Question for the diet experts

[James Anthony]

Yo whats up everybody, I'm a 20 year old guy and heres my deal...From being away at college, between lots of beer and 3 am pizza runs, my formerly mostly flat stomach is starting to show signs of the dreaded spare tire look....It's not serious as of yet, if I suck in, its flat again....But this cannot happen....I work out pretty regularly, usually 4 times a week, doing cardio 2 of those days (2-3 miles on the treadmill, no incline, speed 6-7)....However my main problem which I could use some guidance on is my diet....It sucks....The food here is horrible, plus I'm kinda a picky eater, so I've been maintaining a high carbs diet (lots of pizza and pasta, not really a lot of snacking though)......What kind of foods do you guys suggest I can incorporate into my diet to replace all these empty carbs? Higher protiens? Eat less? Help me out here!!

 

[bigmag]

definately do NOT eat less....that will slow down your metabolism. You should definately cut out the pizza. I'm not sure of you weight so I can't tell you how much protein, carbs of fat you should be getting. You should try to eat something every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism up to speed. Good sources of protein are fish, tuna, eggs, chicken breast, or beef (these are just a few to choose from). You need to be getting some clean carbs in your diet.....you can get that from oatmeal, brown rice or pasta, potatoes, and fruit. As for fat, try to eat food that is high in polyunsaturated fat (those are the EFA's) most cooking oils are the best for this (canola oil, flax seed oil, olive oil, etc...). If you have any other questions....feel free to pm me.

 

[James Anthony]

damn forgot to mention that info.....I'm 5'7 and 150 lbs.....whether thats average weight or not I dunno lol.....Like today, for example, instead of Easy Mac & Cheese I had chicken soup and for dinner turkey sandwich and baked ruffles (good sh*t!!! love these things)....Would it also be a good idea to replace soda and iced tea and drinks that like with just water?>

 

[enrage]

Damn, thats the exact same diet plan i used to follow in college, pizza, beer and whatever else that tasted good at 3 am. That exact same routine lead me down the road of extreme fattiness. Thats why I'm dieting down to shed all that college fat. No one told me a higher education usually leads to being overweight. I must of missed the fine print somewhere
I know its hard being in college with a chaotic schedule it's not always easy to follow a good eating plan. I would suggest try keeping it to the basics. Plan on getting some food thats quick, easy and cheap. College life is at times borderline poverty, so i understand if cash is a problem.
Stock up on tuna, or chicken and store it in a fridge. Are you in a dorm or do you have your own apartment? That would make a big difference. Do you have stuff to cook with, grill or microwave?

The first thing i would suggest is to throw the soda and iced tea out. Along with the bag of chips and the other crap sitting around. Stock up on some green leafy vegetables or carrots if you need to snack on something. I think if you just changed your diet your weight will come back to normal. Just stop hitting that pizza, soda and chips and you will see a difference in your body.

 

[Stryc-9]

I would say that you ought to replace the sodas and iced tea right away!! Quickly man!! If you need that sweet taste try Crystal Light - but those simple sugars are going to kill your diet...

The meal you mentioned (soup and baked Ruffles) may sound "healthy" on a relative scale - but it also sounds pretty high in sodium which could be a problem if you eat those kinds of things too frequently....

My best advice for you is to stick with simple foods....that is to say, if it doesn't come directly out of the ground or just been plucked out of a barnyard - don't eat it!! This is just a smart-ass way of saying "avoid overly processed foods"....get back to the basics....i.e., fresh veggies, pure grains, moderate fruit...

Stay away from processed white flour above all (Arnold called it the white death for a reason!)....and drink water like all day long - as much as you can stand to consume....gee there are so many things you can do....

...I've only scratched the surface but start making small changes and you'll be pleasantly surprised...good luck!

 

[diamonddiceclay]

eat 6 meals a day-cut carbs down as much as possible and eat alot of red meat,chicken,turkey

 

[gymtime]

This is all good advice. I can only add that you should take advantage of your age. You can eat a less than perfect diet and still be fit. But that 3am pizza and Ruffles have got to go.

Do your best to keep your protein up and carbs low. It's good you're thinking about this now, rather than in five or ten years when you've put on 30 or more lbs.

Keep working out and eat as well as you can. That "gut" will go away in no time.