Thebastard said:
@Paid Renegade
Damn! That’s mad about the sweet potatoes.
Yeah please post your meal plan! I am very curious to see that.
Agree with Zug kratjeuh Bman, I don't want to add too much to the noise here but since you're interested I'll post the plan here. It is pretty simple and whole-foods based with some specific recipes that might help you or other guys looking for balanced meal ideas.
I have a “lean bulking” version and a cutting version. The former starts at 2800 calories and can be adjusted from there while the latter starts at 2400 and can easily be dropped to 2000 which is lower than I ever need to go. With this I can stay sub 10% bf year round if I choose while gradually getting stronger.
My goal with this plan was/is equal parts aesthetics/bodybuilding and overall health. Those tend to overlap especially when talking about things like clearing acne, improving hair, reducing bloat, etc.
Still, if I was only concerned with general well-being and not bodybuilding there would be a couple differences such as less protein and fewer meals. You certainly don’t have to spread the meals out like I have, but I’ve found that more frequent meals work best for supporting strength gains especially while staying lean. It’s the classic bodybuilding MO for a reason.
You can also pick and choose individual meals, I built this plan based on what I have available to me but my general advice I give to friends and family is to start by just stealing a meal or 2 and going from there. That’s basically what I did at first. The scrambled eggs recipe I stole from bodybuilder Brandon Hendrickson, the oats recipe from Simeon Panda, the Mexican-style shredded chicken I took from Kinobody. Other things such as salmon post workout have just been things I’ve loved to eat since I was a kid. Point is you’ve got options and even just starting out by adding in a couple easy to make recipes can make a big difference.
That said, I like a fully inclusive plan for myself with all the meals and macros listed because it ensures consistency and removes a lot of decision fatigue in terms of deciding what to eat (especially when eating 5+ meals per day)
Anyway here are the meals -
Cutting version:
(I'll include the calories and macros here cause why not)
Breakfast - scrambled eggs and oats (separately) - 575, 40p, 18.5f, 64c
2 eggs – 160, 12p, 10f
¾ cup Egg whites – 95, 20p
Seasoning (Brandon Hendrickson): black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (no salt)
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½ cup oats – 150, 5p, 3f
Almond milk – 30, 1p, 2.5f (That's for one cup, but you won't need that much. It's for moisture/flavor)
Fruit (½ apple, ½ banana) – 100, 1p
1 tsp Cinnamon - 5
1 tsp Almond butter – 35, 1p, 3f
At-work meal/snack – Mexican style shredded chicken & rice - 415, 39p, 7f, 41c
6 oz (1 breast) 99% fat free chicken (Foster Farms) – 165, 33p, 1f
¾ cup brown rice – 160, 3p, 1f
Salsa - 15, 3c
35g guacamole (1/2 container from Costco) – 45, 1p, 4f,3c
1 cup broccoli – steam in a bowl in the microwave for 2min - 30, 3p
Pre-workout Meal – 490, 36p, 12f, 60c
6 oz 99% fat free chicken (Foster Farms) – 165, 33p, 1f
1 medium (5”x2”/130g) sweet potato – 130, 2p
1 tbsp. coconut oil – accounting for 20% loss – 95, 11f
Fruit (1 apple) – 100, 1p
^As mentioned in my last post, I wouldn't eat this one every day unless you wanna turn into an oompa loompa. Another great option that I've subbed in is a chicken wrap. Take a low carb wrap and layer on some cream cheese, then shredded chicken, then salt and guac, then lettuce. freaking delicious and comes to about the same macros.
Post Workout Meal - salmon & rice – 530, 48p, 15f, 51c
7oz (198g) Pacific Salmon – 230, 39p, 9f
1 cup white rice – 200, 4p, 45c
1 tsp. coconut oil – 40, 5f
2 cups broccoli – 60, 5p, 1f
Last meal/snack – fish, popcorn & a movie - 400, 48p, 7f, 47c
6oz (170g) pacific cod – 145, 32p, 1f
1 cup sugar snap/snow peas – 25, 1p, 5c
¼ cup Orville Redenbacher popcorn – 160, 5p, 2f, 39c
2 tsp. butter – 65, 8f
Totals (5 meals): 2410, 211p, 59.5f, 263c
Totals (excluding meal 2): 1995, 172p, 52.5f, 222c
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Lean Bulking Version
Breakfast - 705, 48p, 24.5f, 73c
3 eggs – 240, 18p, 15f
¾ cup Egg whites – 95, 20p
Seasoning (Brandon Hendrickson): black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (no salt)
2/3 cup oats (I’m going with old fashioned oats for now) – 200, 7p, 4f, 36c
Almond milk – 30, 1p, 2.5f (That's for one cup, but you won't need that much. It's for moisture/flavor)
Fruit (½ apple, ½ banana) – 100, 1p
1 tsp Cinnamon - 5
1 tsp Almond butter – 35, 1p, 3f
At-work meal/snack – 475, 44p, 10f, 56c
6 oz (1 breast) 99% fat free chicken (Foster Farms) – 165, 33p, 1f
Salsa – 15, 3c
¾ cup brown rice – 160, 3p, 1f
70g guacamole (1 Costco container) – 90, 2p, 8f, 6c
2 cups broccoli – 60, 6p
Pre-workout Meal – 505, 36p, 12f, 63c
6 oz (1 breast) 99% fat free chicken (Foster Farms) – 165, 33p, 1f
Salsa – 15, 3c
1 medium (5”x2”/130g) sweet potato – 130, 2p
1 tbsp. coconut oil – accounting for 20% loss – 95, 11f
^ Complex carbohydrate, preferably with unsaturated fat. Ex: brown rice, whole grain bread, sweet potato (in moderation), and avocado, olive oil, almond butter, or (low sugar) peanut butter.
Fruit (1 apple) – 100, 1p
Post Workout Meal – 710, 50p, 25f, 73c
7oz (198g) Pacific Salmon – 230, 39p, 9f
1.5 cups white rice – 300, 6p, 67c
1 tbsp. coconut oil – 120, 15f
2 cups broccoli – 60, 5p, 1f
Last meal/snack – 395, 38p, 11f, 44c alternative idea – fish tacos
6oz (170g) pacific cod (Tilapia works too) – 145, 32p, 1f
1 cup sugar snap/snow peas – 25, 1p, 5c
¼ cup Orville Redenbacher popcorn – 160, 5p, 2f, 39c
2 tsp. butter – 65, 8f
Alternative to popcorn: Complex carb + unsaturated fat. Ex: wholegrain pita with humus. Option 2 (in moderation) – pistachios.
TOTALS: 2800, 216P, 83F, 300C
MODS:
1.125 cups brown rice with meal 2. (1.5 dry.) + 80 calories.
½ cup blueberries pre-workout. + 40 calories
8 almonds with meal 2 (or 5). +50 calories
2 scoops orgain plant protein powder + 2 cups almond milk. Preferably post workout. +230c
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If you want clarification on the prep for any of these meals, let me know. Oats are best cooked on stovetop and not in microwave. I use the "old fashioned" oats, not quick oats.
Chicken is cooked in a slow cooker. I make 4-5 days worth in advance. Just add chicken, a little beef buoillon, and powdered onion and garlic. It also works to just dump salsa in the cooker with the chicken. Easy as fuck and very tender. Store in tupperware then shred with a fork when serving. Play around with seasonings too, in addition to the garlic/onion powder I like adding salt and cumin to the chicken and rice bowls.
Disclaimer, I need to go over all the total calories/macros to make sure everything is still accurate since I've changed things around a bit over time. So some of the numbers may be slightly off but it's close, not that most people need that level of precision. TBH I just weigh myself once a week and then add/subtract a little food from my daily routine based on that and what my goals are.
Also Zug I like diet soda too in moderation, and especially ICE sparkling water. Not that either one is necessarily super healthy but it sure helps with diet adherence because of the carbonation. The ICE brand in particular is unlike any other sparkling water I've ever tried, tastes amazing, is zero calories, and goes great with a bowl of popcorn at night. Half the girls I visit now have the stuff in their fridge too.
Oh yeah, and supplements. I take a multivitamin at night and creatine post workout. When bulking, I like plant-based protein powder for the extra protein/calories because my skin does not like whey protein.
