How can I improve my weekly food/workout routine? Details inside

[Clean PG]

I've kept a very steady nutrition and workout plan for the past year or so and i often try to switch things up to avoid hitting a plateau. Sadly, i think i've reached that point. I was hoping someone could offer some input about what i might be able to change in regards to what i eat or what i do with my workouts to get past this. i've made big improvements from a year ago in terms of losing body fat and building muscle and i want to keep improving. i'm not trying to build a LOT of muscle, but i guess it'd be the typical "i want to lose a some more body fat and add on muscle as well". any help would be greatly appreciated

What I eat on a normal day:
2500 calories
170g protein
55g fat
350g carbs

Breakfast:
1/2cup Trail Mix (raisins and various nuts, little dark chocolate)
2 servings plain Animal Crackers

Lunch:
Cereal with 1/2cup Skim Milk (usually sugary stuff, i'm trying to work on eating healthier cereal)
2 slices toast with Peanut Butter
1cup OJ

Post-workout Snack:
Banana
Protein Shake (8oz water + 1 scoop whey protein)

Dinner:
Ravioli (something that usually includes a noodle for carbs but also meat like beef or chix)
1cup frozen vegetables
1serving of sun chips or wheat thins
Apple

8pm Snack:
Apple or Yogurt
Protein Shake (8oz water + 1 scoop whey protein)


My workout routine:
Mon/Wed/Fri -->
1) 10min abs workout similar to THIS video
2) 4 sets of butterflies (chest workout)
3) hi-intensity cardio which consists of 4 sets, resting 30 seconds between each set: sprinting with high knees (30sec), mountain climbers (30sec), up-downs (30sec), sprinting with high knees again (30sec)

Tues/Thurs (3 sets of each lift is done to failure with 30sec rest between each set, i'm also using weights that put me in the 7-14rep range for each set) -->
1) standing bicep curls
2) tricep dips
3) hip lifts (not done to failure but instead just 15 reps each, i do these to keep my back loose)
4) kneeling dumbell rows
5) forearm tyson shakers
6) hi-intensity cardio which consists of 3 sets, resting 30 seconds between each set: sprinting with high knees (30sec), mountain climbers (30sec), then sprinting with high knees (30sec)

[spoolin215]

First and foremost you eat WAY too many carbs, and not nearly enough fat.

Your workout is completely useless. Absolutely useless. You can check out the FAQ for some info there (although it's a bit strength oriented). A program that I've recommended hundreds of times is Power Training by Robert Dos Remeidos. It's well balanced, fun, educational, etc...

[Clean PG]

if i'm overeating on carbs do you have any recommendations on what i could substitute in place of some of the other things that may give me a higher fat intake and lower carbs? thanks for the workout tip, i'm definitely game for a change of pace so i'll be sure and check that out. any additional info from others would be great

[miscbrah]

not a single dead animal in your diet? wtf.

[Clean PG]

not a single dead animal in your diet? wtf.

that's usually dinner. like i said i'll have something along the lines of beef-filled ravioli, or make a chix/rice, fish/rice, steak, burgers, etc etc. trust me, i love eating dead animals i just do it only once a day

[spoolin215]

if i'm overeating on carbs do you have any recommendations on what i could substitute in place of some of the other things that may give me a higher fat intake and lower carbs? thanks for the workout tip, i'm definitely game for a change of pace so i'll be sure and check that out. any additional info from others would be great

eat like this guy

[Clean PG]

^^ that's a great video. really touches base on a lot of my "fears" when it comes to eating. i definitely have some stuff to address

[Papa Dras]

Agree with Spoolin, the diet and workout are worthless for your goals. If you want to start slower and adjust your current diet while you change it, I would do this:

No hippy breakfast. Make some eggs (substitute egg whites for an extra egg if you want) and throw it on some whole grain toast with cheese. Or eat some meat. Just add more protein and fat and less carbs.

Lunch- get rid of that crap cereal. Again, more carbs. Eat some chicken, fish, tuna on crackers. Maybe some pasta added with a veggie. Doesn't have to be bland, marinate the meat or use a rub.

Stop using water with your protein shake. Use milk or soy milk if you don't like regular.

Your dinner looks fine to me.

The workout I would just stop altogether. I'd start doing full body workouts, or at the very least, focus on only compound movements. Leave the isolation stuff to the bodybuilders, newbs, and hangover days when you need to go to the gym but are feeling lazy.

[shortys7777]

Ill just throw out there the built for show workout. pretty set forward only lift 3 days a week. Throw in some interval training on other days. Im as strong as ive ever been and the workouts change so its not the same old stuff everyday.

[dslocum]

I do powerlifting but any one can do this diet. If what you are about to eat is packaged and processed stay away but if the food was once alive, came out of the ground or picked from a tree eat it. Granite I am trying to gain size I just constantly eat by that rule to keep my matabolism going and by always feeding your body you'll have more energy and it can help loose fat and gain size/tone

[Papa Dras]

did you get a new screen name, Chilledman?

[Clean PG]

No hippy breakfast. Make some eggs (substitute egg whites for an extra egg if you want) and throw it on some whole grain toast with cheese. Or eat some meat. Just add more protein and fat and less carbs.

changing up what i eat i know i can handle and thanks for bringing that to my attention. but getting myself to stomach a decent amount of food in the morning is going to be a challenge. i usually wake up at 630am and shower and get to work by 7. i bring food with me because i have no appetite until about 8, my stomach actually hurts if i try and eat first thing (but maybe i'm just being a wuss ). this tends to limit what i eat for breakfast because i cant whip something hot up on the stove when i'm at work. however, i know there's a plethora of recipes floating around for on-the-go protein so i'll do some googling and see what will work for me. thanks

also, thanks everyone for the workout ideas. what i failed to mention in my first post was i workout at home with a set of free weights, so that's my limitation. but i know there's a ton of compound exercises that can be done and different ways to use a dumbell to give me plenty of options for the types of lifting i could do. any in particular that you could initially recommended while i search around? am i at least on the right track with the "lift until failure" and picking weights to put me in the 7-14 rep range idea or is that logic flawed?

[XiaoNio]

Seconding shortys,

I think the book Built for Show is great for your average guy just looking to get into working out. It's a good guideline to get you into exercises, programs, rep schemes and diet. It also has a bit more of a fitness/appearance bias than you'll find here.

$15
http://www.amazon.com/Built-Show-Bod.../dp/1583333193

As a general guideline, I like these:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ten-w...#axzz1sEiVzeZ4
1. Move long distances slowly
2. Move short distances as quickly as possible
3. Pick up and put down heavy things
4. Stop eating grains and sugars
5. Eat more meat and fish
6. Eat more berries and vegetables
7. Drink water
8. Sleep better

If you can get these together, you're probably doing okay.

[miscbrah]

Seconding shortys,

I think the book Built for Show is great for your average guy just looking to get into working out. It's a good guideline to get you into exercises, programs, rep schemes and diet. It also has a bit more of a fitness/appearance bias than you'll find here.

$15
http://www.amazon.com/Built-Show-Bod.../dp/1583333193

As a general guideline, I like these:
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/ten-w...#axzz1sEiVzeZ4
1. Move long distances slowly
2. Move short distances as quickly as possible
3. Pick up and put down heavy things
4. Stop eating grains and sugars
5. Eat more meat and fish
6. Eat more berries and vegetables
7. Drink water
8. Sleep better

If you can get these together, you're probably doing okay.

Xiao, is this something you've changed with your diet? How do you feel with no grains?

[XiaoNio]

Xiao, is this something you've changed with your diet? How do you feel with no grains?

Eh, it's something I'm trying to aspire to, but I'm not going to say I'm super strict with that. As an Asian I'm probably somewhat carb tolerant so... But I was pretty strictly doing rice and potatoes as my only starches last spring and felt pretty good so there's that.

I buy into the idea that some people are more grain sensitive than others. I'm not sure about individual penetrance though. I will eating without grains eliminates a lot of unhealthy/dirty foods, so it can generally help with eating cleaner.