Time to fix my diet...

[96Firebird]

A little about me... I am 26, 5'10" and weigh ~165lbs. I used to be really skinny growing up, could eat anything and not gain any weight. A couple years ago I was 125lbs (image: http://i.imgur.com/QMgong5.jpg). I decided to start going to the gym and getting in shape, and it worked, somewhat. I definitely gained some muscle, but also extra pounds. Here is what I look like now (on the left): http://i.imgur.com/wVrL7dG.jpg. This is another example, without the fisheye but with a fish in the way... http://i.imgur.com/6DHNK2H.jpg

Now I'm no body builder or weight trainer, I just go to the gym 3-4 times a week and lift things up and put them down. I usually stick to free weights, and do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. I have a post-workout shake that is 8oz whole milk, 1 scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey protein, and 5mg of Optimum Nutrition creatine. Then I take my dog on a walk, about a mile and a half to two miles.

I had stopped taking creatine before going to Florida for vacation a couple weeks ago, hoping that my gut would slim down. But that didn't happen. So now I am looking for ways to trim the excess fat for summer, and I think it has to do with my diet. I have abs, if I flex hard I can see them. I just want them to show naturally.

My diet sucks. I eat pizza, chicken fingers, chicken wings, bacon, frozen food, donuts, etc... Pretty much anything that tastes good and is bad for you. I eat zero fruits or vegetables, but do take a multivitamin. I drink mostly whole milk, but do have a can of Cherry Coke for lunch, and maybe some Gatorade in the morning. I usually go through a gallon of milk every 4 days.

Just eat better, right? Well I'm an extremely picky eater. It sucks, but it is what it is. I like a lot of meats, don't like fish. The only vegetables I really eat are cucumbers and tomatoes, as a salad. I like some fruits, but don't buy them. I don't usually eat bread, so I don't eat subs or sandwiches. I don't eat a bun with my hamburger, or a roll with my hot dog. I don't like any types of nuts, nor do I like peanut butter. I don't like eggs.

Right now, I am just thinking about eating an abnormal amount of chicken and steak. Not really sure what would be a good breakfast for work days... But I was thinking about cooking a bunch of chicken and putting it in my fridge at work and eating that for lunch. I have a microwave to heat it up. Then cooking up steak or burgers or whatever meat at home on my griddle.

So I guess my first question would be, does my diet effect how much belly fat I have? Does anyone have any tips on eating healthier with a simple diet for a simple eater? Feel free to give other examples of good foods to eat, and I'll see if they are on the like or don't like side...

 

[magomago]

Well I'm an extremely picky eater. It sucks, but it is what it is.

Srsly? I would force myself to learn to eat more optoins; I remember reading that, on average, it takes about 15 instances before you begin to adapt to a new food or taste.

You could go out of your way to adapt to what you do, or you could just make the true diet changes that you need. The choice is yours.

 

[magomago]

Well I'm an extremely picky eater. It sucks, but it is what it is.

Srsly? I would force myself to learn to eat more optoins; I remember reading that, on average, it takes about 15 instances before you begin to adapt to a new food or taste.

You could go out of your way to adapt to what you do, or you could just make the true diet changes that you need. The choice is yours.

 

[KidNiki1]

you are eating too many calories. read the fat loss sticky.

find out how many calories you should be eating to maintain your weight, and then eat less than that.

as far as what you like to eat, it doesnt matter as long as you are keeping the calories where you should be.

however, as a former 'picky' eater, my personal opinion is you can change what you like to eat. even if you decide you dont want to, and you want to keep eating crap, you can lose weight as long as you watch the calories. the soda and gatorade are the first thing i would try to cut out.

 

[z1ggy]

Fat loss sticky + go on google and figure out your maint. levels.

It's really more about the diet than the gym. I'm finding this out as well as my gym training was very consistent, but I didn't really lose weight. My eating was probably off even though it was clean for the most part. It's tough but you gotta stick with it.

 

[Zivic]

A little about me... I am 26, 5'10" and weigh ~165lbs. I used to be really skinny growing up, could eat anything and not gain any weight. A couple years ago I was 125lbs (image: http://i.imgur.com/QMgong5.jpg). I decided to start going to the gym and getting in shape, and it worked, somewhat. I definitely gained some muscle, but also extra pounds. Here is what I look like now (on the left): http://i.imgur.com/wVrL7dG.jpg. This is another example, without the fisheye but with a fish in the way... http://i.imgur.com/6DHNK2H.jpg

you are skinny fat. that 40 lbs you gained is all fat and it shows. not being mean, being objective

Now I'm no body builder or weight trainer, I just go to the gym 3-4 times a week and lift things up and put them down. I usually stick to free weights, and do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. I have a post-workout shake that is 8oz whole milk, 1 scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey protein, and 5mg of Optimum Nutrition creatine. Then I take my dog on a walk, about a mile and a half to two miles.

if you consistently go to the gym 3-4 times a week, why not make the most of it. get a decent plan -> starting strength, MAX-OT, anything and follow it. You are young enough that a little hard work will really make changes

I had stopped taking creatine before going to Florida for vacation a couple weeks ago, hoping that my gut would slim down. But that didn't happen. So now I am looking for ways to trim the excess fat for summer, and I think it has to do with my diet. I have abs, if I flex hard I can see them. I just want them to show naturally.

creatine in and of itself isn't going to do much of anything if you really aren't lifting and aren't watching your diet

My diet sucks. I eat pizza, chicken fingers, chicken wings, bacon, frozen food, donuts, etc... Pretty much anything that tastes good and is bad for you. I eat zero fruits or vegetables, but do take a multivitamin. I drink mostly whole milk, but do have a can of Cherry Coke for lunch, and maybe some Gatorade in the morning. I usually go through a gallon of milk every 4 days.

yep, your diet sucks... cut out the chicken fingers, wings, frozen foods, donuts... and especially cut out the soda pop and gatorade, that alone might be worth a 1 lb a week.

eat real food

Just eat better, right? Well I'm an extremely picky eater. It sucks, but it is what it is. I like a lot of meats, don't like fish. The only vegetables I really eat are cucumbers and tomatoes, as a salad. I like some fruits, but don't buy them. I don't usually eat bread, so I don't eat subs or sandwiches. I don't eat a bun with my hamburger, or a roll with my hot dog. I don't like any types of nuts, nor do I like peanut butter. I don't like eggs.

not just eat better, know what you are eating and HOW MUCH. you are a picky eater because you chose to be. You eat for pleasure, and if you want to lose weight, you are eating for purpose. What's Jay Cutler's favorite food? He doesn't have one. You don't have to go to that extreme, but follow in that kind of thinking. Get to like eggs, they are good for you... and how do you not like eggs? they can be prepared so many different ways....

Right now, I am just thinking about eating an abnormal amount of chicken and steak. Not really sure what would be a good breakfast for work days... But I was thinking about cooking a bunch of chicken and putting it in my fridge at work and eating that for lunch. I have a microwave to heat it up. Then cooking up steak or burgers or whatever meat at home on my griddle.

So I guess my first question would be, does my diet effect how much belly fat I have? Does anyone have any tips on eating healthier with a simple diet for a simple eater? Feel free to give other examples of good foods to eat, and I'll see if they are on the like or don't like side...

does diet = belly fat? hell yes.... your diet is essentially everything. where do you think your 40 lbs came from? you got older, your metabolism slowed (relatively speaking) and you continued to eat like a teenager. You probably have reduced activity level, but you basically ate too much.

be a grown up and stop playing off you can't eat right because you are a picky eater.

 

[AntonioHG]

So I guess my first question would be, does my diet effect how much belly fat I have? Does anyone have any tips on eating healthier with a simple diet for a simple eater? Feel free to give other examples of good foods to eat, and I'll see if they are on the like or don't like side...

Well, what you eat isn't the main problem, it's how much of it you eat. Eat too far over the amount you need to maintain your weight, you gain weight.

I read that you like chicken and steak, so here's a quick and dirty way to eat what you enjoy and lose some weight.

Step 1: Buy a scale for your body and a scale for your food.

Go here: http://iifym.com/ and look at the TDEE calculator.

Step 2: Find out your Basal Metabolic Rate and TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) -- it's probably around 1655 for BMR and about 2000 for TDEE if you're at a desk all day.

Step 3: Sign up for MyFitnessPal.

Step 4: Buy yourself some 90% lean ground turkey and beef and make yourself some burgers. Weigh the meat and log it with MyFitnessPal and make sure to eat less than the TDEE by a couple hundred calories each day.

Step 5: Weigh yourself every 2 weeks at the same time every time. If you're not seeing your weight go down within a month, reduce the amount of calories you're eating by a hundred or two.


As the other person said, you need to expose yourself to a variety of foods otherwise, you're bound to be deficient in something or the other and not to mention that there very tasty foods you're missing out on that are also low in calories and very filling. Add some form of exercise so you can bring up your overall health too! Work on cutting out the garbage foods that are simply full of calories with no nutritional value -- prime example would be soda.

How about each week you try a different food for the week. Like you pick bananas next week, eat bananas for a snack instead of drinking a coke..? Or since you enjoy eating burgers, how about your put some onions, peppers, garlic into a food processor and mix the finely chopped result into a burger..? Do you enjoy rice? Try adding some processed spinach into the rice. I have to wonder how you managed to get yourself into such a variety-limited diet...

If you run into something you're not sure how to prepare and cook, try looking on Youtube for a guide.

 

[Zivic]

I have to wonder how you managed to get yourself into such a variety-limited diet...

I'll 'assume' he had parents that never had a weight problem, edit... Parents may have had a weight problem, but mayor may not have cared. Atleast not enough to really pass along good eating habbits... So they never knew how to eat properly.... and then let him eat whatever he wanted. He was young with a good metabolism and didn't get fat so whatever he ate was fine. Parents never taught him what good food is, nor did they present, or make him eat it.

Looking at him now he isn't 'fat' like we in the US consider fat, so he keeps on trucking as he has, eating what he wants, when he want, and how much he wants. He plays his bad diet off as being a picky eater, when again, he has no idea what good food even is.

this may or may not be the case, but I'll assume it likely is

 

[norseamd]

The only vegetables I really eat are cucumbers and tomatoes, as a salad

do you eat greens?

like lettuce, cabbage, or spinach?

I like some fruits, but don't buy them

buy some fruit

they are full of vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients

 

[z1ggy]

I'll 'assume' he had parents that never had a weight problem, edit... Parents may have had a weight problem, but mayor may not have cared. Atleast not enough to really pass along good eating habbits... So they never knew how to eat properly.... and then let him eat whatever he wanted. He was young with a good metabolism and didn't get fat so whatever he ate was fine. Parents never taught him what good food is, nor did they present, or make him eat it.

Looking at him now he isn't 'fat' like we in the US consider fat, so he keeps on trucking as he has, eating what he wants, when he want, and how much he wants. He plays his bad diet off as being a picky eater, when again, he has no idea what good food even is.

this may or may not be the case, but I'll assume it likely is

I can echo this 100%. My dad and mostly my entire dad's side of the family has 0% idea about eating healthy. Growing up, my dad fed me normal foods, but was always down to give me snacks like cookies, ice cream, soda, etc. It literally took until I was like 22-23 years old to realize I can't eat this crap anymore and expect to look good. Luckily before that realization, I was doing intense sports and exercise 6 days per week, so my cal levels were probably in the 3000-4000 range as a teen.

Now it's more like 2500 so I really need to be careful. So does OP, which he has not been.

 

[Kaido]

A little about me... I am 26, 5'10" and weigh ~165lbs. I used to be really skinny growing up, could eat anything and not gain any weight. A couple years ago I was 125lbs (image: http://i.imgur.com/QMgong5.jpg). I decided to start going to the gym and getting in shape, and it worked, somewhat. I definitely gained some muscle, but also extra pounds. Here is what I look like now (on the left): http://i.imgur.com/wVrL7dG.jpg. This is another example, without the fisheye but with a fish in the way... http://i.imgur.com/6DHNK2H.jpg

Now I'm no body builder or weight trainer, I just go to the gym 3-4 times a week and lift things up and put them down. I usually stick to free weights, and do 3 sets of 8-10 reps. I have a post-workout shake that is 8oz whole milk, 1 scoop of Optimum Nutrition whey protein, and 5mg of Optimum Nutrition creatine. Then I take my dog on a walk, about a mile and a half to two miles.

I had stopped taking creatine before going to Florida for vacation a couple weeks ago, hoping that my gut would slim down. But that didn't happen. So now I am looking for ways to trim the excess fat for summer, and I think it has to do with my diet. I have abs, if I flex hard I can see them. I just want them to show naturally.

My diet sucks. I eat pizza, chicken fingers, chicken wings, bacon, frozen food, donuts, etc... Pretty much anything that tastes good and is bad for you. I eat zero fruits or vegetables, but do take a multivitamin. I drink mostly whole milk, but do have a can of Cherry Coke for lunch, and maybe some Gatorade in the morning. I usually go through a gallon of milk every 4 days.

Just eat better, right? Well I'm an extremely picky eater. It sucks, but it is what it is. I like a lot of meats, don't like fish. The only vegetables I really eat are cucumbers and tomatoes, as a salad. I like some fruits, but don't buy them. I don't usually eat bread, so I don't eat subs or sandwiches. I don't eat a bun with my hamburger, or a roll with my hot dog. I don't like any types of nuts, nor do I like peanut butter. I don't like eggs.

Right now, I am just thinking about eating an abnormal amount of chicken and steak. Not really sure what would be a good breakfast for work days... But I was thinking about cooking a bunch of chicken and putting it in my fridge at work and eating that for lunch. I have a microwave to heat it up. Then cooking up steak or burgers or whatever meat at home on my griddle.

So I guess my first question would be, does my diet effect how much belly fat I have? Does anyone have any tips on eating healthier with a simple diet for a simple eater? Feel free to give other examples of good foods to eat, and I'll see if they are on the like or don't like side...

Think about it this way:

1. Diet controls fat
2. Exercise controls muscle

It's an overly-simplistic view, but it will get you started. You can get skinny doing nothing but proper eating. You can also get skinny doing nothing but exercise (look at runners who run a lot & eat whatever they want, or people like Michael Phelps who eat junk but swim all day), but that requires a high level of motivation to keep that level of daily exercise up, so unless it's either your hobby or you really care about being in shape, it's easier just to eat right.

You can still eat all of the junk food you want, if you don't mind making it yourself - you can cook healthier options of the foods you love. But that requires work, and most people don't like to cook on a regular basis. Alternatively, you can just make healthier food choices, but that requires changing your diet from what you already like to eat, which can be difficult if you're a picky eater. So in terms of options, there are several paths you can take to getting skinnier:

1. Workout more
2. Cook more
3. Make better food choices

Since you're a picky eater and you mentioned you cook on a griddle & in the microwave, have a fridge at work, etc. then your best bet may be #2 - cook more. If you're willing to cook, there's a key lesson to be learned right off the bat: healthy food can taste good. Just because you want to lose some weight (fat) doesn't mean you have to necessarily give up the foods you love, you just have to cook them in a healthier way - the trick is making them taste good. One of my favorite meals is chicken nuggets, which I fry then bake (so they're not 100% deep-fried) and use gluten-free flour on: (and they're the best nuggets I've ever had!)

http://catch42.pbworks.com/w/page/81958367/Chicken Nuggets

You can make pizza pretty healthy too. For example, you can switch out the crust to whole wheat or cauliflower:

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/amazing-whole-wheat-pizza-crust/

http://www.theluckypennyblog.com/2013/02/the-best-cauliflower-crust-pizza.html

Then load it up with some tasty veggies like caramelized onions along with grilled chicken. Or you can make coconut flour donut holes for a snack:

http://healyeatsreal.com/coconut-flour-donut-holes/

If you like junk food, there's a truckload of protein powder-based recipes over at ProteinPOW:

http://proteinpow.com/

But again, you have to be willing to cook and work on finding & playing with recipes to get them to taste how you want, all while meeting your nutritional goals. You don't have to live on just chicken, tuna, and broccoli if you don't want to, and even if you do, you can learn how to make them taste really good with spices, sauces, & different cooking methods. If you like chicken wings, bake them or do them in the crockpot instead of eating fried ones, stuff like that - just healthier choices, but the end result is pretty much the same as far as flavor & enjoyment goes.

You mentioned not being sure what to do about breakfast; a green smoothie with some protein powder might be a good way to start: ice, water, a banana, a handful of greens (like spinach), and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. That starts your day out with fruit, veggies, protein, and water for hydration. Chug a 16oz smoothie & you're ready to go for breakfast!

As far as your abs showing naturally goes, that's all about bodyfat percentage, which you can easily get lowered via diet. If you want them to "pop" out, you'll still need to do some exercise to puff out your abs, but if you have a low bodyfat %, they'll show anyway. Here's a visual chart to give you an idea of what percentage to shoot for:

http://x3.cdn03.imgwykop.pl/c3201142/comment_97SNG5etS7muKyOA41OZnGY6zOHgFtJl.jpg

If you want a great visual example, check out Helmut Strebl. He's over 40 and has an amazing physique, but he pays careful attention to his diet (chicken, fish, brown rice, etc.). If you don't mind giving up the junk food, you can cook all of this stuff in bulk, flavor it up with some spices, and not have to worry about cooking or eating during the week since everything is prepared for you

http://www.simplyshredded.com/shred...mut-strebl-talks-with-simplyshredded-com.html

For convenience, I use disposable TV dinner trays & do make-ahead meals so I don't have to spend my time cooking all week. I have some more info on that in this thread:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2336038

So, in a nutshell:

1. Pick a goal (i.e. what bodyfat percentage you want to achieve)
2. Pick a path to achieve your goal (exercise or cooking healthier options or making better food choices)
3. Get setup & get to work

If you're willing to cook, that opens up a whole new world for you - you can still eat great-tasting meals, they'll just happen to be healthy for you & in-line with your fat-loss goals, rather than limiting yourself to redundant, boring "bodybuilding" meals.

 

[96Firebird]

Wow, thanks for all the in-depth replies guys. I'll take the time today to read through and reply with a more well-written response, but just wanted to say that I am actually quite relieved. It seems most of my issue is just eating too much. And that is an easy thing for me to fix, because I had pretty much forced myself to eat more than I thought I should when I was really skinny to gain weight. Looks like I can finally cut back on that.

Like I said, I'll post a longer reply later today. Thanks again.

 

[norseamd]

Wow, thanks for all the in-depth replies guys. I'll take the time today to read through and reply with a more well-written response, but just wanted to say that I am actually quite relieved. It seems most of my issue is just eating too much. And that is an easy thing for me to fix, because I had pretty much forced myself to eat more than I thought I should when I was really skinny to gain weight. Looks like I can finally cut back on that.

Like I said, I'll post a longer reply later today. Thanks again.

eat some protein with any other food you eat for breakfast in the morning

 

[Zivic]

Wow, thanks for all the in-depth replies guys. I'll take the time today to read through and reply with a more well-written response, but just wanted to say that I am actually quite relieved. It seems most of my issue is just eating too much. And that is an easy thing for me to fix, because I had pretty much forced myself to eat more than I thought I should when I was really skinny to gain weight. Looks like I can finally cut back on that.

Like I said, I'll post a longer reply later today. Thanks again.

if you are willing to do it, it isn't that hard... just takes time and being aware of what you are eating all the time. just a matter of doing it

 

[Kaido]

if you are willing to do it, it isn't that hard... just takes time and being aware of what you are eating all the time. just a matter of doing it

That's really all it boils down to. Once I learned that like 80% of bodybuilding is simply eating on the right track...that was pretty much it. Do some workout, eat some food, get some sleep. I'm no rocket surgeon, but that's definitely doable for anyone who wants to do it :thumbsup:

 

[gotsmack]

1. Jump rope
2. Cut carbs on a calorie restricted diet
3. Do more compound exercises

This is working for me and like you I'm trying to get beach ready.