Food for muscle gain

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I have never had a problem in the gym so I have no worries there. However I can not for the life of me slim my waist and gain some muscle. Maybe my macros are too high. I struggle with finding foods that will be high in healthy carbs and low in fat. Other than oatmeal. And I can never find a protein shake that I enjoy enough to have 2-3 times a day (which I need).
I'm a teacher so lunch is a struggle. My coworkers and I get fast food a lot. I need a lot of help.
1.Good source of carbs?
2. Good protein?

Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited January 2017
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    what are you trying to do....slim your waist, or gain muscle?
    slimming your waist is going to require a caloric deficit, gaining muscle is going to require a surplus. you could also consider recomp, depending on where you're at, but this would be a longer process.

    I would pre plan and prepare meals to make hitting your macros easier, and so you don't need to worry about finding lunch - I don't drink any protein shakes, just eat food and don't struggle with protein. on the odd occasion I may mix protein in to yoghurt or a smoothie, or put it in pancakes/waffles. if protein is a struggle, plan your meals by sorting out the protein first, then add other components to make meals

    have you done a search for lists of foods? there are plenty on the site, and plenty of carbs that are low in fats.
    rice, quinoa (also high in protein), beans/legumes, starchy vegies, fruit, low fat dairy (also good for protein), bread/crackers/wraps, pasta, noodles....
  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Good low fat carbs: potato, sweet potato, rice, squash, banana, quinoa

    Good protein sources: cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, chicken, turkey, streak, bison, fish, shrimp, jerkey, ground meats, chick peas, lentils, black beans

    Good protein shake: Tera's whey grass fed organic protein powder in dark chocolate flavor blended with coconut water for your mixing liquid- delicious and clean (this protein powder has minimal ingredients and is stevia sweetened so no added sugar, and using coconut water for a mixer adds natural sweetness and electrolytes). On the go I sometimes will do an organic valley chocolate protein shake (these come pre-mixed in individual serving bottles). This is more expensive and has sugar, but not bad once in a while and tastes great.

    Not sure why you are needing 2-3 protein shakes a day?? 1 or 2 max should be sufficient... they are only meant to supplement your diet, not replace food.

    Why don't you meal prep so you have lunches to bring and eat that you made and know their macros?

    Too many carbs will put on body fat or prevent body fat loss just as much as excess fat in the diet will- its your total calorie intake you may want to adjust. If you aren't slimming down you aren't in a caloric deficit.

    Also to build muscle you need to be in a caloric surplus.

    It's kind of hard to slim your waist and gain muscle simultaneously unless you just eat at maintenance and do a whole lot of strength training- but this will take a while and if your macros aren't really dialed in you might not have success.

    What are your stats and current calories and macros??
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    do you want to gain muscle or lose body fat? First figure out your goal, then come back and ask for advice...
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    edited January 2017
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    How much protein are you trying to eat? What are your stats? If your weight is close to goal, you may just need to recomp. How are your calories and macro %now?
    Also, what is your lifting routine? Are you progressing?
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
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    I have never had a problem in the gym so I have no worries there. However I can not for the life of me slim my waist and gain some muscle. Maybe my macros are too high. I struggle with finding foods that will be high in healthy carbs and low in fat. Other than oatmeal. And I can never find a protein shake that I enjoy enough to have 2-3 times a day (which I need).
    I'm a teacher so lunch is a struggle. My coworkers and I get fast food a lot. I need a lot of help.
    1.Good source of carbs?
    2. Good protein?

    The bold would be one of the major factors for not being able to gain muscle, the others are lack of calories and rest. So what is your current workout routine?

    You can recomp, albeit slower than bulk/cutting, which should allow you to gain some muscle and cut some fat. Or you can bulk to gain muscle and cut new fat gains. Also, why would you avoid fats? Fat is extremely important in a diet. Fat regulates hormones (like testosterone), may satiate oneself, and increases nutrient uptake.


    I suspect the reason you aren't getting enough calories is because you have a lot of limiting factors in place which prevent you from reaching adequate calorie levels. So here is a good thread for you to begin.

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1
  • eday79
    eday79 Posts: 86 Member
    edited January 2017
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    Check that your macros are correct.
    Look at your training regimen...you haven't mentioned what you are currently doing in the gym.
    What are your stats? These will help you see where to start or where to go from here.
    There have been a lot of good protein sources mentioned. I have 1-2 protein shakes per day, these have helped me hit my protein targets, the others are easier for me to reach. Maybe try to stick with a base flavour like vanilla, that way you can build on the flavour if you fancy a different taste one of the days. E.g. Adding cinnamon, nutmeg, fruits ( note the sugar) etc.
    There are a lot of healthy yummy fats
  • J72FIT
    J72FIT Posts: 5,948 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    do you want to gain muscle or lose body fat? First figure out your goal, then come back and ask for advice...

    ^^^ This...
  • katvfit
    katvfit Posts: 3 Member
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    1. Make sure your macros are correct. katyhearnfit.com offers a free macro calculator. This might sound crazy to you, but you're probably not eating enough.
    2. Protein sources: chicken, lean turkey, eggs, egg whites, fat free Greek yogurt (mix half serving of protein, try PEScience Snickerdoodle flavor, the brand itself offers sample packets of their flavors if you check out their website), I personally also like NLA for her Chocolate Eclair protein. You can also have beans (measure these because a moderate serving can be high in carbs) or tofu! Carb sources: beans, rice (jasmine is a great white rice), sugar free cereal, english muffins, ezekiel bread, sweet potato, and fruit are all great sources that provide basically 0g fat. Fat sources: egg, avocado, nuts, nut butters.
    3. Pack your lunches. Track and STICK TO your macros for 2 weeks. Then re-assess. Water consumption is also key- days that I drink my gallon or more I find myself 3-4 pounds lighter than days I don't. But again, set a plan and stick to it because consistency is KEY. Good luck!!
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    Post your current calorie and macro intake in grams.

    Post your workout routine.

    You'll get more relevant feedback that way.