Here is an anonymous e-mail that will help all of you - I answered the person directly...but his question will definitely help a lot of you - please check it out:
[from anonymous]
Hello there!
I've been reading some in your topic about the training and stuffs,
so what i wanna do is start training and lose some weight,
but my problem is that i dont eat vegatables and fruits and shit..
do i even got a chance to lose weight and build muscles without all those vitamins and stuffs ?
hmm, would be glad if you answered me
best regards
[anonymous]
Hey there - vegetables and fruits (although rich in vitamins and nutrients) don't really have much with growing muscularly.
Muscles are built with three primary things -
Protein (which is made up of peptide bonds called amino acids which are the building blocks of muscle) - get at least 1gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.
Carbohydrates/Sugars (Carbs convert to sugar which raises your insulin levels etiher a little or a lot depending on the type of carb you eat. Simple carbs like white bread, white rice, sugar, etc give more insulin whereas complex carbs like vegetables and whole grains barely raise any insuling at all. After a workout, eating simple carbs or simple sugars will spike insulin -> result in increased protein synthesis -> and stimulate an anabolic reaction in the body. Insulin is actually the most anabolic of all the hormones produced in the body.) - You want to take in about 20-30 g simple carbs/sugar after a workout. You also want to eat complex carbohydrates throughout the day to sustain energy level and maintain anabolism. Eat at least 1.5g carbs per pound of bodyweight.
Fat/Cholesterol (Fats that contain high levels of cholesterol but relatively low levels of saturated fat will not only help you burn fat, increase metabolism, and improve anabolic response - but cholesterol actually acts just like a steroid in the body. I'm not saying to go hog wild here, but anywhere between 60-100g of good fats from sources like fish, olive oil, nuts, dairy, and avocados as well as between 500-1000mg of cholesterol per day which can be found richly in sources like dairy, red meat, and eggs.
Now once you have these 3 things in order - make sure you're getting enough calories. To give you an idea....an average 18 yr old man with a medium build at 6'0 200 lbs would require at LEAST 2,500 calories each day just to sustain metabolism with mild activity. Add 500 calories for High Level of activity (2 hours of exercise per day). Figure 100 calories less or more for each 10 lbs of bodyweight. In addition consider the bodytype. Hardgainers (people who are very skinny and can't gain weight) need to take in about 500-1,000 calories more than they burn each day. The opposite, typically known as Endomorphic - gains fat easily. For this bodytype, reduce 300-500 calories per day than what is required + burned.
Eat clean, don't pig out on fast foods and low quality crap. Eat good wholesome foods, and keep your sodium levels intact - no more than 2.5-3K mg per day. Avoid soda and dessert items unless its right after a workout.
Exercise is next - you are going to want to get at least 1-2 hours of strength training each day. For Endomorphs or people looking to go on a cutting cycle, do an addition 30-60 mins of cardio each day for a total of 1.5 - 3 hours total workout each day. These workouts can be split into two smaller workouts - one cardio and one strength training. Or two Stregnth training if you are a hardgainer or on a bulking cycle. Try to workout at least 5 days a week. However, do not work out more than 5 days on without at least 2 days off. To combat this, you can either do 2 days on 1 day off, or 5 days on 2 days off.
Lastly is supplementation. Whey Protein shakes are perfect before and after a workout for direct protein synthesis to the muscle groups. Also a casein protein shake before bed helps build and sustain muscle while you sleep as well as maintaining a healthy metabolism.
Multivitamins are essential for everyone regardless of goal - it helps to supply your body with the essential vitamins that we don't get from eating regular food.
Other supplements are great to look into, but not necessary for you at this moment. Here is a list of some supps that you can research if you are ever interested:
Creatine (try not to use until you have worked out for at least a year so you can judge if it works for you or not - creatine seems to work for about 60-70% of people who try it...but the only way to surely know is after at least a solid year of experience)
ZMA
HMB
Omega 3-6-9
Chromium Piccolinate
Enzymes
Glucosamine + Condroiton + MSM
L-Glutamine
Forskholii
Jet-fuel/Lipo-6/Atrophex
Munuca Purlens
GABBA
Ok hope this helps!!