What type of food should I be aiming for?

[Lolkrayd]

Hey and thank you for taking the time to read this.

I started gyming again and been going for a month now. And now that I think about it, I haven't even touched my diet plan. I also have no idea what I should eat as well. Lately I've been eating white rice and some sort of meat, *pork/fish/chicken/beef* I don't cook since I no longer have access to a kitchen.

Because I lack a kitchen to make food I've been eating out at places like Flame broiler and local places that serve rice bowls. When I can I grab roast chicken at the local markets (albertsons/stater brothers).

My friend who gyms with me constantly yells at me for eating too much rice saying it contains too much carbs. But I really don't know what else to eat since its either rice bowls or KFC/Mcdonalds.

He told me to go to kfc get the chicken breasts there and peel off the skin and go to albertsons and buy veges to eat with my diet.

Short version. I have no idea what to eat. ~update currently found away to cook food. So cooking is now an option!

[Shadee]

eat pasta, you can eat all you want and not gain a pound

[Deleted]

Anything from the ground / stuff that isnt processed.
And stay AWAY from ALL kinds of Pasta / grains.
Starchiest thing you can eat is Beans.

[Thug Life]

Piece of meat and vegetables is honestly the best stuff you can eat for your main meals. For your snacks and stuff eat yogurts, fruits, plain rice cakes, etc.

Edit: As for your $10 a day thing that may be pretty hard, as eating healthy isn't the cheapest thing in the world. Can't say anything about that.

[Deleted]

Also carbs are good after working out.

---------- Post added 2012-06-27 at 04:12 PM ----------

Piece of meat and vegetables is honestly the best stuff you can eat for your main meals. For your snacks and stuff eat yogurts, fruits, plain rice cakes, etc.

Edit: As for your $10 a day thing that may be pretty hard, as eating healthy isn't the cheapest thing in the world. Can't say anything about that.

I dont agree with the yogurt unless its Greek, regular yoghurt has to much sugar / artificial sweetners.

[Sodrocs]

Pretty much what Harzaka said. If you need a healthy snack, I like to put natural peanut butter on unsalted rice cakes. I do this on days I don't exercise since I don't need a lot of carbs, but need the calories.

[Gotjuice]

You can buy a rice maker and buy some steamable veggies which you can do on the microwave. Assuming you're trying to lose weight just get your proteins from meat and have veggies or a salad with it. With a microwave and a George Foreman grill you can probably eat very healthy for less than $10 a day.

[Deleted]

A good snack is also Cottage cheese with cinnamon and apple mixed into it

[Yuni]

Are you trying to gain weight or lose? I'm sorry, I'm not sure if you're male or female, what your goals are, etc. The people that are telling you that you're eating too many carbs, stay away from x carbs, etc would be wrong if you're trying to put on muscle. You won't make any significant gains with a low-carb diet. You want to look at lean meats like chicken, fish, lean ground beef, etc. All these things can be pretty cheap, though I know you said you don't have a kitchen. You can buy canned tuna, it's fairly inexpensive and KFC's grilled chicken isn't too bad for you, aside from the amount of salt in it.

Your carbs want to be complex carbs in the form of brown rice, oats, whole-grain pasta, whole-wheat bread. White-grain foods and sugars tend to be stripped of their nutrients and also digest faster, which isn't what you want.

If you're trying to lose, it's the same concept except with less carbs. You want to be a caloric deficit in order to lose weight.

Mix these with vegetables and you have a pretty solid diet plan.

[Deleted]

Are you trying to gain weight or lose? I'm sorry, I'm not sure if you're male or female, what your goals are, etc. The people that are telling you that you're eating too many carbs, stay away from x carbs, etc would be wrong if you're trying to put on muscle. You won't make any significant gains with a low-carb diet. You want to look at lean meats like chicken, fish, lean ground beef, etc. All these things can be pretty cheap, though I know you said you don't have a kitchen. You can buy canned tuna, it's fairly inexpensive and KFC's grilled chicken isn't too bad for you, aside from the amount of salt in it.

Your carbs want to be complex carbs in the form of brown rice, oats, whole-grain pasta, whole-wheat bread. White-grain foods and sugars tend to be stripped of their nutrients and also digest faster, which isn't what you want.

If you're trying to lose, it's the same concept except with less carbs. You want to be a caloric deficit in order to lose weight.

Mix these with vegetables and you have a pretty solid diet plan.

Even whole wheat stuff is bad IF you are trying to lose weight.
And i highly doubt the KFC grilled chicken is a "healthy" choice.
You should eliminate ALL Fast Foods. You can also buy Beans ( cheap as hell ) and pre grilled chicken at any supermarket.
Beans + Chickens + Vegetables is amongst the best thing you can eat for both muscle gain and weight loss.

[Hanto]

I'd also recommend staying away from all fast foods, they're pretty terrible for you. I myself have just been having a hotdog on a slice of bread with veggies here and there for almost two weeks now while jogging/walking for 20minutes every evening, I manage to lose about a pound a day. I know that hotdogs aren't exactly the best choice, but when I'm pinching pennies, $0.69 for an 8-pack of hotdogs works fine. I just make sure I stay around 1200 calories a day with that diet and it works out pretty good!

Chicken is a great thing to eat on any diet really. I love steaming some chicken with some spices and veggies. When I had broccoli to cook, I'd steam that with some hot sauce with the juices of the chicken.

[Deleted]

I'd also recommend staying away from all fast foods, they're pretty terrible for you. I myself have just been having a hotdog on a slice of bread with veggies here and there for almost two weeks now while jogging/walking for 20minutes every evening, I manage to lose about a pound a day. I know that hotdogs aren't exactly the best choice, but when I'm pinching pennies, $0.69 for an 8-pack of hotdogs works fine. I just make sure I stay around 1200 calories a day with that diet and it works out pretty good!

Chicken is a great thing to eat on any diet really. I love steaming some chicken with some spices and veggies. When I had broccoli to cook, I'd steam that with some hot sauce with the juices of the chicken.

Big no no right there.
Ill assume you are male. as a male you should NEVER go below 1600 calories, especially if you are dieting and trying to lose weight. You will put your body into starvation mode.
And as female you should never go below 1200 calories.
Also no wonder 35-40% of most countries population are fat... 0.69 for a pack of hotdogs but healthy food is up to 2-3 dollars.

[Hanto]

Big no no right there.
Ill assume you are male. as a male you should NEVER go below 1600 calories, especially if you are dieting and trying to lose weight. You will put your body into starvation mode.
And as female you should never go below 1200 calories.
Also no wonder 35-40% of most countries population are fat... 0.69 for a pack of hotdogs but healthy food is up to 2-3 dollars.

Although keeping my intake at 1200 calories is intentional (you are right, I am a male), I don't really have the money to eat better than that until my next school semester comes in and I have more money. I've had a few friends tell me that 1500-1600 is a balanced amount, but I barely get by eating how I am now lol. If this job comes through within the next week or so, I should be able to do better.

But I agree, unhealthy food is so easy to come by where as eating healthy is much more difficult, expense wise. I'd much rather eat chicken over hotdogs, but chicken is $2.88/lb here where as a 12oz pack of dogs is $0.69 so.... they pretty much got me by the balls, more or less.

[Deleted]

In what way is 1500-1600 a balanced amount if you work out ?
I weigh 115 pounds and i have to eat 2100 calories to LOSE weight when i exercise.

[Yuni]

Even whole wheat stuff is bad IF you are trying to lose weight.
And i highly doubt the KFC grilled chicken is a "healthy" choice.
You should eliminate ALL Fast Foods. You can also buy Beans ( cheap as hell ) and pre grilled chicken at any supermarket.
Beans + Chickens + Vegetables is amongst the best thing you can eat for both muscle gain and weight loss.

No, it's not. Aside from early morning steady state cardio carb-starved, a high intensity workout (most workouts) needs those carbs. You need a good source of slow-burning carbohydrates to fuel and sustain your muscles. When you exercise, muscle glycogen (carbs stored within your muscle) becomes the main source of fuel. As glycogen levels decrease from hard training, your intensity begins to decrease and more importantly, your body begins to tap your muscles for a source of energy.

A KFC grilled chicken breast has 6g of fat, 0g carbs and over 30g of protein. It has about 700mg of sodium, that's its true downside. No, it's not as good as cooking your own meals, but when you don't have much of a choice it's a better alternative than going to McDonalds and stuffing your face.

[Ratboy]

Get a rice cooker and a clam shell grill (George Foreman Grill). My friend eats chicken and rice for almost every meal, it's some diet/workout plan he's one.

[Deleted]

No, it's not. Aside from early morning steady state cardio carb-starved, a high intensity workout (most workouts) needs those carbs. You need a good source of slow-burning carbohydrates to fuel and sustain your muscles. When you exercise, muscle glycogen (carbs stored within your muscle) becomes the main source of fuel. As glycogen levels decrease from hard training, your intensity begins to decrease and more importantly, your body begins to tap your muscles for a source of energy.

A KFC grilled chicken breast has 6g of fat, 0g carbs and over 30g of protein. It has about 700mg of sodium, that's its true downside. No, it's not as good as cooking your own meals, but when you don't have much of a choice it's a better alternative than going to McDonalds and stuffing your face.

Yes you do need Carbs for energy, but unless you are taking your sweet time with weight loss whole wheat is bad.
Whole wheat in general slows down weight loss.

[Yuni]

Yes you do need Carbs for energy, but unless you are taking your sweet time with weight loss whole wheat is bad.
Whole wheat in general slows down weight loss.

Cutting out starchier carbs aside from things like beans is seen as mostly a last resort when hitting a plateau from weight loss. Losing weight too fast (in the more extreme cases) isn't such a good thing either. Especially when you go from 300+ to like 175, leaving behind all of that excess skin. :/ I could be wrong, but I doubt this person is looking to get to 5% bodyfat.

[Nayelie]

Keep up your protein and vegetable/fruit intake. The less processed, the better. Spinach salads with lots of different veggies can really fill you up. Snacking on nuts or dried fruit throughout the day can help keep your appetite down.

[Lolkrayd]

Sorry for not including everything in the first post, didn't know tbh >.>

I am a male if it matters I am also Asian and I guess I am trying to lose weight, but at the same time I do a lot of weight lifting so bulking up too at the same time. I just started doing cardio work out and that was when my friend started telling me to switch my diet.

Thank you for the many replies!