Dilemma | Starting Out

AndrewRees15

Hi guys. Need help with something please. Basically I’m trying to understand the best way to go about things. If you were to see me with a T-shirt on you’d think hmm, this guy looks alright. Broad shoulders, decent arms etc. However I have a very square frame including my waist and hips. I have started back in the gym and I am aware of how to train properly, however I lack on the nutrition side. If I am going for a more athletic, relatively toned but just healthy look. What is the best thing to do? I don’t wanna bulk up Even more and develop more body fat. I also don’t think I should cut as I don’t have a huge amount of muscle anyway. What would be the best approach? Lean Bulk? If so what Macro Ratio am I looking at? Carbs high? Carbs low, fat high etc? I just do not know.

Thankyou in advance? There is lots of information online however it is not specific to a person.

sollyn23l2

AndrewRees15 wrote: »

Hi guys. Need help with something please. Basically I’m trying to understand the best way to go about things. If you were to see me with a T-shirt on you’d think hmm, this guy looks alright. Broad shoulders, decent arms etc. However I have a very square frame including my waist and hips. I have started back in the gym and I am aware of how to train properly, however I lack on the nutrition side. If I am going for a more athletic, relatively toned but just healthy look. What is the best thing to do? I don’t wanna bulk up Even more and develop more body fat. I also don’t think I should cut as I don’t have a huge amount of muscle anyway. What would be the best approach? Lean Bulk? If so what Macro Ratio am I looking at? Carbs high? Carbs low, fat high etc? I just do not know.

Thankyou in advance? There is lots of information online however it is not specific to a person.

I'd say lean bulk and focus on plenty of protein.

AnnPT77

Figure your macro goals in grams, not percentages. Protein and fat would be minimums, OK to go over. Carbs are flexible (not technically "essential nutrients" like protein/fats). Personally, I also like to get ridiculously large amounts of varied, colorful veggies and fruits for micronutrients and fiber, but not everyone will agree with that. I figured out my calorie needs, plugged in my protein minimums, then use carbs to balance calories (but I'm also fine with eating protein/fats over my minimums, within reason).

For the protein, there's a "calculator" at this site that tailors the recommendation to you and your goals:

https://examine.com/guides/protein-intake/

It's based on research findings, and the site is generally recognized as neutral and science-based. Among other things, they don't sell supplements or eating plans, etc. (They sell nutritional research summaries via a membership model. The link above is part of what they offer free, presumably to expose people to they type of information they can provide. I don't work for them or benefit in any way from recommending them . . . but I like them, and have a membership. If you like them, wait for the Black Friday sale, or similar .)

Put a priority on bioavailable sources of protein, and sources complete in essential amino acids (EAAs). If you eat mostly me at/fish/dairy kind of stuff as your protein source, you're probably fine. Vegetarians like me need to pay more attention.

For fats, I go with a minimum of 0.35-0.45g per pound of bodyweight. (Since you're not overweight, current weight is fine; someone obese might use a goal weight or intermediate weight.) Men might get away with a bit less fat, maybe 0.3g/pound. Many people get adequate fat without paying it close attention; I'm not one of them, and it IS an essential nutrient.

IMO, bonus nutritional points if a person gets a balance of saturated and poly- and mono-unsaturated fats, and a balance of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats. (Most people are out of balance, high in sat fats, low in unsat; most people get lots of O-6, not much O-3. You may vary.) Here again, others may disagree with me, especially keto/carnivore folks. (No diss, everyone has preferences and opinions.)

More about carbs: IMO, it's individual. Some people are diabetic or insulin resistant, or maybe have some other relevant pre-existing health condition. They will likely need to manage carb intake carefully. If that doesn't apply to you, some people find that higher carb eating spikes their appetite. Those people may benefit from lower-carb or keto eating. Other people find that low carb eating tanks their energy level. Those people may benefit from eating higher carb. You can experiment, and figure out what you need. (Low carb/keto eaters may disagree with this advice, too.)

Most people are going to do better (in terms of fullness and nutrition) eating mostly so-called whole foods: Less-processed meats, fish, veggies, fruits, grains. Personally, I think it's fine to have some more calorie-dense treat foods in the mix, at reasonable portions and frequencies, purely for the sake of enjoyment. YMMV.

Just my opinions, as an interested amateur, based on reading to figure out my own needs. I'm not a registered dietitian, personal trainer, or anything like that. I had a tiny bit of nutrition education as part of coaching certification in my sport, but that's it (trivial). In the state where I live, I could call myself a nutritionist, but that's because this state has no licensing requirements for that title.

Best wishes!