OcUK Health Seekers: Post your progress pics
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Congrats Jimbo, looking lean and mean.
James that's a rather large topic to put it so, but here's what I do.:
In the morning: make myself so quakers oats in 3-4mins, while these are cooking I munch down 2 hard boiled eggs cooked 2-3 days before. They are perfectly fine to eat, no worries.
Lunch: I have it pre cooked from last night.
Dinner: I make double portions here, so I have for lunch tomorrow as well.
There are many ways you can do this, a George Foreman helps a lot as it basically cooks the meat in less than 5mins. Choose from chicken turkey beef pork fish
Alternatively you can throw it in the oven and simply come back 30-40mins later.
Or (this works for chicken mainly) you can let it simmer for 10-15mins in about 1cm of water.
Vegetables: Buy frozen from tesco, boil the kettle, cover in water and put on fire. As soon as they start boiling just a bit just drain and eat.
Of course you need some carbs as well (less in the evening).
This can be done by throwing some past (done in 10 mins, can be left unatended to simmer) and just throw in some sauce at the end, simmer for another minute.
Rice: simmer for 15 mins, no need to watch it.
Couscous: simmer for 3-4mins, don't leave unatended.
Alteratively you can buy frozen oven potatops from tesco's and just throw them in for 30mins, among with the meat.
Be careful at first, don't leave anything unatended for the first 3-4 times. But then you learn when it starts boiling, how to leave it to simmer, etc.
Make sure to buy some spices, it will make the repetitive taste of stuff more bearable.
James that's a rather large topic to put it so, but here's what I do.:
In the morning: make myself so quakers oats in 3-4mins, while these are cooking I munch down 2 hard boiled eggs cooked 2-3 days before. They are perfectly fine to eat, no worries.
Lunch: I have it pre cooked from last night.
Dinner: I make double portions here, so I have for lunch tomorrow as well.
There are many ways you can do this, a George Foreman helps a lot as it basically cooks the meat in less than 5mins. Choose from chicken turkey beef pork fish
Alternatively you can throw it in the oven and simply come back 30-40mins later.
Or (this works for chicken mainly) you can let it simmer for 10-15mins in about 1cm of water.
Vegetables: Buy frozen from tesco, boil the kettle, cover in water and put on fire. As soon as they start boiling just a bit just drain and eat.
Of course you need some carbs as well (less in the evening).
This can be done by throwing some past (done in 10 mins, can be left unatended to simmer) and just throw in some sauce at the end, simmer for another minute.
Rice: simmer for 15 mins, no need to watch it.
Couscous: simmer for 3-4mins, don't leave unatended.
Alteratively you can buy frozen oven potatops from tesco's and just throw them in for 30mins, among with the meat.
Be careful at first, don't leave anything unatended for the first 3-4 times. But then you learn when it starts boiling, how to leave it to simmer, etc.
Make sure to buy some spices, it will make the repetitive taste of stuff more bearable.
Soldato
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Thanks for posive feedback. Just need to put some meat on the bones now! 
If you're cutting, you can't go far wrong eating nothing but vegetables and your choice of protein, be it lean meats, egg whites, low fat cheese, cottage cheese, vege alternatives.
If you want guaranteed results, weigh yourself once per week at the same time and adjust the calories till you are losing 1 lb per week. Adjust calories means you need to count calories - i.e. weigh each portion of food etc. You don't need to count calories, but if you want 100% guaranteed success, it's the only way to be sure (a bit like a nuke from orbit).
That's a myth (the evening bit I mean).
If you're cutting, you can't go far wrong eating nothing but vegetables and your choice of protein, be it lean meats, egg whites, low fat cheese, cottage cheese, vege alternatives.
If you want guaranteed results, weigh yourself once per week at the same time and adjust the calories till you are losing 1 lb per week. Adjust calories means you need to count calories - i.e. weigh each portion of food etc. You don't need to count calories, but if you want 100% guaranteed success, it's the only way to be sure (a bit like a nuke from orbit).
That's a myth (the evening bit I mean).
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Soldato
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Thank you. You have really inspired. I'm 5'4 and 7.3 stone, very lean as well, but not much mass (as you can guess). I'm a vegetarian as well.
Thank you for inspiring me, it shows, contrary to what people tell me, that you do not have to eat meat to cut/bulk
Caporegime
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set diets never work because they arent suited to your tastes.
can you answer the following question?
whats healthier a packet of crisps or a piece of fruit?
eating healthy isnt rocket science, its basic common knowledge. as you have already stated you know mc donalds and soft drinks arent healthy (common knowledge) therefore you already know whats healthy and what isnt, you just arent applying yourself.
frosties or porridge?
baked potato or chips (fried)?
find out what healthy foods you like and eat them, ill give you an example of something i might eat 1 day of the week. this is just 1 day, i wont eat this everyday as that would get boring and make me eat unhealthy.
as soon as i wake up - glass of skimmed milk (this is an everyday routine)
breakfast - healthy cereal like jordan's fruit and nut
lunch - fresh pasta (the filled stuff that comes in a plastic container in the fridge section) made with fresh sauce, i cut an onion, 2/3 cloves of garlic, one pepper, 2 green chillis, garam masala, pepper, mixed herbs and either a pasta sauce or chopped tomatoes. this is usually enough for 3 people or if your by yourself you could eat it 3 times. cooking time - 15 mins, i know how to cook though, my family has a restaurant and i have taught myself by watching the various chefs, and also from my upbringing and being independent from an early age. add protein to this dish by adding your choice of meat.
dinner - can be anything from cereal to pasta to an italian salad with a spoonful of cottage cheese and lemon juice squeezed all over.
i also have at least 3 protein shakes a day with at least 2 scoops in each, recommend dose is normally one scoop. and i try to also have as much fruit and water as i can throughout the day by adding a banana to a shake or drinking fruit juice.
i will get protein from various sources as well, sausages, omlette's, chicken, tuna, german peppered salami. your allowed to treat yourself now and again.
the most important hing is this - you are what you eat. having a good body is 95% about the food you eat and 5% training. theres no point killing yourself in the gym if all your gonna do is eat crap. it would actually be better to not train at all and just eat healthily.
i state again its 95% the food you eat and 5% training, you know whats healthy, so its up to you.
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We've all offered lots of similar advice in the past, it's always good to be reminded that the more effort you put in your diet (which is part of the entire lifestyle cycle you follow) and get some good sleep, and do some exercise you will improve yourself.
Using 2-3 shakes a week is not necessary though - certainly not if you're eating well. In fact whilst protein is important you're wasting your time really overloading your body with loads of protein - but I've been on about this in the supplements / metabolism / nutrition posts I've already shared in the supplements thread.
Using 2-3 shakes a week is not necessary though - certainly not if you're eating well. In fact whilst protein is important you're wasting your time really overloading your body with loads of protein - but I've been on about this in the supplements / metabolism / nutrition posts I've already shared in the supplements thread.
Soldato
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Thank you. You have really inspired. I'm 5'4 and 7.3 stone, very lean as well, but not much mass (as you can guess). I'm a vegetarian as well.
Thank you for inspiring me, it shows, contrary to what people tell me, that you do not have to eat meat to cut/bulk
Awesome, thanks for the thanks!
Yup, going vege was one of the best things I ever did. As a human, I feel I have a responsibility to use the power over my instincts to make the correct moral decisions.
I don't supplement with protein much either - one 18g scoop per day currently. The rest is from the foods I mentioned. I get most of my protein from egg whites (I buy them in bulk liquid form from MyProtein - the free range variety) and vegetarian "meats" like Quorn and ASDA's own brand chicken pieces etc.
There is so much BS in the world of nutrition / exercise / bodybuilding...
Cannot agree more.
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You can say that again. People read magazines, websites and listen to pros who advertise this and that supplement, because they have to and are under contract to. Not necessarily because they believe in the product.
That's why I spent time typing out facts for people to make up their own mind, and give them the understanding behind the basic biology of how we process our foods.
People seem obsessed with taking 300g+ of protein - it's just such a waste of time and money. Get some good sources of protein, good fats and use carbs sensibly and you grow.
Caporegime
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i take so many scoops of protein as an extra boost to my daily intake from food, money is not a major issue, its about £25 - £30 a tub which lasts a month or more depending on how full i feel in between meals, my gym is free (power rack and equipment at home) so im not spending too much extra.
basically i dont want to deprive my body of protein and feed it as much as i can without overeating, is there any down sides to this apart from money?
also ive switched from using olive oil and veg oils to ground nut oil (basically peanut oil), the oil is amazing for cooking and the healthiest you can get, you can even tell from looking at it in the bottle, its a lot more fluid, and not thick and gloopy like others. cooking is also great, ive noticed food doesnt brown as quickly (very high smoking point of peanut oil and can be used for deep fat frying if you wanted to) therefore i know its a better cooking oil. i highly recommend everyone looks out for this cooking oil its normally got a red label on the front, can be named ground nut oil or peanut oil.
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I use walnut or coconut or almond oil to cook - lots of mono unsaturated fats which are the best you can get, and low is sat fats. Though some sat fats are good - helps boost testosterone.
Taking too much protein? Well it's just wasteful and doesn't really "help". And puts a lot of strain on the kidneys, and ultimately converts to fat if not fully metabolised, and basically becomes an expensive carbohydrate. I'm just not a fan of taking huge amounts of protein for no reason as your body can only metabolise a certain amount and protein synthesis is also limited, and peaks at around 30-40g for optimum synthesis. I guess though owing to the fact you're supplementing with naughty supplements your body's protein synthesis will be accelerated so you're a bit of a "special case" - however for most people, taking their own bodyweight in protein is just excessive. I don't also believe what "pros" say as their sponsored by supp companies.
However, there are some supps that are useful, like fish oils and other natural herbs and naturally occurring antioxidants that the western diet just doesn't offer. Certainly when straining your body Vit B6 is important, but complexes are just as good. However, it's all about gauging honestly how your body reacts. The better and more complete your diet, the less need for supps.
I understand the cost issue, it is cheap to buy protein powders - but IMO there's no replacement for the whole eating experience (enzyme releases, psychological influence and metabolic activation) of eating real foods.
Short term taking lots of protein won't do you much harm, long term it's just a waste of energy.
Taking too much protein? Well it's just wasteful and doesn't really "help". And puts a lot of strain on the kidneys, and ultimately converts to fat if not fully metabolised, and basically becomes an expensive carbohydrate. I'm just not a fan of taking huge amounts of protein for no reason as your body can only metabolise a certain amount and protein synthesis is also limited, and peaks at around 30-40g for optimum synthesis. I guess though owing to the fact you're supplementing with naughty supplements your body's protein synthesis will be accelerated so you're a bit of a "special case" - however for most people, taking their own bodyweight in protein is just excessive. I don't also believe what "pros" say as their sponsored by supp companies.
However, there are some supps that are useful, like fish oils and other natural herbs and naturally occurring antioxidants that the western diet just doesn't offer. Certainly when straining your body Vit B6 is important, but complexes are just as good. However, it's all about gauging honestly how your body reacts. The better and more complete your diet, the less need for supps.
I understand the cost issue, it is cheap to buy protein powders - but IMO there's no replacement for the whole eating experience (enzyme releases, psychological influence and metabolic activation) of eating real foods.
Short term taking lots of protein won't do you much harm, long term it's just a waste of energy.
IMO just worry about hitting your protein intake for the day rather than how much in one sitting.
The bodies too incredibly complex and effective to have a limit of any intake of nutrient at any given time (without being un realistic atleast). Eat 100g of protein in one sitting and your body will just slow down the digestion through something called the 'Ileal Brake'. The amount for optimum protein synthesis is around 30g, give or take, but theres nothing saying you cant eat more with negative effects.
Our ancestors would have probably stuffed their face with as much meat as they could when they had the chance, and probably had a lot more than 30g in one go.
The bodies too incredibly complex and effective to have a limit of any intake of nutrient at any given time (without being un realistic atleast). Eat 100g of protein in one sitting and your body will just slow down the digestion through something called the 'Ileal Brake'. The amount for optimum protein synthesis is around 30g, give or take, but theres nothing saying you cant eat more with negative effects.
Our ancestors would have probably stuffed their face with as much meat as they could when they had the chance, and probably had a lot more than 30g in one go.
Re: B1CEP - We have a Kevin Levrone genetically gifted chap on the forum! I hope you actually spend time on dedicated BB forums, as with your genetics you'll be given some good advice, and really should compete - as you are one in a million - I mean it, to gain that size in such a short time, without any artificial assistance, is unheard of. I'm VERY jealous. Your training and nutritional knowledge must surpass most people's (even mine I dare say). I'd be keen for you to share your experiences/training/diet.
Even for "noob" gains, this is absolutely phenomenal - as I said, unheard of. I'm tempted to submit your photo and contact details (with permission from you of course) to some pros to help get the best out of you.
Because the BNBF is tested you'll be able to stand there with pride knowing that you are a very gifted and lucky individual.
Cheers 4 the compliments but im far from genetically gifted!. Levrone and the likes of the olympians are genetically gifted....
Planning on competing next year but needing to add a lot more mass!. Nothings 100% as of yet with me. For example my chest/shoulders/arms are very good yes. My quads are pretty decent however need to work on the inner sweep, outer is pretty nice. Calves are decent tbh, hamstrings probs needing a bit more work! but working on that. I have a very small waist. My other flaw well my back, my upper back rhombis is pretty decent, however my lats, decent width better then it used to be however need more THICKNESS. Working on this atm...
I train extremely hard though, drenched in sweat each time... I have a very good training partner now who helps push me beyond limits I didn't think I even had!. What most don't understand is im pretty much a sad act, I spend just about every free time researching, combining, expanding knowledge. I've tried so many different training techniques that what I do is generally tailored to me. I don't mind helping people, but by no means am I a knowledge God, I wish
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Sounds similar to me. I love to know as much as I can.
I love to know as much as I can.Yesss, you speak sense
. The whole cell tech and products alike are all rubbish. What supplements do I use? tub of protein powder and some multi vits.Too many people rely on supplement all the time. Or they go yeah I eat tins of tuna all day it has 25g protein etc, yeah protein but not best source of amino! For real growth people need to focus on proper food imo. I use 3 shakes per day 1 in morning, 1 after workout and 1 before bed time. Don't need anymore! the rest is derived from food, a lot of food. I don't eat tuna, tend to stick to oily fish mackeral/salmon but mostly nice lean cuts of steak such as sirloine and nice fresh chicken breast.
Carbs imo is far too overlooked, people either eat far too many or far too little.... They are necessary, I don't really believe in all these diets zero carbs high fats or ultra low fat and small carb, or small carb high protein. You need a balance... Too many people eat far too many they will get quite fat/watery, or too many people eat so little that theres very little glycogen or recovery. I eat what carbs I need to eat. I feel I am fairly innactive atm, but I train hard so I don't need ridic amount of carb to grow!
Sounds similar to me.
Yeah but the problem is you have to divide the crap from the facts. Too much rubbish out there at times with all these daft diets and what not. Traditional stuff works best, but tailor it to suit you. Everyones body is different in some way or another. Example my diet works good for me but for you it may not work as great you may need a lot more carbs/protein/fat or even less! people grow on different amounts. Problem is though people over-complicate things, it's pretty simple really, you don't need all these variables and daft things added into place this is why people get confused and lost tbh.
Soldato
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exactly. apart from identical twins, no 2 people have the same genetic makeup. So everybody's body will respond differently to changes in diet and exercise. That is why there is no 100% set formula for bulking/cutting, rather there are guidelines about what types of training and exercises are good, and what foods are good to eat.
Different people will metabolise food in different ways
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Cheers 4 the compliments but im far from genetically gifted!. Levrone and the likes of the olympians are genetically gifted....
Planning on competing next year but needing to add a lot more mass!. Nothings 100% as of yet with me. For example my chest/shoulders/arms are very good yes. My quads are pretty decent however need to work on the inner sweep, outer is pretty nice. Calves are decent tbh, hamstrings probs needing a bit more work! but working on that. I have a very small waist. My other flaw well my back, my upper back rhombis is pretty decent, however my lats, decent width better then it used to be however need more THICKNESS. Working on this atm...
I train extremely hard though, drenched in sweat each time... I have a very good training partner now who helps push me beyond limits I didn't think I even had!. What most don't understand is im pretty much a sad act, I spend just about every free time researching, combining, expanding knowledge. I've tried so many different training techniques that what I do is generally tailored to me. I don't mind helping people, but by no means am I a knowledge God, I wish
One more thing I will say to backup my thoughts that you're lucky genetically. You say you dropped to 11st nearly 2 years ago, and you've made it back up to 16st now - 5st in less than 2 years is genetic gift if ever i heard one. Embrace it dude.
Soldato
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I'm going to have to (partially) disagree with this one too I'm afraid.
The idea that "everyone is different" can be a misleading idea for many lay people who are starting to diet/exercise. In my opinion, it gives the impression that one person may need to have a very different nutrient intake / workout plan than another. I think this can distract people from the similarities we all share.
i.e. We are more similar than we are different.
Sure, there will be slight differences in insulin sensitivity and bone size and muscle fibre ratio etc. Does this mean that one person needs to avoid all carbs while another should get 70% of their calorie intake from carbs? No.
I'm not having a go at anyone in particular, but people need to realise that they need to get the fundamentals right before adjusting for their own "uniqueness".
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Of course you're entitled to your opinion, but I have to say your point whilst valid doesn't hold much substance I'm afraid old bean. B1cep is still young and says he's quite anal about his studying and clearly has good training partners able to help/guide him. That along with good genetics will help him get to where he is. I consider myself to have above average knowledge/understanding about this sort of thing, but started late in my life which is a shame, but with life comes experience, knowledge and hindsight.
I do agree with you about good knowledge, nutrition and training will help you grow/develop/improve yourself - I am proof of that as are other people on this forum.
However, from a basic physiological, biological and gentic point of view, that amount of lean growth in under 2 years is spectacular. Sure he's young and his GH and test levels are high - though apparently suffers from a low test condition and other ailments. So to be able to be in and out of hospital, impared and still gain 5 stone and a little extra bodyfat is tremendous.
Even with my knowledge/skill/understanding I'd find it hard to achieve that much even if I didn't need to go to work and able to dedicate myself to it 100%.
If you read back over my thousands of posts on this subject, one thing I harp on about is getting the basics right. Too many people jump in trying to do too much. This game is not a short blast thing, it's a lifestyle change. It takes years of dedicated training to achieve significant and SUSTAINABLE results. As you grow older your muscle density keeps increasing, hence why the 20 year olds always look a little softer than the 30 year old pros. People want to magic themselves fit, healthy and strong - it doesnt' happen like that. Hard work, blood (in my case lots) and tears (some) with the easy bit - diet - will help. However, you have to have the right mental attitude for it. People jump in without really understanding what they are doing and then are surprised why they don't grow or improve.
Howevever, I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm a weight lifter, I train for power, strength and general enjoyment. Hypertrophy is a welcomed side effect but not my primary concern. Being 10% BF, is not my concern. Being powerful on the rugby pitch, and able to get about my day to day tasks and errands with 10x more ease than I used to be able to is fantastic. Doing little things like moving paving slabs, or helping a friend move house, or bump starting a car, picking up a motorbike from the floor - all things made so much easier with power and strength. Heck, even doing the weekly shop! For me it's more about day to day improvement of my life rather than doing it for show. It's functional development I'm interested in. Sure I've shared pics, but that's what this thread's about.
I do agree with you about good knowledge, nutrition and training will help you grow/develop/improve yourself - I am proof of that as are other people on this forum.
However, from a basic physiological, biological and gentic point of view, that amount of lean growth in under 2 years is spectacular. Sure he's young and his GH and test levels are high - though apparently suffers from a low test condition and other ailments. So to be able to be in and out of hospital, impared and still gain 5 stone and a little extra bodyfat is tremendous.
Even with my knowledge/skill/understanding I'd find it hard to achieve that much even if I didn't need to go to work and able to dedicate myself to it 100%.
If you read back over my thousands of posts on this subject, one thing I harp on about is getting the basics right. Too many people jump in trying to do too much. This game is not a short blast thing, it's a lifestyle change. It takes years of dedicated training to achieve significant and SUSTAINABLE results. As you grow older your muscle density keeps increasing, hence why the 20 year olds always look a little softer than the 30 year old pros. People want to magic themselves fit, healthy and strong - it doesnt' happen like that. Hard work, blood (in my case lots
) and tears (some) with the easy bit - diet - will help. However, you have to have the right mental attitude for it. People jump in without really understanding what they are doing and then are surprised why they don't grow or improve.Howevever, I'm not a bodybuilder, I'm a weight lifter, I train for power, strength and general enjoyment. Hypertrophy is a welcomed side effect but not my primary concern. Being 10% BF, is not my concern. Being powerful on the rugby pitch, and able to get about my day to day tasks and errands with 10x more ease than I used to be able to is fantastic. Doing little things like moving paving slabs, or helping a friend move house, or bump starting a car, picking up a motorbike from the floor - all things made so much easier with power and strength. Heck, even doing the weekly shop! For me it's more about day to day improvement of my life rather than doing it for show. It's functional development I'm interested in. Sure I've shared pics, but that's what this thread's about.
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@SteveOBHave: You did a great job man the difference is very visible in these pix. Carry one with your routine exercises and diet plan; I’m sure you will gain some muscles and a well toned body.