Diet Critique

[nd22121]

Hey everyone
I am trying to put on some mass, as much lean as possible without adding too much additional fat. I feel like I am having trouble gaining though. I just do weight training right now and no cardio. By job is pretty sedentary for the most part too.
I know I need to add calories for mass but I feel like even when I do it isn't working.

Can someone critique my diet for me and see if there can be any improvements or suggestions?

Wake up
20g protein (egg whites from carton)
Coffee
Sometimes 1 tbsp of coconut oil

Go to gym
Post workout
50 grams protein
2/3 cup of carbo gain

Mid morning
1/2 cup oats
1 banana
30g protein
1 tbsp natural peanut butter

Lunch
Usually 4-6 oz or protein
1 avocado
1 cup of vegetables
Sometimes 1 cup brown rice

Afternoon
1 oz almonds
20-50 grams protein

Dinner
4-6 oz protein
1 cup of vegetables
1 cup brown rice or other low GI carb

Evening
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 Apple

Right before bed
50 gram protein shake
~8-10 oz 1% milk


That is pretty consistent every day. I have recently been trying to add carbs to almost every one of those meals.
I can't go much higher on the quantities cause I am just not able to eat that food in the time i have for breaks.

I have trouble eating sweet potatoes cause of the taste. I know regular potatoes are higher GI carbs but is it okay to eat one everyday for lunch if I wanted to sub out the brown rice for one meal?

Thanks for your help!

 

[AntM1564]

White potatoes are fine, I wouldn't worry about GI. You are going to have protein and/or fat with the potatoes so that blunts GI anyway. First, answer the following if you can, this will allow us to better assist you.

What is your TDEE?
What is your current calorie intake?
What is your age, height, weight, bodyfat?
What does your training look like?
What is your current macro breakdown?

 

[nd22121]

White potatoes are fine, I wouldn't worry about GI. You are going to have protein and/or fat with the potatoes so that blunts GI anyway. First, answer the following if you can, this will allow us to better assist you.

What is your TDEE?
What is your current calorie intake?
What is your age, height, weight, bodyfat?
What does your training look like?
What is your current macro breakdown?

Sure thing. Thanks for the info too.
1. I did a quick calculator and it says 2682. And I know I get more calories then that.
2. I try to get 3800 but it's more like 3300
3. 30 yrs old. 6' 192lbs not sure BF%
4. I am doing Jim Wendler's 531 program. Mil press day I do some dumbbell presses, wide grip pull-ups, and Kirk shrugs. Maybe another thing or two give or take some exercises.
Deadlift day I do some squats, good mornings, maybe barbell lunges
Bench day I do some pull-ups, dbell bench, pendlay rows or Kroc rows
Squat day I do hang cleans leg press maybe some chin ups.
5. Macros. I try and shoot for 45% carbs. 25% fat. 30% protein.

Thanks for the help!

 

[AntM1564]

Do you actually count your calories/macros or do you estimate?

 

[nd22121]

Well I use the app Fat Secret or MyFitnessPal to keep track of everything. I've found that they are pretty accurate on most things when I compare the actual labels.

 

[nd22121]

Bump.... Any help?

 

[john.patterson]

So this is your current diet? Seems like you're eating a good amount of quality foods. Your diet looks pretty kicka*s to me honestly. Are you struggling to gain weight?

 

[nd22121]

Yes this is currently what I eat almost to a "T". I'm currently at 190lbs and haven't gained anything in two weeks. I am having trouble adding more calories cause I just can't get the food in. The only thing I can think of is that on the weekends I don't get enough calories in since my schedule is a little more free.

 

[john.patterson]

Yes this is currently what I eat almost to a "T". I'm currently at 190lbs and haven't gained anything in two weeks. I am having trouble adding more calories cause I just can't get the food in. The only thing I can think of is that on the weekends I don't get enough calories in since my schedule is a little more free.

I would begin to make small adjustments and increases in carbs. Your diet looks spot on, and your protein and fat intake is definitely high enough to be putting on some weight. I would begin to add in carbs where you won't notice them too much. For example, eat 3/4 or 1 cup of oats instead of 1/2 cup. Up your rice intake to 1.5 cups per serving. Small increases like this aren't really noticable when you're eating the meal, but they can make a huge difference in putting on muscle

 

[nd22121]

Thank you. That's a good idea. I could do a cup of oatmeal in tie morning instead of 1/2. Are there any quick snacks I am missing containing carbs. I use almonds a lot but I can't seem to think of something I could just pull out of a bag and just eat like that.

 

[john.patterson]

Thank you. That's a good idea. I could do a cup of oatmeal in tie morning instead of 1/2. Are there any quick snacks I am missing containing carbs. I use almonds a lot but I can't seem to think of something I could just pull out of a bag and just eat like that.

Rice cakes are my go-to carb snack. Fruit is always a good option too

 

[booneman77]

whole eggs instead of whites... boom, added a ton of quality calories. (also wayyyy cheaper)

try quinoa instead of rice... more cals, lower GI (don't know why you care about that tho)

cream of wheat instead of oats... more cals per serving size (also probably not as filling)

 

[rhoadx]

Cereal for a good carb dense not overly satiating carb source. They aren't all sugary crap

 

[nd22121]

Rice cakes are my go-to carb snack. Fruit is always a good option too

Like brown rice rice cakes or does it not matter?

 

[nd22121]

whole eggs instead of whites... boom, added a ton of quality calories. (also wayyyy cheaper)

try quinoa instead of rice... more cals, lower GI (don't know why you care about that tho)

cream of wheat instead of oats... more cals per serving size (also probably not as filling)

That's a good idea. The only reason I was using egg whites was because I would make that my pre workout. Coffee mixed with the carton egg whites and a tbsp of coconut oil. Maybe I can try liquid whole eggs for more calories. I was only worried about hi gi carbs because I didn't want it to turn into fat due to the insulin spike.

 

[nd22121]

Cereal for a good carb dense not overly satiating carb source. They aren't all sugary crap

What kind of cereal do you use?

 

[booneman77]

That's a good idea. The only reason I was using egg whites was because I would make that my pre workout. Coffee mixed with the carton egg whites and a tbsp of coconut oil. Maybe I can try liquid whole eggs for more calories. I was only worried about hi gi carbs because I didn't want it to turn into fat due to the insulin spike.

There's nothing about insulin spikes that forces food to turn into fat. It's a simple caloric surplus question more than anything.

Insulin is anabolic and will build muscle too

 

[john.patterson]

That's a good idea. The only reason I was using egg whites was because I would make that my pre workout. Coffee mixed with the carton egg whites and a tbsp of coconut oil. Maybe I can try liquid whole eggs for more calories. I was only worried about hi gi carbs because I didn't want it to turn into fat due to the insulin spike.

Some cereals are all sugar, but there of plenty of other great options out there. A lot of cereals are a great blend of different carb sources that are high in fiber. I don't see an issue with using sugary cereals post workout either. I am a HUGE fan of some Honeycombs post workout haha.

As boone stated, insulin is an anaboilc hormone that drives amino acids to muscle tissue. Raising insulin levels post workout is actually a good thing, so higher GI carbs can be beneficial

 

[booneman77]

Some cereals are all sugar, but there of plenty of other great options out there. A lot of cereals are a great blend of different carb sources that are high in fiber. I don't see an issue with using sugary cereals post workout either. I am a HUGE fan of some Honeycombs post workout haha.

As boone stated, insulin is an anaboilc hormone that drives amino acids to muscle tissue. Raising insulin levels post workout is actually a good thing, so higher GI carbs can be beneficial

Granolas, muesli, and shredded wheat types come to mind as high cal, great sources of quality cals.

 

[rhoadx]

What kind of cereal do you use?

I actually use all kinds. If you want to avoid a lot of extra sugars, corn flakes, or Cheerios, one that I like a lot that has less sugar than you'd think is kicks. I won't lie and say I keep it low sugar ( and like has been said above sugar isn't always so bad) I can smash some cinnamon toast crunch ( especially the seasonal flavor sugar cookie toast crunch I strongly recommend ?) it sounds weird bit one of my favorite meals is cottage cheese mixed with pumpkin add some cinnamon and Splenda to taste then mix in some fiber one for a crunch, it sounds kinda weird but it's delicious top it with some sugar free syrup too

 

[CarneyFolk]

When I'm struggling to meet my calorie needs I tend to use sweet potatoes. Takes a little planning due to the 1hr+ baking time, but they taste so good. Bananas are a goto for me as well. With quinoa, it's great except the taste gets old after a while and if your eating 4 cups a day (~900 cals) there's a lot of fiber.

Start using a calorie tracking app. This has been the single game changer for me over the past year. Weather I wanted to cut fat or gain some LBM as I increase strength, I haven't struggled at all.

I prefer "loseit"over "my fitness pal" because I eat a lot of the same meals. But not always in the same order or back to back days. My fitness pal only lets you chose a meal from the previous day and the same time slot. They lack the vision of how athletes eat. With loseit I can search chipotle, find a meal from 6 months ago and add it with 1 click. It allows macro tracking. Has hundreds of restaurants menus already programmed in. You can track your weight on a line graph. For me it's been the difference maker when cutting or gaining. Makes the whole meal planning thing less arduous. Using the app is a little tedious for the first 2 weeks until you get the hang of it. But great tool afterward. Wish I had started using it sooner.

 

[nd22121]

Some cereals are all sugar, but there of plenty of other great options out there. A lot of cereals are a great blend of different carb sources that are high in fiber. I don't see an issue with using sugary cereals post workout either. I am a HUGE fan of some Honeycombs post workout haha.

As boone stated, insulin is an anaboilc hormone that drives amino acids to muscle tissue. Raising insulin levels post workout is actually a good thing, so higher GI carbs can be beneficial

yeah I mean I do the higher GI carbs as soon as I'm finished working out, but I was worried about eating high GI carbs at other points in the day, causing insulin spikes, and the insulin converting the sugars to fat. My research and reading of various journals may be dated if newer research negates this theory.

 

[nd22121]

I actually use all kinds. If you want to avoid a lot of extra sugars, corn flakes, or Cheerios, one that I like a lot that has less sugar than you'd think is kicks. I won't lie and say I keep it low sugar ( and like has been said above sugar isn't always so bad) I can smash some cinnamon toast crunch ( especially the seasonal flavor sugar cookie toast crunch I strongly recommend �&#56841 it sounds weird bit one of my favorite meals is cottage cheese mixed with pumpkin add some cinnamon and Splenda to taste then mix in some fiber one for a crunch, it sounds kinda weird but it's delicious top it with some sugar free syrup too

that sounds really good, the cottage cheese and pumpkin mix. makes me think of pumpkin roll almost.

 

[nd22121]

When I'm struggling to meet my calorie needs I tend to use sweet potatoes. Takes a little planning due to the 1hr+ baking time, but they taste so good. Bananas are a goto for me as well. With quinoa, it's great except the taste gets old after a while and if your eating 4 cups a day (~900 cals) there's a lot of fiber.

Start using a calorie tracking app. This has been the single game changer for me over the past year. Weather I wanted to cut fat or gain some LBM as I increase strength, I haven't struggled at all.

I prefer "loseit"over "my fitness pal" because I eat a lot of the same meals. But not always in the same order or back to back days. My fitness pal only lets you chose a meal from the previous day and the same time slot. They lack the vision of how athletes eat. With loseit I can search chipotle, find a meal from 6 months ago and add it with 1 click. It allows macro tracking. Has hundreds of restaurants menus already programmed in. You can track your weight on a line graph. For me it's been the difference maker when cutting or gaining. Makes the whole meal planning thing less arduous. Using the app is a little tedious for the first 2 weeks until you get the hang of it. But great tool afterward. Wish I had started using it sooner.

Yeah I try and force sweet potatoes because I don't like them that much, and I hate forcing food sometimes, cause it takes me longer to eat it. I do use fatsecret and my fitness pal actually. As much as I eat the same, I still like to enter everything individually so that doesn't bother me too much. Tracking calories is what brought me to this post in the first place because I saw what I was eating but didn't seem to be reaping any benefits.

 

[nd22121]

Thanks for everyone's help so far! I appreciate the comments and advice. I started to add smaller increases to my carbs to see if I can pack some extra calories at breakfast and lunch. I might try the rice cake thing. See if I can find brown rice cakes, and I make take a packet of the hidden valley ranch powder and sprinkle it in the bag to make ranch flavored rice cakes.
Maybe in a week or so I can see the scale tip a pound or so. I'm currently hovering at the 190-191 mark and I was hoping to try and reach 200 by June (starting my "bulking" diet back in January). I don't see me reaching that goal now but oh well. I have been able to increase me weights on all exercises. I restarted the 5/3/1 program in January, and at the end of Jan, Feb, and now currently on week 3 of March, I have been able to add the suggested weight to each exercise. So I cant completely complain about the lack of weight gain. I guess if anything it makes my strength to weight ratio better

Thanks again every for your help!

 

[john.patterson]

yeah I mean I do the higher GI carbs as soon as I'm finished working out, but I was worried about eating high GI carbs at other points in the day, causing insulin spikes, and the insulin converting the sugars to fat. My research and reading of various journals may be dated if newer research negates this theory.

As long as you're eating the right calories and macros, the GI scale of the carbs don't make a significant difference. I always opt for whole foods over processed foods, but as long as you're hitting your macros and getting your fiber you shouldn't sweat the details too much. If you're stepping on stage in ~6-8 weeks then you might want to be more concerned, but if you're bulking don't lose sleep over it

 

[nd22121]

As long as you're eating the right calories and macros, the GI scale of the carbs don't make a significant difference. I always opt for whole foods over processed foods, but as long as you're hitting your macros and getting your fiber you shouldn't sweat the details too much. If you're stepping on stage in ~6-8 weeks then you might want to be more concerned, but if you're bulking don't lose sleep over it

oh okay. well I like baked potatoes a lot more than sweet so I know I can eat them easier for more calories. haha no I am not entering any contests in the near future, or ever, haha. thanks for the input.

 

[john.patterson]

oh okay. well I like baked potatoes a lot more than sweet so I know I can eat them easier for more calories. haha no I am not entering any contests in the near future, or ever, haha. thanks for the input.

You're welcome man. Eat what you enjoy. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are very similar anyway. If you were replacing a sweet potato with Sour Patch Kids candy I wouldn't support you, but a white potato for a sweet potato is perfectly fine

 

[BamBam0319]

When I'm struggling to meet my calorie needs I tend to use sweet potatoes. Takes a little planning due to the 1hr+ baking time, but they taste so good. Bananas are a goto for me as well. With quinoa, it's great except the taste gets old after a while and if your eating 4 cups a day (~900 cals) there's a lot of fiber.

Or you could microwave it for 7-8 minutes and get the same result lol

Start using a calorie tracking app. This has been the single game changer for me over the past year. Weather I wanted to cut fat or gain some LBM as I increase strength, I haven't struggled at all.

I prefer "loseit"over "my fitness pal" because I eat a lot of the same meals. But not always in the same order or back to back days. My fitness pal only lets you chose a meal from the previous day and the same time slot. They lack the vision of how athletes eat. With loseit I can search chipotle, find a meal from 6 months ago and add it with 1 click. It allows macro tracking. Has hundreds of restaurants menus already programmed in. You can track your weight on a line graph. For me it's been the difference maker when cutting or gaining. Makes the whole meal planning thing less arduous. Using the app is a little tedious for the first 2 weeks until you get the hang of it. But great tool afterward. Wish I had started using it sooner.

I use Lose It! too and makes it very easy to notice trends in weight loss, weight gain, and how much I've been eating.

 

[rhoadx]

You're welcome man. Eat what you enjoy. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are very similar anyway. If you were replacing a sweet potato with Sour Patch Kids candy I wouldn't support you, but a white potato for a sweet potato is perfectly fine

Also, I know red potatoes, if you let them cool after cooking, even if re-heated contain a good amount of resistant starch ( which is quite beneficial)

 

[nd22121]

You're welcome man. Eat what you enjoy. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are very similar anyway. If you were replacing a sweet potato with Sour Patch Kids candy I wouldn't support you, but a white potato for a sweet potato is perfectly fine

haha okay. that makes it easier to switch up potatoes then.

 

[nd22121]

Or you could microwave it for 7-8 minutes and get the same result lol



I use Lose It! too and makes it very easy to notice trends in weight loss, weight gain, and how much I've been eating.

yeah I actually only microwave sweet potatoes for about 3 minutes. they are just to the point of cooking all the way through. I think its the consistency of them fully cooked is what turns me off.

 

[BamBam0319]

yeah I actually only microwave sweet potatoes for about 3 minutes. they are just to the point of cooking all the way through. I think its the consistency of them fully cooked is what turns me off.

I wonder if your sweet potatoes are smaller than mine or something, even at 7 minutes sometimes the middle of the potato is still almost too firm to eat. The sweet potatoes I get are normally between 12 and 15 ounces.

 

[nd22121]

I wonder if your sweet potatoes are smaller than mine or something, even at 7 minutes sometimes the middle of the potato is still almost too firm to eat. The sweet potatoes I get are normally between 12 and 15 ounces.

Haha yes they are a lot smaller if your are that much. I eat about half of that. And I have trouble getting that much down sometimes.