Hello All,

So I have been maintaing this diet for the past 2 years and it has worked wonders for me. I am trying to maintain a lean, low-body-fat, "cut" type of build rather than bulking up. Above all else, however, my main goal is to have a healthy body on the inside, and basically live as long as humanly possible. Both of my grandfathers are in their 90's and still kickin.. so I like to think I have good blood.. :) I am just wondering if there are any flaws in my diet?? I am familiar with, but by no means an expert in nutrition, so it is defintely possible that I may be missing some key vitamins and minerals. Please point anything out and don't be afraid to be blunt or harsh... I like straight shooters.

*****Things to know:******
-My diet rarely changes.. I eat pretty much the same thing everyday, The only thing I change is the fruits and vegetables.. I buy different kinds every two weeks, but I always have apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, onions, and celery in my fridge.
-I eat 3 fish meals a week, never twice in the same day, only fish that are high in Omega 3.
-I drink 2 eggs whites a week, never twice in the same day, never the yolk (the yellow stuff)
-For the flavonoids and antioxidants, I use to drink 2 glasses of red wine a day, but recently cut back to one 4oz glass per day, and substituted a 14oz glass of purple grape juice for the other. I also buy the frozen kind (Welch's), I couldn't find any difference between the ingredients in the two, but if anyone knows if there is a difference in the Frozen kind vs the Jug, please say so.
-Throughout the day I drink A TON of water and iced tea (probably about 7-10 , 14oz glasses) and 1 or 2 14oz glasses of 100% Vegetable Juice (V8).
-Nothing is in large, excessive, portions (I can't stand that "being so full my stomach is going to explode" feeling).. what i'm after here isn't necessarly the calories, but rather the essential vitamins and minerals my body needs.
-I exercise 6 days a week, (M,W,F = Run 5 Miles; T,Th,S = Swim for an hour against the current in the river)... I'm not too big on lifting weights.. I only do pushups and pullups for the most part.. however I plan on getting some 20lb dumbells very soon, anyone know any good exercises to do with them? I don't go to Gym's because I am very tight on time and every minute counts to me.. so I consider the 30 Minute drive going to the Gym and then the 30 Minute drive home, a waste of a much needed extra hour. I also just enjoy being outdoors.

**Meal #1 (8 or 9 am)**
-Oatmeal (no sugar, skim milk)
-1 Banana
-Coffee (black)

**Meal #2 (11am or 12pm)**
-Ham Sandwich on whole grain wheat bread, w/ onions, and lettuce
-Carrot
-Grape Juice (14oz)

**Meal #3 (3pm)**
-Cereal (plain kinds, low sugar, skim milk)
-Celery
-1 piece of fruit (usually apple or orange)
!----OR------!
1 can of Herring (like sardines) or Alaskan Salmon (I eat a fish meal 3x a week, never twice in the same day, high Omega 3 only)

**Meal #4 (7 or 8pm)
-Soup (more slop really) made w/ brown rice, black beans, tomatoes, mixed vegetables, and Lime Juice
-1 Corn Tortilla
-1 spoon of non-fat sour cream
-1 glass of red wine (Pinot Noir or Cab Sav, 4oz)

**Meal #5 **
Well, there is no Meal #5 really, just a small snack here and there until i go to bed at 12 or 1 usually.. but its always..
-Fruit
-Celery or Carrots
-Cereal if I get really hungry (rarely)
-Green tea
-Grape juice

If anyone can make any suggestions as to anything I should get rid of, change, or add please tell me. I am open to any suggestions. I guess what i'm trying to do is make "the perfect diet." ... as in my body is getting everything it needs. The two things to remember here is (1) I want this to keep me healthy; and live as long as possible... and (2) (the less important) to maintain a lean, low body fat build. Thank for you taking the time to read this, every response will be much appreciated!!

It is hard to say w/o knowing your age/weight but you may be undereating...does not seem like very many calories.

Are you currently "cut" and just trying to maintain your weight or do you want to lose more?

How many calories are you consuming a day and what are the macros (Carb/Fat/Protein in grams)? Looks like the diet is low on protein, if that is a concern for you. I would at minimum add some into with Meal #1.


Seems like you want to ensure your diet is healthy as well. I would be sure to add some raw spinach in there as well. Maybe some other greens too like broccoli. Also consider some "heart healthy" oils maybe. I think all natural PB and EVOO would work for this.


I am definately not an expert regarding nutrition, others could probably give better advice. Knowing a little bit more about your goals and diet (see above) may help others provide more accurate opinions.

Thanks for the quick reply RT, and thank you for the suggestions on food. I'm pretty cut already and am just trying to maintain my weight.. maybe define myself a little more (thats why i want the 20lb weights). I'm 21, 5'7, 140lbs.. I haven't had a problem maintaining my weight or the body type I'm after, but I'm only 21 so I don't think that is saying much... I want my diet to be something I can take into old age with me.. so when my metabolism starts to slow I can still maintain a good look.

Calories:
Oatmeal- 400
Sandwich- 240
Soup- 400
Cereal-250
Wine-100
Grapejuice-160
Vegetable Juice-50

Protein:
64 grams/day (no fish)
80 grams/day (on days when i eat fish)

Fat:
14 grams/day (no fish)
18 grams/day (fish)
**YIKES, seems low??, I think I should definitely add some peanut butter or something to increase the fat intake a little more.. Saturated Fat is 2.0 grams/day. thank you for making me do this!!

Carbs:
257 grams/day


So I'm getting about 1600 calories/day.. give or take about 100. I have absolutely no idea what those numbers mean so anyone with knowledge about this kind of stuff please help!! For some reason to me, the Fat intake seems really low.. but I honestly don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to numbers like this.

And yes, as you stated, HEALTH is by far the biggest thing for me. I want to live a very long life.. To put it in perspective for someone, I would rather be overweight and have a healthy body, rather than have the body of a God and be lacking essentials for my organs to operate efficiently.

I'm pretty cut already and am just trying to maintain my weight.. maybe define myself a little more (thats why i want the 20lb weights). I'm 21, 5'7, 140lbs

If that is the case I would try 2000 calories a day and see what results you get. 1600 seems very low for someone your age who is not trying to lose weight. In fact, you may wish to consider attempting to add some lean mass.


I want my diet to be something I can take into old age with me.. so when my metabolism starts to slow I can still maintain a good look.

As you pointed out, you will have to adjust this as you age due to changes in metabolism. If you add lean mass though you could up your calories to maintain that additional mass.




Protein:
64 grams/day (no fish)
80 grams/day (on days when i eat fish)


I would shoot for a minimum of 1 gram per pound of LBM. Also, in my opinion, it should be spread out across all/most of your meal to ensure it is available as needed.


Fat:
14 grams/day (no fish)
18 grams/day (fish)
**YIKES, seems low??, I think I should definitely add some peanut butter or something to increase the fat intake a little more.. Saturated Fat is 2.0 grams/day. thank you for making me do this!!


That is very low in my opinion. Fats can be good. I have lost weight and improved my physique (I still have a long way to go) eating good fats.

Since health is your concern I would add in some all natural PB, please make sure on the ingredients it only lists: peanuts or peanuts, salt.
Also some EVOO. A tablespoon or half tablespoon with raw spinach and black pepper is pretty good. If you like more flavor take the EVOO and mix it with Crystal Light powder (lemonade or rasberry work good for this) and it will make a decent, healthy dressing for the raw spinach.


Carbs:
257 grams/day


Just a brief glance at your macros I think you are around:

Carbs: 65%
Protein: 25%
Fat: 10%

Whatever works for you here. You may have a more balanced diet and better results with something closer to:

Carbs: 50%
Protein: 30%
Fat: 20%

OR

Carbs: 40%
Protein: 40%
Fat: 20%

This seems to vary from person to person. Not everyone will respond the same, in my opinion.


And yes, as you stated, HEALTH is by far the biggest thing for me. I want to live a very long life.. To put it in perspective for someone, I would rather be overweight and have a healthy body, rather than have the body of a God and be lacking essentials for my organs to operate efficiently.

I wish I was concerned with my health when I was your age! You have a big headstart on me. Good luck and best wishes.

So I'm getting about 1600 calories/day.. give or take about 100. I have absolutely no idea what those numbers mean so anyone with knowledge about this kind of stuff please help!! For some reason to me, the Fat intake seems really low.. but I honestly don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to numbers like this.

This stickie (http://forums.johnstonefitness.com/showthread.php?t=41991) was a great help for me. Take a peek. :nod:

awsome, thanks!

RT, thanks for the detailed response! I am going to try and increase my protein to about 140g/day. I'm going to try what you recommended with
40% carb
40% protein
20% fat

from everything i've been reading, that sounds like a very balanced diet. The stickie was very helpful as well!

Hmmm according to the "Calorie Restriction movement"

http://www.webmd.com/video/calorie-restriction

you might be going about it the wrong way if you're looking to live for as long as possible...