Recommended reading on nutrition

[Shady_Jester]

So, my background :

I'm a 16 yo guy. I lost a lot of weight.

Before :

http://imgur.com/IJASU4L

Most recent (taken about a month ago) :

http://imgur.com/amaFCFZ

http://imgur.com/b0D5BPq
http://imgur.com/gcd5iq9
http://imgur.com/10iPCuO
http://imgur.com/7qLU6HG
http://imgur.com/hCPKZkO

So, I'm 16 yo, around 6' 1", and around 170 lbs (I would say 166.5). I think I'm 15% bodyfat.

So, I would like to ask you what would you recommend me to read on nutrition? I stumbled over this book :

https://docs.google.com/folderview?id=0ByOHn1XKLsxbNWM2MGE3M2UtOTc4MC00N2RlLTgxY2UtYjY1NzExYTU3Y2I3

So, my workout is going to be Foundation One from Gymnastic Bodies 4 days a week and Handstand One (same author) 2 days a week + 4 days farltek running (on workout days) and 2 days jogging (on Wed and Sat). On Sunday I fully rest. My farltek is 5 min warmup, then around 80-90% 1 min; 50% 2 mins - for about 6 cycles then 5 minute cooldown. So, I do F1 + run 30 mins, but on rest days I jog for 45 mins (just jog; not farltek).

Anyways, since I have the best program, I also want to have a good diet. What would you recommend a 16 yo to read? Something that's not too daunting, I would preffer. Advanced Sports Nutrition? I also heard that Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle is a great book. Or the book I gave the link to?

Also, is it a problem if for these last two months I kinda rested? I wasn't really consistent with my training (didn't really do 4 days a week; sometimes 1, 2 or 3). This week I'm resting because I was coughing and almost got a fever over the weekend. I intend to start 2.1.2014 again (so this week I'm not exercising, next week is Christmas - maybe I could start to exercise next week and the week after that (then comes the week I would exercise anyway), but I won't exercise on Christmas nor on New Year or the day after (1.1.)), and be devoted and disciplined (as I was when I started losing the weight; I've actually been devoted for 5 months; 3.5 months running, then 1 month break , then 1.5 months running + bodyweight - current postition (2.5 months of not disciplined exercise; so not a break, but not disciplined exercise either)). So I may start it next week, but it's not gonna be so disciplined, maybe I skip over a day (cause holidays are here). But, I can do a pull-up now, before I couldn't do a single one, so I guess even tough I wasn't so disciplined, I gained some strength.

Please, give me your advice?

Thank you!

[Guest]

Check out the nutrition section and search for Joshua Naterman's posts.

[Jon Douglas]

I would say the first change to make is to stop making excuses about your training. If you are trying to do too much to stick to, take it down to 4 or 3 days. None of it counts if it stays on paper, and you have written paragraphs there around the fact that you want permission to take more time off and still have US tell you you will get results. If you're getting sick then scale down the work until you can manage your quite ambitious schedule.

Trying to change a whole spectrum of habits at once takes some serious discipline and generally (not always) sets people up for failure. Get the training started-- regularly, whatever that is for you, because you have material there that *will* work. Frankly if you are training correctly with this stuff you have a WHOLE lot of leeway when it comes to diet. Get reading in the nutrition forum and gradually dial your diet in next to support it.

I am also pretty sure there are extensive lists of recommended reading if you use the search function.

[Jon Douglas]

I will also throw out there that Advanced Sports Nutrition is excellent.

[Shady_Jester]

I'm gonna read Advanced Sports Nutrition (I already read Perfect Workout Nutrition 2013), so that I know how to eat right.

 

Thanks!

 

And I will be disciplined!

[Shady_Jester]

An update : After I read Perfect Workout Nutrition 2013 (and read a lot of articles about nutrition), I think my best bet is to eat when I'm hungry.

 

To explain, I think (since I'm a teen) I should eat whole foods. So, base my nutrition on veggies, meat and fruit. I should try to limit my junk food intake to 1 meal a day (for example, eat something from the bakery for breakfast; or eat a row of chocolate after lunch). So, only one "cheat meal" and I should just focus on eating better. So cut out white bread/white pasta, replace it with brown; and definietly eat more veggies and more fruit, and slowly begin replacing my food choices (for instance, instead of eating a row of chocolate after I get home from school, I eat a banana or an apple).

 

This is the plan that I think will leave me with great nutrition habits and a healthy lifestyle. Also, I'm gonna read "Advanced Sports Nutrition", "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle" and "Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism". I might also read other books (like Bodybuilding Revealed, Grain Brain and Wheat Belly; or I might not read any of them - because I do not plan to become a fitness coach), but I think I got the bascis right. Eat when hungry, more veggies and meat, less junk. That's bascially it (if you think I'm right, please do respond).

 

Also, what I got from Perfect Workout Nutrition 2013 is to eat grapes during my exercise and eat fruit after my exercise. Since I can't really time the meals, I'll try to eat grapes during my exercise (if I have grapes) and an apple and some nuts afterwards (with water during and after the exercise).

 

Also, I'm going to start working out as I laid out from next week (since this week I'm kinda sick).

 

Thanks for your amazing support, guys!

[Edgaron]

In reply to ''I think my best bet is to eat when I'm hungry.'':

 

Being a teen doesn't mean the law of thermodynamics doesn't apply to you.

 

The advice ''just eat healthy food, you don't need to count calories'' is pure fucking bullshit advice from those who either got OCD by counting macros and calories themselves or someone who was lucky enough to pull it off without counting how much they eat.

 

No disrespect to anyone, just sharing my thoughts.

 

Calorie counting may indeed cause some psychological problems (experienced them myself - I've yet to overcome them) and it's some serious stuff, but if you really want to take everything into your hands and take responsibility for your future instead of taking a leap of faith, then calorie counting is a must.

 

Math>Faith.

[Daniel Shields]

I don't think its responsible to tell a novice teenager that its "pure fucking bullshit" that its ok to follow a whole food, vegetable dominant diet and eat when they're hungry. As you note in your post, overly strict dieting can lead to psychological problems. I expect this is much more likely to be the case for a 16 year old, who surely has a lot of other emotional stress to deal with at that stage of life.

 

If you aspire to walk around with significant mass at single digit bodyfat, it will likely be necessary to start to become much more precise and disciplined with nutrition. That being said, someone diligently executing a solid strength training program supplemented by a bit of cardio and eating a whole food diet without going crazy with butter, fatty seeds, etc. should be able to look, feel, and perform wonderfully without developing any neuroses.

 

So, my own two cents are that I think starting out by focusing on eating a whole food diet and striving to make the bulk of your food vegetables is a great place to start. Once that becomes your default way of eating, then you can start focusing on weighing and measuring, macronutrient ratios, meal timing, etc.

 

I recommend checking out Joshua Naterman's list in this thread:

 

https://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/topic/11122-body-recomposition/

[Jennifer Rodriguez]

This is why it's so important to be careful of the advice you receive on the intertubes.   It's a good way to get a lot of interesting ideas but in the end you have to do your own research. 

 

As a mom, I would say absolutely no way to weighing and measuring for a 16yo. 

 

I would say yes to food quality and nutrient density and to start your research there.

 

The thread Daniel linked above is a good place for you to start.  

[Connor Davies]

I think (since I'm a teen) I should eat whole foods.

That's not just good advice for teenagers you know....

[Jake Lawrance]

Calorie counting and eating when you're hungry should both be considered when starting a new healthy diet. Obviously, eating (just before) when hungry is just important, it saves you from scooping down a bucket of ice cream which is easily accessible, then there's calorie counting for making sure that eating when you're hungry DOES work. Or just lets you know whether you should eat a more or cut down a little bit the next day. After awhile you begin to know how much you need without the counting. That said, if we're going to count calories, then we should be counting carbs, fat and proteins because that's where the calories come from, but unless you're leading up to a competition it would be stupid to be precise everyday. 

 

Conclusion - Approximating how much you're eating when on a whole foods diet is fine. But you may as well do all the maths such as timing and carbohydrate counts around your workout if you want superb 'gains' 

 

Lastly, with the topic of changing diet quickly or too soon, I quote Rich Roll from his book Finding Ultra - 'There's nothing wrong with starting slow. Let go of trying to be perfect right out of the gate. [insert some talk about nutritional info in appendices here]. Maybe avoiding fast food is all you can handle for the first few weeks. That's fine. But after that, try incorporating more plant based meals into your daily rotation. For example, make that beloved chicken breast a small side dish to a plant based entrée until you're ready to let go completely. Next step: Remove the most tempting and unhealthy foods from your fridge and pantry. After that, replace dairy with almond and coconut milk. Small steps such as these will help your mind and body to adapt.' 

I'm not saying go Vegan but it's about slowly progressing to perfect or definitely decent. Young gymnasts didn't train for 6+ hours on their first ever taster session and repeated up for a further 5 days. They built up to it, started with like 1-3 hours a week. 

 

I have examples of me trying to be perfect straight away but this one makes me look like an ass so I'm putting it on here 

 

Jumped into a 10 week fitness tool developed by the Royal Marines, but upped my game on it trying to be even better. Strength training sessions in the morning from half 5 to 7, in the evening a 1 hour circuit with little rest, with the occasional 'sprint' circuit (sprint across football field between sets) AND then after a 1 hour break, go on a 3, 5 or 9 mile run. How far did I get? I was out by week 1 and a half and had a relatively large pig out and rest week and tried to start again. Then it was a constant cycle until I figured that it isn't working. Yes I was a supreme idiot   

 

So take it slowly dude, bit by bit is better than going total kamikaze.

[RickyPaul]

Its a wonderful information about nutrition and no doubt that important reading for everyone.I think everyone should have complete knowledge about nutrition so thanks for this sharing because good nutrition cause good health.

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