Really confused about my nutrition. Please help

[jonnylugs]

Okay, so I am a 30+ guy, 165cm and 63kg at the moment. I have been doing Crossfit for close to 4 years now and did close to 4 years of basic bodybuilding in the gym before that. I am a vegetarian (Milk and sparsely eggs.)

I keep reading and taking advice from coaches and friends about nutrition in order to improve and have tried many things, but somehow, my body seems to work way differently from others. I somehow am not able to improve my lifts no matter what.
In order to improve my lifts, I started eating a high calorific diet, I got to about 65-66kg, but just got fat. Very little muscle improvement.
When I tried to reduce my fat content by reducing my calorific intake, got skinny again.
Strength improvements have been very small.

My current diet is as follows:

08:00
30 g of whey with 300 ml milk
200mg caffeine
2 Kiwis
150 g of muesli with 300ml milk. (almonds, cashew nuts, walnuts, pistachios, peanuts, dates, figs, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds and sesame seeds added to it.)
250 g yogurt
30 g peanut butter

10:30
100mg caffeine

12:00
1 mozzarella sandwich
300ml soup (varies)
250 g yogurt

16:30
100g nuts
250 g yogurt
100mg caffeine

18:00
Couple of dates
200mg caffeine

19:00
Crossfit

20:15
30g of whey in water
1 Apple

21:30
100g rice/pasta
200g carrots
50g tomatoes
50g broccoli

23:00
30g casein in water

When I tried to reduce fat, I would cut rice at night.
When I tried to increase intake I would add 5g creatine, Banana and 2 pancakes in the morning and 2 bananas, 2 apples during the day and 5g creatine after the wod.

I normally do Crossfit 4/week. I used to do 5/week, but thought maybe overtraining was causing me to not improve, so reduced it to 4.
Not that I have not made any other improvements. I have made ton of improvements in my gymnastic movements. (Couldn't do a single pull up, now can crank about 20 deadhang, can do butterfly pull ups and even bar muscle ups. 7unbroken is my pr atm.)
But, in terms of lifts, the increase has been almost 0. Cleans have gone from 75kg to 80kg, snatch from 52.5kg to 55kg, deadlift from 120kg to 130kg and back squat has remained at 120kg. The case seemed to be similar when I was body building.

Hoping to get some constructive advice on my diet. Cheers!

 

[sk8bdr018]

@jonnylugs You’re skinny. You tried eating more. You gained 3kg (which is barely anything), decided you were too fat, and quit bulking.

You’ve gotta stick to the diet and probably do some extra lifting to make sure you’re gaining muscle.

r/gainit

 

[jonnylugs]

@sk8bdr018 I gained 3kg but there was no improvements whatsoever in my strength hence the term 'got fat'.

Extra lifting I will try, but I only about got 1 hour in the evening and I do the wod in that time.

Any thing I need to change/add/remove in my diet if I want to improve my lifts?

 

[smasma]

@jonnylugs Not an expert in any way shape or form, but from listening to the guys in my gym as they went through various stages (increase strength, or reduce fat, or increase cardio) the theme seemed to be more protein for muscle mass, less carbs for fat reduction. The guys who did low carb high fat to reduce body fat saw a noted dip in their strength, and a definite loss of body fat.

 

[taiwoogundele]

@smasma I'm not a expert in anyway too. But one of my coaches is a big fan of keto/paleo and at the same time he complains how he isn't stronger. He pushes keto/paleo just to be popular. I almost despise him for that to be honest.
You gotta listen to your body, for me at the moment their is no need to follow a specific diet. I don't lose or gain fat fast, I just need to eat 3x+ a day and try to think this: "would my grandmother considered this food.". I try to go to the Moroccan grocery instead of the supermarket so I come home with fresh products and as little junk as possible.

 

[smasma]

@taiwoogundele I love that grandmother approach to food.

 

[jonnylugs]

@smasma ^ me too

 

[chantelle1989g]

@jonnylugs I don’t think you’ll see a linear increase in strength off of 3kg weight increase—and there’s no timeframe discussed here either. Mass moves mass, but your body needs to know how to move it. Oly lifts are hard; I think you’ll see measurable gains faster by dedicating time to something like 531. Simple lifts and a progression schedule. Gains strictly from doing a metcon daily are going to be very limited.

Mainsite has dedicated strength days, but Boxes that don’t dedicate time to strength every day (CompTrain class) won’t program a 5-5-5-5-5 back squat metcon so you’ll have to do that on your own.

 

[jonnylugs]

@chantelle1989g My technique is not flawless, but is quite decent due to my practice for almost 4 years now. The problem seems to be that my shoulders are not as developed as my legs. So no matter how much legs and hips I use, the weight does not come above say sternum level cause of the third pull being weak. So unable to get under. I am the only person in the box who has a squat clean/snatch more than a power clean/snatch.

Will think of doing some strength cycle once/week after the opens are done and see how it goes.

 

[chantelle1989g]

@jonnylugs

squat clean/snatch more than a power clean/snatch.

That is how it should be.

 

[jonnylugs]

@chantelle1989g I was focussing on the technique part of the clean/snatch. Most people in my box have stability problems at the bottom of the squats. So, they are not able to get higher numbers in the squat cleans/snatch and are better in power, cause of pulling more with the arms and shoulders. I, on the other hand, am able to go deep in the squat, allowing to compensate for the lack of a strong third pull from the shoulder shrugs. Though, I do admit, my clean/snatch technique is not perfect, and there is room for a lot of improvement.

 

[chantelle1989g]

@jonnylugs I may be mistaken, but I believe the third pull is "pull under the bar", whereas the pull you believe to be weaker would be the second pull. The squat movement requires specific training to drop under the bar, whereas the power movement tends not to, and also doesn't require strength in the lower portion of the squat. It's also faster, so you'll see metcons with power movements more often. Not being able to squat in the snatch or clean is kinda a crossfit problem, but I think that there's tradeoffs for the 'everyday' athelete who could have or will develop knee problems going into a heavy squat.

 

[baodantri]

@jonnylugs You’re a vegetarian who appears to subsist on starch and dairy.

Eat a damn vegetable.

Kale. Radish. Mushroom. Cabbage. Arugula. Cauliflower.

 

[bb2008]

@baodantri My exact thoughts reading the diet. Veggies didn’t pop up until dinner. I think I might be a better vegetarian...if only my steak would agree.

 

[jonnylugs]

@bb2008 Good point. No body ever mentioned to me. I too seemed to have somehow missed it. Which do you recommend I eat more veggies? Sorry if I am asking too many questions. Just want it to be as clear as possible

 

[bb2008]

@jonnylugs It all depends. There is a possiblity you will have an intolerance to stuff like my wife does with peppers and onions. As for me personally, I usually bave a cup of spinach cooked with eggs for breakfast. Sometimes a smoothie with spinach/banana/blueberries if I am working out in the morning but the bananas add a lot of sugar. Snacks through out the day are sweet peppers/cucumbers/brocolli/grape tomatoes/celery etc. I can't stabd repitition so it is always varying. I love kale chips but my wife said she would kill me if I made them again because of the smell.

Just go to the grocery store and try a little of everything to find what you like. If you don't like what you eat you are doomed to fail. You should aim for the majority of your carbs to come from veggies, specially as a vegetarian.

 

[jonnylugs]

@bb2008

a smoothie with spinach/banana/blueberries

Smoothie sounds nice, but I am already having a lot in my breakfast IMO.

I love kale chips but my wife said she would kill me if I made them again because of the smell.

LOL

Just go to the grocery store and try a little of everything to find what you like. If you don't like what you eat you are doomed to fail.

Normally, if it is a vegetable I have no qualms on eating it. The problem here might be to time the eating. When do you think I should accommodate them in my diet. I am thinking adding to lunch.

 

[bb2008]

@jonnylugs So as with everything diet related, it depends on the person. My wife and I are both snackers. So we eat small meals and snack continuously throughout the day. Every single meal has veggies and most snacks are veggies except when I need a lot more calories then I eat nuts.

My recommendation is to add them in at every meal. Also don't confuse fruit with veggies. Fruit is not as nutrient dense and has a crap ton of fructose. It is nature's candy.

 

[jonnylugs]

@bb2008

My recommendation is to add them in at every meal.

Okay will give it a go and see how it fares.

Also don't confuse fruit with veggies. Fruit is not as nutrient dense and has a crap ton of fructose. It is nature's candy.

Aye aye Sir!

 

[jonnylugs]

@baodantri Good point. No body ever mentioned to me. I too seemed to have somehow missed it. When do you recommend I eat more veggies? Night, I am already am eating them. Should I add more at night meal?