# Please help



## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

I’m having a hard time finding foods to reach my Macros could anyone help me out with a plan. Let me be clear im NOT trying to be 10% bodyfat or lower more like the 12-13% range so if my macros can change due to that then that’s fine as well. 

My macros are:

3416 calories per day

214 protein 

470 carbs

76 fats

5’11 190 trying to gain lean muscle,I got these numbers from the legion fitness calculator.

Thank you


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## Jin (Jun 23, 2020)

Which macros are you having trouble reaching?


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

Jin said:


> Which macros are you having trouble reaching?



Man honestly all of them,not so much reaching them but trying to reach 3400 calories and not going over the macros.Like I said if these macros are for someone trying to be extremely lean then I’m ok with going over,I’m just trying to reach 200-205 pounds while being 12-14% BF


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## Trump (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ will just do it all for you when he wakes up, you will get a nine page reply down to the last micronutrient.


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

LMFAO.. CJ you have been summons

Proteins 
Meat - Chicken, beef, turkey.
Greek yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Fish

Carbs
Rice, potatoes, pasta, oats, cream of wheat... Fruit.

Fats
Nuts and Oils. 

Why are you having a hard time hitting marcos.  Don't over think this process.  It's the most simple part.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Here's what I'm eating today, it's very close to your targets. I made a few small changes, since I originally had more protein and less carbs, but it's an example.

In the food list, don't go by the amount it says. For example, in meal 3, it says 4 oz ground beef. I'm having 2 servings, so it's actually 8 ounces.


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## Jin (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ logs a teaspoon of hamburger seasoning. 

No wonder he looks better than me......


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Single ingredient foods make it easier. It's simple to just have a bigger/smaller piece of meat, bigger/smaller serving of rice/potatoes, or add/subtract butter or oil.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Jin said:


> CJ logs a teaspoon of hamburger seasoning.
> 
> No wonder he looks better than me......



Those barcode scanners come in handy! :32 (20):


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

Jin said:


> CJ logs a teaspoon of hamburger seasoning.
> 
> No wonder he looks better than me......



Every micro counted


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## Jin (Jun 23, 2020)

German89 said:


> Every *​micro* counted



Don’t start calling CJ names.....


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

Jin said:


> Don’t start calling CJ names.....



Gosh darn ittttt!!!!


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

German89 said:


> LMFAO.. CJ you have been summons
> 
> Proteins
> Meat - Chicken, beef, turkey.
> ...



Idk guess it’s just not as simple as I thought it would be,maybe I have to get rid of some foods I’m eating


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Here's what I'm eating today, it's very close to your targets. I made a few small changes, since I originally had more protein and less carbs, but it's an example.
> 
> In the food list, don't go by the amount it says. For example, in meal 3, it says 4 oz ground beef. I'm having 2 servings, so it's actually 8 ounces.



Yea you literally count everything lol 

Here’s where I get lost

This is only at 2157 calories

my protein intake is way to high already at 239 grams,my carbs are low at 183 and my fats are at 44

the meals are:

breakfast:

8 egg whites
2 large whole eggs
whey 
almond milk

lunch:

8 oz of ground turkey
1 cup of rice
1 cup of veggies

dinner:

chicken breast
1 potatoe
1 cup veggies


snacks:
whey
almond milk
12slices if turkey breast
4 slices of honey wheat bread


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## joeyirish777 (Jun 23, 2020)

do you not cook with olive oil and butter?


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

joeyirish777 said:


> do you not cook with olive oil and butter?



Nope the oil I use is calorie free and no butter on my rice or veggies just straight raw.


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## joeyirish777 (Jun 23, 2020)

well if you have trouble eating more fats you can throw some real olive oil into your rice or add an avocado with toast to breakfast. that should get you around to 50/60s.

for carbs adding oatmeal or cereal to breakfast and snacking on fruit throughout the day should help out pretty easily.


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## Mister Slicksta (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Here's what I'm eating today, it's very close to your targets. I made a few small changes, since I originally had more protein and less carbs, but it's an example.
> 
> In the food list, don't go by the amount it says. For example, in meal 3, it says 4 oz ground beef. I'm having 2 servings, so it's actually 8 ounces.



What app is this CJ?


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

myfitnesspal


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Yea you literally count everything lol
> 
> Here’s where I get lost
> 
> ...



Cut a shake and add a carb or higher fats.. fats have higher calories.

sweet potatoes or oatmeal, calorie dense. 

add in some avocado or peanut butter.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

joeyirish777 said:


> well if you have trouble eating more fats you can throw some real olive oil into your rice or add an avocado with toast to breakfast. that should get you around to 50/60s.
> 
> for carbs adding oatmeal or cereal to breakfast and snacking on fruit throughout the day should help out pretty easily.



Any kind of oatmeal? No low sugar or anything like that?


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## Iron1 (Jun 23, 2020)

Is there a reason you're avoiding calorie dense foods?


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## Rhino99 (Jun 23, 2020)

add another whole egg to breakfast and 1/2 cup rice to lunch besides the other suggestions
also, sometimes i do 2 sheets of honey graham crackers with 1 tablespoon honey almond butter in between them....fukking delicious


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

German89 said:


> Cut a shake and add a carb or higher fats.. fats have higher calories.
> 
> sweet potatoes or oatmeal, calorie dense.
> 
> add in some avocado or peanut butter.



Im thinking of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but that jam takes the sugar and carbs all the way up. What’s some healthy snacks that have carbs and fats as not much protein? I basically know what three meals I will eat everyday along with a shake my main thing I can’t get right is snacks while at work I don’t want the sugar intake to be too high as people say too much sugar is bad


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## joeyirish777 (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Any kind of oatmeal? No low sugar or anything like that?



I personally eat whatever sits best and I can enjoy for months on end. ive tried the no flavor crap but I cant sustain that.

my favs are the steel cut brown sugar cinnamon, blueberry, and banana nut. I add more cinnamon of my own to it as well and if I want to add fats/proteins I will throw in 2-4 scoops of organic pb. 

as far as organic stuff goes, I think spending an extra $ for organic pb is worth it. skippy, jiff have more un-healthy fats that dont sit right with me.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

joeyirish777 said:


> I personally eat whatever sits best and I can enjoy for months on end. ive tried the no flavor crap but I cant sustain that.
> 
> my favs are the steel cut brown sugar cinnamon, blueberry, and banana nut. I add more cinnamon of my own to it as well and if I want to add fats/proteins I will throw in 2-4 scoops of organic pb.
> 
> as far as organic stuff goes, I think spending an extra $ for organic pb is worth it. skippy, jiff have more un-healthy fats that dont sit right with me.



So let me ask you this sugars is not counted as macros but some say it matters some don’t,what’s your take?


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## SFGiants (Jun 23, 2020)

Fats are the easiest to not even make but over shoot.

Nut's
Oils 
Butter's
Avocado's
Much more

Proteins usually the hardest to hit


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

SFGiants said:


> Fats are the easiest to not even make but over shoot.
> 
> Nut's
> Oils
> ...



Seems the opposite for me man I’m hitting my protein limit(216 grams) by 2,000 calories


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Yea you literally count everything lol
> 
> Here’s where I get lost
> 
> ...



Very easy adjustments to what you're already eating to hit your desired Cals/Macros...

For Breakfast, simply drop the shake. That alone will put your daily protein number close to your desired target. You are already getting plenty of protein in the eggs. 

Now you need your carbs to basically double. So for lunch, have TWO cups of rice instead of one, and for dinner have TWO potatoes instead of one. If that's too much at once for you, simply add some oats or fruit to your breakfast, and then only double either lunch OR dinner's rice/potatoes. Maybe a piece of fruit during your snack. 

Now on to fats, where you want to get about 30g more of. Plenty of options here, whole eggs instead of egg whites for breakfast, or add an avocado to breakfast. Swap in ground beef instead of chicken for lunch. A fattier meat like salmon or steak instead of chicken for dinner. Maybe add some olive oil or butter to your rice or potatoes or general cooking. Any of those, or a combo, will do the trick.

You're in a great position to do this, with single ingredient foods, it's just simply increasing/decreasing portion sizes to hit your targets. It's so much easier to do than mixed macro foods


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## joeyirish777 (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> So let me ask you this sugars is not counted as macros but some say it matters some don’t,what’s your take?



not in your case.. if your actually sticking to the diet you presented then you won't have a problem leaning out to 12% in a few weeks/months. adding some foods with sugar like oatmeal, and fruits will only benefit you. ive seen some books and you tubers go on about how a grain of sugar can add bf, dont listen to them they just want to exploit biases for views. just train hard, eat hearty and healthy CONSISTENTLY. dont cheat, and if you do, do it smart.


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## John Ziegler (Jun 23, 2020)

Golden Corral must love you


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Very easy adjustments to what you're already eating to hit your desired Cals/Macros...
> 
> For Breakfast, simply drop the shake. That alone will put your daily protein number close to your desired target. You are already getting plenty of protein in the eggs.
> 
> ...



Ok I used some of the foods you posted and right now I’m close I’m at

3,089 calories

macros are

Protein 215/216
Carbs 393/475
Sugar 90/121
Fats 70/77
Saturated Fat 19/35

What could I do to get those last calories in and not go over or mess up too much on the macros.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> Is there a reason you're avoiding calorie dense foods?



No,I’m not really avoiding anything honestly I’m open for whatever just trying to not get fat lol I just want to be a lean 12-14% 200-205 pounds


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

Rhino99 said:


> add another whole egg to breakfast and 1/2 cup rice to lunch besides the other suggestions
> also, sometimes i do 2 sheets of honey graham crackers with 1 tablespoon honey almond butter in between them....fukking delicious


I did that and now at 3,049 calories still need a bit more


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

joeyirish777 said:


> not in your case.. if your actually sticking to the diet you presented then you won't have a problem leaning out to 12% in a few weeks/months. adding some foods with sugar like oatmeal, and fruits will only benefit you. ive seen some books and you tubers go on about how a grain of sugar can add bf, dont listen to them they just want to exploit biases for views. just train hard, eat hearty and healthy CONSISTENTLY. dont cheat, and if you do, do it smart.



Ok so this is where I’m at now

3,089/3420 calories
215/216 protein
393/475 carbs
90/121 sugars
70/77 fats
19/35 saturated fats

so I need a bit more calories but I have some macros available what would you suggest for snack that could prolly boost that up without going over the intended macros?


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

John Ziegler said:


> Golden Corral must love you



lmao no way that place is nasty only ate there one time a few years ago and never again.


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## TODAY (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> I did that and now at 3,049 calories still need a bit more


You're overthinking this.

If you've hit your protein for the day but are still short on calories, eat pretty much ANYTHING to meet your calorie goal.

Ideally, you'd make up those extra calories with whole foods, but a handful of oreos or whatever aren't gonna kill you.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Ok I used some of the foods you posted and right now I’m close I’m at
> 
> 3,089 calories
> 
> ...



So you need about 80g more of Carbs. Not sure what you're exact changes were, but here are a few suggestions, without using junk foods, which are an option too... 

3 pieces of fruit during the day. 

More rice. 

More potatoes. 

Oats and almond milk as a cereal during breakfast.

Have a Gatorade during your workout.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Btw, 475 grams is A LOT of carbs to get in without having the occasional junk food.

It always comes back to Pop-Tarts!!! :32 (16):


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## Iron1 (Jun 23, 2020)

TODAY said:


> You're overthinking this.
> 
> If you've hit your protein for the day but are still short on calories, eat pretty much ANYTHING to meet your calorie goal.



Bingo. 

Calories are calories as far as body composition is concerned. Hit your macros with whatever necessary to get you there.
Calorie dense foods ensure you get your calories without having to shovel 13 pounds of broccoli in.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> Bingo.
> 
> Calories are calories as far as body composition is concerned. Hit your macros with whatever necessary to get you there.
> Calorie dense foods ensure you get your calories without having to shovel 13 pounds of broccoli in.



I also definitely agree with this. Fats and carbs are pretty much interchangeable, excluding certain situations. Eat whichever works for you. 

Calories is #1
Protein is #2/1B
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
. 
Fats vs Carbs is #8


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> So you need about 80g more of Carbs. Not sure what you're exact changes were, but here are a few suggestions, without using junk foods, which are an option too...
> 
> 3 pieces of fruit during the day.
> 
> ...



Are the sugars gonna be ok even with an added Gatorade?


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## TODAY (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Are the sugars gonna be ok even with an added Gatorade?


Are you diabetic?

If not, then a few extra grams of sugar are extremely unlikely to be deleterious.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

TODAY said:


> You're overthinking this.
> 
> If you've hit your protein for the day but are still short on calories, eat pretty much ANYTHING to meet your calorie goal.
> 
> Ideally, you'd make up those extra calories with whole foods, but a handful of oreos or whatever aren't gonna kill you.



Fair enough im just afraid of putting on excess fat after working so hard from 225 and cut down to a lean 190 and now aiming for 200-205 I don’t want any excess fat I just want to be a very fit 200-205


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## TODAY (Jun 23, 2020)

Just make sure that you're consuming plenty of veggies, fruit and/or unrefined grains to meet your fiber and micronutrient goals.

One of the few legit concerns re: sugar is that it can displace more nutrient and fiber dense foods in your daily diet.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

TODAY said:


> Are you diabetic?
> 
> If not, then a few extra grams of sugar are extremely unlikely to be deleterious.



No not at all it’s just from the reading I’ve been doing people have said too much sugar will turn into fat etc etc and as I said the cut I did was insane and I don’t wanna be high bodyfat ever again I was 225 and was about 18-20% bodyfat really strong but cut down to a lean 190 and just want about another 10-15 pounds but lean as possible


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## Iron1 (Jun 23, 2020)

My dude, you didn't get skinny overnight, you're not going to get fat over night nor are you going to look like Arnold overnight.

This game is measure, adjust, re-measure, adjust and so on and so forth. The calorie plan you're setting forth right now will not be the same calorie plan you'll be on when you gain 20lbs of lean mass. Learning how to adjust based on a trend is the name of the game.



Musclebound8732 said:


> from the reading I’ve been doing people have said too much sugar will turn into fat



No offense but you're reading from the wrong sources. An excess of calories turns into fat, doesn't matter if it's an excess from protein fat or carbs. You start consuming more energy than you're burning and your body stores it as fat.  
That's it, full stop.


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Are the sugars gonna be ok even with an added Gatorade?



Rice, potatoes, and oats are almost pure glucose... A simple sugar. Don't be scared of sugar. 

The problem with junk food is that is super easy to overeat them, they're engineered to be delicious, so you will buy them. As a result, you end up over consuming CALORIES and get fat. 

You can eat pure spoonfuls of sugar, but if you're eating at a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. There have been many experiments done shiwing this. One I believe was a guy who ate nothing but Twinkies, protein powder, and multi vitamins, yet lost lots of weight and had much improved bloodwork.


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

TODAY said:


> Are you diabetic?
> 
> If not, then a few extra grams of sugar are extremely unlikely to be deleterious.



post workout sugars


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## CJ (Jun 23, 2020)

I don't recommend this, but... 

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-st...7-pounds-twinkie-diet-months-article-1.453215

Lost 27 pounds in 2 months eating junk food, but at a calorie deficit.

And this experiment has been repeated numerous times, but numerous others, using different foods/methods as well. 

Calories in vs Calories out determines weight gain or loss. Your training and hitting adequate protein determine whether it's fat or muscle being gained or lost.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

TODAY said:


> Just make sure that you're consuming plenty of veggies, fruit and/or unrefined grains to meet your fiber and micronutrient goals.
> 
> One of the few legit concerns re: sugar is that it can displace more nutrient and fiber dense foods in your daily diet.



For sure am out of those 3049 calories there is no junk food,pop,etc in that all clean lean meats and veggies and fruits,with a shake here and there


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## German89 (Jun 23, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Btw, 475 grams is A LOT of carbs to get in without having the occasional junk food.
> 
> It always comes back to Pop-Tarts!!! :32 (16):



lucky charms****


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 23, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> My dude, you didn't get skinny overnight, you're not going to get fat over night nor are you going to look like Arnold overnight.
> 
> This game is measure, adjust, re-measure, adjust and so on and so forth. The calorie plan you're setting forth right now will not be the same calorie plan you'll be on when you gain 20lbs of lean mass. Learning how to adjust based on a trend is the name of the game.
> 
> ...


 
True. I’ll throw in a Gatorade and snickers and call it a day thanks


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## joeyirish777 (Jun 24, 2020)

personal carb add-ons;
-maltodextrin as intra-workout
-cereal
-rice cakes
-corn
-homemade oatmeal cookies made with artificial sweeteners, egg, milk
-whole milk with protein shakes(instead of almond)

Snacks-
whatever I feel like so long as I work it into my macros and calories. the real problem to me is how much of what will decrease my performance or make me want to binge. its mostly a mental and wellness game. I dont snack all that much though. usually a Diet Coke with dinner is enough to satisfy me. that's why if I crave something, I eat it. works for me.


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## German89 (Jun 24, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> True. I’ll throw in a Gatorade and snickers and call it a day thanks



Just be sure to utilize your sugars POST WORKOUT


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 24, 2020)

German89 said:


> Just be sure to utilize your sugars POST WORKOUT



So it would be bad to have these two items on a non workout day when still trying to reach these calories?


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 24, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Rice, potatoes, and oats are almost pure glucose... A simple sugar. Don't be scared of sugar.
> 
> The problem with junk food is that is super easy to overeat them, they're engineered to be delicious, so you will buy them. As a result, you end up over consuming CALORIES and get fat.
> 
> You can eat pure spoonfuls of sugar, but if you're eating at a calorie deficit, you WILL lose weight. There have been many experiments done shiwing this. One I believe was a guy who ate nothing but Twinkies, protein powder, and multi vitamins, yet lost lots of weight and had much improved bloodwork.



Yes I think I figured it out,gonna drink a Gatorade and have a snickers sometimes after my workout and that will finish off my calorie count. Thanks again.


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## German89 (Jun 24, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> So it would be bad to have these two items on a non workout day when still trying to reach these calories?



do some trial and error first... 

i would suggest just sugars only post workout, not much fat.

do a cereal, pop tart, fuzzy peaches


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## Iron1 (Jun 24, 2020)

The sugars post workout are to replace essential glycogen that you lose during training. Any carbs will work but sugar is the fastest to take effect. No sense being gassed for longer than needed.


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 25, 2020)

German89 said:


> do some trial and error first...
> 
> i would suggest just sugars only post workout, not much fat.
> 
> do a cereal, pop tart, fuzzy peaches



First day in and went from 188.8 to 190.3 work day I don’t lift on my work days or do any kind of exercise do I stay with the calories and it just balances out on my workout days? I think that’s too much weight I put on over night but I know I’m gonna burn through these number of calories on my workout days as hard as I go so will it balance out?


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 25, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> The sugars post workout are to replace essential glycogen that you lose during training. Any carbs will work but sugar is the fastest to take effect. No sense being gassed for longer than needed.



Understood I’ll trial and error like someone earlier said and see what I get after a week


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## Iron1 (Jun 25, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Understood I’ll trial and error like someone earlier said and see what I get after a week



Take your measurements weekly but only adjust based on 2+ week trends. Hormonal fluctuations and minute changes in your diet will cause water retention that may throw off your week to week readings. Some weeks you'll gain 1lb, next you'll lose 4, only to gain 1 again the following week.
Adjust based on the trend, not the spot measurement.


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## CJ (Jun 26, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> First day in and went from 188.8 to 190.3...



That weight is glycogen and associated water. You didn't gain fat, you just filled up your gas tank.


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## Iron1 (Jun 26, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> That weight is glycogen and associated water. You didn't gain fat, you just filled up your gas tank.



Bingo.

Also know that DOMS from training causes some degree of muscle retention. How much depends on a number of factors with a fair degree of inconsistency. 
This is why I suggest adjusting intake based on a 2-3 week trend. 

It's really easy to overthink this diet thing.


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## Iron1 (Jun 26, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> Also know that DOMS from training causes some degree of *muscle* retention.



WATER RETENTION not muscle retention, whoops!

I mean, I guess what I said is technically true but not what I was trying to say. lol


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 26, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> That weight is glycogen and associated water. You didn't gain fat, you just filled up your gas tank.



Even if my waist went up from 32 to 32.5 lol


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 26, 2020)

Iron1 said:


> WATER RETENTION not muscle retention, whoops!
> 
> I mean, I guess what I said is technically true but not what I was trying to say. lol



Ok just making sure my weight went up almost 2 pounds and my waist increased about 0.5 inches that scared me a bit


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## GSgator (Jun 26, 2020)

joeyirish777 said:


> well if you have trouble eating more fats you can throw some real olive oil into your rice or add an avocado with toast to breakfast. that should get you around to 50/60s.
> 
> for carbs adding oatmeal or cereal to breakfast and snacking on fruit throughout the day should help out pretty easily.


I throw in 2 table spoons of coconut oil in with my oatmeal it’s fantastic and also helps get more fats in.


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## CJ (Jun 26, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Even if my waist went up from 32 to 32.5 lol



Yes. Don't be a crazy person. :32 (20):


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## Musclebound8732 (Jun 27, 2020)

CJ275 said:


> Yes. Don't be a crazy person. :32 (20):


Just know that gaining weight that fast and having my waist go up isn’t good lol but ima trust what y’all saying and check back in,in about 2-4 weeks I appreciate the help greatly


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## CJ (Jun 27, 2020)

Musclebound8732 said:


> Just know that gaining weight that fast and having my waist go up isn’t good lol but ima trust what y’all saying and check back in,in about 2-4 weeks I appreciate the help greatly



If it makes you feel better, I had about 3,000 Cals of pistachios and almonds that were most definitely NOT planned yesterday. I gained exactly 2 lbs from yesterday too. :32 (18):


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## SFGiants (Jun 27, 2020)

You'll gain water more and faster then fat or muscle!


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