McPeedster’s Diet & Training

[McPeedster]

Hello folks

posted here and there on the forums before but decided that finally a log was in order.

Background

Was skinny when young, then moved out at 18 and put on lots of weight. Wasn’t till earl 20’s that me and a friend decided to lose weight for a holiday we booked. It all started from there really. The usual of cardio and weights and dodgy routines from local gym trainers. Lost a bit of weight. Then went veggie and did the P90 and lost more weight.

Since then been up and down. Lost, gained, lost then gained again. Then found the MP forums and tried my hand at SL, RFL, IF ect. All to varying success. Lost a lot of weight on RFL around 30th birthday – then put it back again, same with IF combines with IF last summer, all went back on when went on a trip to states. Think its like what Ben Coomber said in his recent article, of following that protocol but easily can back fire when you come off in an uncontrolled way.

So anyhow – im about 68kg, probably 15%-20% bf , 5’7” and 31 years old - skinny fat look

The Plan of attack

I work normal office job 9-5. I also have Uni 2 evenings a week 6-9 (post grad dip for next 2 years) and work another job 3 other nights from 6-9 as a career for someone with learning difficulties (pays for the post grad). So as you can see time is limited. Therefore will be working out at lunch times. At least that way I get out the office, away from my desk and then can have massive amount of food post work out. Allows me to be focused at the work outs and not procrastinate as have limited time to get in and out. Not to mention the gym I go to is quiet at lunch time and along the road from work.


The Method

So I have tired eating lots of small meals, doing cardio before work outs and after, HIIT on off days ect ect. Sometimes its worked and other times I was merely training to fail but over doing it and not eating enough.

Resistance training: Since Jan I have gone back to Strong Lifts 5x5. Mainly because until 18 months ago I had never squatted or dead lifted. Also my lifts on these only just about reached body weight on the main exercises and that was last May. I will use the version where it included pull/chins and dips. May throw some more exercises in depending on time. The goal here is to build up strength and up my lifts given the right conditions. I will do this till mid march where I will take a weeks break and eat around maintenance. Following that I will then start some HST. This is new to me so will give me plenty of time look into it more. I will do an 8 week cycle before evaluating where I am at.

Cardio: I hear what everyone says about this being not necessary given certain circumstances and how diet is more effective than sweating on a treadmill. Therefore, given time constraint, I will do fasted cardio in the morning. Basically I live about 3 miles from work so will walk to work on empty stomach. I can make it to work at a fast pace between 30-40 minutes. Sometimes I crash at the mothers and she’s a mile further so will often walk into work taking me about 45-50 minutes. I will then eat when I get to the office (eggs, green tea and MP whey isolate). Besides, by walking to work, and sometime home from work, I’m saving money on my oyster card and as tesco says “every little helps”

Food: for the time being im eating throughout the day, just eat as and when, with largest meal post work out. I have read a lot on here from other peoples threads (James, stavrog1, asoe209, Pkant, Fiji, Tony4100, Dolphinski and Zeigler to name a few) and have learnt tons so thank you! . I will IF again but will do that in the summer when I cut and then remain on IF / Leanagins moving forward. Yes I could do it now, but im teaching myself how to properly eat as I grow and get use to portion sizes rather than throw myself in the deep end.

Im 68 kg / 150 (ish) lbs. according to Harris benedict my bmr is 1640. By working out x 3 a week (x1.375) that’s maintenance cal’s on work out days of 2,255 and 1,968 non work out days sitting at a desk.

I prefer the approach discussed in these forums of bw in lbs x 14 for maintenance = 2,100 so close to above.
I will add to the maintenance obviously but only 10% initially. I don’t want to jump to 20% over maintenance or more yet as want to gradually increase and not over eat if not necessary, storing it as fat. Getting back into SL in Jan the lifts and weights were easier so was more about getting body used to good form again rather than size increase. I know fat will occur also, im not that naive, but want to gradually increase cal’s as and when body needs it. i.e when lifts stall, when my body shouts at me for more food.

So for the moment work out days 2,300 ish cal’s to increase to 2,500 when things get tougher. I will then continue to gradually increase the calories as and when.

Work out days – rough guestimate and guide – 2,300 ish calories rising to 2,500 initially

P= 180 (720 cals)
C= 280 g (1,120 cals)
F = 50 g (450 cals)

Non work out days – will eat at maintenance for time being with lower carbs, high protein and mod fat – 2’100 ish calories

P= 200g (800 cals)
C= 150g ish (600 cals)
F= 80g (720 cals)

Will not tend to go over 200g protein on either days, and try to keep sub 50g fat non work out days and between 100g-150g carbs on non work out days. That way when I move onto lean gains im used to eating the right foods and portions to adhere to the macronutrients and when on lean gains I believe Martin recommends 100-150 g carbs anyways still on non-work days. When I cut however will be a different story.

I allow myself a cheat night – that’s Friday night and is “my night” to do what I want. I try and therefore work out on a Friday after work, instead of lunch, as I can then get home and manipulate my cheat meal with PWO. So tons of pasta / potatoes, meat, even guilt free pizza – as long as it can also fit in with macros. Here my vice of red wine and dark chocolate rears its ugly head through.

Foods = meats, dairy, eggs ect. With lots of rice, potatoes and pasta here and there. Trying hand at gluten wheat free – but so hard sometimes. When I get to the office im usually eating egg’s in one shape or another as can scramble them in the microwave with a chopped pepper and other nice stuff. Want to try and keep away from sugar’s where I can, not that easy, but still limiting fruit intake to berries and the occasional banana. Also found that to help reach high calories on work out days I am having 500 ml low fat chocolate milkshake, along with MP whey, to accompany my main meals. And I recently found myself devouring Soreen fruit loaf as v.low fat and high carbs – great post work out. Just cant get enough of it, ate a whole pack of it on the bus home last Friday night post gym. Got some weird looks on the bus.

So that’s the plan ladies and gents and what I have been doing generally since Jan. I will post my lifts later but already I have tended to notice I am more hungry and sometimes what I eat post work is not enough. I feel shaky and lethargic until I get some good foods in me. Some recent pwo meals have been in the 1,300 cal range. I am using ‘myfitnesspal’ on iphone to try and keep a track. Even rest days I find I am needing to eat more so out comes the bacon, eggs, full fat cheese ect.

As ever its all a continuous learning process, and yes this is a long read, I promise other posts will be way shorter.

Feel free to comment, correct, guide and verbally hit me if i'm ever doing anything stupid from the start or along the way Its only through reading, educating and discussion that I am able to better learn and understand.

Thanks for reading.

[tony4100]

Sounds like a plan. I will be following with interest!

[McPeedster]

Quick post – still need to update with my lifts (and deloads lol) from last few weeks

Just ate my lunch – my post work out meal also as back from gym. im so full

1502 calories

500 ml frijj
250 g white rice
200 g chicken in spicy tomatoe sauce
Half a sorren fruit loaf
50 g whey

Total: 137 protein, 223 carbs and 23 fats

I feel so dirty for eating all that but I love it

getting used to planning what I need and what i can eat PWO to hit high cal's / carbs ect

just need to top off with some good post work out fish oils for all that anobolic goodness - (thanks for reminding me James)

[McPeedster]

Hello

About time I updated this log. Seeing as I started the SL back in Jan with 40kg on most lifts I didn’t see the point updating daily until I started getting to a point of deloads etc – well that’s here.

Ok so last 2 sets of lifts are as follows:

2nd March
Squats – 62.5 – (5x5)
OHP – 35kg (already deloaded on these also meh (5x5)
Deadlift – 70kg 1x5 – YAY something over my bodyweight
Pull ups – body weight, alternate these each session with close grip chin ups and wide grip pull ups (8, 6, and 5)


5th March (fasted am work out at 6:30 am)
Squats – 65kg (5,5,5,3,2) – first failed session with this weight – did deload a few weeks back but still 65 kg is best have reached so far
Chest – 47.5 (5x5) this is my deloaded weight as could not make the 55kg mark 3 sessions in row
Pendlay rows – 47.5 (5x5) – as above this is my recent deloaded set
DIPS – bw with 12, 7, 6

Annoyed re deloads – but gives me good opportunity to focus on form.

As for food – I have lost weight over the months – now at 66.7 kg last weigh in. non workout days been eating at maint (bw lbs) x14 so around 2,000 cals and work out days I slap on 500 ish cals. I am starting to think I need more.
As stated work out days – 200g protein, fats capped as best to 50g and carbs rest. Been having some massive pwo meals ranging to 1,900 cals on one day. I thank the chocolate frijj and screen fruit loaf (although I want to go gluten wheat free so will wean myself off that)
Then its 200g protein, 100g ish carbs and rest fat’s or more proteins on non work out days

So like I said I think I need to maybe eat more. Didn’t help had a week of man flu and up and down to the midlands with work and now have TUPE coming out my ears with a contract in hounslow, so a bit on at moment.

I like what I am doing and will stick with SL as I am not even at body weight yet with most ofmy lifts so before I even look at HST or anything like that I need to get those lifts up. I think more food and better rest is a key in that. Have played with looking at other programmes, GVT, 5,3,1 etc but would rather get some better lifts weight wise.

I am still walking to work where I can in a fasted state and increased coffee intake until I break my fasts on non-work out days. Didn’t intend to follow IF protocol, just happened to fall into it but I may now have a meal at 12pm on work out days and then late lunch break where I will go to the gym so see if the energy will help with lifts.

That’s where I am. I have changed slightly shape wise and attribute that to better eating post work out. Squats are annoying me still so looking at other folks posts and vid posts really help me. Foods beginning to settle down, lots of veg, berries, natural yoghurts and meat meat meat, with occasional eggs. cheat meal still friday night eating what the heck I want with red wine and dark chocolate - no one is taking that away from me

[McPeedster]

heres a pic of my fast breaker today
garlic and chilli chicken curry with extra chicken mixed in
mixed veg (big bag)
150 g blue berries
170 grams of total youghurt

Protein - 96g
carbs - 46
fat - 35
871 cal's



still need to get used to using photo bucket and shrinking pics

[fussyjim]

Looks tasty mate!

Sounds like you have a good plan going forward, best of luck with your goals.

[McPeedster]

Quote

Looks tasty mate!

Sounds like you have a good plan going forward, best of luck with your goals.

apreciate the support m8 and nice to know the path I am taking is not too wacky and off the rails

[McPeedster]

Today's workout at lunch.

Squats, 65kg 4 sets of 5 and last set managed 3 which really frustrated me as 4 set felt fine. I refuse to reload again
OHP 37.5, 4 sets of 5 then I set of 4 grrrr
Dead lift, 75kg 1x5, felt back rounding slightly
Pull ups, neutral grip: 6,7,4
Finished off with some face pulls

Food wise had a bowl of porridge and whey about 11am and trained at 1pm then large amounts of food pwo

Currently at: 1743 calls consumed
Protein 131g
Carbs 243g
Fats 27 g
It was frijj, soreen, uncle bens rice an home made green Thai chicken

Off to uni now until 9pm then rush to euston for 10pm train to rugby. To be honest I could do with another 800-1000 calories. Will try and grab on the go

Really irritated with squats. I was going to ask one of the staff for pointers but caught him giving me dodgy looks as sniggering with another gym goer at me only doing 5 reps at a time. Think I will wait till there's an adult on duty

[AlexNev]

hot damn I've not had a frijj in 4 years, all in all as long as you're making progress keep at it dude! good job on your pullups, in my opinion the measure of a man is how many times he can lift himself

[McPeedster]

Ok so for some reason just went mad on suppliments and placed a massive order

Beef Jerkyx 4 classic, x 4 smoked, x 4 cajan hot, x 4 teriaki
MyBar Oats & Whey x 2 boxes peanut butter
Beef Jerky Bites
Biltong x 4
Myprotein Sports Bottle
Myprotein Athletic T Shirt
Instant Buckwheat Amount: 2.5KG
Peanut Butter crunchy
alpha men
Omega 3 - 1000 250 CAPS
Total Gainer (Sample) Amount: 50G
Flavour: Cookies and Cream
Hurricane Evo (Sample)
Amount: 60G Chocolate Mint
Total Gainer (Sample) 50G Milk Chocolate

ouch. oh well -there was a sale. the tshirt for some reason came through on the confiration as XXl when i am dead cert i ordered medium. seeing as thier not open saturdays (pants if you ask me considering how big MP are getting) so I just emailed them to change to size M

most the food is to take to uni in the evenings or when im out and bout with work so I can try and get some decent protein. the unflavoured whey and buckwheat is because I want to try my hand at protein recipies . alpha men and omega caps are self explanatory. I still have plenty of impact whey and isolate floating around at home. I will look at CLA / thermapure and BCAA when I am cutting in a few months and fasted training etc

the total gainer and evo samples are as I want to see about taking different suppliments post work to up cals etc as on the SL and still looking to increase strength

do you think its worth looking at creatine / creapure also?? i hear mixed reviews that can sometimes give you that extra 1 rep

im off to break my non work out day fast with massive omelet goodness