Hello,

I am getting really sick of my diet right now...plus I'm not gaining weight, so I have to eat more, except I am running out of things to eat.
I need to add new foods and adjust it. Any suggestions?

Here is what I currently eat on an average day:

Breakfast (7:45 AM): 4 egg whites, 2 egg yolks, pile of brown rice, some chopped bell peppers

Snack (10:00 AM): 1 scoop ON All Natural Protein in 400 ml milk, 2 slices of bread with peanut butter

Lunch(12:00 PM): Chicken breast with brown rice and cooked leftover vegetables.

Snack (2:30 PM): 1 Clif Builder's bar (270 calories, 37 carbs, 20 g protein, 8 g fat, but 20 g sugar...)

Snack (5:00PM): Banana, milk, spoon of peanut butter, some cottage cheese

Dinner (7:30 PM): Brown Rice, homemade lentil soup (indian-style), cooked vegetables, chicken breast

Pre-Bedtime Snack: Cottage Cheese, Dried Plums, Peanut Butter (AGAIN)

As you can see:
a) I am eating too much peanut butter

b) I think I am getting sufficient protein (20-30 g a meal/snack)

c) I probably need more carbs and healthy fats

Any ideas?
I am 18, so maybe I don't need to eat so clean. I am about 12%BF, trying to get stronger and bigger, lifting 3 times a week heavy compounds.


Thanks!
Dwade

P.S. Let me add that I do not eat beef, red meat, and usually no meat besides chicken breast (for health) and once in a while fish like tuna or salmon.

I also eat oatmeal 2x a day most days. That is sort of random but 2x does happen.

What is your weight?

Breakfast (7:45 AM): 4 egg whites, 2 egg yolks, pile of brown rice, some chopped bell peppers

Snack (10:00 AM): 1 scoop ON All Natural Protein in 400 ml milk, 2 slices of bread with peanut butter

Lunch(12:00 PM): Chicken breast with brown rice and cooked leftover vegetables.

Snack (2:30 PM): 1 Clif Builder's bar (270 calories, 37 carbs, 20 g protein, 8 g fat, but 20 g sugar...)

Snack (5:00PM): Banana, milk, spoon of peanut butter, some cottage cheese

Dinner (7:30 PM): Brown Rice, homemade lentil soup (indian-style), cooked vegetables, chicken breast

Pre-Bedtime Snack: Cottage Cheese, Dried Plums, Peanut Butter (AGAIN)
Breakfast: Add 2 more egg whites. Add ~3oz. chicken (maybe, depending on the rest of the diet). What is "a pile" of brown rice? Need more info there. Add fruit.

Snack1: Remove bread. Increase to 1.5-2 scoops protein powder. Add oats to shake. How much peanut butter?

Lunch: How much? What kind of veggies?

Snack2: Lose the bar, make this meal the same as snack 1.

Snack3: How much of all of these?

Dinner: How much of all of these?

Pre-Bed Snack: How much of all of these?

As you can see:
a) I am eating too much peanut butter

b) I think I am getting sufficient protein (20-30 g a meal/snack)

c) I probably need more carbs and healthy fats
a) Not necessarily, but I don't know how much you're eating, only the frequency of it. Need to know amounts.

b) Maybe. What's your weight?

c) Maybe. I'd throw some almonds in there somewhere, as well as fruit and more veggies probably (again, don't know for sure because you did not list what veggies are eaten or how much of them).

Any ideas?
I am 18, so maybe I don't need to eat so clean. I am about 12%BF, trying to get stronger and bigger, lifting 3 times a week heavy compounds.
Post more info. :)

Heavy compounds? That's good, but what compounds? How intense? How long are your workouts? How many sets/reps?

There's a big difference between:

WORKOUT A: Squats: 1x4, Bench Press: 1x4

and

WORKOUT B: Squats: 3x12-15, Bench Press: 3x6-8, Military: 3x6-8, Bent-Over Row: 3x6-8, Chinups: 3x6-8

See what I mean? We need some more info my friend. :)

P.S. Let me add that I do not eat beef, red meat, and usually no meat besides chicken breast (for health) and once in a while fish like tuna or salmon.
"No meat besides chicken breast" isn't exactly better for your health, but that's a debate for another day. :)

I also eat oatmeal 2x a day most days. That is sort of random but 2x does happen.
That information is not appropriate for a PS; it's very important. When do you eat oatmeal and how much of it do you eat? Oatmeal is a great food, but we need more info. Also, what type of oatmeal? Flavored packets, or regular old-fashioned oats, or steel-cut oats?

What is your weight?

Actually a pretty important question that I somehow neglected to mention. 173 lbs (give or take 1 lb either way depending on the day) and 6 foot 3.



Breakfast: Add 2 more egg whites. Add ~3oz. chicken (maybe, depending on the rest of the diet). What is "a pile" of brown rice? Need more info there. Add fruit.


2 more egg whites? Wow, I feel bad enough wasting 2 yolks as it is...maybe I should do 3 yolks and 6 whites? (P.S. I feel bad for wasting but also since I still live at home and my mom pays for the food). A pile of brown rice? I don't know...usually about a fistful in size (length, width, height). I approximate to a fistful. Should I have more?
Maybe an orange too?
Also I get really bad gas when I eat that much protein at once...so chicken too?

Snack1: Remove bread. Increase to 1.5-2 scoops protein powder. Add oats to shake. How much peanut butter?

See when I am at home at this time I always eat oatmeal with peanut butter and a protein shake. I try to get 2 tbsp PB approximately.
When I am at school I take the sandwich...should I just dump oats in a shaker with the milk and protein powder? And then where does the PB go?


Lunch: How much? What kind of veggies?
Again about a fistful of brown rice. The veggies are variable depending on what leftovers we have at home...usually either a) steamed broccoli b) green beans c) eggplant and bell peppers or d) a combination of the above. The chicken breast I try to take enough for about 30 g protein, so 1.5 servings I guess?

Snack2: Lose the bar, make this meal the same as snack 1.

Okay...makes sense. Again the bar was for convenience more than anything...when I am not at school I eat the same as snack1. I should probably pick up another shaker from bb.com then. I also eat a red apple at this time.

Snack3: How much of all of these?
This meal varies. Because some days I have the oatmeal around 3:30-4:00 I eat a banana around 6:30 then. I also down a glass of milk and 1 serving cottage cheese (90 cals, 13 g protein).

Dinner: How much of all of these?

This is probably the most "guess-work" I do in terms of calories because it is my mom's cooking and I don't want to offend her by measuring stuff out etc. I again eat slightly more than a fistful of brown rice, a small amount of the lentil soup, and then slighlty more than a fistful of veggies. The chicken is 1.5 servings, 30 g protein, 0.75 g fat. I also take a tsp of flax oil from the bottle at this time and a multivitamin and fish oil capsule.

Pre-Bed Snack: How much of all of these?
2 servings cottage cheese (26 g protein, 180 cals), 2 tbsp PB, and then 5-6 dried plums. Some days instead of the plums I have oatmeal here instead


a) Not necessarily, but I don't know how much you're eating, only the frequency of it. Need to know amounts. Makes sense. I can see that I left a ton of holes in the story.

b) Maybe. What's your weight? 173 lbs

c) Maybe. I'd throw some almonds in there somewhere, as well as fruit and more veggies probably (again, don't know for sure because you did not list what veggies are eaten or how much of them

I've tried to clarify what veggies I eat. I also try to eat raw spinach, but this happens once every 2-3 days. Almonds? How are the fats different from PB?




Post more info. :)

I've tried. Let me know what else would be useful to know

Heavy compounds? That's good, but what compounds? How intense? How long are your workouts? How many sets/reps?

Here is my routine (belongs more in the other section of forum but to fill in the gaps):

Thursday: Colborn's 8 weeks to Massive Shoulders--> work to strengthen external rotators

Followed by:
BB Bent-over Row--> 4 sets of 2 reps each, keeping bar moving quickly
Chinups: 3 sets of up to 10 (AMAP up to that point)

Saturday: Front Squats--> 4 x2, keeping it explosive
Jump Shrugs: 5 x3, keeping it explosive
Leg Press: 3 x 10 reps
Cable Row: 3 x 10 reps
Ab Work

Monday: Rom Deads--> 4 x2, keeping it explosive
Bench Press--> 5 x3, keeping it explosive
Weighted Dips: 3 x10 reps
Leg Curls: 3 x 10 reps
Ab Work




"No meat besides chicken breast" isn't exactly better for your health, but that's a debate for another day. :)

There are a couple of reasons for this:

a) I was raised vegetarian and was until 2 years ago when I started eating chicken breast for the protein (too much soy was not making me feel great)

b) Thus I am not used to cooking meats and have no idea what really is healthy, how to cook things, what products are safer than others etc. Plus I live with my all-vegetarian family so I do not want to impose with experimental cooking

c) Hormones worry me...even with the chicken breast. There is a lot of talk about GH and other things...


That information is not appropriate for a PS; it's very important. When do you eat oatmeal and how much of it do you eat? Oatmeal is a great food, but we need more info. Also, what type of oatmeal? Flavored packets, or regular old-fashioned oats, or steel-cut oats?

I eat a full bowl of oatmeal which measures out to about 1 cup. 1 and 1/3 servings of Quaker's Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats. I don't use steel-cut because honestly I am not a huge fan of the taste of cooked oatmeal and I can eat the Quaker's pretty much raw (slightly warmed in milk).
I have mentioned when I eat oatmeal (usually 2x a day). It has become a fall-back food for me and I think my diet needs a little more variety so I am looking for more options.


Whew....a long post!

Fast Thanks for putting in the time and energy to help me!

Dwade