General Diet help

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I have decided to stay away from all the procesed food I can, it's been hard but I'm on day 9! At breakfast I usually eat some fruits and berries, for lunch I usually eat a peanutbutter on 100% wheat bread(Because school doesn't offer good healthy food), and meat and some veggies like green beans or corn for dinner, with fruits as snacks. I only drink water and almond milk(silk). Is this diet good enough to love weight and gain muscle mass? If not how can I tweek it?

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  • barbecuesauce
    barbecuesauce Posts: 1,771 Member
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    I have decided to stay away from all the procesed food I can, it's been hard but I'm on day 9! At breakfast I usually eat some fruits and berries, for lunch I usually eat a peanutbutter on 100% wheat bread(Because school doesn't offer good healthy food), and meat and some veggies like green beans or corn for dinner, with fruits as snacks. I only drink water and almond milk(silk). Is this diet good enough to love weight and gain muscle mass? If not how can I tweek it?

    Do you want to lose weight OR gain muscle mass? These are two different goals. Generally, you will lose lean body mass in a caloric deficit, and gain weight while adding muscle mass.

    Why not just count calories? Depending on how much PB you're slathering on that bread, you might even be too low in that department and are more likely to lose LBM.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    First of all, processed or not if you don't keep at a calorie deficit you won't lose weight. Are you keeping close to your MFP assigned calories?

    Second, almond milk is processed.

    Third, you can't gain muscle mass and lose weight at the same time. To retain as much muscle as you have now, keep to your assigned calories and have a weight training regimen.

    Finally your diet seems short on protein.
  • TheBriMan316
    TheBriMan316 Posts: 22 Member
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    I'm looking to lose Fat, and after that I will try to gain muscle mass. I'm working out every other day. Yes I know I actually eat some processed foods, but the processed stuff I do consume I am pretty sure it's healthy. I stay about 200 calories under my goal btw.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    How close are you to the minimum?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    For tweaking I suggest weighing your food for accuracy.
  • TheBriMan316
    TheBriMan316 Posts: 22 Member
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    1,620 calories is my goal, but I usually take in about 1,400-1,620. I already weight my food also so I'm pretty accurate. This is my second time of trying MFP, but this time I'm determined and will do whatever it takes to reach my goal!
  • TheRoseRoss
    TheRoseRoss Posts: 112 Member
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    You gain muscle by being in positive nitrogen balance - you need to take in more protein (not "calories") than your body uses each day. You can take in less calories than your body burns (be in a caloric deficit) while taking in more protein than your body uses (positive nitrogen balance) result in your body losing fat while building muscle.

    It also helps to give your body reason to build muscle; exercise. The diet that you mentioned failed to include any good sources/quantities of protein. It seems that you're in school, so your options may be limited, but you need protein to build muscle. You also need to stimulate your muscles in order to force them to grow.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
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    RossAH wrote: »
    You gain muscle by being in positive nitrogen balance - you need to take in more protein (not "calories") than your body uses each day. You can take in less calories than your body burns (be in a caloric deficit) while taking in more protein than your body uses (positive nitrogen balance) result in your body losing fat while building muscle.

    It also helps to give your body reason to build muscle; exercise. The diet that you mentioned failed to include any good sources/quantities of protein. It seems that you're in school, so your options may be limited, but you need protein to build muscle. You also need to stimulate your muscles in order to force them to grow.

    No, this is wrong.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    RossAH wrote: »
    You gain muscle by being in positive nitrogen balance - you need to take in more protein (not "calories") than your body uses each day. You can take in less calories than your body burns (be in a caloric deficit) while taking in more protein than your body uses (positive nitrogen balance) result in your body losing fat while building muscle.

    It also helps to give your body reason to build muscle; exercise. The diet that you mentioned failed to include any good sources/quantities of protein. It seems that you're in school, so your options may be limited, but you need protein to build muscle. You also need to stimulate your muscles in order to force them to grow.

    It is next to impossible to build muscle in a calorie deficit.

    OP, what are your stats?
  • TheRoseRoss
    TheRoseRoss Posts: 112 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    [It is next to impossible to build muscle in a calorie deficit.

    OP, what are your stats?

    That is not true. We often say that we want to lose "weight," when in fact what we want to lose is "fat." Losing "weight" and losing "fat" are not the same thing. Losing fat means that you will lose weight, but losing weight doesn't mean that you've lost fat. You could be losing water weight, muscle mass, and/or glycogen. Think of it as:
    - weighing 200 pounds, with 50 of those pounds being fat
    - You lose 10 pounds so now you weigh less
    - your body still has 50 pounds of fat because the 10 pounds that you lost was water weight
    - you now weigh less, but you haven't lost any fat

    It comes back to "would you rather weight 200 lbs with 10% body fat, or 100 pounds with 50% body fat?" Yes, the one pound person has less "weight," but the 200lb person is better off.

    Building muscle does not come from being in a caloric surplus. Building muscle is a result of being in positive nitrogen balance, and progressive overload training, in spite of your caloric intake.

    Muscle growth requires adequate protein, giving your muscle reason to grow through overload training, and proper sleep for recovery. Fat (not "weight") loss requires a caloric deficit.
  • TheRoseRoss
    TheRoseRoss Posts: 112 Member
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    No, this is wrong.

    Believe what you will. This has worked for me 2 years and counting.

    https://youtu.be/Bz3AG-oCXTE
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,564 Member
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    RossAH wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    [It is next to impossible to build muscle in a calorie deficit.

    OP, what are your stats?

    That is not true. We often say that we want to lose "weight," when in fact what we want to lose is "fat." Losing "weight" and losing "fat" are not the same thing. Losing fat means that you will lose weight, but losing weight doesn't mean that you've lost fat. You could be losing water weight, muscle mass, and/or glycogen. Think of it as:
    - weighing 200 pounds, with 50 of those pounds being fat
    - You lose 10 pounds so now you weigh less
    - your body still has 50 pounds of fat because the 10 pounds that you lost was water weight
    - you now weigh less, but you haven't lost any fat

    It comes back to "would you rather weight 200 lbs with 10% body fat, or 100 pounds with 50% body fat?" Yes, the one pound person has less "weight," but the 200lb person is better off.

    Building muscle does not come from being in a caloric surplus. Building muscle is a result of being in positive nitrogen balance, and progressive overload training, in spite of your caloric intake.

    Muscle growth requires adequate protein, giving your muscle reason to grow through overload training, and proper sleep for recovery. Fat (not "weight") loss requires a caloric deficit.

    Muscle growth requires three things:
    -a progressive overload plan (which I agree on)
    -adequate protein (I also agree)
    -a calorie SURPLUS

    The only people who will gain in a deficit are those who are brand new to lifting and those who are morbidly obese. When you lift in a calorie deficit (which I am doing), you help strengthen your muscles and retain them, focusing your loss on fat, but you will NOT gain actual muscle mass. Nowhere in what you linked does it talk about muscle gain. Protein is used for a variety of functions in our bodies, from antibodies to fight diseases to enzymes.
  • TheRoseRoss
    TheRoseRoss Posts: 112 Member
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    malibu927 wrote: »
    Nowhere in what you linked does it talk about muscle gain. Protein is used for a variety of functions in our bodies, from antibodies to fight diseases to enzymes.

    Here's a different link. I didn't use it the first time because I've seen comments on these forums where anything posted on bodybuilding.com is immediately discredited as "bro science," or "not reputable."

    Exert:

    There Are Three Basic States Of Nitrogen Balance

    Positive: This is the optimal state for muscle growth - where the nitrogen intake is greater than nitrogen output. Essentially, it shows the body has sufficiently recovered from its last workout. The greater the nitrogen balance, the faster is workout recovery. This is the body's anabolic state.
    Negative: This is the worst state a bodybuilder can find themselves in - where nitrogen loss is greater than nitrogen intake. Not only is nitrogen drawn away from muscle, where it is needed for growth, it is also taken from the vital organs where serious damage can occur. Of course, negative nitrogen balance also destroys muscle and is consequently considered a catabolic state.
    Equilibrium: This state should be what a bodybuilder might achieve at the very minimum - where nitrogen intake and loss are equal. The trainer in this state is not regressing, nor are they really gaining any appreciable muscle.


    Nothing is mentioned about being in a surplus of calories.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited May 2015
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    RossAH wrote: »
    No, this is wrong.

    Believe what you will. This has worked for me 2 years and counting.

    https://youtu.be/Bz3AG-oCXTE

    People listen to this guy because he has a good body but otherwise he is a lot of broscience, and really has no idea what he's talking about most of the time. Typical snake oil salesman trying to sell his program.

    The real science is actually pretty clear, @malibu927 is dead on. Thanks for that.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
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    RossAH wrote: »
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Nowhere in what you linked does it talk about muscle gain. Protein is used for a variety of functions in our bodies, from antibodies to fight diseases to enzymes.

    Here's a different link. I didn't use it the first time because I've seen comments on these forums where anything posted on bodybuilding.com is immediately discredited as "bro science," or "not reputable."

    Exert:

    There Are Three Basic States Of Nitrogen Balance

    Positive: This is the optimal state for muscle growth - where the nitrogen intake is greater than nitrogen output. Essentially, it shows the body has sufficiently recovered from its last workout. The greater the nitrogen balance, the faster is workout recovery. This is the body's anabolic state.
    Negative: This is the worst state a bodybuilder can find themselves in - where nitrogen loss is greater than nitrogen intake. Not only is nitrogen drawn away from muscle, where it is needed for growth, it is also taken from the vital organs where serious damage can occur. Of course, negative nitrogen balance also destroys muscle and is consequently considered a catabolic state.
    Equilibrium: This state should be what a bodybuilder might achieve at the very minimum - where nitrogen intake and loss are equal. The trainer in this state is not regressing, nor are they really gaining any appreciable muscle.


    Nothing is mentioned about being in a surplus of calories.

    Well, it doesn't say anything about a surplus of calories because it's talking about the three states of nitrogen balance. It's not an in-depth primer on how to gain mass.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    ... stay away from all the procesed food
    ... peanutbutter
    ... bread
    ... almond milk


    QUESTION: Just what, exactly, do you think the term "processed" means?

    FOLLOW UP QUESTION: Why do you think it matters?

    HINT: It doesn't.

  • JessicaCorder90
    JessicaCorder90 Posts: 1 Member
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    I downloaded this app because I wanna lose 15 pounds after having a baby but I actually wanna loose fat. How do I loose fat and how much fat do I need to take in a day to loose fat?