Help change my 'diet'

[PunkGo]

ok, i am a newb, but im just oh so confused right now. i want to lose some weight and get some muscle definition, and i know it has mostly to do with what you eat. Now, i've been reading on your forums and other sites for about 2 or 3 hours now and I still don't get what kind of diet i am supposed to be on. I am going to buy a workout bench, and weights so should i wait for them to get here before i do my diet? I am at school mon-fri and their food is not the....healthiest. my diet consist basically of the following:

Breakfast:
1 or 2 poptarts (not packages but individual poptart)
Half a glass of water

Lunch:
French Fries, Chicken(breaded) Sandwhich (hamburger bun) w/ ketchup

Dinner:
Usually 8-10 ounces of meat
pasta-type dish to go with it
vegetable (anything from corn to asparagus)
then a glass of milk.

in between all of that i usually have a Diet Snapple or 2 and water. No cokes, not diet or regular.

i have NO idea about 'grams of protein, or complex carbs' or anything or what food contains them. So, if you would tell me, or send me to a website that will describe it that i have not yet come upon that would be greatly appreciated. I want working out and eating healthy become a habbit. Thanks a lot.

[Manveet]

That is a crappy diet.

Here are some guidelines

Protein = usually 1g per pound of body weight, could be more.

Fats = Stay away from trans fats (chips, cookies, etc.) limit sat fats, concentrate on the poly's & mono's (olive oil etc.) You also need to include EFA's (essential fatty acids) such as fish oil/flax oil. Usually people consume at least 20% of their daily caloric intake from fats, but this is just a guidline. I personally eat more like 25-30%

Carbs = with your protein and fat requirements set, the rest of your cals will come from carbs. Complex carbs are best (think whole wheat, not enriched or bleached). However, around your workouts (i.e. just before and just after) you want simple carbs (dextrose, maltodextrin, and some fructose).

For more information about the types of foods you should be consuming, refer to the "what a bodybuilder eats) sticky at the top of this forum.

In terms of calories, it really depends on your goals. You want to add muscle mass, you need to eat more, want to lose fat, eat less etc. There are crude formulas that can give you a balk park figure based on your current body weight, but I personally do not use them. You can run a search for more information about such formulas.

[Dirt]

That is a crappy diet.

Here are some guidelines

Protein = usually 1g per pound of body weight, could be more.

Fats = Stay away from trans fats (chips, cookies, etc.) limit sat fats, concentrate on the poly's & mono's (olive oil etc.) You also need to include EFA's (essential fatty acids) such as fish oil/flax oil. Usually people consume at least 20% of their daily caloric intake from fats, but this is just a guidline. I personally eat more like 25-30%

Carbs = with your protein and fat requirements set, the rest of your cals will come from carbs. Complex carbs are best (think whole wheat, not enriched or bleached). However, around your workouts (i.e. just before and just after) you want simple carbs (dextrose, maltodextrin, and some fructose).

For more information about the types of foods you should be consuming, refer to the "what a bodybuilder eats) sticky at the top of this forum.

In terms of calories, it really depends on your goals. You want to add muscle mass, you need to eat more, want to lose fat, eat less etc. There are crude formulas that can give you a balk park figure based on your current body weight, but I personally do not use them. You can run a search for more information about such formulas.
:withstupi