Problem is I'm a skinny fat guy - diet recommendations please

[tom619]

Hi guys im new so bare with me, im 21 years old, 6ft tall and incredibly underweight im just over 9 stone, i've been training for 2 weeks and im going to start taking the Total MRP shakes from monday.

my problem is im a skinny fat guy i have a gut that i cant stand, i do 25mins a cardio a day and weights but it wont go away, i eat low fat meals hardly any meat in my diet mostly breads and pastas and i must get rid of this gut!

the flipside is i want big arms and legs hence the protein shakes.

please recommend something, i cant stand my mums cooking, but im a busy person so i need quick meals, and we're vegetarian in my house so i cant bring meat home!

i could get away with canned tuna if that works, i have weetabix for breakfast and a shake with full skimmed milk, lunch is normally a cheese based sandwich with a piece of fruit and a shake, and dinner is usually pasta, spaghetti, or just something quick in the oven!

any tips would be greatly appreciated

thanks

[adamabbs]

Quote

Hi guys im new so bare with me, im 21 years old, 6ft tall and incredibly underweight im just over 9 stone, i've been training for 2 weeks and im going to start taking the Total MRP shakes from monday.

my problem is im a skinny fat guy i have a gut that i cant stand, i do 25mins a cardio a day and weights but it wont go away, i eat low fat meals hardly any meat in my diet mostly breads and pastas and i must get rid of this gut!

the flipside is i want big arms and legs hence the protein shakes.

please recommend something, i cant stand my mums cooking, but im a busy person so i need quick meals, and we're vegetarian in my house so i cant bring meat home!

i could get away with canned tuna if that works, i have weetabix for breakfast and a shake with full skimmed milk, lunch is normally a cheese based sandwich with a piece of fruit and a shake, and dinner is usually pasta, spaghetti, or just something quick in the oven!

any tips would be greatly appreciated

thanks

Get the carbs and cheese out of your diet, or dont eat them as often as everyday!!

[Ripped Barbarian]

Train hard, eat like a barbarian and sleep well.

You need to put some muscle mass on your frame before you can even think about losing fat, i know it sounds strange but others will agree.

Eat plenty of meat, fish, yoghurt, potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, eggs, whey protein shakes etc.

[TRC]

Could always check the advice in your other thread.

http://forum.myprotein.co.uk/beginne...y-fat-guy.html

[Gaz Man]

The advice in your first thread was spot on really. You won't find anyone in the history of the world (never mind on this forum) that will have put on any muscle with a diet like that. Setting aside the fact that it's probably no more than 1500 kcals, it is also completely unbalanced in favour of carbs, and not even particularly nutritous carbs.

Personally I eat 2500 kcals per day, and that is roughly 750 cals from protein, 750 from fat, and 1000 from carbs. This sort of split works for me and my goals however it won't work for everyone, we're all different and our bodies react differently to different foods. You need to experiment and see what works best for you.
There are however a few basic facts we can probably all agree on:

1. You need to eat between 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day to build muscle
If your vegetarian then fine, other people on here like Seebsy and Suj get by just fine without eating meat. Get some cheese, get some milk, eggs, and if you want get some tuna. I'd avoid Soya but that's about it.

2. Eat more calories per day than you will use
If you remain in a calorie deficit as you surely are at the moment, your muscles will get harder but will not grow an inch.

3. Dietary fat is not the abomination the general public percieve it to be
You need essential fatty acid as part of a balanced diet. It mustn’t be neglected There are plenty of threads on here that will discuss this at length, as well as where to find the best sources of fat.

Given your height, weight, and physique, it sounds like your undereating. If you consistently eat less than your body requires to maintain itself and your nutrition is poor then your body adapts by lowering your metabolic rate to burn less calories in an attempt to match what's coming in to what's going out. Your body will also react by catabolising your muscle tissue for fuel, at the same time it will try to hold on to fat and store more of it whenever possible in an attempt to keep a fuel reserve. Symptoms of this are very low muscle mass, lethargy, a gut like the one you have described, and in some cases depression and weak bones. In short your body ceases to do any non essential tasks, hormonal responses become blunted, and when neccessary the body canabolises itself starting with the muscles.

Finally unless you have perfect genes you will not be able to lose fat at the same time as gaining muscle. These two goals are mutually exclusive for 99% of the population. You have to pick one or the other. My advice is gradually raise your calorie intake until you begin to put on weight (Google 'calorie calculator' and I'm sure you'll find a simple calc that will give you a better idea of what sort of calorie intake you should be aiming for).
As long as you are lifting heavy and eating a more balanced diet, you will begin to add muscle. As others have already stated, once you begin to bulk up your muscles will start to fill out your frame, and any fat you have will appear reduced even if it’s not actually any less than it was when you started.

So next up what’s your training like? Which exercises do you do, how often, how often do you add weight etc?

Oh yeh, and don't forget to read the stickies