Opinion on my diet and workout

fungie

I've recently decided to become healthier due to a health scare. Joined a gym and changed my diet, I'm looking for general pointers.

Im 24 years old. 80kg and 5ft 11.5. I bought some scales that measures my body fat at 23.5% ( No idea how accurate it is but will show changes which I think is more important).

My goals would be to improve my lifestyle as well as strength/fitness

My diet would typically consist of:

Breakfast
3 egg white omelette with onions, mushrooms, tomato, sometimes potatoes
slice of brown bread
Glass of orange juice, tropicana (not from concentrate)

Lunch
2 wraps/pitta bread or a bread roll (can be white or brown) with smoked salmon or boiled chicken, baby spinach or lettuce, scallions, cucumber and a bit of sweet chilli sauce.
Nature valley bar
apple
glass of orange

Dinner would be typically one of these
vegetarian spaghetti,prawn indian/thai dish not from jar with basmati rice, trout, seabass, roast chicken with vegetables ( mainly peas, broccoli and carrots with the fish) and a load of stuff in with the indian/thai meals. Some boiled potatoes and home made chips cooked in the oven with no oil.

Snacks
I dont snack much but if I do it would be a nature valley bar or something similar.
I have a few glasses of coke a week (max 2L week) and one treat a week, usually some haribo.

My calorie count would be between 2100-2400 per day

Workouts
5/10 minutes running warm up

Im currently using machine weights in the gym but will be moving to free weights soon. The machine weights are as follows (weights in pounds unless stated):

All 3x12

Leg Press 175
Leg Curl 90
Chest press 100
chest flies 68
Lat Pull 120
seated Row 110
overhead press 68
Ab Crunch 95
Torso twist 105
Biceps 5kg
Triceps 62.5

Floor exercises
60 Sit ups
45 V ups
and a few other floor exercises which I dont know the name of

Warm down
usually swimming

Ri_Nollaig

No expert here just speaking from experience and from being in more or less the same position.

on the Diet:

I'd drop the Orange Juice, it would have as much sugar in it as a glass of Coke. It's grand if you see it for what it is and include it in your macros but don't consider it as a healthy alternative.
As for the coke you do drink, try move to the sugar free versions?
I know the merits of artificial sweeteners are debated (...a lot) but surely better if the only other choice is the sugar versions.

Omelet's are great but nothing wrong in including the yokes too! Try adding some cottage cheese and more meat (protein)! Can't go wrong with it.
Add as much green veg as possible, can't eat enough of that! Also don't be afraid to add some oil or butter to the veg/home made chips, just ensure you keep track of the amount. Will taste much nicer and add fats to your diet.

Also the brown bread/wrap/pitta/rolls etc are all still breads, their calorie count (a single large wrap would be about 120 calories) would be the same as normal white bread. They are complex carb and would have more fiber in them sure but like the orange juice they seem to get a free pass, in being seen as more healthy just be careful with them and start to look here if you are not seeing any improvements. Once again, it doesn't really matter if you are including these accurately in your calorie totals. If you are looking for a replacement try a salad and just include more meat!

Keep an eye on the portion size when it comes to the starchy carbs (pasta/rice/potatoes) shouldn't be any more then 40% of the meal.

I would definitely drop those natural valley/granola bars though! just like the orange juice they are not as healthy as they appear. Try some unsalted nuts or beef jerky instead, perhaps one of those small tins of tuna. Avoid any other crap that says "healthy" or "fat-free" its normally bull. In general you want to try and keep to unprocessed foods. Most things marketed as "healthy" ...are not.

But overall it looks good and the key thing is to key it to foods you like, definitely the best way to lose and maintain weight.

As for the workout:

How long does that take you...? There is a lot there!
If you doing all that then grand I guess and considering you are just starting and trying to get more comfortable with them.

In time though I would say try and move towards a split routine (upper/lower body days) and try adding compound exercises such as squats/bench/deadlifts etc.
It would probably be best to get some program from the gym itself. Most offer some form of assessment.

fungie

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

No expert here just speaking from experience and from being in more or less the same position.

on the Diet:

I'd drop the Orange Juice, it would have as much sugar in it as a glass of Coke. It's grand if you see it for what it is and include it in your macros but don't consider it as a healthy alternative.
As for the coke you do drink, try move to the sugar free versions?
I know the merits of artificial sweeteners are debated (...a lot) but surely better if the only other choice is the sugar versions.

Omelet's are great but nothing wrong in including the yokes too! Try adding some cottage cheese and more meat (protein)! Can't go wrong with it.
Add as much green veg as possible, can't eat enough of that! Also don't be afraid to add some oil or butter to the veg/home made chips, just ensure you keep track of the amount. Will taste much nicer and add fats to your diet.

Also the brown bread/wrap/pitta/rolls etc are all still breads, their calorie count (a single large wrap would be about 120 calories) would be the same as normal white bread. They are complex carb and would have more fiber in them sure but like the orange juice they seem to get a free pass, in being seen as more healthy just be careful with them and start to look here if you are not seeing any improvements. Once again, it doesn't really matter if you are including these accurately in your calorie totals. If you are looking for a replacement try a salad and just include more meat!

Keep an eye on the portion size when it comes to the starchy carbs (pasta/rice/potatoes) shouldn't be any more then 40% of the meal.

I would definitely drop those natural valley/granola bars though! just like the orange juice they are not as healthy as they appear. Try some unsalted nuts or beef jerky instead, perhaps one of those small tins of tuna. Avoid any other crap that says "healthy" or "fat-free" its normally bull. In general you want to try and keep to unprocessed foods. Most things marketed as "healthy" ...are not.

But overall it looks good and the key thing is to key it to foods you like, definitely the best way to lose and maintain weight.

As for the workout:

How long does that take you...? There is a lot there!
If you doing all that then grand I guess and considering you are just starting and trying to get more comfortable with them.

In time though I would say try and move towards a split routine (upper/lower body days) and try adding compound exercises such as squats/bench/deadlifts etc.
It would probably be best to get some program from the gym itself. Most offer some form of assessment.

Thanks for you feedback

I cant eat red meat or dairy and need to eat v low levels of (saturated) fat for medical reasons so it rules out alot. Thats why I will probably keep the orange juice, I monitor my calories closely and would rarely go over my limit. I only monitor my fat intake really ( as is most important to me). I am probably not getting enough protein at the moment but its tough when I can only eat a small amount of chicken and fish. I'm also a fussy eater which doesnt help

Would taking protein supplements help? They would have to be dairy free and low in fat, can you get them?

I'm new to all this so it will take time to find new foods I like so in the mean time ill stick to whole wheat bread.

As for the workout it takes me about 2hrs. Ive been using the program that the gym gave me and being making good progress. Ill be moving to free weights soon, they just said its better to start off on the machines which is fine. I'm in no hurry. I think eventually ill have to split to workout but not for the time being.

Has anyone done spinning, been meaning to try it just wondering whats it like?

Alf Veedersane

fungie wrote: »

Thats why I will probably keep the orange juice

You're better off eating an orange rather than having orange juice. To start, the whole orange has a high enough fibre content so your body gets a chance to process the high fructose content of the juice properly. The fibre also blocks some of the sugar from being absorbed, which makes the orange more nutritious for the amount of calories it contains. It also means the whole orange much more filling than the juice

fungie wrote: »

Has anyone done spinning, been meaning to try it just wondering whats it like?

I've done it. How good you find it depends on the instructor. A good instructor will play music according to the tempo you're supposed to be going at, i.e. the BPM of the music will be similar to the RPM you should be going at. It's tough but it's good.

Ri_Nollaig

fungie wrote: »

Thanks for you feedback

I cant eat red meat or dairy and need to eat v low levels of (saturated) fat for medical reasons so it rules out alot. Thats why I will probably keep the orange juice, I monitor my calories closely and would rarely go over my limit. I only monitor my fat intake really ( as is most important to me). I am probably not getting enough protein at the moment but its tough when I can only eat a small amount of chicken and fish. I'm also a fussy eater which doesnt help

Would taking protein supplements help? They would have to be dairy free and low in fat, can you get them?

I'm new to all this so it will take time to find new foods I like so in the mean time ill stick to whole wheat bread.

As for the workout it takes me about 2hrs. Ive been using the program that the gym gave me and being making good progress. Ill be moving to free weights soon, they just said its better to start off on the machines which is fine. I'm in no hurry. I think eventually ill have to split to workout but not for the time being.

Has anyone done spinning, been meaning to try it just wondering whats it like?

Ah that does throw a spanner in the works alright.

Most protein powders are dairy (made from whey) but you can get non-dairy versions alright. I can't speak for them myself but nothing wrong with their whey versions anyway, if that's anything to go by. Nice selection on that site too. Wouldn't be a bad idea if you have to cut down on the red meat and dairy but still want to keep the protein up.
Plenty of protein in nuts and fish too though, nuts in particular are high in fat so would want to keep an eye on the portion size.

I take it, it was a health professional who told you to cut back on the saturated fats. In which case I would ask about eggs (including the yokes). But fats should still make up about 20% of your diet.

You are dead right to take things slow and find what suits you. There is no point in trying to completely overhaul your diet over night, guaranteed way to fail, just little changes over time will make all the difference. As for the orange juice and breads, if you are including them in your calorie count and keeping to your macro ratios it doesn't matter. Its just that if you are finding you are not getting any results this is where I would look to first.

Well if you are happy with the program you are doing and find you getting results from it then by all means continue.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with weight machines but its easy to have incorrect form and not do full reps (full range of motion) with them. Obviously the same can be said to free weights really, have a look at stronglifts 5x5. He has a load of youtube videos showing how to squat, deadlift etc. Gym instructors should also help. Might seem a bit intimidating at first but definitely worthwhile. You will get results from compounds lifts a lot quicker then isolated exercises like the ones you listed above.

fungie

Ri_Nollaig wrote: »

Ah that does throw a spanner in the works alright.

Most protein powders are dairy (made from whey) but you can get non-dairy versions alright. I can't speak for them myself but nothing wrong with their whey versions anyway, if that's anything to go by. Nice selection on that site too. Wouldn't be a bad idea if you have to cut down on the red meat and dairy but still want to keep the protein up.
Plenty of protein in nuts and fish too though, nuts in particular are high in fat so would want to keep an eye on the portion size.

I take it, it was a health professional who told you to cut back on the saturated fats. In which case I would ask about eggs (including the yokes). But fats should still make up about 20% of your diet.

You are dead right to take things slow and find what suits you. There is no point in trying to completely overhaul your diet over night, guaranteed way to fail, just little changes over time will make all the difference. As for the orange juice and breads, if you are including them in your calorie count and keeping to your macro ratios it doesn't matter. Its just that if you are finding you are not getting any results this is where I would look to first.

Well if you are happy with the program you are doing and find you getting results from it then by all means continue.
There is nothing necessarily wrong with weight machines but its easy to have incorrect form and not do full reps (full range of motion) with them. Obviously the same can be said to free weights really, have a look at stronglifts 5x5. He has a load of youtube videos showing how to squat, deadlift etc. Gym instructors should also help. Might seem a bit intimidating at first but definitely worthwhile. You will get results from compounds lifts a lot quicker then isolated exercises like the ones you listed above.

Ill give one or two of them a go, bound to like one. cheers!

I still eat about 35g of fat a day total and not go over 15g (usually I have 5-10g a day) of saturated fat, Im not sure what percentage that is of my total, ill have to work it out. Egg yolk contains alot of saturated fat so thats why they are out.

dor843088

fungie wrote: »

Ill give one or two of them a go, bound to like one. cheers!

I still eat about 35g of fat a day total and not go over 15g (usually I have 5-10g a day) of saturated fat, Im not sure what percentage that is of my total, ill have to work it out. Egg yolk contains alot of saturated fat so thats why they are out.

35g of fat a day ?

fungie

dor843088 wrote: »

35g of fat a day ?

Yes and as low saturated fat as possible, I average between 5-10g of that per day

Mellor

35g of fat is quite low. Why are you trying to keep fat low, ditto for sat fat.
Just because eggs have saturated fat, its doesn't mean they are bad for you. They also have cholesterol, but studies have shown that egg consumption can improve a persons cholesterol.

The high amounts of sugar in your diet ,as well as the reliance on processed carbs is far far worse than eggs. Eggs would be a positive imo.

fungie

Mellor wrote: »

35g of fat is quite low. Why are you trying to keep fat low, ditto for sat fat.
Just because eggs have saturated fat, its doesn't mean they are bad for you. They also have cholesterol, but studies have shown that egg consumption can improve a persons cholesterol.

The high amounts of sugar in your diet ,as well as the reliance on processed carbs is far far worse than eggs. Eggs would be a positive imo.

I keep them low for a medical reason as stated above. I did eat alot of steak and eggs, man do I miss them. I do agree that I'm having alot of sugar, which Ill start cutting down on!

dor843088

fungie wrote: »

Yes and as low saturated fat as possible, I average between 5-10g of that per day

Holy **** thats low. Mine were at 45g and that was in the darkest depths of a cut ! Is your libido and hormones etc ok on such a diet ?

fungie

dor843088 wrote: »

Holy **** thats low. Mine were at 45g and that was in the darkest depths of a cut ! Is your libido and hormones etc ok on such a diet ?

I keep the saturated fat at them levels but fat at about 30-40g/day and everthings working fine :pac:

One more question, I'm not sure how much protein I should be eating per day, ive read things from 60-180g?

dor843088

fungie wrote: »

I keep the saturated fat at them levels but fat at about 30-40g/day and everthings working fine :pac:

One more question, I'm not sure how much protein I should be eating per day, ive read things from 60-180g?

I like to eat about 1.2g per lb of body weight but thats only because I like to eat protein. For your purposes 1g per lb is enough id stick to say 180g .

fungie

dor843088 wrote: »

I like to eat about 1.2g per lb of body weight but thats only because I like to eat protein. For your purposes 1g per lb is enough id stick to say 180g .

I've no idea how I can eat that much protein! I had 3 egg white omlette, Salmon, crab and two serving of chicken yesturday and along with vegs my total came to about 80-90g.

dor843088

fungie wrote: »

I've no idea how I can eat that much protein! I had 3 egg white omlette, Salmon, crab and two serving of chicken yesturday and along with vegs my total came to about 80-90g.

If you wanna get bigger/stronger than you need to eat big. If you struggle to get enough calories / protein in then you can always drink them . Protein shakes ,orange juice, milk etc.

fungie

dor843088 wrote: »

If you wanna get bigger/stronger than you need to eat big. If you struggle to get enough calories / protein in then you can always drink them . Protein shakes ,orange juice, milk etc.

True ill just have to find a way!

Im not sure how much progress I should be making whatsoever. Ive included some graphs (I'm a scientist and hence love graphs) with how the workouts ive been doing, my mass, percentage fat and muscle. using one of them scales that measures fat. I havent lost much weight due to not running a strong deficit. What you think?

dor843088

fungie wrote: »

True ill just have to find a way!

Im not sure how much progress I should be making whatsoever. Ive included some graphs (I'm a scientist and hence love graphs) with how the workouts ive been doing, my mass, percentage fat and muscle. using one of them scales that measures fat. I havent lost much weight due to not running a strong deficit. What you think?

Looks like your doin pretty good get your nutrition sorted and make sure your getting stronger in the gym and you should be good