Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and this may be a long post since I want to explain everything I can while asking for help. Also I want to thank everyone now who takes the time to read and advise me.

First off my age is 23 I'm 5'11" male and my current weight is 262, that is down from the 309 I was at early this year ( like march but I don't remember exactly ) most of that weight was lost from dieting very hard and also exercising. I was only eating around 1200 calories a day though which I'm pretty sure is not healthy and has caused me to lose more muscle mass than I'd like ( My BF% according to the electronic scale I have was about 40% when I started which calculates out to about 185 lbs of lean mass and is now about 37% which is about 165 lbs of lean mass so it seams it wasn't all fat that I lost and which is why I'd like to switch to a healthier diet where I lose mainly fat)

My goal is to get down to about 175 lbs and somewhere in the mid teens for BF% and maintain that a while then I'd like to bulk up and build muscle, therefore I want to avoid losing much muscle while losing the fat since I'll have to put it back on later.


I've been lurking around here and other sites for a while and have assembled a hodge podge plan and figured it would be good if I posted it and got some opinions and advice from other people who know more about this than I.

My current plan is a 50/30/20 plan where I try to get 1600 calories each day. I also try to do aerobic exercise 40 minutes each day keeping my heart rate at around 150. I've been trying to keep a food diary so I can watch my calories and everything and I figure I'd share with you my food from yesterday where I mostly met my nutrient goals but most of my food is the same day to day, and I've been trying to eat many times a day to spread out my meals.

9:30 Wake up and Meal
Apple 100 cal | 0 fat / 24 carbs / 0 protein / 4 fiber
Fat Free Yogurt 100 cal | 0 fat / 19 carbs / 5 protein / 0 fiber
11:40 Meal then exercise
Campbell's Won Ton Soup 113 cal | 2.5 fat / 15 carbs / 7.5 protein / 0 fiber

Exercise 40 mins - treadmill and bike

1:30 Meal
Ham Sandwich on sourdough 298 cal | 4.5 fat / 45 carbs / 18 protein / 0 fiber
3:00 Snack
Granola 90 cal | 1 fat / 18 carbs / 3 protein / 2 fiber
Tea w/ milk 30 cal | 1.5 fat / 4 carbs / 0 protein / 0 fiber
4:30 Snack
V8 70 cal | 0 fat / 28 carbs / 6 protein / 6 fiber
5:00 Meal
2 Fat free hotdogs 280 cal | 3 fat / 48 carbs / 18 protein / 2 fiber
7:00 Meal
Chicken breast with corn 320 cal | 7 fat / 31 carbs / 33 protein / 0 fiber
10:00 Snack
Apple 100 cal | 0 fat / 24 carbs / 0 protein / 4 fiber
12:30 Sleep

Totals: 1500 cal | 20 fat / 254 carbs / 79 protein / 18 fiber
( This isn't quite in line with my target 50/30/20 which is something I'm always struggling with )

So that's a typical day, I also take a multivitamin (1 a day maximum) and I try to get more than 8 cups of water each day as well. I also have some high fiber cereal I eat most days for a snack ( not that day ) and whey protein with milk that I drink some days to help fill out my protein needs.

I guess my main questions are is my plan healthy or will I probably keep losing muscle mass. Also at what times should I be eating my main carbs and proteins ( I try to not have many carbs after my 5 pm meal ) to correspond with my workout schedule and the like. Also should I start doing weight training? I haven't been because I figure this diet isn't good for gaining muscle so it may not help but what do you think?

Once again thanks a ton especially if you got this far :claphigh:

First, welcome to the forums. :tu:

Second, I think since you're cutting now, you should cut out those apples and replace them with oatmeal. Apples have sugar (24g carbs and 19 of them are sugars). I also think that for someone who's 5'11" and 162 1500 calories way too little. That's a sure way to lose more muscle. You need to eat more to lose fat. Try to include fats, carbs and protein in every meal.

Another question: Are you currently weight training? To lose fat, you will have to do weight training as well as cardio.

Edit: Here's another thing. When you start weight lifting, you should change your caloric ratios to 40:40:20 (40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat). In my opinion, you currently eat too many carbs and too little protein. Anyone feel free to correct me on this.

Why is your first meal at 1:30?

I guess my main questions are is my plan healthy or will I probably keep losing muscle mass.
Not especially healthy. Not enough calories for your weight of 262. You should be eating upwards of 2600 calories or more per day. You'll have to experiment with the exact amount for a couple weeks. For starters, I'd get rid of the hot dogs and add more lean meats, vegetables, etc. Get some quick oats for breakfast. Make the 5-6 meals/day be actual meals rather than snacks. You shouldn't be hungry if you eat all your meals.

Also should I start doing weight training?
Yes. Definitely. Yes.

Get some quick oats for breakfast.

Rolled oats are better because they're not processed and there is no sugar added or anything. (I'm assuming by quick oats you mean oats that are flavored and have a load of sugar). Still, quick oats is better than no oats at all.

Thanks for the replies, I will definitely try out some oats and will also run some numbers to come up with a more modified plan with more calories.

I am not currently weight training but will start. What type of weight training should I be doing and how often should I do it, should I alternate it in with my cardio so that I don't do cardio every day or should I just add it on.

Also my first food was at 9:30 but I suppose they weren't a meal, should I be eating more earlier in the morning? And those hotdogs are fat free 40 calories each I can't imagine anything leaner, maybe I have a different idea of lean?

You should take into account everything you eat, no matter how small. You probably should eat after you wake up (well, after you take a shower, brush your teeth, and all that stuff). Make breakfast a fairly large meal, with carbs and protein so it gets you started.

As for working out, you should not do cardio and then lift waits. Save your energy for weights. You can do cardio every day, and work out 3 times a week. Cardio can be done in the morning or after you left. Make sure there is plenty of time between cardio and weights if you want to do cardio first on the same day as you're lifting. Makes sure you eat a pre-workout meal an hour - hour and a half before you lift. Make sure it includes carbs and protein. You can have some oatmeal for your carbs and a protein shake or something like that.

Lastly, replace those hot dogs with some other form of lean meat such as skinless, boneless chicken breast, turkey breast or lean red meat. You probably had something else with those hot dogs because you said "2 Fat free hotdogs 280 cal | 3 fat / 48 carbs / 18 protein / 2 fiber" earlier. Then you said they're 40 calories each and that doesn't add up to 280 calories. You probably had a hot dog bun with them. Dump the buns. They are probably made with bleached flour which has little nutritional value. If you must have bread, stick to bread made with whole grain flour listed in the ingredients.

When you start weight lifting, you should change your caloric ratios to 40:40:20 (40% protein, 40% carbs, 20% fat). In my opinion, you currently eat too many carbs and too little protein. Anyone feel free to correct me on this.
You can eat with any macronutrient ratio you choose. Personally, I've had great success with about 20% protein, about 50% carbs, and 30% fat. It works great for me because carbs are cheaper and I like the taste of them better.

Nothing wrong with 40/40/20, but it's not like it's a rule or anything, and it's not guaranteed to give you better results than any other ratio.

Totals: 1500 cal | 20 fat / 254 carbs / 79 protein / 18 fiber
( This isn't quite in line with my target 50/30/20 which is something I'm always struggling with )

I eat WAY more than that, and I'm only 120 pounds. You should try to aim for at least 25 grams of fibre. More fruits and vegetables will help you reach that target. Your diet sounds high in sodium, which you should watch. The fat free hotdogs, ham, and soup are not the best choices.

I eat WAY more than that, and I'm only 120 pounds. You should try to aim for at least 25 grams of fibre. More fruits and vegetables will help you reach that target. Your diet sounds high in sodium, which you should watch. The fat free hotdogs, ham, and soup are not the best choices.

How much sodium should one be eating in a day and what does too much sodium do? Also I usually do try to get at least 25 grams of fiber, I got 27 today for example just not that day.

Also I am going to increase my target calorie intake to 2000 calories and I'm going to start weight lifting 3 times per week as well with a 40/40/20 split as suggested. I'm also going to try to drag myself out of bed in the morning earlier to do my cardio then but we'll see :bb:

Rolled oats are better because they're not processed and there is no sugar added or anything. (I'm assuming by quick oats you mean oats that are flavored and have a load of sugar).
What I mean by Quick oats is that they take 1 minute to cook rather than forever. Non-flavored. I eat the Millville 100% Natural Cereal Quick Oats (1/2 cup dry) - Cals 150, Fat 3, Sfat 0.5, Ufat 2, Chol 0, Na 0, Carbs 27, Fiber 4, Sugars 1, Protein 5.

How much sodium should one be eating in a day and what does too much sodium do?
<2400mg/day. Here's a good article (http://my.webmd.com/content/article/30/1728_68542). I usely hover around 2300-2700mg/day off all clean food. Most of my sodium comes from boneless, skinless chicken breast and tuna in a can. As long as I drink a lot of water, I shouldn't have a problem.

Also I usually do try to get at least 25 grams of fiber, I got 27 today for example just not that day.
between 25-30g/day is good. It depends on age sometimes.

Also I am going to increase my target calorie intake to 2000 calories and I'm going to start weight lifting 3 times per week as well with a 40/40/20 split as suggested.
We all know you should eat more. Try what you will, but if you're losing more than 1-2 lbs/week, you'll need to up it higher otherwise you'll risk losing more muscle than fat. Believe me, I thought it was crazy that I had to up my calories a few times before I started dropping some pounds.

I'm also going to try to drag myself out of bed in the morning earlier to do my cardio then but we'll see :bb:
If you don't do cardio, at least do the weight lifting religiously.

Welcome, I'm new here as well and over the past month have seen good progress by applying what I've learned.
First thing i notice right off is look at your meal layout

9:30 wakeup meal the time is fine but your meal is way off balanced
43 carbs but only 5 protien you need to even out your carb protien intake a bit i sugest either egg, whey or some strait up deli meat (chicken or turkey) all quick easy ways to get mostly all protien

then at 11:40 you eat again and exercise personally i like to eat about 1 hour before exercising that way the food doesn't sit, but if you plan on adding resistence training during this time slot you defenitly need to up your protien for this pre workout meal.

1:30 you have what is traditionally lunch ham sandwich on sourdough (so basically a sandwich) not terriable but if you wanted a way to make your macro i would replace the sourdough with a wrap and add more meat that way your cutting the carbs but adding protien anouther thing to note is that this is the meal that is going to be right after your gym time so when you start wiegh training you want to make sure your taking it in fairly soon after with in 30 min or so.

3:00 you eat a snack i have learned that you want to get away form the snack mind set and think of everytime you feed your body as a meal and everytime you have a meal you should be looking at 2 key components protien and carbs make sure you have both if you eat good protien and carbs at ever meal then i usually find that the fat % falls right where it needs to be. so again your granola is all carbs no real protien which

4:30 leads you to being hungery again 1.5 hours later. So you have a V-8 which to me is a liquid calorie drink but again its all carbs (starting to see a trend here)

5:00 30 min later you eat 2 fat free hotdogs. which looks like your trying to make up for some protien you have not eaten all day.

7:00 you have dinner chicken breast with corn First honest to goodness protien source you had all day 33grams in one meal nearly half your daily total all at 7

10:00 apple a day before bed

Now that i kind of showed you some problems i want to show you what i feel would be some answers

wakeup and eat 9:30 ish learn to make and love oatmeal because there really is not much better that you can have for breakfast and not that instant stuff the real outmeal you but with the guy in the big black hat on the front. here (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stella4.htm) is a link to show you some ways to make it taste good. Then to get some protien have a couple of slices of deli meat chicken or turkey makes an easy no cook way to get some protien in the mourning.

11:30 treat this as your new lunch if your a sandwich guy try going for a whole wheat wrap lowers the carbs but allows you to use more lean meat to up your protien. Anouther option that i do is make brownrice with chicken and various other spices or veg to your taste the night before i use this for 2 meals the following day.

12:30 go to gym do your workout cardio or resistent training

1:30 PWO meal I just started to use whey for this but you can use food protien as well but the main thing is that you get it from somewhere. this is the most importent time of the day to eat protien expecially if you start doing resistent training. Also you want to get some carbs here because your body has just used all of its energy for your workout so you need to recharge your battery so to speak.

3:30 this is what i call my mid day meal I personally make a double batch of what ever im making and eat half at 11:30 and half now that way i know im having a balance macro throughout the day but you can really eat any clean carb and protien source here just cant have all one or the other.

6:30 this is your new dinner I find you can have almost any dinner meal made healthy through clean substitution and portion control once again you want it to be balanced and have a veg of some sort as well

9:30 this can be your last thing of the night your munchi craving before bed meal if you will. Apples ok or maybe with some cottage cheese for a bit of protien.

Thats how i would adjust your diet I think if you implement this you will find that your macro is alot more on target and you dont feel hungery ever if you ever feel hungery then you need to tweek it. Also if you feel hungery try drinking a glass of water someytimes its hard to distinguis hunger for thirst and a glass of water can do the trick and to really trick yourself into thinking your getting a treat find a flavor of crystal light you like and have some of that, mines rasberry.

Hope i helped if you wuold like any more support feel free to join our 12 week challange that is linked in my sig. :gl:

To emphasize lifting. In late December, I finished a cardio challenge of 200,000 meters on a rowing ergometer between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I felt like I was in OK shape, but was a little soft around the middle.

Then I had a Dr.'s appointment. I was 246 lbs with clothes on - which I decided meant that my true weight was 242 (I'm 6'3" and 35 years old). Despite my I was fat, and couldn't sugarcoat it anymore. I decided that my goal was to get to 220 - there was no way I could get lighter than that with my frame.

I talked to a friend of mine who was a former trainer (now a college track coach), who told me to start lifting. That seemed counterintuitive to me, but he convinced me to try it for 6 weeks. He reccomended a book called Core Perfomance by Mark Verstegen. I have followed it and been very dedicated to lifting since then. I still do cardio, but it is 4x per week - with 2 of the sessions limited to 15 minutes.

BTW, I'm now 202, and stronger than I have ever been in my life. I'd be the first to tell you that I've made some diet changes as well, but lifting has been the single biggest determinant in getting fit and leaner for me.

Get a plan - it can be Body for Life, one of the HIT plans, etc. as long as it works the big muscles of your body (Chest, back, glutes, hamstrings, quads) and preferably using multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

ADDITIONAL POINT: 1500 Calories is way too slow. It teaches your body not to burn fat, and tells it that you don't need all that energy-consuming muscle. BMR is not perfect- it's a little bit of dark magic - but it gets you in the ballpark. I'd bet you $100 that you should be above 2k if you are working out to burn fat. This is one link to get there.

http://www.ironmagazine.com/archive/BMR.htm

Thanks everyone for your advice it's really helpfull. I've changed my plan quite a bit from all the good advice you all gave. I'm going to increase my calorie intake to about 2600 do cardio in the morning and lift 3 days a week. I'm also trying to cut out all of the white breads and stuff (once my current stock is depleted) and eat more balanced meals 5 or 6 times a day.

Good to hear and thanks for sighning up on my challange i think we will all be really happy with our results in 12 weeks.