Info / Advice / etc...

[Thundergut]

Hi folks, new here, so please bear with me

I've gone through all of the stickies around here, and quite a few of the other posts, and all in all...there's some GREAT info here. However, I'm having a little trouble assimilating it all and tailoring it to myself and my plan...so I was wondering if I could ask/beg for a little help. I read through ChefWide's thread, and I must say... DAMN! Thats the kind of result I'm looking for. Hard work + info = success. I'm willing to put in the work, just need the info

First, some background. I'm 26, 6'0", 295lbs, 28% bf, 3600cal BMR as per a med-gem (aka, body gem) test. Daily intake with my old routine, 2-3 days/wk cardio, was estimated at like 4400cal to maintain I believe. I am a former competitive swimmer, but thats 5 years in the past. Broke my ankles, lost my scholarship. Ballooned up to 295, smoked for several years but have been off for the past 6 months and staying off no matter what.

Currently I'm still around 295lbs on a big frame (people tell me I look about 220lbs tops all the time). I do 5-6 days/week of high intensity cardio for 30-45 mins per session. I also do weights 3-5 days/week at my meager gym (free, part of the apartment complex I live at). I do leg presses, seated calf raises (on leg press machine), tri pushdowns, chest press / incline chest press / shoulder press on cable machine, pulldowns, and dumbbell curls and extensions. I workout after work from 5:30 - 7:00pm approximately, sometimes shorter if the tiny gym fills up.

I've been doing this routine for the past 2-3 months, with no noticeable results. I've adjusted my diet as-per the nutritionists recommendations, and stuck to them as best I can with my random-ass schedule. I've started taking whey protein (optimal nutrition gold) and some CreaTech (6g creatine, 2g glutamine, 2g taurine per serving). I regularly take a multi-vitamin and fish oil.

Some questions: (a few regarding ChefWide's thread)
- What type of scale are you using to get that accurate of results? I picked up a weight/bf-monitor from Target a while ago, but it stopped working after 1 use and I took it back. Didn't want to get another one at the time, so I'm currently w/o a scale.

- Do you use a HR monitor? I've read they're invaluable, and I'm sure I could benefit from one, but I have no idea if there are any reliable brands, etc...suggestions?

- Supplements? I've looked at some Thermogenics lately, but I had some Hydroxicut w/ ephedra a while back and it didn't agree with me. Any suggestions for some good ones? I spoke to a guy at the local supp store, and he suggested Hot Rox, etc...and I saw Animal Cuts and Lipo 6, but not sure whats considered "better" than the others.

- Is there a good app out there to help count calories and monitor my diet closer? Currently I'm just taking the suggestions of the nutritionist I visited and modifying them slightly here and there.

- Mass meal preparation. It's something I've tried before and failed (almost burning down the house) so any sort of recipes or suggestions would rock. Or, if there's a site out there that would help figure out how to cook mass quantities of healthy food, I'd appreciate a link

Any help or suggestions you can give would be most appreciated. I can't afford a personal trainer or a big gym membership fee right now, working with kids at a non-profit does have its drawbacks.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Thundergut]

*bump* in hopes of a response or two

 

[nikkita]

Before making any recommendation I would like to know what does your diet looks like? what do you eat per day?

by the way, I think there is a good calorie counter in fitday.com

 

[Xet]

accu measure body fat clippers

use those alot more accurate than a scale

i have one of those scale/bf things and it just judges by ur height and weight of how much bf u would be.

With what i calculate with my clippers (its prob off a bit because im not sure exactly how to use it) is about 20ish and the scale tells me like 14% which i know im not

 

[Thundergut]

Thanks for the responses!

Diet:

Breakfast: McCann's Irish Steel Cut Oats (1/3 cup = 1 serving) with approx. tbsp of flaxseeds, tsp of dk. brown sugar, and 1/4 cup milk.

Mid Morning Snack: Granola bar or yogurt. 1 Coke Zero.

Lunch: (varies, usually w/ a diet soda or tea)
* Turkey sub on wheat, lettuce, onion, tomato, salt, pepper, mustard (footlong @ subway, or regular @ jersey mikes)
* Salad w/ low-fat ranch, turkey sandwich on wheat w/ swiss, lettuce, onion
* Qdoba chicken burrito w/ black beans, rice, lettuce, salsa, sour cream. Lots of hot sauce, Cholula is the best! (Sin Food)
* Sometimes we go out elsewhere, and I try to eat as healthy as possible. Salad, or grilled chicken, or grilled salmon.

Mid Afternoon Snack: Granola or yogurt, sometimes a handful of goldfish crackers if I've forgotten a snack.

Dinner: (varies a lot)
* Whole wheat pasta w/ tomato sauce.
* Grilled chicken w/ broccoli.
* Salad w/ tuna, lowfat ranch or vinagrette.
* Ground turkey w/ cinnamon & curry, in corn tortillas (3) w/ broccoli or salad.
* Lazy meal: Wendy's grilled chicken, plain, lettuce & onion. Baked potato. Diet coke. Chicken nuggets (Sin Food).
* Sometimes I go out to eat, but again, I try to eat as healthy as possible. Sirloin, grilled fish, grilled chicken, vegetables, baked potato, etc...

Evening Snack: Usually a yogurt, sometimes a scoop or two of orange sherbert.


I workout from around 5:30/6 - 6:30/7pm. Immediately following working out, I have an 8oz glass of water w/ CreaTech (6g creatine, 2g glutamine, 2g taurine) and a protein shake (8oz plain nonfat yogurt, 1 scoop whey protein, 1 banana, milk added for consistency).

All yogurts are low/no fat. All milk is skim, 1% or 2% (depends on who buys the milk, me or my roomie). Any butter used is I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. For seasonings, it's usually a Mrs. Dash variety, or just some garlic powder and curry, or salt and pepper.

I drink 3-4 500ml bottles of water throughout the day. I drink another 2-3 during my workout, and another 2 after (along with the Createch and shake).

My biggest vice is soda. I'm a caffeine junkie. I'm trying to swap over to green/black tea, but it's a hard road. I've been a soda junkie since day one. Now I'm only drinking diets, Coke Zero to be specific. I'll have between 3-4 throughout the day (down from a 12pk per day roughly).

The two sin foods I listed are my lazy-day foods. My pick-me-ups if you will. If I'm feeling down, or extra tired, I'll indulge. But it's pretty much a once-a-week thing.

That's about it from what I can recall offhand. I appreciate any help or advice!

 

[nikkita]

just a quick question? what are your main objectives?

 

[Thundergut]

Lose fat, gain muscle. The usual.

I'm sitting at about 295lbs, 6ft tall. Body shape like ChefWide's before picture. After reading his log, my "goal" I guess is to achieve the same results he has.

To throw in a little comedy, I hate having a "dinkydoo."

If you must ask what a "dinkydoo" is, it's where your gut sticks out further than your "dinkydoo."

 

[nikkita]

My first impression is that you're not eating enough protein. Don't forget for your calculations that your protein intake in order to build muscle must be around 1.5 - 2 g per pound of your bodyweight per day. So considering that, you must calculate your protein servings per meal.

My observations to your diet would be:

> Breakfast: McCann's Irish Steel Cut Oats (1/3 cup = 1 serving) with
> approx. tbsp of flaxseeds, tsp of dk. brown sugar, and 1/4 cup milk.

I would add a source of protein such as egg whites, tuna or even whey protein to start your day.

>Mid Morning Snack: Granola bar or yogurt. 1 Coke Zero.

I haven't heard of coke zero, guess that it is delicious but if you're trying to build lean mass, my opinion is that you drink water.
I see that you drink 3-4 bottles of 500ml. Let me look for the calculation of water intake, but roughly let me tell you... I'm 130 lbs and drink about a gallon a day (without considering shakes and workout consumption). My guess is that you should be drinking more water.
Well... back to the diet... every meal must have a protein source, milk products have some, but not the quantity is not sufficient to cover your daily requirements. On the other hand you must try to have a balanced diet. On your breakfast you had oats, so for this meal it would be a good idea to have something different (ideas: rice, potatoes, yams, melon) and a salad of green veggies.

>Lunch: (varies, usually w/ a diet soda or tea)
>* Turkey sub on wheat, lettuce, onion, tomato, salt, pepper, mustard
>(footlong @ subway, or regular @ jersey mikes)
>* Salad w/ low-fat ranch, turkey sandwich on wheat w/ swiss, lettuce, >onion
>* Qdoba chicken burrito w/ black beans, rice, lettuce, salsa, sour >cream. Lots of hot sauce, Cholula is the best! (Sin Food)
>* Sometimes we go out elsewhere, and I try to eat as healthy as >possible. Salad, or grilled chicken, or grilled salmon.

This looks like a very heavy meal. For this meal, I would go easy with the condiments... too much sodium, which if you're not consuming lots of water it make you retain fluid and make you appear bloated.
what is a turkey sub? is it a kind of sandwich? if it is so, I would change for grilled chicken with rice.
The swiss... cheese right? drop it!
About the burrito, what type of tortilla is it used? if it is flour, I would recommend that you don't eat it anymore and change it for a corn tortilla.
Black beans... how are they made? I would recommend to consume them once or twice a week, but not every day.

>Mid Afternoon Snack: Granola or yogurt, sometimes a handful of goldfish >crackers if I've forgotten a snack.

As for the earlier meals, you are not eating enough protein here. You can eat your granola bar, but it may be a good idea to look for one or two cereal bars with low content of fat.

>Dinner: (varies a lot)
>* Whole wheat pasta w/ tomato sauce.
>* Grilled chicken w/ broccoli.
>* Salad w/ tuna, lowfat ranch or vinagrette.
>* Ground turkey w/ cinnamon & curry, in corn tortillas (3) w/ broccoli or >salad.
>* Lazy meal: Wendy's grilled chicken, plain, lettuce & onion. Baked >potato. Diet coke. Chicken nuggets (Sin Food).
>* Sometimes I go out to eat, but again, I try to eat as healthy as >possible. Sirloin, grilled fish, grilled chicken, vegetables, baked potato, etc...

I guess that you don't eat all this in one seat... am I right?

Do you train before this meal or after?

>Evening Snack: Usually a yogurt, sometimes a scoop or two of orange >sherbert.

at what time do you do this meal?
maybe here you need to change the food choices, but that depends on whether you train before dinner or after.

I think that with your current diet you will bulk, but expect to add lots of fat too. You need to make changes on this diet, and consumption habits. For instance, for bulking milk and/or yogurth help, but I think that you are consuming too much, maybe with the changes you reduce that. But try to buy non-fat products. I would definitively take off butter.

For your vice... you're already working on it.

About your sin foods, once a week they are ok... but first modify your diet according to your calculations... because diet represents almost 70% of all gym results.

If you have comments don't hesitate to ask

 

[Thundergut]

I would add a source of protein such as egg whites, tuna or even whey protein to start your day.

Good point. I'll swap out the brown sugar for some protein powder, that should be enough to satisfy that pesky sweet tooth of mine.

I haven't heard of coke zero, guess that it is delicious but if you're trying to build lean mass, my opinion is that you drink water.

Coke Zero is basically a diet coke, but tastes better in my opinion. I know I need to wean these out of my diet entirely and really chug the water.

This looks like a very heavy meal. For this meal, I would go easy with the condiments... too much sodium, which if you're not consuming lots of water it make you retain fluid and make you appear bloated.

Each of the "*" represents one item I may have on any given day. I couldn't handle eating all of them at one meal, I'd explode. I may be a big boy, but I am by no means Takeru Kobayashi.

what is a turkey sub? is it a kind of sandwich? if it is so, I would change for grilled chicken with rice. The swiss... cheese right? drop it!
About the burrito, what type of tortilla is it used? if it is flour, I would recommend that you don't eat it anymore and change it for a corn tortilla.
Black beans... how are they made? I would recommend to consume them once or twice a week, but not every day.

A turkey sub is also known as a hero, hoagie, grinder, or even just a "turkey sandwich." I'm working on getting rid of my cheese habit, as I think I may be lactose intolerant to some degree. The burrito is on a flour tortilla, the beans are boiled I believe. But yeah, I only eat a burrito once a week if even that often.

As for the earlier meals, you are not eating enough protein here. You can eat your granola bar, but it may be a good idea to look for one or two cereal bars with low content of fat.

More protein, roger. Maybe just pre-mix a protein shake and take it to work with me, or a meal replacement shake?

I guess that you don't eat all this in one seat... am I right?

Do you train before this meal or after?

Haha, heck no. That would make me explode even worse than lunch. I usually train before I eat dinner, but sometimes when I'm just worn out from work, I eat and then train later in the evening.

I either train from 5:30-7pm, take my creating and protein shake, then make dinner. Or, I eat dinner, then workout around 9pm, and take my creatine and protein shake before bed.

at what time do you do this meal?
maybe here you need to change the food choices, but that depends on whether you train before dinner or after.

My evening snack, if I have one, is usually around 8-10pm. Depends on the day, how early I get home from work, if I exercise early in the evening or later, etc...

I think that with your current diet you will bulk, but expect to add lots of fat too. You need to make changes on this diet, and consumption habits. For instance, for bulking milk and/or yogurth help, but I think that you are consuming too much, maybe with the changes you reduce that. But try to buy non-fat products. I would definitively take off butter.

Yeah, the last thing I want to do is add much more bulk. I'd post a pic if that would help, but for now, lets suffice to say that I have a large frame. The butter I use is more veggie oil based and recommended by my nutritionist, and I use it very sparingly.

If you have comments don't hesitate to ask

Thanks, I appreciate all of your info. One thing I can't figure out is a good Protein/Carb/Fat split. I've put all of my info into Pintoca's Calculator spreadsheet, and it's set at:

Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri/Sat
2,873 kcal
45% protein (323g)
25% carb (180g)
30% fat (96g)

Thurs/Sun
3,490 kcal
35% protein (305g)
50% carb (436g)
15% fat (58g)

So I'm wondering how those percentages came to be, or if they're a "given" for weight loss formulas.

I've also checkout www.fitday.com prior to posting here, but I didn't find it very userfriendly at all. Does anybody else know of a good calorie/diet monitoring (web-based) program?

And Xet, you mentioned Accu-Measure Body Fat Calipers? Can I get a pair of those at the local sporting goods shoppe, or would I have to hit a specialty store for those?

Finally, for this post at least, what do you think of all the reviews of Thermorexin, Levorex, Cardio Breeze, Glucorell R, and Sesamax? Do you think those items would benefit me at this time, or do you think I should try to dial in my diet before I add anything else?

 

[nikkita]

I'm not very good with the calculations you are requesting. However, my recommendation is that you base each meal with a protein source and a carb.
For earlier hours of the day you may have complex carbs, and throughout the end of the day move to simple to fibrous carbs.

Why? because carbs when not used readily they turn to fat, that is why the sources at the end of the day must be fast to digest.

For example: at dinner a good one can be:
* Grilled chicken w/ broccoli or boiled veggies.
* Salad w/ tuna, lowfat ranch or vinagrette.

For the evening snack: something like non-fat yogurth or casein with strawberries.

About the mid afternoon snack: it can be the protein shake and the cereal or granola bar.

Regarding supplements, reviews of the mentioned products are good. But in my opinion it is a matter to dial your diet before and then maximize benefits of each supplement.