Critique my diet please! - UK-Muscle Body Building Community

BSF James · 16-06-2005, 05:44 PM

I'm currently trying to get as ripped as I can. So far gone from about 16% bf (I had spent too long sat in my office working and eating sarnies from the cafe opposite and not enough time down the gym) to 10-11% in just under four weeks. My daily diet is typically:

Breakfast

Whey Protein
Oats in water with sliced banana
Water
Flax Oil Caps
Xedra Cut

Mid Morning

Small protein bar or half serving of an mrp. Currently myoplex carb sense or Instone's MRP - I'm at work so supplements are the most convenient option. I like the Instone MRP as it has fibre and healthy fats.
Water
Xedra Cut

Dinner

Steak and Eggs with a slice of wholewheat toast
Fruit or veg (have taken to munching on mangetout lately- mangeout rodney, mangetout!)
Water
Xedra Cut

Mid Afternoon or post training

Protein Snack (bar, shake, pudding, or can of tuna)
Fruit
Water

Tea

Lean protein (tuna, chicken, lean steak, salmon)
Small Amount of Complex carbs (e.g. brown rice, wholewheat pasta, lentils, haricot beans, chick peas etc.. or a combo of several)
Veg
Water

Evening

1/2 serving of Instone MRP
Water

Critique away! Its by no means a low carb diet, but I do load up in the morning with the oats and banana and then curb off throughout the day.

I'm weight training 3 days on 1 day off for 40min short, intense workouts. No cardio at all yet. Keen to see how lean i can get without it. Generally when I do cardio even in small amounts I lose a lot of weight, but most of it seems to be muscle. I feel like I just become a smaller, weaker version of myself, rather than getting more ripped. I generally discontinue the program early and go back on a weight gain program because I dont like feeling smaller and being weaker. After a lot of experimentation I feel more frequent weight training sessions is the way to go for me, rather than cardio. As someone naturally tending towards being an ectomorph, cardio just wastes me away but I handle weight training very well.

So far with my current routine I dont feel I've lost much, if any, muscle yet and my strength has not dropped at all, whilst the loss of bodyfat is very visible. Abs are showing quite well now after not seeing them at all for a good few months (which was the downside of business doing well and me being too busy to train often!). They are like an old friend coming round for tea.

**big** · 16-06-2005, 07:05 PM

If you've gone from 16% to 10% in under 4 weeks without muscle loss, you should be giving out the advice, not asking for it

That's really nice progress.

Could do with some more fats IMO, but let's face it, if it's working nicely for you, why screw with it?

samurai69 · 16-06-2005, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big

If you've gone from 16% to 10% in under 4 weeks without muscle loss, you should be giving out the advice, not asking for it

That's really nice progress.

Could do with some more fats IMO, but let's face it, if it's working nicely for you, why screw with it?

I agree with big al the way there, If its working why change it

**Pscarb** · 16-06-2005, 08:50 PM

totally agree mate i cannot see much wrong with your diet their are a few things that i would change but this is working for you so don't change it mate....

although i would say you might come up against a sticking point sometime at that point drop all of your carbs and increase your Protein and fats by the way of food rather than supps...for about 3-4 days then back onto this diet and you will start losing again.....

i tried the Instone MRP i found it to be really thick...

BSF James · 17-06-2005, 05:50 PM

Thanks for the advice guys. Yes its working really well, but I expect to hit a sticking point quite soon. The lowest I've ever been was about 8.6% body fat when I started my second degree and we all get tested (sports technology degree). I would be over the moon if I could get below that. My goal is about 6-7%.

I do struggle to get healthy fats into my diet despite my best efforts.

When I do hit a sticking point, I'll take the advice of dropping the carbs for a few days. Thanks.

PScarb - I agree on the Instone MRP. I dont like it if I mix it as instructed, its too thick, too 'mealy' and too dull. I was disappointed after my first one. However, I've found since that if I mix half a sachet with the full amount of water (16oz) and make sure the water is ice cold, it tastes great - almost like vanilla ice cream with a touch of cinnamon. I personally feel 44g of protein (a full serving) in one go is too much for me to effectively digest at once anyway. I'd rather take half servings.

Gonna switch to Myoplex tropical or Labrada low carb lean body next as we have overstock of both.

**Pscarb** · 17-06-2005, 11:10 PM

i have tried the Lean body and found them to be great....

you can buy mackeral without skin or bones in tomatoe sauce in a ring pull tin from most supermarkets a2-3 tins of these a day will add the fats i keep 4-5 tins in my glove box in my car just incase i get caught short mind you i also carry a spare shaker and 20 mrp drinks in the boot aswell.....lol

BSF James · 20-06-2005, 05:16 PM

Yeah, I used to always use Lean body mrps when we owned our gym. Really good product.

I'll look into mackeral or salmon.

When you say drop carbs for a few days once I hit a sticking point, does that include veg also?

**hackskii** · 20-06-2005, 06:58 PM

Could choose lower GI foods too.
Or add a fiber to the meal to slow down the absorption.

If you can control insulin, you are half way there.
Controlling hunger is helpfull too.
i bought some spray that you spray in your mouth (8 squirts), it really curbs your hunger. I dont know what it is called (im not at home).

There is something else (over the counter supplement) that I am trying out at the moment and cant comment on it till I know it is working.

Lauren · 20-06-2005, 07:01 PM

[quote=silentbob]

I'll look into mackeral or salmon.
QUOTE]

Mackerel is the best fish I know, its very meaty unlike other fish.
I think I could live on fish - totally gone off chicken as overdone it. Overdone Tuna too.
Salmon steaks are good, also tuna steaks are pretty meaty and taste lush when cooked right!

But a quick snack which is perfect and good for you is definately mackerel!

BSF James · 23-06-2005, 12:57 PM

I'm not really that keen on fish to be honest - except salmon. I could eat salmon all the time.

I can stomach tuna for the sake of cheap protein, but I dont enjoy it.

Chicken and steak are still my favourite. If I do get bored of chicken I just blacken it with a little cajun spice.

Down to 9.2% bf now. Well impressed. Its coming along much quicker than expected. Had two zero carb days yesterday and tuesday. I do quite well on low carbs except for not being able to lift as heavy.

Still not doing any cardio except a little heavy bag work at the end of some of my workouts.

Really wishing I took a 'before' picture now.

Pete · 23-06-2005, 01:23 PM

mmmmm smoked mackeral is really nice! and pretty cheap.

BSF James · 04-07-2005, 11:27 AM

Jeez - it doesnt half get harder once you're down to single figures. I'm between 8-9% now and the going is slow.

I think I may have to look at either going low carb or doing some cardio.

So far only 0.5kg of the 7kg weight loss has been muscle and I havent lost any strength at all which I'm quite impressed with. Amazing how much useless weight we can carry.

**hackskii** · 05-07-2005, 04:28 PM

Oh yah, the low carb will switch on the fat burning switches too.
This really controls insulin good.

Impressive numbers silent.
Under 10% area is really hard to do.

Remember you dont have alot of bodyfat left so the last few pounds will need to come slow. So for every 1 lb of bodyfat loss at this point it could be maybe just 1% of bodyfat. And at that rate you probably shouldnt lose more than .5 lbs a week.
So after 2 weeks you will drop 1% of your bodyfat.
Thats huge.

16-06-2005, 05:44 PM	#1 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	Critique my diet please! I'm currently trying to get as ripped as I can. So far gone from about 16% bf (I had spent too long sat in my office working and eating sarnies from the cafe opposite and not enough time down the gym) to 10-11% in just under four weeks. My daily diet is typically: Breakfast Whey Protein Oats in water with sliced banana Water Flax Oil Caps Xedra Cut Mid Morning Small protein bar or half serving of an mrp. Currently myoplex carb sense or Instone's MRP - I'm at work so supplements are the most convenient option. I like the Instone MRP as it has fibre and healthy fats. Water Xedra Cut Dinner Steak and Eggs with a slice of wholewheat toast Fruit or veg (have taken to munching on mangetout lately- mangeout rodney, mangetout!) Water Xedra Cut Mid Afternoon or post training Protein Snack (bar, shake, pudding, or can of tuna) Fruit Water Tea Lean protein (tuna, chicken, lean steak, salmon) Small Amount of Complex carbs (e.g. brown rice, wholewheat pasta, lentils, haricot beans, chick peas etc.. or a combo of several) Veg Water Evening 1/2 serving of Instone MRP Water Critique away! Its by no means a low carb diet, but I do load up in the morning with the oats and banana and then curb off throughout the day. I'm weight training 3 days on 1 day off for 40min short, intense workouts. No cardio at all yet. Keen to see how lean i can get without it. Generally when I do cardio even in small amounts I lose a lot of weight, but most of it seems to be muscle. I feel like I just become a smaller, weaker version of myself, rather than getting more ripped. I generally discontinue the program early and go back on a weight gain program because I dont like feeling smaller and being weaker. After a lot of experimentation I feel more frequent weight training sessions is the way to go for me, rather than cardio. As someone naturally tending towards being an ectomorph, cardio just wastes me away but I handle weight training very well. So far with my current routine I dont feel I've lost much, if any, muscle yet and my strength has not dropped at all, whilst the loss of bodyfat is very visible. Abs are showing quite well now after not seeing them at all for a good few months (which was the downside of business doing well and me being too busy to train often!). They are like an old friend coming round for tea.

17-06-2005, 05:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	Thanks for the advice guys. Yes its working really well, but I expect to hit a sticking point quite soon. The lowest I've ever been was about 8.6% body fat when I started my second degree and we all get tested (sports technology degree). I would be over the moon if I could get below that. My goal is about 6-7%. I do struggle to get healthy fats into my diet despite my best efforts. When I do hit a sticking point, I'll take the advice of dropping the carbs for a few days. Thanks. PScarb - I agree on the Instone MRP. I dont like it if I mix it as instructed, its too thick, too 'mealy' and too dull. I was disappointed after my first one. However, I've found since that if I mix half a sachet with the full amount of water (16oz) and make sure the water is ice cold, it tastes great - almost like vanilla ice cream with a touch of cinnamon. I personally feel 44g of protein (a full serving) in one go is too much for me to effectively digest at once anyway. I'd rather take half servings. Gonna switch to Myoplex tropical or Labrada low carb lean body next as we have overstock of both. Last edited by BSF James; 17-06-2005 at 06:02 PM.

16-06-2005, 07:05 PM	#2 (permalink)
big UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The only side effect of steroids is GREATNESS Posts: 5,512	If you've gone from 16% to 10% in under 4 weeks without muscle loss, you should be giving out the advice, not asking for it That's really nice progress. Could do with some more fats IMO, but let's face it, if it's working nicely for you, why screw with it?

16-06-2005, 08:50 PM	#4 (permalink)
Pscarb UK-Muscle Moderator and NABBA Champion Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 10,963	totally agree mate i cannot see much wrong with your diet their are a few things that i would change but this is working for you so don't change it mate.... although i would say you might come up against a sticking point sometime at that point drop all of your carbs and increase your Protein and fats by the way of food rather than supps...for about 3-4 days then back onto this diet and you will start losing again..... i tried the Instone MRP i found it to be really thick...

17-06-2005, 11:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
Pscarb UK-Muscle Moderator and NABBA Champion Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 10,963	i have tried the Lean body and found them to be great.... you can buy mackeral without skin or bones in tomatoe sauce in a ring pull tin from most supermarkets a2-3 tins of these a day will add the fats i keep 4-5 tins in my glove box in my car just incase i get caught short mind you i also carry a spare shaker and 20 mrp drinks in the boot aswell.....lol

20-06-2005, 05:16 PM	#7 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	Yeah, I used to always use Lean body mrps when we owned our gym. Really good product. I'll look into mackeral or salmon. When you say drop carbs for a few days once I hit a sticking point, does that include veg also?

20-06-2005, 06:58 PM	#8 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 24,337	Could choose lower GI foods too. Or add a fiber to the meal to slow down the absorption. If you can control insulin, you are half way there. Controlling hunger is helpfull too. i bought some spray that you spray in your mouth (8 squirts), it really curbs your hunger. I dont know what it is called (im not at home). There is something else (over the counter supplement) that I am trying out at the moment and cant comment on it till I know it is working.

20-06-2005, 07:01 PM	#9 (permalink)
Lauren The Lady Of The Manor Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bedfordshire, UK Posts: 2,291	[quote=silentbob] I'll look into mackeral or salmon. QUOTE] Mackerel is the best fish I know, its very meaty unlike other fish. I think I could live on fish - totally gone off chicken as overdone it. Overdone Tuna too. Salmon steaks are good, also tuna steaks are pretty meaty and taste lush when cooked right! But a quick snack which is perfect and good for you is definately mackerel!

23-06-2005, 12:57 PM	#10 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	I'm not really that keen on fish to be honest - except salmon. I could eat salmon all the time. I can stomach tuna for the sake of cheap protein, but I dont enjoy it. Chicken and steak are still my favourite. If I do get bored of chicken I just blacken it with a little cajun spice. Down to 9.2% bf now. Well impressed. Its coming along much quicker than expected. Had two zero carb days yesterday and tuesday. I do quite well on low carbs except for not being able to lift as heavy. Still not doing any cardio except a little heavy bag work at the end of some of my workouts. Really wishing I took a 'before' picture now.

23-06-2005, 01:23 PM	#11 (permalink)
Pete Gym Addict Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NW Posts: 339	mmmmm smoked mackeral is really nice! and pretty cheap.

04-07-2005, 11:27 AM	#12 (permalink)
BSF James UK-Muscle Sponsor Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Telford Posts: 1,259	Jeez - it doesnt half get harder once you're down to single figures. I'm between 8-9% now and the going is slow. I think I may have to look at either going low carb or doing some cardio. So far only 0.5kg of the 7kg weight loss has been muscle and I havent lost any strength at all which I'm quite impressed with. Amazing how much useless weight we can carry.

05-07-2005, 04:28 PM	#13 (permalink)
hackskii UK-Muscle Moderator Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Sunny Southern California U.S.A. Posts: 24,337	Oh yah, the low carb will switch on the fat burning switches too. This really controls insulin good. Impressive numbers silent. Under 10% area is really hard to do. Remember you dont have alot of bodyfat left so the last few pounds will need to come slow. So for every 1 lb of bodyfat loss at this point it could be maybe just 1% of bodyfat. And at that rate you probably shouldnt lose more than .5 lbs a week. So after 2 weeks you will drop 1% of your bodyfat. Thats huge.