I'm a college student, and I don't make much money where I work. Most of it goes to my supplements, and very little is left to spend on food. I bought a crate of canned tuna not very long ago, and that's mostly what I eat. I still get vegetables and fruit daily from the cafeteria, but I try not to eat too much. I also eat a lot of boiled eggs for breakfast. So my diet basically consists of boiled eggs, tuna, and small amounts of fruit and vegetables. I also get protein, amino acids, multi vitamins, and creatine through pills and shakes. I was just wondering if this diet is bad for my body? If it is bad for me, I have no problem giving up somethings to make adjustments. So do I need to make adjustments, or can my body live and grow off of this?
By the way I eat like 8 or 9 times a day. I go through about 15 or 16 cans of tuna, and 1/2 carton of eggs a day. I don't really feel malnourished, but I don't want to damage my body either.

Repeat after me... Carbs are not the devil. Try 'em. You'll see much better results.

By the way I eat like 8 or 9 times a day. I go through about 15 or 16 cans of tuna, and 1/2 carton of eggs a day

Oh crap! You should not eat that much tuna in one day. Your mercury levels are probably through the roof. I'd get to the doctor immediately.

I've read you should eat tuna at most 3x per week due to high mercury content.

Don't worry about carbs. They are good for you, especially for putting on muscle. Just make sure that you eat complex-carbs: whole grain breads, veggies, and some fruit.

Get your protein from natural sources more: chicken breasts would be good and are fairly cheap. Eggs are a good source. Beans are good and also have good carbs. Skim milk, too.

Get some good fats in you. You need fat. Just make sure it is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find them in fish, ev olive oil, almonds, and other nuts.

Cut out so many of the supplements. You only need a multi-vitamin. Protein shakes are only necessary if you can't get enough in other ways. Creatine is optional. I'd cut the rest and save the money.

Make sure you are eating enough for your weight, too. Watch that mercury level!

Oh crap! You should not eat that much tuna in one day. Your mercury levels are probably through the roof. I'd get to the doctor immediately.

I've read you should eat tuna at most 3x per week due to high mercury content.

Don't worry about carbs. They are good for you, especially for putting on muscle. Just make sure that you eat complex-carbs: whole grain breads, veggies, and some fruit.

Get your protein from natural sources more: chicken breasts would be good and are fairly cheap. Eggs are a good source. Beans are good and also have good carbs. Skim milk, too.

Get some good fats in you. You need fat. Just make sure it is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. You can find them in fish, ev olive oil, almonds, and other nuts.

Cut out so many of the supplements. You only need a multi-vitamin. Protein shakes are only necessary if you can't get enough in other ways. Creatine is optional. I'd cut the rest and save the money.

Make sure you are eating enough for your weight, too. Watch that mercury level!

What exactly will mercury do to you, and I thought I needed protein to put on lean muscle mass?

What exactly will mercury do to you, and I thought I needed protein to put on lean muscle mass?

Here's some health information: Health Effects of Mercury (http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/chem_profiles/mercury/health_mercury.html)

You need protein, but you also need fat and carbs. Just eating protein won't do it.

You want 1 gram of protein per pound you weigh. So, 200 for 200 lbs. You can go up to 1.25 even, if you want. Tuna is not the only food with protein. Chicken, beef, fish, beans, nuts, cottage cheese, eggs all have high amounts of protein.

I would highly suggest reading a book with nutrition information such as the Testoserone Advantage Plan, the Book of Muscle, etc. They will give you good general advice on how to setup your diet for your goals: maintaining, bulking, or cutting. They also have great workouts to help achieve your goals.

Essentially, you need to know how fast your metabolism and activity level is:

Metabolism = 0.5 for under 30 or highly active, 0.3 for over 30 and under 40 or moderately active, 0.2 for older or low activity

Maintenance Calories = (Your Weight * 11) + (Your Weight * 11 * Metabolism)
Bulk = Maintenance Calories + 500
Cut = Maintenance Calories - 500

Protein (grams) = Your Weight (pounds)
Carbs (grams) = (Calories - (Protein * 4)) / 8
Fat (grams) = (Calories - (Protein * 4)) / 18

Now you will know how much protein, fat, and carbs you should get per day. You just need to make sure they are the right type like I stressed in the earlier thread.

Remember, a supplement is a supplement. It is not meant to be your diet. It is there to boost your current diet. So, protein supplements are fine if you can't make it to your nutrient level in a day.