This is kinda a multi-tiered question so I’m sorry about this. I workout with a friend that has a rather good build, 5’8 and 155 pounds and he wants to get bigger. Advice from a work mate suggested that he should eat more protein but to my understanding protein shakes/supplements are quite expensive. Especially considering that you need to eat at least 1 gram per pound from what our work mate says. So it is more cost effective to buy a supplement.
I on the other hand would like to lose weight/get cut up more. I’m not quite sure what to do though aside from eating less calories. Should I be eating as much protein as well? I know protein is important but I tend to eat leaner foods such as salmon and turkey to get my protein in, which is easier for me since I work nearby at a resturant so I kinda special deal off fish/poultry.
So I guess to sum it up is how much protein is really necessary for gaining/losing weight? I don’t want to bulk up while my friend does. Are protein shakes/supplements cost effect as opposed to eating lean meat? For losing weight/getting cut up what supplements are recommended?
Remember, goal is fat loss while maintaining muscle mass for me.
Does that help hold dat?
And please SZ and others give your thoughts as well to that diet plan. I’ve been told a few things about it so far, please let me know if you agree/disagree
i dont think its possible to overrate protein tbh. Even if you are cutting keep that protein pretty high. GET THAT FISH SON, salmon for sure. I eat canned tuna like nobody’s business and it is great, meaning it fills me up, tastes fantastic (meaning not to the point of a unclean vagina) and has plenty of protein to boot.
I won’t comment on supplements because all I take is fish oil.
I am no nutrition pro, but since there has been talk about bread I suggest that everyone reads the label on the bread they buy. I recently started checking when I was comparing fiber between two different breads, and I noticed that a lot of breads contain high fructose corn syrup. Even the whole grain breads and whatnot, I just recently started eating “Oroweat Whole Grain Active Health” bread with my turkey sandwiches, it says it’s for “digestive health” but the big selling point for me was no high fructose corn syrup and it tastes really good, especially when I use my foreman to grill my sandwiches.
Also, I don’t know if you guys use any in your sandwiches(assuming you eat them at all) but instead of lettuce I have been putting baby spinach. I don’t know the health benefits of lettuce, but I know that spinach is considered a “super food” because it has so much nutrition packed into it. I also wilt some baby spinach and pour my egg whites, with 1 egg for flavor, on it for a pseudo omelette.
I didn’t know about not eating carbs past 7 thing, but is that assuming I go to be at a certain time? What would be a general rule? Like not eating any carbs 3 or 4 hours before you go to bed?
Also, does anyone else here work out really late? I remember reading in here that I would probably have more strength in the morning, and I have no problems with working out in the morning but I prefer working out late for one reason: no one else is around. I hate having to wait for a bench or to get on a machine, and I guess I am weird but I do get self conscious sometimes. I ask because I know I should be getting a post workout meal, but when I get to the gym around 11pm and am home say 1am I just want to sleep. I know I shouldn’t eat right before going to bed, so what should I do besides working out earlier? It’s not really possible for me to work out too early because of work and my lack of a car here in Hawaii (it’s a 25-30 minutes walk to the gym).
As always, any suggestions are welcome and appreciated.
For the first time in a long time. I touched my feet while standing keeping my feet straight. Well, I can’t remember the last time I tried. Maybe 2 years ago, which was when I started working out seriously, and I was way off.
This just from working out. I knew working out increased flexibility but I never really noticed it and this just reaffirms it for me.
could you hold it there? i noticed its mainly calve and ab strength. i go as far as i can til my legs burn. then flex my abs hardcore to get a couple more inches n i can hold it there for a few seconds. which is still cool cuz i have a beer belly haha… kinda
Yeah man I can. I am so shocked. I don’t know maybe I am different, but I really don’t exert much ‘strength’. Its just my hams used to be really tight way before I got near touching my feet. Now they get tight when I am touching them.
Now that I think about it though, the dynamic exercises I did this morning, ‘box jump’ may have helped, and it might be a temporary thing? even though I did it again 5 hrs after the workout. Well, whatever, I welcome it as long as it doesnt detract from my strength, which is the opposite of what is happening…
I guess it depends on when your deadline is at, or at what pace you want to take this. If its pretty far, maybe you can afford doing just one cardio a day if you are really worried.
its strange, ive never had the urge to lose weight like before. that faber pulver fight got me amped. i find myself doing cardio twice a day bc i like it.
ppl say if u like it, do it. but i gotta remember by doing too much cardio and not the right way, doing a flawed process over a certain amount of time, thatll be costing me alot of bulk. thats the reason why im trying to be careful here.
Cardio definitely can make you lose muscle, but it depends on how you attack it. You probably want to try using HIIT or LISS if you are looking to maintain muscle. The info about each is probably in this thread somewhere or you can Google it if you need to.
As long as you eat to maintenance you shouldn’t gain fat and be able to cut… At least in theory anyway.
Just my suggestions on cutting, eat at maintenance, don’t run too much, lift heavy but definitely don’t over train, get at the very least a gram of protein per lb of lean body mass per day. Thats the cliff notes version of what I’ve gathered these last several months.
I’ve heard carbs shouldn’t be eaten after the evening as well, but you gotta consider when you lift too. It’s good to have simple carbs with your whey post workout and complex carbs within 3 hours afterwards. 2. Ideally, every meal should contain some type of lean protein. 3. I’m not a fan of bars, I’d have some whey after you lift. On top of that, I’d switch the tuna/canned chicken’s spot with the turkey sanwiches and have it about 1 hour after you have the whey.
Is the fish oil all in that one serving? I’d try spreading it out evenly with the rest of my meals.
Gonna have to check my bread now (Pepperidge Farm). My gripe with baby spinach is that I never finish it fast enough before some of it goes bad. I like to mix up my vegetables so I eat it every 2 or 3 days.
If you lift late, then the rest of your day should be somewhat low on complex carbs. They should mostly come from fruits and vegetables. I use to lift around 10pm at school, but late night wasn’t my energy high point. I felt late afternoon was best for me. If it lifting late works for you, then go for it. Just have a shake and sleep afterwards. Just make sure you wake up and have a good breakfast.
I was surprised too when I saw there was high fructose corn syrup. I guess it’s in everything these days. I normally go through my spinach pretty quick, and only guy 1 bag at a time.
Right now lifting late is what works for me, so I guess I will try getting some protein in and then eating a really good breakfast. I just wasn’t sure which was worse, not eating post workout or eating and then going to sleep.
since you mentioned fish oil, was there a type you guys use? I was at GNC to look at vitamins and fish oil and I saw some normal, triple strength and double strength and whatnot type fish oils, and salmon oil. whats the deal with salmon oil over other fish oils?
Added on quite a bit of muscle on? Nice work so far, keep it up!
I currently take the one from Optimum Nutrition since it was cheap on bodybuilding.com, but now I think I’m going to order from trueprotein.com. They offer more capsules for less money so that’s a whole lot more cost effective.