Since this is my first post on here I will introduce myself a little bit. I am roughly 5'10" and I weiged myself this morning at 167lbs. I started paying real close attention to my diet about a week ago but I have been working out for a few months now.

My main goal at the moment is to prep myself for basic training. I ship off for Air Force Basic Training on August 8th and with any luck I will get selected for either Combat Controller or Tactical Air Control. Since these are both combat career fields I knew I had to prep now if I had any chance of getting in. I recently found out about an award you can get at the end of basic training for if your perform really well on your physical tests and I have set that as my goals. These are the requirements:

Two Mile Run - 13:30
1.5 mile Run - 08:08
Sit-Ups - 80 (in 2 minutes)
Push-Ups - 75 (in 2 minutes)
Pull-Ups - 10

Right now I am not near that but I am runnin 5 times a week and lifting 3 times a week and doing situps and pushups everyday.

The main thing that seems to constantly confuse me is my diet. Here are my main questions:

1.) Carbs: I only consume sugars and whatnot right after my workout and that usually only in an energy drink or somethin but I like to eat alot of whole weat bread cause I keep gettin told that the complex carbs are a very good thing. However, how many of the complex carbs do I want in my diet?

2.) Protein: Everyone seems to tell me the same thing on this one but just to verify, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight?

3.) Fats: This is the one that constantly confuses me, especially when people are talking about bulking and cutting. First off I love eggs and mayo but I know Saturated Fats are a big no no. However with low fat mayo and limiting my eating of eggs I dont think I am consuming too many. How much should I keep it below and not worry about it though? Also I know Unsaturated fats are the ones I am going for but how many should I shoot for when looking for those and what kinds of foods have them?

4.) Calories: Since I started tracking my daily food habits and eating better I have noticed something. Although I eat enough to where I never feel hungry my calories seem to be way way low, around 1600 actually. Granted I am drop a bit of fat should I be worrying too much about this if I am not hungry and have plenty of energy? I was also told that 10cal per pound of body weight is good to support weight loss but I dont need to lose a whole lot and I dont want it to hurt my chances of building more muscle since this is my main goal atm.


Thanks for all the advice so far guys, I have been trolling the site for awhile now and I have gotten alot of modivation and from just eating a little better and working out for the fast 2 months I am already seein great results.

Post your workouts. It will give us a better idea of your needs. It sounds like you have some goals that you need to achieve that going for fat loss might not help. I'll try to dig up some links for workouts to prepare for military PT tests I have bookmarked somewhere.

But honestly, it sounds like to me you shouldn't be decreasing your calories, but rather finding good nutrition to supply your body with so that you can do some hardcore strength training.



Since this is my first post on here I will introduce myself a little bit. I am roughly 5'10" and I weiged myself this morning at 167lbs. I started paying real close attention to my diet about a week ago but I have been working out for a few months now.

My main goal at the moment is to prep myself for basic training. I ship off for Air Force Basic Training on August 8th and with any luck I will get selected for either Combat Controller or Tactical Air Control. Since these are both combat career fields I knew I had to prep now if I had any chance of getting in. I recently found out about an award you can get at the end of basic training for if your perform really well on your physical tests and I have set that as my goals. These are the requirements:

Two Mile Run - 13:30
1.5 mile Run - 08:08
Sit-Ups - 80 (in 2 minutes)
Push-Ups - 75 (in 2 minutes)
Pull-Ups - 10

Right now I am not near that but I am runnin 5 times a week and lifting 3 times a week and doing situps and pushups everyday.

The main thing that seems to constantly confuse me is my diet. Here are my main questions:

1.) Carbs: I only consume sugars and whatnot right after my workout and that usually only in an energy drink or somethin but I like to eat alot of whole weat bread cause I keep gettin told that the complex carbs are a very good thing. However, how many of the complex carbs do I want in my diet?

2.) Protein: Everyone seems to tell me the same thing on this one but just to verify, 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight?

3.) Fats: This is the one that constantly confuses me, especially when people are talking about bulking and cutting. First off I love eggs and mayo but I know Saturated Fats are a big no no. However with low fat mayo and limiting my eating of eggs I dont think I am consuming too many. How much should I keep it below and not worry about it though? Also I know Unsaturated fats are the ones I am going for but how many should I shoot for when looking for those and what kinds of foods have them?

4.) Calories: Since I started tracking my daily food habits and eating better I have noticed something. Although I eat enough to where I never feel hungry my calories seem to be way way low, around 1600 actually. Granted I am drop a bit of fat should I be worrying too much about this if I am not hungry and have plenty of energy? I was also told that 10cal per pound of body weight is good to support weight loss but I dont need to lose a whole lot and I dont want it to hurt my chances of building more muscle since this is my main goal atm.


Thanks for all the advice so far guys, I have been trolling the site for awhile now and I have gotten alot of modivation and from just eating a little better and working out for the fast 2 months I am already seein great results.

Well I would like to burn a little fat. Having a nice toned body is always a plus for the summer. My workout schedule is this:

Monday: Chest/Back Weight Lifting, Run 2 miles, Situps and Pushups
Tuesday: Run 2 Miles, Situps and Pushups
Wednesday: Leg Weight Training, Run 2 Miles, Situps and Pushups
Thursday: Run 2 Miles, Situps and Pushups
Friday: Arm Weight Training, Run 2 Miles, Situps and Pushups
Sat and Sunday: Pushups and Situps

I am hoping by the end of summer I can run 4 miles everyday without much trouble since I know in basic and tech school I am gonna be doing alot of distance running and I want to be ready for it. Right now I barely limp through 2 miles :(

Are you working on pullups already? 10 can be a real strain for some people and you'll need time to build up.

Just curious, do the pullups have to be palms facing towards you or away from you? (Away from you is MUCH harder for me)

-Allen

actually I dont know for sure about the pullup things but I think its palms facing you.

Here's a link I had bookmarked. I don't know how valid this workout is (it looks good on the surface, although this guy is selling stuff), but it probably would get you quite ready.

http://www.stewsmith.com/linkpages/getre.htm



actually I dont know for sure about the pullup things but I think its palms facing you.

what about my orignal 4 questions though? what kind of numbers should I be shooting for with calories and proteins?

To maintain your weight at your activity level, 2900 calories would be needed. To lose 1lb of fat a week, subtract 500 cals, for a total of 2400. If you want to make any strength gains, I wouldn't go anywhere below that number. You are going to need all the energy you can get to improve your running times, and your strength training.

I think getting at least 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight is needed to retain muscle during a weight loss phase. So that's at least 167g/protein. Many people here do a 40/40/20 split.

Carbs- get them from whole grains (brown rice, whole wheat bread (no high fructose), and rolled oats). But get more from fresh vegetables and fruits.

Protein- lean meats, tuna, cottage cheese, whey. Limit whole eggs to typically one or two a day, since they are calorie dense. Eat more egg whites or egg substitute.

Fat- I get most of mine from meat. If you need more, add in small amounts of olive oil, peanut putter, fish oils, whole olives. I eat low fat mayo all the time.




what about my orignal 4 questions though? what kind of numbers should I be shooting for with calories and proteins?

Awesome thanks for the info. I actually ended up finding fat free mayo. It tastes a little funky but when I add some mustard in with my tuna sandwhichs it tastes alright.