New to weightlifting...

[SmokeyLa]

I just completed my first 6 weeks of going to the gym and also trying to diet right to match the lifting but i think i might not be eating enough. I had bought one of those tanita body fat scales, and when I first started I was 200 lbs. with a 21% bodyfat(I'm 6'2"). Now im 188 and around 17.5%. My daily diet consists of :


7-8 am. 4 egg size portion of whites(8 whites) and glass of skim milk

12-1pm 2 chicken breasts and 2 slices of wheat toast dry

workout around 3-4:30pm mon wed fri also 20-25 oz of whey protein shake after workout.

6-7pm 2 chicken breasts 1 cup of vegetables and 1 red potato

maybe can of tuna or cup of nonfat cattage cheese in between last meal and time I got to bed.

I havent had butter and am trying to eliminate most bad fats

also starting today im trying to add natural peanut butter sandwich on oat bread toast between breakfast and lunch

I burn lots of calories a day since im a waiter at a very busy resturant usually waiting on between 25-40 tables a day(7am- 3pm)

any help you gurus can offer would be helpful.
Also ive been using the WBB Routine 1 at the gymbeen making good progress as far as strengh is concerned but I still have fat around my hip and gut areas that i'd like to get rid of before i try to bulk up.

[captnjosh]

You say that you think you're not eating enough, but that you're trying to lose more fat. It's going to be hard to lose fat and gain muscle but if you've only been training for six weeks it can work out for you.
If you've been losing fat and making progress in the gym I'd say you're already doing pretty good.

[Ironman8]

Smokeyla, are you taking fish oil or flax supplements? Those are some good healthy fats to add to your diet.

[bradley]

Looks like you need to eat more IMO. Looks like you need more protein, healthy fats, and more calories overall.

Try eating 5-6 meals a day. I know it sounds like a lot but these can be three regular meals and 2 or 3 snacks.

Try and get at least 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Also make sure and get some healthy fats in your diet. Good sources would be fish oil, flax oil, olive oil, nuts, natural peanut butter etc. The rest of you cals should come from low GI carbs like oats, sweet potatoes, veggies, beans, ww bread, etc.

For example:

breakfast
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
oats

snack
natural pb on ww bread

meal 3
2 chicken breasts
veggies
serving of flax or fish oil

postworkout shake
(whey protein along with some high glycemic carbs)
* I would have the next whole food meal approximately 60-90 minutes after finishing postworkout shake.

meal 5
2 chicken breasts 1 cup of vegetables and 1 red potato

meal 6
1 cup of cottage cheese
1 TBSP. natty pb

This was just an example that I made up to help get you in the right direction. You can also sub chicken for some other lean protein sources like lean beef, fish, or turkey.

[SmokeyLa]

What is the purpose of fish oil or flax? Also where could I get things like this. I've been getting my protein from gnc but its a little expensive and thats why I stopped using creatine also. Anywhere online to get stuff cheaper? Thanks for the help
John

[bradley]

Originally posted by SmokeyLa
What is the purpose of fish oil or flax? Also where could I get things like this. I've been getting my protein from gnc but its a little expensive and thats why I stopped using creatine also. Anywhere online to get stuff cheaper? Thanks for the help
John

Here is an article that might interest you about the benefits of fats in the diet. http://www.mercola.com/nutritionplan/beginner_fats.htm


The main reason for supplementing with fats like flax and fish oil is due to the fact that most people do not get adequate amounts of omega 3 fats in their diet. Supplementing is an easy way to make sure that you are getting adequate amounts of these beneficial fats in your diet.

You can get flax and fish oil from most any health food store. If I had to pick one I would go with fish oil over flax oil. If you do purchase flax I would make sure that you get it from the refrigerated section as flax oil is very sensitive to heat and light.

As far as online supplements this should help:
http://www.wannabebigforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=26105&highlight=online+supplements