The Official Nutrition Thread - Tips, Recommendations, Current Diets

[Kitten Mittons]

Yeah, I'll try the ON whey that I already have in the upcoming days to see what effect it has and if it's iffy, I'll try the isolates.

 

[Kitten Mittons]

Ice coffee + 2 scoops of ON Vanilla Ice Cream = SO ****ING GOOD!!!

 

[Duir]

Pretty good article on pre-workout nutrition from Triathlete and author Brendan Brazier:

http://ca.askmen.com/sports/foodcourt/pre-workout-nutrition.html

Pre-Workout Nutrition
Don't Waste Your Gains. Here's How To Do Your Pre-Workout Nutrition Right.
Brendan Brazier




As athletes, we’re all reaching to be better. Whether you’re working on improving your stamina or searching for motivation, pre-workout nutrition can be the missing link to fuel your energy better. If you fuel correctly pre-workout, you’ll go into your workout with energy to burn, allowing yourself to push harder and increase your intensity.

Nutrient Timing
Many athletes are nervous to tweak their pre-workout eating routine because they aren’t sure how their stomachs will react. A general guideline is to avoid foods that are high in protein, fiber or fat within the hour before a workout to avoid stomach discomfort. Keep a balanced meal at least one to three hours before you work out. Use the 20 to 30 minutes immediately pre-workout to top of your energy stores with simple, easily digestible carbohydrates.

Role of Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the primary source of pre-workout fuel because they are easily digested and absorbed, giving your body instant energy. It's ideal to eat a balance of both high- and low-glycemic carbohydrates in the 20 to 30 minutes pre-workout. My top choices are fruit, minimally processed sugar (like coconut palm nectar or brown rice syrup) or sprouted grains and seeds. I also like to add a bit of coconut oil to whatever I'm eating pre-workout. Although it isn't a carbohydrate, coconut oil is rich in medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are burned in your liver like a carb — not like a fat. A single date with coconut oil is one of my favorite pre-workout snacks.

Staying Well-Hydrated
Hydration and electrolyte balance is important during all stages of physical activity, not just during. Your pre-workout hydration strategy should include water and electrolytes, but don’t fill on up on too much water right before intense exercise. Focus on proactive and ongoing hydration throughout the week to support performance.
Should You Use Caffeine?
Although I don’t recommend a high intake of caffeine, there are times where certain sources of caffeine can be useful, and before endurance exercise is one of those times. Caffeine works as an ergogenic aid: It improves endurance performance, increases alertness and concentration, and supports mental focus. I recommend choosing holistic stimulants such as green tea and yerba mate. It’s important to remember that the more caffeine you consume, the more you need to consume to achieve the same effect — regardless of whether you’re using caffeine to get you through the morning, or to give you a performance boost. So if you have a big event or race coming off, work on removing all sources of caffeine from your diet for a minimum of three days.

My Favorite Sources of Pre-Workout Fuel:

Dates
High-glycemic and easily digestible carbohydrate, best eaten 30 minutes before a workout. You can eat them dry, or blend with coconut oil and agave to make a spread for toast, or toss them in a smoothie.

Coconut Oil
Source of MCTs. Try using coconut oil instead of butter one to three hours pre-workout, or blending with dates immediately before you work out.

Green Tea
Caffeine from green tea feels steadier and less jittery than the spike and crash with caffeine from coffee. This is likely because green tea contains L-Theanine, an amino acid found in tea that helps promote relaxation. Drink hot or cold pre-workout.

Yerba Mate
Rich in antioxidants, phytonutrients and electrolytes. Drink hot or cold pre-workout.

***

This Acai Berry Pre-Workout Energizer is one of my favorite easy-to-digest pre-workout fuels:

Acai Berry Pre-Workout Energizer
Originally published in Thrive Energy Cookbook, Penguin Canada.

Serves 1
Prep Time: 2 to 3 minutes
Special Equipment: high-speed blender

4 fresh or frozen strawberries
?..." cup chopped pineapple
¼ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 scoop acai berry flavor Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer
½ cup coconut water
½ cup acai berry juice
1 Tbsp agave nectar or maple syrup (optional)
About 2 cups ice cubes
* If using frozen fruit, use less ice

In a blender, combine all the ingredients except the ice. Add ice to about 1 inch above the liquid line. Blend on high speed until smooth.

For more answers to your questions on how to fine-tune your nutrition pre-, mid- and post-run, and improve your performance, visit FuelYourBetter.com.

Brendan Brazier is a former professional Ironman triathlete and two-time Canadian 50km Ultra Marathon Champion. He is now a successful performance nutrition consultant, bestselling author of the Thrive book series, including the newest book, the Thrive Energy Cookbook, formulator of the award-winning line of plant-based Vega nutritional products and creator of Thrive Forward. For more information, visit his website and follow him on Twitter @Brendan_Brazier.

 

[Laurent]

Sort of need help to build myself a general idea of a diet plan. Wondering if anyone can help? Always feel like I've been eating enough, but clearly my ectomorph body is sayin nope. I'm thinking around 3000 cals per day. I read somewhere that suggested Carbs = 375g, Protein = 225g & Fat = 67g for a 3K calorie diet plan. Ideally would be Breakfast/Lunch/Souper, but I know that I'll probably have to add in a meal somewhere in there.

Not looking for anything specific, just sort of General suggestions. I also take a weight gaining shake at 1060 cals for the 4 scoops in a day. Also will be hitting up the gym 4 to 5 times per week. So basically looking for something like:

Breakfast Bagels with Cereals and a shake
Lunch Chicken Breast w/Brown Rice
Snack: Tuna sandwitch
Souper: Turkey w/White Rice

But if you want to be more specific I wouldn't mind it either. Huge problem with me is that I'm a horribly picky eater, so its hard to have a nice variety in my nutrition

 

[BillDineen]

Sort of need help to build myself a general idea of a diet plan. Wondering if anyone can help? Always feel like I've been eating enough, but clearly my ectomorph body is sayin nope. I'm thinking around 3000 cals per day. I read somewhere that suggested Carbs = 375g, Protein = 225g & Fat = 67g for a 3K calorie diet plan. Ideally would be Breakfast/Lunch/Souper, but I know that I'll probably have to add in a meal somewhere in there.

Not looking for anything specific, just sort of General suggestions. I also take a weight gaining shake at 1060 cals for the 4 scoops in a day. Also will be hitting up the gym 4 to 5 times per week. So basically looking for something like:

Breakfast Bagels with Cereals and a shake
Lunch Chicken Breast w/Brown Rice
Snack: Tuna sandwitch
Souper: Turkey w/White Rice

But if you want to be more specific I wouldn't mind it either. Huge problem with me is that I'm a horribly picky eater, so its hard to have a nice variety in my nutrition

I would guess you should consume more calories, especially protein. I ate close to 5000 calories when I played football at 185-190lbs. When I stopped, I lost 30lbs over a summer just from not eating so much!

 

[Redwingsfan]

Sort of need help to build myself a general idea of a diet plan. Wondering if anyone can help? Always feel like I've been eating enough, but clearly my ectomorph body is sayin nope. I'm thinking around 3000 cals per day. I read somewhere that suggested Carbs = 375g, Protein = 225g & Fat = 67g for a 3K calorie diet plan. Ideally would be Breakfast/Lunch/Souper, but I know that I'll probably have to add in a meal somewhere in there.

Not looking for anything specific, just sort of General suggestions. I also take a weight gaining shake at 1060 cals for the 4 scoops in a day. Also will be hitting up the gym 4 to 5 times per week. So basically looking for something like:

Breakfast Bagels with Cereals and a shake
Lunch Chicken Breast w/Brown Rice
Snack: Tuna sandwitch
Souper: Turkey w/White Rice

But if you want to be more specific I wouldn't mind it either. Huge problem with me is that I'm a horribly picky eater, so its hard to have a nice variety in my nutrition

Only thing's I'd do here is swith the breakfast up a little and add another meal an hour or two before you go to bed. Something low in carb and high in protein (preferably casein). I'd go with eggs instead of cereal in the morning, and drop the gainer and go with a normal protein shake. Counting on 1/3 of your calories to come from shakes is a bit high.

So, something like this:

Breakfast Bagels with 3 eggs and a shake: 600 calories
Lunch Chicken Breast w/Brown Rice: 600 calories
Snack: Tuna sandwitch: 400 Calories
Souper: Turkey w/White Rice: 500 calories
evening: 3 eggs and cottage cheese or a casein shake: 400 calories

Thats 2500 calories. The remaining 500 you can easily get from drinking a couple of big glasses of milk a day and add in vegetables to your lunch and souper. If you're not gaining enough with this, just add a little more to each meal.

 

[waffledave]

For those looking to cut calories but need something high in protein...

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2013/07/naked-turkey-bruschetta-burger.html

This is crazy good, and it keeps you full for a long time.

288 calories, 27g of protein.

 

[Power Man]

Wowowowowow

I just noticed there was a fitness forum!


Great idea, thanks mods

 

[Victorious Secret]

Currently, I eat like crap and I'd like to make a change. I'm 6'1" and about 205 lbs. 21 years old. I don't exactly know where to start on the eating healthy thing. So, a few pointers would be nice, if available. PM me if you'd like, or just leave suggestions here.

 

[ihaveyuidonttouchme]

Currently, I eat like crap and I'd like to make a change. I'm 6'1" and about 205 lbs. 21 years old. I don't exactly know where to start on the eating healthy thing. So, a few pointers would be nice, if available. PM me if you'd like, or just leave suggestions here.

should watch first three videos from the list
you should get some basic ideas about counting calories and stuff (if you want to get into that)

for more what u should eat stuff, i've gained great knowledge from scooby1961 go to nutrition section; it has a ton of info about nutrition...though be warned he's quite strict

 

[ColePens]

Currently, I eat like crap and I'd like to make a change. I'm 6'1" and about 205 lbs. 21 years old. I don't exactly know where to start on the eating healthy thing. So, a few pointers would be nice, if available. PM me if you'd like, or just leave suggestions here.

As lame as it sounds - keep a food journal. You quickly start writing stuff down like "Pizza" or "M&Ms" and look at yourself and say "Ew.... that's the reason."

To me a diet is simple. I'm a firm believer of not eating late and making sure you start your day off w/ a healthy breakfast. Don't under-eat. Sadly it comes down to one thing and it's being brutally honest. It's not about knowing what to/not to eat. It's just simply identifying bad habits (snacking, late junk food, pop, fast food, poor choices) and trying to change them.

Dieting is also like when a noob is starting out at the gym. Don't try to go full out diet on day 1. It's impossible and you will quit. Start by creating two small rules for yourself and build from there. Eventually your body starts to crave good and healthy food. It's insane.

 

[StronGeer]

As lame as it sounds - keep a food journal. You quickly start writing stuff down like "Pizza" or "M&Ms" and look at yourself and say "Ew.... that's the reason."

To me a diet is simple. I'm a firm believer of not eating late and making sure you start your day off w/ a healthy breakfast. Don't under-eat. Sadly it comes down to one thing and it's being brutally honest. It's not about knowing what to/not to eat. It's just simply identifying bad habits (snacking, late junk food, pop, fast food, poor choices) and trying to change them.

Dieting is also like when a noob is starting out at the gym. Don't try to go full out diet on day 1. It's impossible and you will quit. Start by creating two small rules for yourself and build from there. Eventually your body starts to crave good and healthy food. It's insane.

Also building in cheat meals/days. I started this current cut I'm on (my first real one at that) where throughout the week I would be super strict and then from Friday at 7pm to Sunday at noon would just be madness. This was due to social events and the lack of structure to my weekends making it difficult to keep a good diet.

Recently, my cheat days have ended in me feeling terrible. For the whole week I eat good, clean food and now my body just hates the shellacking it gets on weekends. Good motivation to switch from cheat days to cheat meals. Eventually your body gets used to clean food and that's what you'll want to eat.

I'll be damned if my mouth still doesn't water when I drive past Mcdonald's though. That stuff is my crack. It's so good but I feel terribad afterwards.

 

[Primary Assist]

In case anyone actually cares here's a pretty typical day for me:

Breakfast:
Organic Old Fashion Oats
Full-fat strawberry Greek yogurt
Banana

Lunch:
Cobb Salad (avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, egg whites w. balsamic vinegar dressing)

Dinner:
About 100 grams of grilled frozen chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup (pre-cooked) brown rice
About 2 cups of frozen broccoli florets
1/2 cup of frozen peas and carrots
One monsoon (msn) of Sriracha sauce
Glass of whole Milk (the vitamin D kind)

And then after a workout (hockey or lifting) I'll do a protein shake of generic whey protein with a glass and a half of whole milk.

This all adds up to about 2900-3000 calories, with over 300 grams of carbs, about 90 grams of fat and about 250 grams of protein. Obviously I don't eat this every day, and I try to mix in a smattering of other foods like fish twice a weak, beef twice a weak, a bunch of spinach, kale, tomatoes, other veggies and I also "supplement" with gummy vitamins every morning to a. remind me of my childhood and c. keep all my microminerals in check.

Right now I'm 24 years old, just a hair over 6 feet tall and weigh in at about a buck seventy. I'm trying to get to the 185-190 range but I've still got a long way to go if I want to stay lean. I'm not sure what my body fat is but I'd imagine it's in the 12% range.

Flame away!

As lame as it sounds - keep a food journal. You quickly start writing stuff down like "Pizza" or "M&Ms" and look at yourself and say "Ew.... that's the reason."

Not lame at all. Anyone who's serious about getting into shape should be keeping a food log. Myfitnesspal.com is great for this.

Recently, my cheat days have ended in me feeling terrible. For the whole week I eat good, clean food and now my body just hates the shellacking it gets on weekends. Good motivation to switch from cheat days to cheat meals. Eventually your body gets used to clean food and that's what you'll want to eat.

That's great though, it means you're feeding your body what it needs and when you deviate from that it can tell. And as someone who lives directly across the street from a McDonalds I know your pain. I always think "oh just one McDouble!" but I know that it will set me back/I'll feel awful for an hour after 2 minutes of eating something tasty. And I too have decided to just treat myself to one cheat meal per week. It's difficult, but it's so worth it.

 

[ocrighton]

Hey everyone,

I was browsing this thread earlier and thought I would share to see if I can get some input.

I'm 5'9 185-190 trying to cut/loose weight. I've lost around 10 pounds in the past couple months but recently have gone back up a few pounds. Might just be because of the weekend (haha) but regardless I've started to revisit my nutrition. I was looking into it earlier in the summer because i was ~195 and wanted to cut.

Right now my lunch and breakfast are:

Breakfast:
steel cut oats + tbsp peanut butter + banana + handful of sliced almonds + 3 eggs
approx. 662 cals, 32.75 g fat, 59 g carbs, 32.1 g protein

Lunch (eaten around 11 am):
100g brown rice + 2 cups frozen veggies + 150g chicken
approx. 526.3 cals, 6.6 g fat, 58.8 g carbs, 60.3 g protein

Sometimes I eat a plastic baggie of carrots in the afternoon to get me through until the end of work, and before I was having a protein shake with water (25g protein, very little carbs and fat). I have ran out of protein and am going to restock soon.

Then when I get home I have Steel cut oats + yogurt + frozen blueberries as a pre-workout. I then go to the gym (heavy weights) and eat dinner when I get home. Dinner usually consists of steak/chicken/pork and a salad.

Some things I want to consider are changing up my afternoon/pre-workout and after workout eating habits. Also, I would appreciate thoughts on my breakfast and lunch meals as well as other afternoon snacks I could incorporate that might benefit me more.

Some things I have read that I am wondering about are if I should be eating more complex carbs after my workout, and/or if I'm eating too many carbs for a good cutting diet.

Thanks!

 

[derriko]

The simplest way possible to put it is to get at least .45 grams fat per bodyweight, .8 grams protein, and fill the rest of your calories with carbs.

If you aren't losing weight, try cutting your daily calories by 500 a day and reweigh yourself after a week. You should've lost approximately 1 pound. If you haven't, adjust the calories a little lower and do the same. Easy peasy.

I work a desk job, am relatively inactive outside of my 4 day split I do in the gym, and I cut at around 1800 calories. Following the guidelines I posted, thats 144 grams of protein, 80 grams fat, and then about 125 grams carbs.

 

[Jtown]

The simplest way possible to put it is to get at least .45 grams fat per bodyweight, .8 grams protein, and fill the rest of your calories with carbs.

If you aren't losing weight, try cutting your daily calories by 500 a day and reweigh yourself after a week. You should've lost approximately 1 pound. If you haven't, adjust the calories a little lower and do the same. Easy peasy.

I work a desk job, am relatively inactive outside of my 4 day split I do in the gym, and I cut at around 1800 calories. Following the guidelines I posted, thats 144 grams of protein, 80 grams fat, and then about 125 grams carbs.

what is your height , weight bf percentage . Sounds similar to what i do.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

help me put a restart diet together bros.

i'm about 2 weeks away from being able to start lifting again, i've been careful with my diet since i got an injury a few months back and had to take a break.

i've got a 3 month workout plan mapped out, i'm not looking to add any weight really, just gain my strength back and go from there.

thinking of trying paleo, thoughts? anyone try it and make any alterations ?

 

[StronGeer]

I'm allergic to nuts, so I have no opinions on paleo other than I couldn't do it

Instead of asking for a whole meal plan from random dudes on the internet, why not post a diet you think you could do and ask for comments on it?

 

[KaseMeOutside]

eh i don't want a whole meal plan, it's hard for me to find time to eat a bunch of small meals a day, and i am not trying to become a bodybuilder or anything.

right now i avoid sugar and i haven't drank beer in months.

i need ways to get protein without alot of cooking involved ideally. i don't do sweet potatos so i was thinking of subbing in regular potatos with the paleo and trying to mostly convert any bread use to whole grain(i like that ezekial bread)

i don't eat seafood so fish is not an option, it just doesn't agree with me.

what's the forum opinion on red meat?

 

[StronGeer]

what's the forum opinion on red meat?

It's delicious. I'd say I have one red meat meal for every 3 chicken/fish. Nothing wrong with it, just gets expensive.

Chicken is your best friend for cheap, lean protein though.

If you want to increase protein without cooking then cottage cheese and greek yogurt are solid. Certainly not within Paleo though.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

yeah the dairy is kind of an issue with the paleo....also i really prefer my protein shakes with milk, are there good substitutes besides water like soy or almond milk?

 

[Caeldan]

yeah the dairy is kind of an issue with the paleo....also i really prefer my protein shakes with milk, are there good substitutes besides water like soy or almond milk?

Soy (and other legumes) are out... Almond milk depends on how strict you want to be.

I've followed a paleo diet in the past but have relaxed it a fair bit now, however if you want to do it right you will pretty much be cooking three meals a day.

For me it worked well because it set up some good habits for training compared to how I ate prior.

 

[KaseMeOutside]

yeah i'm starting to rethink it, i need to use a diet that fits my lifestyle, i like to cook but it's not that realistic where i live. i like alot of aspects of the paleo though but when it comes to the protein i just can't switch to water.

i know there are alot of protein drinks that are lactose free, how do you guys do your shakes?

 

[Caeldan]

Honestly if you just want something 'clean', look at it this way....
No processed foods (ie pre-made frozen crap in a box); build meals around your protein first, a fat second, add a leafy green, then add vegetables for colour after; eat your carb heavy meal after training ; drink plenty of water, no alcohol, dairy depending on how you tolerate it and no sugary drinks

 

[StronGeer]

Honestly if you just want something 'clean', look at it this way....
No processed foods (ie pre-made frozen crap in a box); build meals around your protein first, a fat second, add a leafy green, then add vegetables for colour after; eat your carb heavy meal after training ; drink plenty of water, no alcohol, dairy depending on how you tolerate it and no sugary drinks

This. The biggest thing I've found is to only really buy stuff from the store where there is one item on the ingredient list, other than some BBQ sauce and pasta/bread.

Chicken
Potatoes
Milk
White rice
Broccoli
etc.