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andrewT
11-15-08, 3:16 pm
this may be in the wrong section, or maybe has been asked before..

I have a lil gut, that has existed before I even started my current bulk. I weigh about 185 and am 5'7. It sticks out as far if not almost as far as my pecs, and expands when I eat (bloat) but when I wake up in the morning it is fairly flat. My friend who is also in the game said I am either retaining water or I am eating too many carbs. My sodium intake is low and I drink a gallon of water a day. As far as eating too much, or carbwise, half the time when I eat I feel I could eat more but I just don't want to forcefeed fat gains!

I don't give a shit about having abs, I just don't want my gut to get bigger then my chest. I feel like all the food I am eating isn't helping me grow but rather get a bigger gut instead!

My diet is in check, I even keep a log as well.

Can anyone help me out?

sanga
11-15-08, 3:25 pm
Post up your diet mate.

andrewT
11-16-08, 10:07 am
6:30 am: 4 whole Omega 3 eggs, 2 cups of plain oats, animal pak, uni liver, fish oil, glucosamine and a nice cup of milk

8:30-9am: A natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly sandwich on some big thick whole wheat bread with 2 source yogurts and 4 uni-livers, fish oil, etc (i really gotta make this meal bigger, maybe 2 sandwiches)

11:30 am: Lunch time, so about 2 to 2.5 plain cooked chicken breasts, some rapini with garlic and olive oil, and some white potatoes in olive oil with oregano (italian style) and maybe a banana if I am still hungry, 3 uni-livers, fish oil etc

2pm: A bag of mixed nuts, a protein shake with 35g whey and a banana

4pm: Dinner time, I got my mom making good stuff now. So usually 1.5-2 whole sweet potatoes or yams baked with a little olive oil and oregano for flavour and lots of chicken or beef until I feel full, some uni-liver and fish oil

7pm: Two bowls of instant noodles, from costco, a no name brand that is actually healthy because I don't pour the flavouring crap on it, some uni-livers and fish oil

9:30pm or whenevr I can get to bed: I will have a milk and egg protein shake with a tablespoon natural pb

If I am doing a postworkout shake I do water, 35g whey, a banana and about a half cup of oats with 10g glutamine. Also if I am going to work ( only work 2 hour hockey shifts) I will bring small stuff like a homemade gainer shake with oats, a pb sandwich or some nuts. I barely cheat this diet as I am a university student who packs lunch from home, and if I go out with my pals on the weekends we don't ever drink and I always bring a lil cooler for water, shakes and meals,etc.

I also drink a gallon of water a day,, although I do not weigh my food I try to listen to my body instead. After I am finished eating these meals I sometimes still feel hungry, but I don't want to force feed fat gains, although I feel I should be eating more especially between my lunch and dinner meals.

Any comments, be harsh and critical I need the help!

Thanks

Toni69
11-16-08, 10:30 am
my opinion..the noodles are unecessary, especially if you are cleaning up your diet and they will cause you to hold excess water. Think about it..pasta when it cooks swells right? with what? gluten and water. Gluten causes stuff to expand...this is why I stay away from pasta cause I feel it makes me soft looking. Now I eat loads of oats, yams, sweet pot's, wild rice or whole grain, long rice, cause those grains dont expand as much when cooked and pot's can be microwaved which draws out some water as well. These carb sources always worked for me as far as when dieting and staying lean and hard.

I dont care about sodium cause you need sodium for pumps in the gym. If your sodium is naturally occuring, as in pb, fish, red meat..then I dont care. I never add table salt to my food. I do eat hot peppers and add hot sauce to my food as a replacement for adding table salt.

I also dont eat bread and I mentioned this before but a NPC BB'r I used to work with once told me, "Toni, if you wanna look and feel like bread, then eat your fill of it, otherwise..stop that shit now, you dont need it." So that always stuck with me, and I dont eat bread other then a slice of pizza for a cheat and since im not lifting now, I wont touch any sort of bread or pasta at all. Just my 2 cents and what works for me.

sanga
11-16-08, 10:32 am
Well just looking at your diet its clear you have a fair amount of carbs, this is why you have the bloat some, if it doesn`t bother you too much and you are gaining then stick with it, if it does bother you then maybe you will need to lessen the carbs and up your fats to gain.

People are all diferent, I like carbs around training especially but I also have them throughout the day too and don`t worry about the stomach extention too much as its just food in your stomach, next morning its pretty flat, right?.

Its a personal choice mate, take no notice what others say, IMO as long as you are getting 1.5g - 2 g of protein down per lb of bodyweight then eating fats or carbs then you are doing fine, you know your body and you need to work out your calorie/protein/carbs/fat intake on a daily basis to gain.

Make sure you are getting the protein down, you weigh 185lb so the most you need per day IMO is 370g, probably less, split that into 6 meals and go with it.

Just my opinions and experience.

sanga
11-16-08, 10:35 am
my opinion..the noodles are unecessary, especially if you are cleaning up your diet and they will cause you to hold excess water. Think about it..pasta when it cooks swells right? with what? gluten and water. Gluten causes stuff to expand...this is why I stay away from pasta cause I feel it makes me soft looking. Now I eat loads of oats, yams, sweet pot's, wild rice or whole grain, long rice, cause those grains dont expand as much when cooked and pot's can be microwaved which draws out some water as well. These carb sources always worked for me as far as when dieting and staying lean and hard.

I dont care about sodium cause you need sodium for pumps in the gym. If your sodium is naturally occuring, as in pb, fish, red meat..then I dont care. I never add table salt to my food. I do eat hot peppers and add hot sauce to my food as a replacement for adding table salt.

I also dont eat bread and I mentioned this before but a NPC BB'r I used to work with once told me, "Toni, if you wanna look and feel like bread, then eat your fill of it, otherwise..stop that shit now, you dont need it." So that always stuck with me, and I dont eat bread other then a slice of pizza for a cheat and since im not lifting now, I wont touch any sort of bread or pasta at all. Just my 2 cents and what works for me.


Good post,yes I agree ref the sodium except I add sea salt to a lot of my meals, I get excellent pumps and no cramping,I make sure I drink around 10-12 pints of water each day along with coffee, diet drinks and the odd cup of tea.

Bread will bloat you so will pasta and too much milk IMO will too.

1 SLICE OF PIZZA TONI ?????????????????? YOU MAD? LOL

andrewT
11-16-08, 10:36 am
Thanks you guys!

If I am still feeling hungry should I add more food in? and what can I replace those noodles with? a tuna salad or something?

I don't feel any gains really except for gut gains! In House's thread he said if you feel your gettin fat to do some cardio on off days. I might give that a try

Toni69
11-16-08, 10:47 am
Thanks you guys!

If I am still feeling hungry should I add more food in? and what can I replace those noodles with? a tuna salad or something?

I don't feel any gains really except for gut gains! In House's thread he said if you feel your gettin fat to do some cardio on off days. I might give that a try

well, I do cardio all the time in off season and it does keep me, and it will help you to tighten up as long as you dont overdo it. You dont wanna risk burning muscle at all, so fat burn zone is usually best. I go early morn before I even eat for 35 min, 5x a week and this has maintained my leaness nicely and I dont feel I have lost any muscle since I weigh less now and lift about the same that I was lifting when I was weighing heavier...small difference here and there, but not much for me to worry about anyway.

Toni69
11-16-08, 10:47 am
Good post,yes I agree ref the sodium except I add sea salt to a lot of my meals, I get excellent pumps and no cramping,I make sure I drink around 10-12 pints of water each day along with coffee, diet drinks and the odd cup of tea.

Bread will bloat you so will pasta and too much milk IMO will too.

1 SLICE OF PIZZA TONI ?????????????????? YOU MAD? LOL

1 slice satisifes my craving...I know my limits and allow for cheats in moderation.

sanga
11-16-08, 11:07 am
Cardio in the off season is a must, I never used to do it but since dropping 30+ lbs recently on keto and cardio I`ll always do cardio, the only diference if dieting would be the frequency and duration.

Consistant as usual Toni, well done.

andrewT
11-16-08, 12:46 pm
How long should a cardio session on a bulk last?

I train 3 times a week. Would the other four days with cardio before breakfast be overkill? or should I do maybe 3 times a week? Also how long and how much intensity. I know the rule of thumb is 45min if you want to get any cardiovascular benefit. And after doing morning cardio I have no desire to eat as it kills my appetite, but would you suggest downing my big breakfast after cardio anyways? or should I have like a shake or something?

ROC1291
11-16-08, 12:53 pm
Creatine Monohydrate makes my stomach hold alot of water. I only eat carbs early in the day and post-workout for two meals and then thats it. I've found it's probably the creatine I take in to be honest. I don't have time to do off-season cardio, it's usually just bulk or cut for me. Honestly, the low sodium may be a factor. Try putting sea salt on everything. This will help you hydrate properly and better hydration definitely means you'll be tighter at the end of the day. Also, your protein looks a little low.

sanga
11-16-08, 12:55 pm
How long should a cardio session on a bulk last?

I train 3 times a week. Would the other four days with cardio before breakfast be overkill? or should I do maybe 3 times a week? Also how long and how much intensity. I know the rule of thumb is 45min if you want to get any cardiovascular benefit. And after doing morning cardio I have no desire to eat as it kills my appetite, but would you suggest downing my big breakfast after cardio anyways? or should I have like a shake or something?


Personally I do mine on non training days in the evening around 6pm as it suits my lifestyle, I walk on the treadmill at a moderate pace for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

If you wish to do it first thing then have a small whey shake around 20-30 minutes before hand, you can have another shake immedialtely after then a solid meal an hour later if you can`t face a solid meal after cardio.

sanga
11-16-08, 12:57 pm
Creatine Monohydrate makes my stomach hold alot of water. I only eat carbs early in the day and post-workout for two meals and then thats it. I've found it's probably the creatine I take in to be honest. I don't have time to do off-season cardio, it's usually just bulk or cut for me. Honestly, the low sodium may be a factor. Try putting sea salt on everything. This will help you hydrate properly and better hydration definitely means you'll be tighter at the end of the day. Also, your protein looks a little low.


Don`t have time for off season cardio? Its all about getting out of bed 30 minutes earlier or going to bed 30 minutes later, simple IMO.

stumblin54
11-16-08, 6:52 pm
...since im not lifting now, I wont touch any sort of bread or pasta at all...

Wait a tick, Toni...not lifting? What gives? Are you injured? I'll have to stop by your thread, but you know you're always inspiring me to push the limits every day, I hope this is short in duration for you...


How long should a cardio session on a bulk last?

Low intensity, three to four times per week, at 20-30 minutes per session. Cardio year-round is necessary for you heart, don't ever sacrifice heart healthiness for a little bit of mass gain.

Stumblin

Aggression
11-17-08, 11:36 am
this may be in the wrong section, or maybe has been asked before..

I have a lil gut, that has existed before I even started my current bulk. I weigh about 185 and am 5'7. It sticks out as far if not almost as far as my pecs, and expands when I eat (bloat) but when I wake up in the morning it is fairly flat. My friend who is also in the game said I am either retaining water or I am eating too many carbs. My sodium intake is low and I drink a gallon of water a day. As far as eating too much, or carbwise, half the time when I eat I feel I could eat more but I just don't want to forcefeed fat gains!

I don't give a shit about having abs, I just don't want my gut to get bigger then my chest. I feel like all the food I am eating isn't helping me grow but rather get a bigger gut instead!

My diet is in check, I even keep a log as well.

Can anyone help me out?

As everyone else said, figure out whats causing it. Eliminate some foods, add others, and see which food is the cause. It def could be the bread and noodles. I eat whole-grain pasta twice a day now, and I don't have a bad bloat going on, but thats me. But breads will def be the culprit. Figure out what it is, and eliminate it.

andrewT
11-17-08, 11:51 am
Thanks for all the help guys!

so upon wakening 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio? I always though low intensity cardio=fat burning was just a myth?

Do you guys suggest jogging or stationary biking?

Aggression
11-17-08, 12:08 pm
Thanks for all the help guys!

so upon wakening 20-30 minutes of low intensity cardio? I always though low intensity cardio=fat burning was just a myth?

Do you guys suggest jogging or stationary biking?

My cardio was always done at low intensity. I'd do a treadmill at 3.3speed on a 3.5-4.0 incline. the choice is yours bro.