I've heard bad things about the mercury or something in tuna, is that something that I should be cautious about?
Edit: Also if a 3000~3500 calories looks like what I've been seeing, thats a lot of food compared to what I've ever eaten. ((Could explain why I'm so tired sometimes.)) But thats expensive to buy all that food. If anyone could give me pointers on how to eat THAT much food and keep it cheap that would be awesome.
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Note : The 4000 calorie diet would be for maintenance I suppose so 3500 or so is what I would go for.
Eating 6-6 oz chicken breast a day only yields 270 grams of protein and I need over 400 a day.
Then 400 grams of carbohydrates and the over 60 grams of fats.
Thats a ridiculous number compared to what I've always eaten and mind-blowingly expensive.
The curse of being big I suppose.
Please if there is some magically cheap healthy foods to eat that would be great to know.
3500 cals would be a good place to start, assess after a few weeks and adjust.
It IS a lot of food, but its CLEAN food. What were you eating before? Doritos, Mac and Cheese, Whoppers and Soda? You didn't get that big eating like a bird. You just chose calorically dense foods.
Do the same here, just better choices. Peanut Butter, Olive Oil and Almonds have a ton of calories(good fats) per serving. Just make it fit your macros.
I found I respond a little better to lower carb/high protein & fats so my macros are 40/30/30.
Here is what I am eating now on WO days, sometimes its less, sometimes its more (and I am trying to grow):
I change up the foods every month or so (or when I find meat specials) and I am dropping my carbs down to get in the mindset for the Anabolic/Metabolic Diet.
When I first started eating clean, I thought I was going to puke it was so much food. You have to work up to it. The important part is the frequency, get your metabolism going and in a few weeks, you WILL be hungry, just like clockwork.
Supplement with whey to help meet your protein goals, liquids are much easier to pound down and 'fill in' the remaining space in your stomach over whole foods. Yeah, whole foods are ideal, but unless you have a whole cow and a chicken coop around, it ain't easy and sometimes you just don't want to chew.
As far as cost goes, Buy in Bulk. Get a Costco card, Super Targets have some smoking deals on bulk too, no membership required. I get 5 dozen eggs/week for $6.19. I buy tubes of 5# fatty (73% lean) hamburger for $11, cook it and rinse it repeatedly. Generic Oatmeal tastes like Quaker Oats when you have it with Blueberries and Strawberry Whey. Buy rice at natural food stores from the bulk bins, natural nut butters can be had at Whole Foods and the like (cashew butter kicks ass BTW).
I buy my meats that are near expiration (nearly 50% off) and cook them all when I get home (Sunday is a good time to look for 'old meat'). Buy big Round roasts and slice it into 'steaks' instead of pre-cut, cheaper per lb price.
Shop around for meat sales and clip coupons.
I buy 10# bags of On Whey, trueprotein also gives bulk discounts.
I think the most expensive thing I eat is the Fat Free Cottage Cheese, Organic Milk and protein powder.
I think it costs me ~$60/week for ALL of my meals, plus my regular household stuff. Every 1-1 1/2 months I make large protein orders. I could probably get that cost down even further, but my time is more valuable.
While I know I could eat a whole lot cheaper with Subway and 99 cent Double Cheeseburgers, it wasn't good for the body. Look around and walk into McDonalds and see what every one else is eating, what do they look like?
Initially for your weight, shoot for 300g of protein for the day.
That's 50g per feeding, hit that first and foremost, have it with every meal. Fill in the rest with either carbs or fats. Try to get your carbs in the beginning of the day, not the end. Fats are good to slow down protein digestion, hence Cottage Cheese and PB just before bed.
One more random question, how big is your wrist? That will say a lot about your bone structure and will help you determine your ideal weight.
I hope that helps...
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