Diet and exercise

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A_J_Memphis
A_J_Memphis Posts: 11 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Just been thinking, how important is my diet whilst i am going to the gym? It wont change much from before i started going, for instance on a general day (Monday-Thursday) i have a banana for breakfast, 3 ryvita's with peanut butter for lunch sometimes a snack when i get home and tea is whatever i want to make (95% of the time home cooked) the weekend i usually eat a bit more but at the same time i am usually more active at a weekend.
I am sure my diet is not the best but it has changed so much don't really want to change it much more, can only really change my breakfast and tea too as i tend to eat with my family for tea lol

Also my workout at the moment is Mon,Tues & Thurs is weight training and Wed & Fri is cardio, weekend run about a lot and tend to work on the house & cars so dont have time for gym, does this sound like a good regime?

Any advice would be much appreciated, just need to know if im heading in the right direction :)

Replies

  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    What are your goals? Are you looking to lose, maintain, gain?
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    diet is very important, even if you are exercising regularly.
  • A_J_Memphis
    A_J_Memphis Posts: 11 Member
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    My goal is to lose a little weight and gain muscle.

    I know diet is important, i just didn't know if i needed to change mine particularly, it has changed vastly over the last couple of years, lost over 4 stone by changing it and being more active, but got to the point where i don't want to change it much more, happy to change breakfast and lunch but not tea.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
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    i know that i eat the same things regularly. i eat a banana and an apple almost daily. peanut butter and jelly sandwiches too.

    if you don't want to change your diet, then why even ask how important it is? track your calories and make sure to stay under- but not too under- your goal.
  • GiveMeCoffee
    GiveMeCoffee Posts: 3,556 Member
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    My goal is to lose a little weight and gain muscle.

    I know diet is important, i just didn't know if i needed to change mine particularly, it has changed vastly over the last couple of years, lost over 4 stone by changing it and being more active, but got to the point where i don't want to change it much more, happy to change breakfast and lunch but not tea.

    So your current diet is helping you achieve your desired goals? If so why worry about changing it? Your diary isn't open so can't see, you give very limited information on what may or may not be working for you or what you are concerned about with your current diet.

    I'm confused as to what you are looking for.
  • TannunisFred
    TannunisFred Posts: 17 Member
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    Why don't you experiment? You only have 13 lbs left to lose. You want to gain muscle so leave the diet alone for a month or two, hit the gym, do the weight training and cardio and see what happens. If you aren't happy in two months re-visit the issue and consider adjusting diet then.

    You may find yourself changing diet anyway as you work to get the protein you want for muscle growth...
  • pander101
    pander101 Posts: 677 Member
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    So to lose weight you need to eat at a deficit, to gain muscle you need to eat at a surplus and lift heavy weights. Diet it very important no matter what you do at the gym. You can ruin an entire day at the gym if you don't keep what you're eating in check.
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
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    Diet is 80% of losing weight. Its too hard to say from your information, but a banana and 3 Ryvita hardly seems like a lot to last you till dinner and then you dont tell us what dinner is opther than its home cooked? How are you ensuring you are getting all your vitamins and nutrients just from that?

    If you dont want to change and its working for yolou, then dont, but it doesnt sound very balanced to me.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,411 MFP Moderator
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    Diet is very important. But I struggle to understand how many calories you actually eat. Second, you are lean, you will not gain muscle and lose fat at the same time. In the end, calories control weight loss, macronutrients effect other things such as muscle retention, satiety, energy, etc..

    If you really want good advice, open your diary.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
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    You are not going to gain muscle while in a deficit, but you are going to retain muscle mass. If the way you've been eating has been helping you lose weight, you are probably already at a deficit. While trying to gain muscle you will want to incorporate more protein in your diet.
    As others have stated, open your diary.

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