Sport should i control my eating habits more?

Sport Fitness
About a month ago I lost my job, and was pudgier than I wanted to be and overall felt like my life sucked. Three weeks ago I decided money worries were overrated and chose to focus my life on my physical and mental well-being. When I was working 8 hours a day and only went to the gym maybe 4 times a week for about 1 hour a session my eating habits were actually really good.

Cereal (wheat-bix) for breakfast, working at McDonald's it was at first difficult to control cravings however for the last six months until I left my job I always ate my own creation of a salad wrap with tomato sauce on it and no meat for lunch. Dinner was usually pasta with a red sauce or else I buckled and bought fish n' chips. That was then...

This is now;
I feel I'm eating a lot of food, albeit healthy food as far as i know. Breakfast is a protein shake made using water. After brekky I walk to the gym (30 mins) usually 2hrs sometimes 3hrs at the gym with weights and cardio (1day hardcore workout, next day easier workout, repeat) then a 30 minute walk home in time for lunch.
Lunch is generally either tinned spaghetti, baked beans or springwater tuna on multi-grain toast and a glass of skim milk and fruit of some variety.
For the next 5hrs I'm usually just relaxing and when I get hungry again I get into some more toast or some yoghurt. Later at night I go for an hour long walk and jog occasionally. Usually I have Saturday as my recovery day and sometimes I get a veggie pizza delivered and eat the entire thing :(

At first the above statement was typically entirely true however over the last week I have increased the weights in my lifting and increased my cardio speed and have been even hungrier, often eating maybe an additional 2 pieces of toast, 1 extra yoghurt and more fruit then above. I weigh 63 kg's and am 5.8 feet tall and literally have maybe 2% body fat to remove until I will have a totally visible 6pack. I have been trying to keep my calories deficit to my bodies requirement but hunger is unbearable sometimes and I have to eat. Any ideas on how to curb my hunger and if there is anything I should replace in my diet.

Also before anyone says anything about my nutrients and vitamins lacking I take multivitamins, fish oil, etc upon waking and bedtime.
 
why in god's name are you workign out for 3 hours straight?

Unless you are a professional bodybuilder, anything more than 60 mins in the gym means you are wasting time in the gym and/or doing too much.
 
Because I currently don't have a job so I have a lot of free time on my hands, basically its either gym or xbox live. I dare someone to tell me that 3hrs at the gym is a waste of time compared to playing halo!? :)

Besides the 2-3 hours at the gym I also walk around my suburb quite a lot every day and as far as I'm concerned all cardio is good cardio. What sense is there in saying "you're wasting your time going to the gym all day and working out all day when you could squeeze it all in 45 mins of workout".
It is 100x better than sitting on the couch all day watching tv after using only an hour of my 24 hours free time towards working out. Correct? or not?
 
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What sense is there in saying "you're wasting your time going to the gym all day and working out all day when you could squeeze it all in 45 mins of workout".

Well, IMHO, if you are eating the way you say you are and working out as intensely as you say it doesn't sound like your body is properly fueled for an effective use of the effort you are putting forth in the gym. Seems like you are setting yourself up for a serious "bonk" or worse.

Even working out only an hour, here is a sample of a far better day of eating:

Breakfast:
3-4 Egg White omelet with 1/2 cu diced veggies and 1/4 cu lean ham
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup skim milk
1 cup mixed berries
Water

Mid-morning snack (pre-workout):
1 handful of almonds
1 cup skim milk
Water

Post-Workout (recovery) snack:
2 T powdered Gatorade + 1 T Vanilla Whey mixed in 16 oz wateror
8 oz low-fat chocolate milk or
8 oz skim milk + 1 T chocolate whey

Lunch:
6 oz Grilled Chicken
4 cups spinach
1/2 sliced avocado
Olive oil and Vinegar dressing
Water

Mid-Afternoon Snack:
1 oz beef or turkey jerky +
1 oz low-fat cheese or
High protein (>15g) bar (200-300 calories total) Watch out for the fat and sugar in them!!!
Water

Dinner:
6 oz lean grilled steak or fish (salmon, tuna...)
1 cup grilled asparagus or
1 cup steamed broccoli
Water

Bedtime snack:
8 oz skim milk + 1 scoop chocolate whey

Another thing you might consider doing, since you seem to have a lot of free time, is to split your time at the gym into an AM and a PM session. You definitely need to make sure you aren't duplicating muscle groups and resting appropriately though.

Maybe you could spend some of your extra time looking for another job or something! :p
 
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That diet sounds interesting, Im going to try it starting tomorrow for a week and then post how I feel about eating like that. My number one problem is definitely waiting too long to eat and then eating way too much at one time.

Thanks for the advice.
Job hunt isn't necessary, I'm just biding my time until the next employment of trainees for the ADF ( australian defense force). I'm already in, just a matter of time till they put up with me and pay me haha.

EDIT - Is the ham really necessary, because I'm not much of a meat eater at all, besides for breakfast (yuck). With the high protein bar, could i replace it with my musashi 93 protein blend shake (made with water not milk)?

Finally out of curiosity, what is the total calorie count on all of the food mentioned in your 'day of eating'?
 
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After looking in the cupboards and looking over your list, I modified it slightly and here it is. I will start on it tomorrow morning but if you think some of the changes are a mistake please reply asap.

Breakfast:
3 Egg White omelet ½ cup diced veggies (usually carrot, onion, cherry tomatoes and mushroom)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup skim milk
1 cup mixed berries ( can I blend the milk and berries into a small smoothie or is it better to eat them solid?)

Mid-morning snack (pre-workout):
1 handful of almonds
1 cup skim milk

Post-workout (recovery) snack:
8oz no fat milk + 1 spoon chocolate whey

Lunch:
5oz grilled chicken
2 cups spinach
2 cups lettuce
½ sliced avocado (overall 1 very nice salad – I like my greens and don’t usually use any dressings)

Mid-Afternoon snack:
High protein bar (not the cheapest mid afternoon snack but I’m sure I can convince mom to buy a box for me 

Dinner:
1 serve of lean grilled fish
1 serves of 200gram microwave ready steam veggies

Bedtime snack:
8oz no fat milk + 1 scoop chocolate whey
 
That diet sounds interesting, Im going to try it starting tomorrow for a week and then post how I feel about eating like that. My number one problem is definitely waiting too long to eat and then eating way too much at one time.

Thanks for the advice.
Job hunt isn't necessary, I'm just biding my time until the next employment of trainees for the ADF ( australian defense force). I'm already in, just a matter of time till they put up with me and pay me haha.

EDIT - Is the ham really necessary, because I'm not much of a meat eater at all, besides for breakfast (yuck). With the high protein bar, could i replace it with my musashi 93 protein blend shake (made with water not milk)?

Finally out of curiosity, what is the total calorie count on all of the food mentioned in your 'day of eating'?

Awesome about the ADF! Bravo to you! Eating well and getting in top shape will serve you well while you do the same for your country and your fellow man!

That meal plan would be about 2100-2400 calories. It is high in protein and lower in fat and carbohydrate. So yes, you could definitely cut out the ham, and maybe even add some toast back in during breakfast. I'm also not sure about what they have in Australia but a butter type spread that consists of healthy unsaturated fats would be okay in moderation on your toast too. We have brands like Smart Balance and Benecol here in the US.

You could definitely combine the berries and milk in the AM and make it into a smoothie. Your body won't know the difference.

I'm not familiar with Musashi 93(?) so don't really know how good of a substitute it would be, but it does sound like it's just a protein isolate with very little carbs or fat? The bar is a more balanced mix and if I were you, I would find something that compares, or maybe mix your protein blend with some skim milk and a T of healthy fat like almond or peanut butter.

One other thing to think about -- you really don't want "drinking" your calories to become a cornerstone to your nutrition plan. Yes, many people are successful in losing weight through liquid diets, but an over-reliance (IMHO) is not healthy.

Don't be afraid of healthy fats (olive oil, nut butters, etc). Your body needs them for important metabolic processes. Same with carbohydrates.

If you find that your energy is flagging a bit on a menu similar to above, consider adding a small portion of carbohydrates to your lunch like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc. About a cup prepared.

Oh yeah, don't eat that menu every day for the next week. You will get extremely bored of it really quick. Use it as a guideline for types of food to eat and make smart decisions for substitutions. After about 4 weeks or so of eating like that, don't be afraid to add some more carbs in.

Oh yeah, one more thing that I thought about last night...since you have free time, maybe you can strike a deal with your mom where you plan and cook meals for the family and she buys the food. Learning to cook and taking control of what goes in your mouth can be both fun and rewarding. It's also a trait that chicks dig! :D

This board, and many fitness magazines are excellent sources of healthy meals.

Maybe as your "payment" she can buy you a box of bars! I don't know what you guys have Down Under, but I like Odwalla Super Protein Bars (~15g PRO and 210 calories) and the CLIF Builders bars (~20g PRO and 250-270 calories). They almost taste like a darn cookie or candy bar.

BTW, your above changes look just fine IMO.
 
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