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2004/03/16, 09:58 AM
Hey everyone. I'm trying to bring my diet in line bit by bit. My goal is to gain muscle. I wanted to give everyone an idea of my daily diet, and ask what you thought the best change I could make. I'm tackling my problem foods one at a time, but I'm trying to tackle them in terms of importance. So, what's the worst thing about my diet? Or, what one thing can I change that will have the biggest impact? Eventually I'll get there -- baby steps, as Bob says.
8:30am: 2 servings frosted mini-wheats, banana
11:00am: Granola bar
12:30pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, white rice
4:00pm: An orange, some carrots
6:00pm: 20g protein shake
7:00pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, broccoli, corn
10:30pm: 20g protein shake (right after workout)
11:00pm: Usually some soy ice cream
Thanks for everyone's help! I'm learning bit by bit.
Mike
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2004/03/16, 10:11 AM
protein with breakfast, protein with your 11 am snack, protein at 4 pm. Less sugary, refined carbs (frosted mini-wheats and granola bar)... I am going to let some other people get in on this:)
Your diet isn't horrible, just needs a little fine tuning, like you said. Gradual changes will make it easier to adhere to in the long run. Your body can only digest and use so much protein at once, so you need to ingest small amounts at regular intervals, this also helps regulate your blood sugar and thus, energy levels.
Active people need more than the RDA for protein, try .8 - 1 gram pr pound of bodyweight, that is a good amount to support your efforts in the gym.
And soy ice cream before bed? try having that earlier in the day when you are more likely to burn the carbs off. befor bed you need a small prtein based meal with little or no carbs.
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"To be able to go to the gym and train hard is a joy and a privelege, even though the hard work necessitates driving yourself through considerable discomfort. Savor this privelege and blessing, and revel in it."
Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
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2004/03/16, 11:26 AM
Thanks! I look forward to hear others as well. Do you have suggestions on good snacks for protein? What about peanuts? I have stayed away from them because they are so high in fat. I like protein bars, but the majority have 3 or more g of saturated fat so I have stayed away from those just like peanuts. Not a big fan of tuna, and I think I usually get my fill of chicken for the day. I guess the problem is just trying to fit it in to my busy schedule -- don't have time in the morning to cook really.
Mike
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2004/03/16, 01:40 PM
Mike
I bumped some posts on snack foods, also try looking up breakfast ideas, business breakfast, food on the go in fit buddy. There are many people with very busy lives who find solutions to the challenge of eating better.
The fat in nuts is heart healthy fat. You can eat more fat than you think when you focus on good fat.
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"To be able to go to the gym and train hard is a joy and a privelege, even though the hard work necessitates driving yourself through considerable discomfort. Savor this privelege and blessing, and revel in it."
Stuart McRobert, Beyond Brawn
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2004/03/16, 02:10 PM
Thanks asimmer! That's very helpful. Regarding the fat in nuts -- I thought the unhealthy fat was the saturated fat, and most peanuts have tons of that in them. Am I wrong in thinking this, though?
Mike
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2004/03/16, 02:18 PM
From www.peanut-institute.org
Eating Peanuts Improves Cardiovascular Risk Factors in
Healthy Adults -Benefits beyond consumption of good fats
Albany, GA, April 7, 2003 --
A new study shows that regular consumption of peanuts lowers triglycerides and improves total diet quality by increasing nutrients associated with the prevention of cardiovascular disease, including magnesium, folate, vitamin E, copper, arginine and fiber. The study is published in the April 2003 issue of the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.
Researchers at Purdue University studied the effects of chronic peanut consumption on well-known risk factors for cardiovascular disease. One of the principle investigators, Dr. Richard Mattes, Department of Foods and Nutrition, Purdue University, says, "We wanted to determine the impact of peanut consumption on total diet quality. We found that including peanuts in the diet significantly increased magnesium, folate, fiber, copper, vitamin E, and arginine consumption, all of which play a role in the prevention of heart disease." These findings are consistent with several clinical and epidemiological studies, such as the Nurses Health Study, that show that people who consume about one ounce of peanuts, nuts and peanut butter per day improve blood lipid levels and decrease risk of cardiovascular disease.
Because peanut consumption in the United States is greater than the consumption of all other nuts combined, it is important to observe the effects of incorporating peanuts into the daily diet. The study included fifteen healthy men and women who were each put on three different diets that included a research-sized portion of approximately 500 calories of peanuts. The first treatment was a Free-Feeding diet, which involved including 500 calories of peanuts without any dietary guidance. The second Addition treatment entailed adding 500 calories of peanuts to each participant's usual diet. The third Substitution treatment had participants substitute peanuts for 500 calories from fat in their usual diet.
Lower Triglycerides
Elevated triglycerides is an emerging risk factor for heart disease. In this study, triglycerides were lowered in all treatment groups and were significantly lower in the Addition and Substitution groups at 24 and 18 percent respectively. This could translate into an 8 and 6 percent decrease in risk of cardiovascular disease. These findings are consistent with a previous clinical study at Penn State University (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999) that found a 13% decrease in triglyceride levels when participants consumed a diet with peanuts and peanut butter, compared to the average American diet.
Increased Magnesium Levels
Increased levels of serum magnesium help to inhibit platelet aggregation and activity, known risk factors for heart disease. It has been shown that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases with magnesium concentrations below 0.81 mmol/L. Importantly, during the Free-Feeding treatment, each of the six subjects with magnesium concentrations below 0.81 mmol/L improved their status. In fact, a significant increase in serum magnesium levels was observed across all treatments (average increase from baseline was 58 percent). The authors observe that peanut consumption may be an effective way to increase magnesium status and thereby reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
Better Diet Quality
Peanuts are also a good source of vitamin E, copper, arginine, and fiber, all nutrients with cardiovascular disease-reducing properties. Dietary intakes of fiber, vitamin E and copper increased, and the ratio of lysine to arginine decreased significantly from baseline in all treatments. Dietary folate also increased in all treatments, as expected, since peanuts are a good source of folate.
Throughout the study, peanut consumption led to favorable changes in the fat profile of the diet-saturated fat decreased and unsaturated increased as a portion of calories. Recent National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat and refined carbohydrates and replacing them with healthful unsaturated fats such as those found in foods like peanuts, nuts, peanut butter and vegetable oils.
The study was funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development. The Peanut Institute is a non-profit organization that supports nutrition research and develops educational programs to encourage healthful lifestyles. For more information on peanuts and health, write PMKAssoc@aol.com.
(I think most of the fat in peanuts is good fat)
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2004/03/16, 02:35 PM
Try oatmeal for breakfast. Add cinnamon and maybe some strawberries or blueberries. If you have to have a bar, try a good quality protein bar or an MRP. Egg whites-good. Cook some up, add veggies. That would make a good mid-morning meal. Just some suggestions.
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2004/03/16, 03:09 PM
8:30am: 2 servings frosted mini-wheats, banana
( I eat oatmeal with blueberries, and 4-6 eggwhites)
11:00am: Granola bar
Lately I've had a whole wheat tortilla with 4 oz. of chicken breast chopped up and sprinkled with fat free cheese...yummy and healthy! =)
12:30pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, white rice
Looks good, Brown rice would be even better)
4:00pm: An orange, some carrots
(Need a protein source here with your carbs, maybe eat with your protein shake below)
6:00pm: 20g protein shake
7:00pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, broccoli, corn
(Excellent)
10:30pm: 20g protein shake (right after workout)
11:00pm: Usually some soy ice cream
(Good ol' cottage cheese is great before bed, maybe with some green veggies for carbs)
I try and stick with 6 meals a day. Your diet isn't bad at all, just a few tweeks here and there. Good Luck!
:big_smile::big_smile:
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2004/03/16, 03:12 PM
Also, try and eat every 2-3 hours if at all possible. =)
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2004/03/16, 03:12 PM
8:30am: 2 servings frosted mini-wheats, banana
( I eat oatmeal with blueberries, and 4-6 eggwhites)
11:00am: Granola bar
Lately I've had a whole wheat tortilla with 4 oz. of chicken breast chopped up and sprinkled with fat free cheese...yummy and healthy! =)
12:30pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, white rice
Looks good, Brown rice would be even better)
4:00pm: An orange, some carrots
(Need a protein source here with your carbs, maybe eat with your protein shake below)
6:00pm: 20g protein shake
7:00pm: 1.5 Skinless chicken breast, broccoli, corn
(Excellent)
10:30pm: 20g protein shake (right after workout)
11:00pm: Usually some soy ice cream
(Good ol' cottage cheese is great before bed, maybe with some green veggies for carbs)
I try and stick with 6 meals a day. Your diet isn't bad at all, just a few tweeks here and there. Good Luck!
:big_smile::big_smile:
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2004/03/16, 04:07 PM
You can do what i do and cook break fast and lunch the night beofore while the stove is on..... then wake up pop it in the micro wave for like 1 min, throw in some toast....glass of o.j and milk gotcha a good breakfast that will stick with ya for a while.
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.......adversity causes some to break, but others to break records!
......minds are not vessles to be filled, but fires to be enlightened
......Confucious once said ,DO NOT play leap frog with a unicorn
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2004/03/16, 04:34 PM
That's a good point, andrew. Maybe I'll pick up some turkey bacon or the likes and try that out. And thanks to everyone else for the suggestions. If anyone else wants to chime in, I appreciate it!
Interesting about peanuts. There are so many "fitness experts" out there who say that you should have no saturated fat whatsoever in your diet. Hard to figure it all out!
Regarding the suggestion of having protein with my afternoon snack that currently is usually carrots and fruit. Is it important to eat protein with carbs? as opposed to just getting x amount of each for the entire day? Now that I think of it, I love carrots and peanutbutter. Maybe I'll go find an all natural kind.
Mike
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