Time to get Lean!

[NoExcuses]

I just came off 12 weeks of 5X5 training where I made great gains in size and strength, however think I went a little overboard on eating. I feel like I am fat and I kinda am so now its time to get lean. Thought I would throw my daily diet up to get some input on what you all think and if I am heading in the right direction.

My Stats are:
24
5'8"
213
19-20% percent fat?
I have been training solid for 1.5 years.
(Pictures to follow as my wife will taking some tonight)

Breakfast 7:30
1 Cup Kashi Golean Cereal
1 Cup 1% milk
1 Medium size banana
2 Turkey sausage patties

Snack 11 am
2 oz of beef jerky
1 Medium size green apple

Lunch 1 pm
6 oz of Chicken breast
1.5 Cups brown rice

Snack 4 pm
Same as lunch

Pre Workout 5:30
2 scoops of On Whey
1 medium size banana

Post workout/Dinner 8pm
8 Oz Chicken breast
2 Cups of brown rice

Daily Totals
Calories- 2592
Fat- 37.5
Carbs- 316
Fiber- 27.5
Sugar- 76 (From Fruit)
Protein- 232

So the goal is to lose 20lbs of fat and go from there. I lift 3 days a week and do low intensity cardio for 20 mins on those days as well. I want to preserve as much muscle as possible obviously cause we work so hard to put it on, but more importantly I want to look good. Please help.

[virus]

Its nice to see you add the comment on sugar that it is from fruit. It seems you've done research on dieting. With your stats and some cardio, I don't see any problems in your diet.

Look for an alternate carb source, eating that much brown rice your going to get sick of it and sick of it quickly. Take your whey after you workout, you're correct with the carbs before workout though as' well as after.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

The diet needs some work buddy, it's not completely off the wall, but it needs some adjustments for sure.
I am no diet expert, but I listed my opinions below .

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Breakfast 7:30
1 Cup Kashi Golean Cereal
1 Cup 1% milk
1 Medium size banana
2 Turkey sausage patties.

I think this meal could use some work in the protein department.
Milk is more slower absorbing as you may know so it's not a great source after a fast. It's not bad, but shouldnt be a main source for protein that early. And how much protein is in the turkey patties???

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Snack 11 am
2 oz of beef jerky
1 Medium size green apple.

4 hours is way too long to go without eating, way too long, especially when you are trying to rev up your metabolism to lose body fat. You should be eating within every 2 hours, maybe 2.5 or at the very most 3, but 4 hours is simply too long.
You should opt to get 6-8 meals in per day to rev that metabolism up, just watch your portion sizes

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Lunch 1 pm
6 oz of Chicken breast
1.5 Cups brown rice.

1.5 cups is too much brown rice. You should be cutting down on the carbs during fat loss times. A 1/2 cup is more suitable in my eyes, perhaps 1 cup at very most.

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Snack 4 pm
Same as lunch
.

Again, 1.5 cups of brown rice is too much and now you are having the same amount again only 2 hours later, not good.
I'd skip the carbs for this meal all together and save them for the next meal (PRE-WORKOUT) where you will need them much more and can be assured the carbs would be put to use ...as fuel

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Pre Workout 5:30
2 scoops of On Whey
1 medium size banana.

This is a crappy pre-workout meal buddy. You should opt for whole protein from real foods for this meal, but Whey can suffice as it's the carbs that need work here. You need more carbs and a better source than a banana

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

Post workout/Dinner 8pm
8 Oz Chicken breast
2 Cups of brown rice
.

Good protein source and good post workout meal, again TOO MUCH carbs for someone trying to cut bodyfat.

[NoExcuses]

There is more than one school of thought on nutrition and my understanding was as long as I burn more than I take in I will lose weight? The reason why I have the servings of 1.5 cups of rice is to get the calories I need.

My breakfast has 32 grams of protein and 78 grams of carbs in it. If I remember correctly Boyd has stated that carbs are more important in the morning than protein?? Could be wrong, but something to do with restoring your glycogen?? (I know I spelled that wrong)

My 4 pm meal is kinda a preworkout meal in a sense, as it takes a few hours to digest and get the absorbtion from the nutrients, and the Banana and shake is the right before I walk out the door to go lift.

I do eat as soon as I get home for my post workout meal, which is usually 30 mins after my last set.

I am open to suggestions, I just wanted to state my reasoning behind this diet, I used to throw a cup of oats in my shake preworkout. Should I do that instead,and if I take some of the carbs out of my diet what should I replace them with to get my calories??

Also I have no problem eating the same thing everyday, I did to bulk and it didnt bother me at all. I really look at food as a necessityto get my body where I want it, not a pleasure.

Thanks for your input guys, I am going to start a log and I would appreciate input there as well.

[BiggerGuns=LongerDrives]

Originally Posted by NoExcuses

There is more than one school of thought on nutrition and my understanding was as long as I burn more than I take in I will lose weight? The reason why I have the servings of 1.5 cups of rice is to get the calories I need.

My breakfast has 32 grams of protein and 78 grams of carbs in it. If I remember correctly Boyd has stated that carbs are more important in the morning than protein?? Could be wrong, but something to do with restoring your glycogen?? (I know I spelled that wrong)

My 4 pm meal is kinda a preworkout meal in a sense, as it takes a few hours to digest and get the absorbtion from the nutrients, and the Banana and shake is the right before I walk out the door to go lift.

I do eat as soon as I get home for my post workout meal, which is usually 30 mins after my last set.

I am open to suggestions, I just wanted to state my reasoning behind this diet, I used to throw a cup of oats in my shake preworkout. Should I do that instead,and if I take some of the carbs out of my diet what should I replace them with to get my calories??

Also I have no problem eating the same thing everyday, I did to bulk and it didnt bother me at all. I really look at food as a necessityto get my body where I want it, not a pleasure.

Thanks for your input guys, I am going to start a log and I would appreciate input there as well.

Well listen to Boyd as he is the man on the subject.

I am carrying too much bodyfat actually to be talking on the subject matter.
I am a seasoned vet with gym and lifting experience, but I am still a novice in the kitchen......

I am like you in regards to eating the same thing, I can do it daily with no problems, but I have also heard that in order to get the full spectrum of amino's needed, it was better to get your protein form a variety of sources.

Good luck man

[NoExcuses]

Originally Posted by BiggerGuns=LongerDrives

Well listen to Boyd as he is the man on the subject.

I am carrying too much bodyfat actually to be talking on the subject matter.
I am a seasoned vet with gym and lifting experience, but I am still a novice in the kitchen......

I am like you in regards to eating the same thing, I can do it daily with no problems, but I have also heard that in order to get the full spectrum of amino's needed, it was better to get your protein form a variety of sources.

Good luck man

Sometimes its hard because there is so much information out there and the majority of it is CRAP. The hard part is digging through it to find the good. I do appreciate your help here, as I am still pretty novice in the kitchen as well.

My brother who is certified through NSAM is trying to help me on my nutrition as well. Sometimes he's hard to listen to though!!

[RyanLRams]

I am relatively new to this cardio thing. Like Jan 1st, 2008 new. I see that HIIT is really popular here. Is it too early for me to start doing HIIT? Should I stick with just 30 minutes on the treadmill 3x a week? I want to lean down.

Just changing my eating habits and exercising, plus two times of 30 minute cardio, has got me down to 238 from 244 since January 1st. Just trying to maximize my time and effort.

[NoExcuses]

Originally Posted by RyanLRams

I am relatively new to this cardio thing. Like Jan 1st, 2008 new. I see that HIIT is really popular here. Is it too early for me to start doing HIIT? Should I stick with just 30 minutes on the treadmill 3x a week? I want to lean down.

Just changing my eating habits and exercising, plus two times of 30 minute cardio, has got me down to 238 from 244 since January 1st. Just trying to maximize my time and effort.

Personally I would save HIIT cardio till you actually need it, like when you start having a hard time losing weight. Right now if you are losing steady with the treadmill I would stick with it, Just my thoughts though..

[aikurushii]

I would schedule my carbs on breakfast, before, and after workout or cardio.

So 35% carbs breakfast, 30% preworkout/precardio, 30% postworkout/postcardio.. and the rest of the 5% comes from veggies. I also don't like getting more than 50g fructose (sugar from fruit); I find that fructose makes me crave more sugary stuff so I eat complex carbs instead.

Also, to prevent hunger, I reduce meal frequency to about 4. People say that more meals raises metabolism but TEF is the same no matter what.

[aikurushii]

Oh yea.. fat's a little low for my taste.