Hey guys, I'm rod.
I've been lifting forever haha, blessed with great genetics regarding muscle density. Cursed with a gut and love handles.
6 ft, 300pounds. I occasionally prep for a powerlifting meet or two every couple years. Dirty bulked my way up to 300+ mammoth pounds, and now I would like to change my eating habits into something more suited for a leaner physique.
Dirty bulking was awesome, I ran a little dbol and test my first cycle and exploded in strength. Tren and test second cycle did the same but also gave me crazy mass.
What did I eat? Everything. All day, everyday.
Any types of advice would be greatest appreciated.
To build muscle & lose fat, you need a variety of proteins, veggies, fruits, carbs, and healthy fats. Eating protein helps building & maintaining muscle. But it also helps fat loss: protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs/fats.<br />
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Eating fats also helps fat loss: your body holds fat if you don't eat fats. Fruits & veggies contain vitamins & minerals, necessary for recovery from your workouts. And carbs fuel your muscles so you feel full of energy at the gym.<br />
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Lots of you struggle to get these foods. Sometimes because you're too busy or sometimes because you just lack information. This list will help you — 20 super foods you need to build muscle & lose fat.<br />
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1. Whole Eggs. Cheap & rich source of protein: 7g/egg. The yolk contains most nutrients: half the protein, vitamins A/D/E and cholesterol to naturally increase your testosterone levels.<br />
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Don't worry about cholesterol in eggs. Dietary cholesterol isn't bound to blood cholesterol. Read this, this, this & this. If you have bad cholesterol, lower your body fat rather than throwing the yolk away.<br />
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2. Fish Oil. Reduces inflammation (joints/skin), lowers body fat and increases testosterone levels. You need 9000mg EPA/DHA per day. Since you'll probably struggle to get that from eating fatty fish, consider a fish oil supplement.<br />
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3. Wild Salmon. One of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that also gets you 20g protein per 100g serving. Farm raised salmon is, however, omega-3 deficient: it's corn/grain fed. Go with wild salmon.<br />
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4. Berries. Strong antioxidants that prevent cancer, heart & eye diseases. Any kind works: cranberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, etc. Buy fresh or frozen berries and mix with oatmeal.<br />
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5. Yogurt. Contain bacteria that improve your gastrointestinal health. Don't buy frozen yogurt or yogurt with added sugar and fruits at the bottom. Get plain low fat yogurt. Eat it with berries & flax seeds.<br />
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6. Flax Seeds. Source of fiber, protein & omega-3. Grind the flax seeds to get the most out of them. Take 1 tbsp with yogurt & berries before going to bed. Stay away from flax oil: it's unstable and contains no fiber.<br />
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7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil. 70% monounsaturated fats that protect against heart diseases and cancer. Add 1-2 tbsp olive oil to your salads. Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil: it contains more polyphenols and tastes better.<br />
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8. Mixed Nuts. Contain mono- & polyunsaturated fats, proteins, fiber, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc. Mixed nuts are caloric dense, great if you're a skinny guy who wants to gain weight.<br />
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Anything works: almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, ... Peanut butter also works as long as you buy natural peanut butter without added salts/sugars.<br />
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9. Red Meat. Protein, vitamin B12, heme iron, zinc, creatine, carnosine and even omega-3 if you eat grass-fed beef. Eat steaks & hamburgers from top round or sirloin. Read Dr. Lonnie Lowery's article on Meat.<br />
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10. Broccoli. High in cancer-fighting phytochemicals and anti-estrogenic indoles. Broccoli is also high in soluble fiber and low calorie, helping fat loss. Eat other cruciferous vegetables for a change: cabbage, bok choy, cauliflower, kale, ...<br />
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11. Spinach. One of the most alkaline foods. Spinach prevents muscle & bone loss, but also cancer and heart diseases because of its high nutrient profile. Try one of the spinach recipes I shared a while back.<br />
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12. Turkey. If you don't believe saturated fat is good for you, try white turkey. The leanest beef has about 4.5g saturated fat/100g, while white turkey has close to 0g (that why it's so dry). Eat turkey with spinach & quinoa.<br />
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13. Quinoa. South American "king of grains". Quinoa is higher in fiber & protein than rice or oats, tastes a lot better and is gluten free. Buy the whiter grain, it's better quality. Eat it post workout with meat & spinach.<br />
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14. Oats. Reduce cholesterol, provide you with low-gi carbs for energy, and high in soluble fiber. Try this post workout shake of whey & oats.<br />
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15. Tomatoes. High in lycopene, which prevents cancer. The lycopene in tomato paste is 4 times more bioavailable than in fresh tomatoes. Have pizza or pasta with tomato sauce & olive oil post strength training.<br />
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16. Oranges. Vitamin C to fight diseases, magnesium to lower blood pressure, anti-oxidant beta-carotenes, etc. Quit drinking processed orange juice which often has added sugars. Eat oranges or make your own orange juice.<br />
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17. Apples. Pectin in apples helps weight loss by increasing satiety. Apples are also the strongest antioxidiant after cranberries (eat the peels). Unfortunately apples are one of the most pesticide-contaminated fruits. Go organic.<br />
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18. Carrots. Their huge vitamin A content improves eye-health, especially night vision. Carrots are also rich in fiber, low calorie and taste good, even raw.<br />
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19. Water. Your body holds water if you don't drink enough. Drinking prevents water retention, helps muscle recovery and prevents dehydration from strength training. Get a brita filter and drink 2 cups of water with each meal.<br />
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20. Green Tea. Strong antioxidant and natural diuretic. Green tea also speeds up fat loss, prevents cancer and improves blood sugar & circulation. Drink green tea in the morning instead of coffee. Real green tea, not the teabags.<br />
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Putting it All Together. Eat proteins, veggies, fruits & fats every 3 hours. 2 cups water with each meal. Carbs post workout only. Junk food 10% of the time. Get stronger in the meanwhile and you'll build muscle & lose fat.<br/>
lol