2011 7:58 pm

I would HIGHLY recommend you do P90X.

If you follow the workout plan and nutrition guide, you will be blown away at what you can accomplish in 90 days.

gatorking · Post by **gatorking** » Thu May 26, 2011 8:09 pm

Read the "Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf for all you will ever need to know about nutrition.

Triple digit golfer · Post by **Triple digit golfer** » Thu May 26, 2011 8:55 pm

TRC wrote:I would HIGHLY recommend you do P90X.

If you follow the workout plan and nutrition guide, you will be blown away at what you can accomplish in 90 days.

Tough to argue with that, especially since he said he's in a plateau.

4stripes · Post by **4stripes** » Thu May 26, 2011 9:45 pm

I think you're spending too much time in the gym. This either means:

1. You never have a recovery phase, which is where the gains happen.
2. You're not lifting enough weight. If you were, you wouldn't be able to go to the gym so often.

I think you should spend some time on www.startingstrength.com and reassess your program, not your diet.

Otherwise try CrossFit, it's most similar to probably what you're trying to do now though could give you more focus. You'll also get all the wacko nutrition advice you are looking for. Believe about 40% of it and I think you'll be in good shape.

simplesimon · Post by **simplesimon** » Thu May 26, 2011 10:04 pm

I think it's time to do a new workout.

Zander · Post by **Zander** » Thu May 26, 2011 11:20 pm

My suggestions:

1) stop exercising so much- you grow when you're resting. 5 days a week is too much strength exercise no matter what the "split" is. Cut back to 4 days- IMHO 3 days would be optimal.

2) stop eating so often. 6 meals a day is a chore and there is no proof that is does anything but make you hungrier. Eat 3 times a day like a normal person - have a life and stop obsessing about eating every three hours. It not as if your muscle mass will disappear if you don't get a steady drip of protein!!

Best of luck.

bobblehead · Post by **bobblehead** » Thu May 26, 2011 11:40 pm

gatorking wrote:Read the "Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf for all you will ever need to know about nutrition.

+1!

The paleo diet is amazing to keep on muscle and lose fat!

For the weightlifting your numbers look pretty good on squats. I'd try Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, but maybe find a substitute for deadlifts at your gym (pull-ups?). The nice thing about his program is that it's flexible enough that you can incorporate sports and cardio, but at the same time mixes up the number of reps each week and gives you goals to work for. You can google the routine or find it on amazon.

CaliJim · Post by **CaliJim** » Fri May 27, 2011 12:24 am

arpit0908 · Post by **arpit0908** » Fri May 27, 2011 8:10 am

Junk food is known to have certain key ingredients -- sugar, fat, salt & refined grains -- and lacks many of the nutrients we need for good health. But we like the taste, convenience and the price. These are the characteristics of junk food that we like. So if you want to change your diet, replace them and other foods with foods that are low fat, low salt, and low sugar and are made from whole grains.

RaleighStClaire · Post by **RaleighStClaire** » Fri May 27, 2011 11:22 am

Lots of good advice here and thanks to TDG and kevin for supplying what they're eating. It always helps when I see what others are eating.

Taking some of the ideas listed here I think I will add some more fruit like bananas, oranges and apples to my diet (since that's what I like), especially in the breakfast and post-workout meals where I was lacking calories. Also, I plan to add egg whites throughout the day -- I'm thinking a couple with breakfast and then 4-6 over the rest of the day. I've read that sometimes athletes/fitness pros eat upwards of 15/day but I'm going out on a limb and saying that that is too many for me

The Paleo diet is good, for sure, and I'm basically trying to do most of it. I intend to limit my grains to oatmeal, eat no sugar, and eat a lot of meat and veggies. Sounds kind of like atkins, actually.

@norookie: I'm 6' 2"

tc101 · Post by **tc101** » Fri May 27, 2011 11:32 am

Experiment with getting more rest. Remember that muscle growth happens during rest, not during exercise. There was a recent Mr. Universe who only worked out 3 days a week. Sorry I can't remember his name but he said this in a TV interview.

gatorking · Post by **gatorking** » Fri May 27, 2011 11:44 am

Read "Body by Science" for importance of more rest.

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Fri May 27, 2011 12:10 pm

tc101 wrote:Experiment with getting more rest. Remember that muscle growth happens during rest, not during exercise. There was a recent Mr. Universe who only worked out 3 days a week. Sorry I can't remember his name but he said this in a TV interview.

+1 strong correlation between sleep deprivation fat gain and muscle loss.

Guest422 · Post by **Guest422** » Fri May 27, 2011 12:11 pm

gatorking wrote:Read the "Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolf for all you will ever need to know about nutrition.

+1 Rob Wolf he also has a good blog

PS may also want to check out "marks daily apple"

Triple digit golfer · Post by **Triple digit golfer** » Fri May 27, 2011 5:36 pm

Zander wrote:stop eating so often. 6 meals a day is a chore and there is no proof that is does anything but make you hungrier. Eat 3 times a day like a normal person

That is absolutely horrible advice.

First of all, there is proof that it makes people LESS hungry. So your alleged proof that it makes you more hungry is just made up, I'm sure.

Second, normal people probably eat more than three times per day. That 2:30 bag of Cheetos and bottle of Pepsi counts. The M&Ms after dinner count. The mid-morning pretzels count. So instead of those, eat a piece of fruit and some nuts or some yogurt or something. It's very easy. Eating six times a day is not a chore at all. It's probably the norm. If I ate breakfast before work and waited until lunch to eat, that'd be over six hours. No thank you.

Bogleheads.org

Workout plateau -- looking to make changes in diet

Workout plateau -- looking to make changes in diet

beauty skin deep