So here is my typical Mon - Fri diet. My lifting routine consists of day1 - chest, day2 - back, day3 - shoulders, day4 - arms, day5 - legs, day6 - off, day7 - repeat. Rest time between sets is kept to 45 - 60 seconds. Cardio is kept to 20 minutes after each training session, minus leg day, at a moderate pace. I've noticed that this is packing on solid muscle but with a little bit of extra fat on the side. I'm looking to have this constructively criticized to optimize my muscular growth with keeping any excess fat gain at bay.


7:30 a.m. - 12oz. skim milk, 1 scoop ATW whey concentrate, 1/2 cup oats, 5g L-glutamine, 5g BCAA + 2 caps NOW Super EPA, 400 mg SAM-e
9:00 a.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 a.m. - 2 pieces of reduced fat string cheese, 1 Kashi granola bar
12:00 p.m. - 2 cans of tuna w/ light mayo, 2 small red baked potatos, a handful of pretzels + ADAM multi-Vitamin
4:00 p.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread
5:00 p.m. - 1 banana, 10g BCAA in water (pre-workout)
7:30 p.m. - 2 scoops ATW whey isolate, 1 cup oats, 5g L-glutamine, 5g BCAA (post-workout)
8:30 p.m. - 1lbs chicken/steak/salmon, 2 cups WW pasta w/ sauce, 1 crown of broccoli + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 p.m. - 1 scoop ON Casein, 5g L-glutamine, 5 g BCAA + 3mg melatonin, 100mg 5-htp, 2 caps NOW Super EPA


Thoughts?

You are eating wayyy too many eggwhites. Is it the big carton or the small one? Anyway there have been a bunch of studies stating that eating over 20 whites a day could lead to a biotin deficiency, because of a protein called avidin. Whites contain three to ten times more avidin than the yolk. The fact that the whites are pasteurized doesnt help, because the avidin is stable in heat up to 85 celcius, pasteurizing occurs at around 70 farenheit. A cup or 1.5 of whites is a good measure, even better/more bioavailable cooked. Try to replace all those whites with chicken/fish/steak thats left over from the night before.

I also dont see a good amount of fat in this diet. There is PB of course, EPA and the rotating choice of salmon, but i suggest getting yourself some nuts. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine seeds, etc. Thats the easiest way to get a bunch of dietary fat in the system.

supplementing with melatonin everyday could lead to a strong dependancy. the body will eventually stop producing it naturally. I think it should be used only occasionally, when you really cant sleep. Usually melatonin secretion starts at around 9PM for most people, give or take an hour or so. Try to time your sleeping to before midnight so you can catch it and get the GH release benefits, etc.

Other than that the diet looks strong!

7:30 a.m. - 12oz. skim milk, 1 scoop ATW whey concentrate, 1/2 cup oats, medium piece of fruit, 5g L-glutamine, 5g BCAA + 2 caps NOW Super EPA, 400 mg SAM-e
9:00 a.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 a.m. - 2 pieces of reduced fat string cheese, 1 oz almonds
12:00 p.m. - 2 cans of tuna w/ light mayo, 2 small red baked potatoes, 1 C vegetables+ ADAM multi-Vitamin
4:00 p.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread
5:00 p.m. - 1 banana, 10g BCAA in water (pre-workout)
7:30 p.m. - 2 scoops ATW whey isolate, 1 cup oats, 5g BCAA, large piece of fruit (post-workout)
8:30 p.m. - 1lbs chicken/steak/salmon, 2 cups WW pasta w/ sauce, 1 crown of broccoli + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 p.m. - 1 scoop ON Casein, 2 Tsp Natty PB, 5g L-glutamine, 3mg melatonin, 100mg 5-htp


Corrections in bold

Pretty solid, IMO. I am a huge fan of produce to keep blood pH a tad higher and, with my suggestions, your produce would be at around 6 servings. You can also switch out the oats for something less acidic such as rice or more red potatoes (my personal pick).

Originally Posted by AntonG42O

You are eating wayyy too many eggwhites. Is it the big carton or the small one? Anyway there have been a bunch of studies stating that eating over 20 whites a day could lead to a biotin deficiency, because of a protein called avidin. Whites contain three to ten times more avidin than the yolk. The fact that the whites are pasteurized doesnt help, because the avidin is stable in heat up to 85 celcius, pasteurizing occurs at around 70 farenheit. A cup or 1.5 of whites is a good measure, even better/more bioavailable cooked. Try to replace all those whites with chicken/fish/steak thats left over from the night before.

I also dont see a good amount of fat in this diet. There is PB of course, EPA and the rotating choice of salmon, but i suggest getting yourself some nuts. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, pine seeds, etc. Thats the easiest way to get a bunch of dietary fat in the system.

supplementing with melatonin everyday could lead to a strong dependancy. the body will eventually stop producing it naturally. I think it should be used only occasionally, when you really cant sleep. Usually melatonin secretion starts at around 9PM for most people, give or take an hour or so. Try to time your sleeping to before midnight so you can catch it and get the GH release benefits, etc.

Other than that the diet looks strong!

Its the small, 16oz carton containing about 2 cups or so of whites. I utilize them because they are very quick and easy to drink rather than peel 8 or 9 hard boiled eggs. I do suppose however that it may be worth the effort to have the hard boiled eggs and include two or three yolks as well. What do you think about replacing my first carton of egg whites with 9 hard boiled eggs, eating 3 whole, the rest the whites and the second carton of All Whites with a Chobani greek yogart containing 18g of protein?

I'll be sure to pick up some almonds/nuts this weekend when I go shopping. I agree that I need some in my diet. There have been multiple times I stand in the aisle just looking at the selection of nuts debating where I could add them in my diet or if I even should. I now have my answer.

I picked up the melatonin because I was starting to depend on Tylenol brands "Simply Sleep" which is the sleep aid, minus the aspirin. I wanted a more natural approach to it. I also wanted something I could take daily to really hit a deep r.e.m. sleep to get the GH going. I felt that deeper sleep while on the simply sleep, but like I said, I wanted the natural route. Is there something that could be recommended for daily sleep aid use?

Originally Posted by Rodja

7:30 a.m. - 12oz. skim milk, 1 scoop ATW whey concentrate, 1/2 cup oats, medium piece of fruit, 5g L-glutamine, 5g BCAA + 2 caps NOW Super EPA, 400 mg SAM-e
9:00 a.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 a.m. - 2 pieces of reduced fat string cheese, 1 oz almonds
12:00 p.m. - 2 cans of tuna w/ light mayo, 2 small red baked potatoes, 1 C vegetables+ ADAM multi-Vitamin
4:00 p.m. - 1 carton All Whites brand pasteurized egg whites, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread
5:00 p.m. - 1 banana, 10g BCAA in water (pre-workout)
7:30 p.m. - 2 scoops ATW whey isolate, 1 cup oats, 5g BCAA, large piece of fruit (post-workout)
8:30 p.m. - 1lbs chicken/steak/salmon, 2 cups WW pasta w/ sauce, 1 crown of broccoli + ADAM multi-Vitamin
11:00 p.m. - 1 scoop ON Casein, 2 Tsp Natty PB, 5g L-glutamine, 3mg melatonin, 100mg 5-htp


Corrections in blod

Pretty solid, IMO. I am a huge fan of produce to keep blood pH a tad higher and, with my suggestions, your produce would be at around 6 servings. You can also switch out the oats for something less acidic such as rice or more red potatoes (my personal pick).

I agree with you about adding fruit to a diet. I think I'm going to have a second banana post work out. Should I lower the oats to 1/2 cup post workout with the addition of the banana, rather than 1 cup oats and a banana? I failed to note that I have 2 caps Now Super EPA with my pre-bed casein shake. I have corrected it on my original list. With that being said, do you feel I should still have the 2 tb natty pb?

I'm looking over your modifications. I noticed in my post workout shake you took out the 5g of L-glutamine and my pre-bed casein shake, you took out the 5g bcaa. Was this intentional? I've often wondered if I should in fact lower these amino acid levels some, and where it should be pulled.

What are the benfits to keeping your blood ph levels a bit higher than norm? I am not familiar with this.

Originally Posted by Harry Manback

Its the small, 16oz carton containing about 2 cups or so of whites. I utilize them because they are very quick and easy to drink rather than peel 8 or 9 hard boiled eggs. I do suppose however that it may be worth the effort to have the hard boiled eggs and include two or three yolks as well. What do you think about replacing my first carton of egg whites with 9 hard boiled eggs, eating 3 whole, the rest the whites and the second carton of All Whites with a Chobani greek yogart containing 18g of protein?

I'll be sure to pick up some almonds/nuts this weekend when I go shopping. I agree that I need some in my diet. There have been multiple times I stand in the aisle just looking at the selection of nuts debating where I could add them in my diet or if I even should. I now have my answer.

I picked up the melatonin because I was starting to depend on Tylenol brands "Simply Sleep" which is the sleep aid, minus the aspirin. I wanted a more natural approach to it. I also wanted something I could take daily to really hit a deep r.e.m. sleep to get the GH going. I felt that deeper sleep while on the simply sleep, but like I said, I wanted the natural route. Is there something that could be recommended for daily sleep aid use?







I agree with you about adding fruit to a diet. I think I'm going to have a second banana post work out. Should I lower the oats to 1/2 cup post workout with the addition of the banana, rather than 1 cup oats and a banana? I failed to note that I have 2 caps Now Super EPA with my pre-bed casein shake. I have corrected it on my original list. With that being said, do you feel I should still have the 2 tb natty pb?

I'm looking over your modifications. I noticed in my post workout shake you took out the 5g of L-glutamine and my pre-bed casein shake, you took out the 5g bcaa. Was this intentional? I've often wondered if I should in fact lower these amino acid levels some, and where it should be pulled.

What are the benfits to keeping your blood ph levels a bit higher than norm? I am not familiar with this.

IMO, oral glutamine is pretty useless and taking in BCAA pre-bed is overkill with a big casein shake and fat. I would actually suggest to drink 15-20g of BCAA throughout the day to reduce catabolism.

Metabolic acidosis is a condition that far too many people have and do not realize it. Here's an article by John Berardi on the topic:

http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/bases.htm

Originally Posted by Rodja

IMO, oral glutamine is pretty useless and taking in BCAA pre-bed is overkill with a big casein shake and fat. I would actually suggest to drink 15-20g of BCAA throughout the day to reduce catabolism.

Metabolic acidosis is a condition that far too many people have and do not realize it. Here's an article by John Berardi on the topic:

http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/bases.htm

Very interesting article. My first thought however is that it is not a common problem, as there is no exposure to this sort of condition and in turn would come to this conclusion. Perhaps its overlooked?

Is natty PB and EPA oils too much fat to consume with my shake prior to bed?

Originally Posted by Harry Manback

Very interesting article. My first thought however is that it is not a common problem, as there is no exposure to this sort of condition and in turn would come to this conclusion. Perhaps its overlooked?

Is natty PB and EPA oils too much fat to consume with my shake prior to bed?

It's a very common problem since many, many people do not eat enough produce to compensate for the acidity of meat and grains.

That's not too much fat to consume before bed.

Originally Posted by Harry Manback

Its the small, 16oz carton containing about 2 cups or so of whites. I utilize them because they are very quick and easy to drink rather than peel 8 or 9 hard boiled eggs. I do suppose however that it may be worth the effort to have the hard boiled eggs and include two or three yolks as well. What do you think about replacing my first carton of egg whites with 9 hard boiled eggs, eating 3 whole, the rest the whites and the second carton of All Whites with a Chobani greek yogart containing 18g of protein?

I'll be sure to pick up some almonds/nuts this weekend when I go shopping. I agree that I need some in my diet. There have been multiple times I stand in the aisle just looking at the selection of nuts debating where I could add them in my diet or if I even should. I now have my answer.

I picked up the melatonin because I was starting to depend on Tylenol brands "Simply Sleep" which is the sleep aid, minus the aspirin. I wanted a more natural approach to it. I also wanted something I could take daily to really hit a deep r.e.m. sleep to get the GH going. I felt that deeper sleep while on the simply sleep, but like I said, I wanted the natural route. Is there something that could be recommended for daily sleep aid use?

I think you should first of all embrace the egg yolk. It contains many anabolic compounds and is a source of GOOD cholesterol. Eat the whole egg. The second carton you can replace with a yogurt or perhaps something more substantial like a chicken breast w/ some veg.

Definitely pick up almonds and walnuts. Make sure they arent toasted or roasted or whatever. Discount stores like Costco have big bags of almost every type of nut.

Supplementing sleep is never I good idea in my opinion. The body knows exactly what to do and there are very particular mechanisms that go on. Unless you are having a hard time falling asleep, you shouldnt need any supplements. Remove all sources of light and black the room out, turn the temperature down a little, and wait an hour or 2 after eating a meal to go to sleep. I drink some chamomile tea after dinner, 2 tea bags in a cup. Chamomile has natural calming properties and especially if you are a little tired it will knock you out. You really shouldnt take anything else though. Let the body do it's thing. Just a couple decades ago people had no sleep aid besides maybe a well rolled joint/blunt, and they slept like bricks.

Originally Posted by AntonG42O

I think you should first of all embrace the egg yolk. It contains many anabolic compounds and is a source of GOOD cholesterol. Eat the whole egg. The second carton you can replace with a yogurt or perhaps something more substantial like a chicken breast w/ some veg.

Definitely pick up almonds and walnuts. Make sure they arent toasted or roasted or whatever. Discount stores like Costco have big bags of almost every type of nut.

Supplementing sleep is never I good idea in my opinion. The body knows exactly what to do and there are very particular mechanisms that go on. Unless you are having a hard time falling asleep, you shouldnt need any supplements. Remove all sources of light and black the room out, turn the temperature down a little, and wait an hour or 2 after eating a meal to go to sleep. I drink some chamomile tea after dinner, 2 tea bags in a cup. Chamomile has natural calming properties and especially if you are a little tired it will knock you out. You really shouldnt take anything else though. Let the body do it's thing. Just a couple decades ago people had no sleep aid besides maybe a well rolled joint/blunt, and they slept like bricks.

I like your perspective on things. I mentioned a yogart because I am here at work and ease of accessability is key, hence drinking the liquid whites as compared to cracking and peeling the hard boiled eggs.

Almonds are a sure thing come this weekend.

I suppose I should re-evaluate my sleeping habit and perhaps even try some sleepy time tea.

I thank you guys for your input here

Here is my final revised Mon - Fri diet:

7:30 a.m. - 12oz. skim milk, 1 scoop ATW whey concentrate, 1/2 cup oats, 5g L-glutamine, 5g BCAA, medium piece of fruit + 2 caps NOW Super EPA, 400 mg SAM-e

9:00 a.m. – 9 hard boiled eggs (5 whites, 4 whole), 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread + ADAM multi-Vitamin

10:45 a.m. - 2 pieces of reduced fat string cheese, 1 oz almonds

12:00 p.m. - 2 cans of tuna w/ light mayo, 1 red baked potato, 1 C vegetables+ ADAM multi-Vitamin

4:00 p.m. - 1 Chobani plain greek yogurt, 1 natty peanut butter and all fruit jelly sandwich on whole grain bread

5:00 p.m. - 1 banana, 10g BCAA in water (pre-workout)

7:30 p.m. - 16 oz. skim milk, 1 scoop ATW whey isolate, 1 cup oats, 5g BCAA, 1 banana (post-workout)

8:30 p.m. - 1lbs chicken/steak/salmon, 2 cups WW pasta w/ sauce, 1 crown of broccoli + ADAM multi-Vitamin

11:00 p.m. - 1 scoop ON Casein, 2 Tsp Natty PB, 5g L-glutamine, 100mg 5-htp, 3mg melatonin

Looks solid to me. Try this out for a few weeks and tinker with it as necessary.

Looks great man! still though, try to kick the melatonin before you get too dependant

Thanks for the assistance guys.

I will look into researching more about melatonin.

Originally Posted by Rodja

IMO, oral glutamine is pretty useless[/URL]

Can you elaborate on this a bit for me? I've been skeptical of if I really need it in my diet as it is non essential.

Originally Posted by Harry Manback

Can you elaborate on this a bit for me? I've been skeptical of if I really need it in my diet as it is non essential.

Most of the empirical data is collected using IV glutamine, not oral. The GI tract destroys most of it. Eating sufficient complete proteins will give you all of the glutamine you need. It may help while dieting or under extreme stress, but that's about it.

Originally Posted by AntonG42O

The fact that the whites are pasteurized doesnt help, because the avidin is stable in heat up to 85 celcius, pasteurizing occurs at around 70 farenheit.

I have been doing some more research on liquid egg whites as it is way easier to eat than 9 hard boiled eggs a day. There has been conflicting information regarding the bioavailability of liquid pastuerized (not raw) egg whites. Here is a link to what I was using:

http://www.betterneggs.com/products/...iew.cfm?prid=1

And egg whites int. suggests that their eggs whites (which I image are comparible to the "betterneggs" all whites brand) are 100% bioavailable, here is a link:

http://www.eggwhitesint.com/

For me, it would be far more feasible to eat say 3 hard boiled whole eggs and then drink 1 cup liquid egg whites.

My concern is the whole cooked vs. liquid egg whites and bioavailability debate.

Thoughts?

i like to cook egg whites and whole eggs, there has been reasearch proving that it increases its bioavailability. you should do what you feel like doing man. personally for me it is not a problem to fry up some eggs/whites in the morning

On weekends it's not an issue to fry me up some eggs. Just during the work week I'm not a morning person. I have a quick protein shake before I leave the house for work then eat my breakfast here at work. I have no means of cooking it in my office.