Diet and nutrition advice

R.C

Hi i was looking for some advice on my diet i work out every evening using the bar brothers 5 workout routines.......for breakfast i eat 2 boiled eggs with 2 slices of whole meal toast, Lunch is a bowl of pasta and dinner is 3 chicken breast and brocoli with a protein shake if i want a snack at any stage throughout the day its fruit and i drink between 4-6 litres of water......im not looking to bulk up much as im happy with my size just want to get as toned and ripped as possible i would be grateful for any advice and constructive criticism

Mark Cullen

When it comes to weight gain and weight loss, it has more to do with the amounts of foods you eat than the actual foods you eat, though the choices you make will determine the amount of nutrients in your body for other functions.
You will need to first find out your BMR (basal metabolic rate):
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Once you have your BMR, you can use the Harris Benedict Equation to work out your rough daily caloric needs:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Your daily caloric need is what you need to remain the same weight you are now.
In order to get 'ripped and toned' you are going to burn fat by eating less than you are burning. Try eating 300-500 calories less than your daily caloric needs. If your daily caloric needs are 3000 calories, try to eat 2500-2700.

I would suggest you get around 60% of calories from carbs, 20% from protein and 20% from fat.
It will take a couple of hours to work this out but it is well worth it, fitday.com is a very handy tool for planning this.


Constants in the shopping list:

Carb sources:
Fruits
Brown Rice
Sweet potatoes
Oats

Protein sources:
Eggs (Whole!)
Lean meat
Whey
Fish

Fat sources:
Olive Oil
Fish (sardines, wild salmon)
Nuts

You want the vast majority of your cals from fat to be of the unsaturated variety. Hydrogenated and trans fats are out the window altogether.

I don't know much about the bar brother's routine but it seems to be a lot of body-weight exercises, which should sufficient for your goals. Just make sure you keep the intensity high, always try to push for more reps, etc., and best of luck with the process.

Hardonraging

R.C wrote: »

breakfast i eat 2 boiled eggs with 2 slices of whole meal toast, Lunch is a bowl of pasta and dinner is 3 chicken breast and brocoli with a protein shake if i want a snack at any stage throughout the day its fruit and i drink between 4-6 litres of water

You're diet is all over the place, get on fitday.com for myfitnesspal.com and record everything you put in your mouth, you'll see realise you're not eating enough, and what you are eating is way to carb heavy.

Few other points, might be worth looking at ditching wheat ( bread is bad in general, brown, white , etc )

Mark Cullen wrote: »

I would suggest you get around 60% of calories from carbs, 20% from protein and 20% from fat.

That's a terribly high level of Carbs tho Mark, for somebody who wants to Drop bf%, personally i'd recommend more of a balance, say 40% protein, 35% Fats 25% Carbs

The Good fats will fuel you for your workout's, along with the protein, keep complex carbs to a low, manage your blood sugar better, and prevent insulin spike's

Mark Cullen

Mark Cullen wrote: »

When it comes to weight gain and weight loss, it has more to do with the amounts of foods you eat than the actual foods you eat, though the choices you make will determine the amount of nutrients in your body for other functions.
You will need to first find out your BMR (basal metabolic rate):
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/

Once you have your BMR, you can use the Harris Benedict Equation to work out your rough daily caloric needs:
http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/

Your daily caloric need is what you need to remain the same weight you are now.
In order to get 'ripped and toned' you are going to burn fat by eating less than you are burning. Try eating 300-500 calories less than your daily caloric needs. If your daily caloric needs are 3000 calories, try to eat 2500-2700.

I would suggest you get around 60% of calories from carbs, 20% from protein and 20% from fat.
It will take a couple of hours to work this out but it is well worth it, fitday.com is a very handy tool for planning this.


Constants in the shopping list:

Carb sources:
Fruits
Brown Rice
Sweet potatoes
Oats

Protein sources:
Eggs (Whole!)
Lean meat
Whey
Fish

Fat sources:
Olive Oil
Fish (sardines, wild salmon)
Nuts

You want the vast majority of your cals from fat to be of the unsaturated variety. Hydrogenated and trans fats are out the window altogether.

I don't know much about the bar brother's routine but it seems to be a lot of body-weight exercises, which should sufficient for your goals. Just make sure you keep the intensity high, always try to push for more reps, etc., and best of luck with the process.

Good post but I would be against the bolded.

'toned and ripped' implies a need to lose bodyfat, need to ditch the carbs if that's the case. Ketogenic diets are the extreme end of these, but a 15/40/45 (c/p/f) ratio is a far better setup than 60/20/20 to do this (nowhere near enough protein there imo).

Saturated fats have a bad name, a real bad name. I agree with the avoidance of Hydro & Trans, but saturated fats are fine. The only issue being that they're quite calorie dense, so portion sizing of foods high in saturated fats needs to be careful.

I would aim for more weight and not more reps (proviso : always keeping perfect form). I would always try and push a weight harder than try to find another rep. Constantly push your body that bit harder (but not longer). This will keep the testosterone flowing and the muscles growing.

Hardonraging

Deleted User wrote: »

Saturated fats have a bad name, a real bad name. I agree with the avoidance of Hydro & Trans, but saturated fats are fine. The only issue being that they're quite calorie dense, so portion sizing of foods high in saturated fats needs to be careful.

I assume you are referring to say One cheat meal a week perhaps ? as opposed to eating some saturated fat with ever meal ...

Hardonraging

Hardonraging wrote: »

I assume you are referring to say One cheat meal a week perhaps ? as opposed to eating some saturated fat with ever meal ...

eggs, butter, coconut, fish oils, dark chocolate, cheese, macadamias , almonds

all sources of saturated fats that would be consumed pretty regularly tbh.

Hardonraging

Deleted User wrote: »

eggs, butter, coconut, fish oils, dark chocolate, cheese, macadamias , almonds

all sources of saturated fats that would be consumed pretty regularly tbh.

Ahh i'd have classed them under the old "good fat's" never even struck me as saturated.

vard

Hardonraging wrote: »

You're diet is all over the place, get on fitday.com for myfitnesspal.com and record everything you put in your mouth, you'll see realise you're not eating enough, and what you are eating is way to carb heavy.

Few other points, might be worth looking at ditching wheat ( bread is bad in general, brown, white , etc )




That's a terribly high level of Carbs tho Mark, for somebody who wants to Drop bf%, personally i'd recommend more of a balance, say 40% protein, 35% Fats 25% Carbs

The Good fats will fuel you for your workout's, along with the protein, keep complex carbs to a low, manage your blood sugar better, and prevent insulin spike's

Mark is right. You do not have to restrict carbs to lose weight. Calories in vs calories out is what matters.

In what world is 60pc carbs terribly high? People on high protein diets will often consume more than that even.

Eat plenty of protein, eat plenty of carbs too if you like. Just calculate the amounts you're eating and relate it to your energy expenditure.

vard

vard wrote: »

Mark is right. You do not have to restrict carbs to lose weight. Calories in vs calories out is what matters.

In what world is 60pc carbs terribly high? People on high protein diets will often consume more than that even.

Eat plenty of protein, eat plenty of carbs too if you like. Just calculate the amounts you're eating and relate it to your energy expenditure.

Being on a high protein diet and still being able to consume over 60pc of your calories via carboyhdrate would mean you'd have to be taking an an absolute abundance of calories.

Which for someone trying to get 'toned and ripped' means a heck of a lot more work to use them up.

also, calories in vs calories out isn't only "what matters" when it comes to someone looking to actively change their body composition, not just their weight on the scales (which is exactly what has been asked above)

Hardonraging

vard wrote: »

Mark is right. You do not have to restrict carbs to lose weight. Calories in vs calories out is what matters.

In what world is 60pc carbs terribly high? People on high protein diets will often consume more than that even.

Eat plenty of protein, eat plenty of carbs too if you like. Just calculate the amounts you're eating and relate it to your energy expenditure.

I can see this becoming one of those discussion where we're all right in one sence or another, and the OP being left with no idea what so ever to do after ..

Nobody can tell you exactally what will work for you, each person is individual, Personally I find complex carbs to be the work of the devil.. but that's just me.. other's i know eat them as if they are going out of fashion.

I'd agree however 100% of course on the basic principal of Calorific deficiency, that's never has and never will change.. eat less, loose weight ..

Maybe Dominic will a be along soon to back me up, on the low carbs / no wheat side of things .. Paleo FTW they say ..

Mark Cullen

Deleted User wrote: »

Good post but I would be against the bolded.

'toned and ripped' implies a need to lose bodyfat, need to ditch the carbs if that's the case. Ketogenic diets are the extreme end of these, but a 15/40/45 (c/p/f) ratio is a far better setup than 60/20/20 to do this (nowhere near enough protein there imo).

Saturated fats have a bad name, a real bad name. I agree with the avoidance of Hydro & Trans, but saturated fats are fine. The only issue being that they're quite calorie dense, so portion sizing of foods high in saturated fats needs to be careful.

I would aim for more weight and not more reps (proviso : always keeping perfect form). I would always try and push a weight harder than try to find another rep. Constantly push your body that bit harder (but not longer). This will keep the testosterone flowing and the muscles growing.

People like us wil always give difference advice, we've had different experiences with diets because we have different bodies. When I go under 50% carbs, I find I have far less energy and feel burned out if Im exercising intensely.

I stay under 10% body fat while eating 60% Carbs, but I am a strict fruit, veg, brown rice and sweet potato carber.
I think 'carbs' get a bad name from poor carb choices like wheat and processed foods.

I agree with you about saturated fats. They are good, I said the majority of his fats should come from unsaturated fats, that's not to say he shouldn't throw a bit of real butter into his food, once it fits his macronutrient shares and caloric allowance.

I also agree about using more weight over more reps. I only suggested more reps as the OP is using bodyweight exercises and doesn't seem to have access to free weights.