What should my diet be?

Question

Currently, I am looking to gain muscle and to be very healthy. I am currently 5'9" and about 130 lbs. I'm skinny, and have a very high metabolism (no matter how much I eat, I don't budge in weight). I'm looking to gain weight via muscle and to keep myself in shape.

I have a normal diet at the moment and take One-A-Day vitamins and fiber supplements.

Currently, I work out about 3-4 times a week for between 1 hour - 1 and a half hours by running and using weights. Here are my questions:

What should my focus be for my diet?
Do vitamins help much?
How long should it be before I see/feel results?

Note: This is the first time I've decided to work out and diet, so I truly am not sure. Thanks in advance for all the help!

So as I've seen you all say that running will burn your muscle?

I know that I want to raise my endurance when playing sports so I thought that running would help. Is there a way to do this without burning muscle?

Answer 1

Well, lucky day, my son is just like you, skinny, ultra-high metabolism, hard for him to add muscle OR weight...so we took him to the doctor (he is adult so doesn't have to worry about growth in childhood terms). Here is what the doctor AND a nutritional specialist (who treats me for diabetes) said to do:

If you wish to add weight by MUSCLE not by body fat, continue to eat a very healthy daily diet, with a wide variety of fresh fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, and do not use white flour, rice, pasta, use only whole grain products.

Eat about 2,500 calories daily using lean meats, poultry and fish as your proteins, along with dried peas/beans/legumes, peanut butter (with no trans fats) and/or tofu. Use 2 % or 1% dairy products, along with yogurt, reduced-fat cheeses or LIGHT servings of whole-fat cheeses. Use condiments like sour cream, or other high-fat condiments, sparingly.

Now: How to "bulk up" without getting fat? Keep your current exercise regimen going strong...but eat a few more calories than you eat now. Increase your protein intake. If you normally eat about 3 oz. of protein per meal, increase that to five or six ounces. Allow yourself larger portions of carbs such as whole-grain pasta or brown rice...where you formerly ate only 1/2 cup allow yourself a cup. Do NOT fall into that old trap of eating fattening foods like fries, burgers, pizza, sugary treats, etc. to gain weight...while it may work for now, as you head toward middle age and your caloric requirements begin to diminish, you'll actually BE fat.

If you want a WONDERFUL daily eating program lined right out for you, go to the American Diabetes Association's website, just type into your search engine American Diabetes Association and hit search or enter. When you enter the site, find recommended foods/servings, lay out a good nutritious variety-filled program, and remember to hike those healthy carbs and proteins a little...NOT a ton! Allow yourselve the occasional (once or twice weekly) slice or two of pizza, or burger and shake and fries. It is the overall quality and quantity of what you eat in a day or week that matters, so just adjust the rest of that day's eating to be good and healthy.

If you can do it, see a nutritionist. Most hospitals have them on-staff...ask your doctor for a referral, and ask your doctor what he/she thinks you might do to accomplish your goals in a healthy manner.

Please DO take a multi-vitamin with minerals (ask your pharmacist for the best one to take as you try to build muscle mass and maintain healthy weight).

Also, do NOT turn to any of those "muscle-mass" protein drinks, shakes and/or powders/tablets you've seen advertised. They are nothing but starch and will make you ultimately tend toward fatness. Get your protein from healthy sources.

Answer 2

1) vitamins help, but an un noticable ammount

2) the length of your workout has nothing to do with gain, you should feel like your sprinting the whole time your lifting weights and lift till exhaustion, if you want to build size you should lift a weight heavy enough to where you absloutly cannot do more than 10 reps of any lift. You'll need a spotter for this don't b stupid

3) the focus of your diet should be carbs, calories, and protein. You already have little muscle mass, make sure you are not burning it at the gym by making sure your body has plenty of fuel (carbs/calories) before and after your workout.

4) running burns muscle, you need to do HIT training which is basically sprint for 30sec. jog for 30sec. for no more than 15 min. (that should b really really hard) this will keep you from burning up too much muscle mass, like you are probably doing during those longer runs.

you can take a look at some of my other diet and fitness answers to find some good routines, you might have to go back a few days.

if you're working hard enough you should see some deffinition / size increase inside of two weeks, if not you should probably step it up a little.

no pain no gain, work hard!

Answer 3

4 ur diet u want 2 increase ur total caloric intake...in order 2 get big u have 2 eat big. also focus a lot on getting a proper balance of carbs, fats, and protein (50-65% of calories from carbs, 25-35% calories from fat, and 20-30% calories from protein). that will provide u with a healthy diet. 2 gain more weight in muscle...increase ur protein intake. a common rule with protein diets is 2 consume .08-1 gram of protein per pound of body weight...u weigh 130 lbs so u should eat 119.6-130 grams of protein per day. those r just some general guidelines

one method i used b4 was 2 keep the same diet i had but 2 increase my protein intake. i also worked out about 4 days a week a drank a protein shake an hour b4 i lifted...within an hour after i lifted...and then right b4 i went 2 bed. with my body type i went from weighing 228lbs 2 weighing 240lbs in about 2 months. the way u describe urself it may take a little longer 2 c results because im assuming u have an ectomorphic body type (which means ur body burns fat very efficiently but gains muscle slowly). just keep working hard and remember 2 keep eating

Answer 4

hi,
Join "Diet Tips" Group in facebook
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5492017489

where you can read old tips, receive new diet tips, and discuss diet Issues

I hope this can help

Best Regards