Please critique my diet/excercise

[Z1P2]

Ok, I'll start with my goals, pretty simple, to lose 45 lbs of fat and gain 15 lbs of muscle by the end of Febuary. Difficult, yes, and I'll be happy if I only achieve half that. I'm 6'4" and 260 (well, 257 now that I've been doing this for a few weeks), and I'm guestimating around 25% BF since I have a fat gut. So here's my excercise, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I weight train as well as do 60 min cardio routines, so I will call these my on days... the rest of the days I just do 30 mins of light cardio, so I call these days my off days.

Here's my diet plan:

For on days:
Breakfast:1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice of cantalope, 1/4 cup of Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, 2 eggs (whole eggs), 1 piece of toast, 1 slice of blotted bacon, 1/2 cup of Orange juice.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit, lightly coated with protein powder if my workout is in the afternoon, or a powerbar between weight training and cardio if the workout is in the morning.

Lunch: Steamed Broccoli, Tangerine, Salad with 1 tablespoon of regular ranch dressing, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 can of tuna in water, and either 2 Brazil Nuts or 8 almonds

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder if my workout is in the morning, or a powerbar between weight training and cardio if the workout is in the morning.

Snack: PWO protein shake

Dinner: Tilapia, 1 cup of brown rice, 6 asparagus spears, 1/4 of a normal sized zucchini, 1/2 cup cranberry juice

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder


Now for the off days:
Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit, 1 slice of cantalope, 1/4 cup berries, 1 cup oatmeal or cerial, and 1/2 cup orange juice.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder

Lunch: 1/2 cup green beans, 1 piece of fruit, salad with 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing, 1 piece of string cheese, 1 can of brothy soup or 1 cup of brown rice, 1 dark chocolate square.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder

Snack: 1 cup of yogurt or 1 cup of chocolate soy milk

Dinner: 1/8 cup of Tofu & 1/8 cup of Chicken, 1 dinner roll or piece of toast, Salad with 1 tablespoon of ranch dressing, 1/2 cup steamed broccoli, and 1/2 cup of Orange juice.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder




That's the diet... I have several things that I can substitute if I feel like it, but they are roughly equal, like green beans for broccoli, etc. Anyway, let me know how I can tweak it to get some better results please. Now here's my excercise routine: For all weight training I do one set to failure, and if I can do 14 or more of anything, I increment up the weight...

On days:
Weights: MedX Abs, Seated Leg Curl, Hip Abduction, Hip Adduction, Calf, Gluteflexor, Lower back, Lat, Chest press, Squat (or leg press, I alternate), Rear Deltoid, Arm Curl
Cardio: 1 hour on eliptical machine

Off days:
Cardio: 1/2 hour walking on treadmill at home (can't run on it, it's too small, and don't have a good area to run in, also planning to work up to 1 hour, but I'm just getting started with this and the 1/2 hour is still kicking my butt).


That's it... so let me know what you think I could change or do better.
Thanks.

 

[Cynic]

Here's my diet plan:

I'll start with my philosophy:

I tend to recommend a low card protocol for cutting diets and full-body workouts for exercise. Since you have 45lbs to lose, I'd recommend a low carb approach.

For on days:
Breakfast:1/2 grapefruit, 1 slice of cantalope, 1/4 cup of Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries, 2 eggs (whole eggs), 1 piece of toast, 1 slice of blotted bacon, 1/2 cup of Orange juice.

Likely not enough protein and I'd recommend cutting back on that fruit. Don't eliminate the fruit, but don't eat so much in one sitting. Spread it out.

Get rid of the toast, OJ and bacon. Use ham for the meat. Add another egg or have one whle egg and 3/4 cup egg whites.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit, lightly coated with protein powder if my workout is in the afternoon, or a powerbar between weight training and cardio if the workout is in the morning.

This isn't enough for pre workout. You'll need more carbs going into your workout. Try the protein powder in 2 cps milk.

Lunch: Steamed Broccoli, Tangerine, Salad with 1 tablespoon of regular ranch dressing, 1 cup of yogurt, 1 can of tuna in water, and either 2 Brazil Nuts or 8 almonds

Again, not enough of a complete protein source. Use the yogurt for post workout.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder if my workout is in the morning, or a powerbar between weight training and cardio if the workout is in the morning.

See my comment above.

Snack: PWO protein shake

This should come immediately after your workout.

Dinner: Tilapia, 1 cup of brown rice, 6 asparagus spears, 1/4 of a normal sized zucchini, 1/2 cup cranberry juice

I hope this is the PWO meal, which should come within two hours of your workout.

Snack: 1 piece of fruit lightly coated with protein powder

Stop with the protein powder already.

Try to eat more solid food (I don't consider protein powder solid food).

Now for the off days:
Breakfast: 1/2 Grapefruit, 1 slice of cantalope, 1/4 cup berries, 1 cup oatmeal or cerial, and 1/2 cup orange juice.

Not enough protein. Really, your diet shouldn't change except you don't have a PWO shake and less carbs.

On days:
Weights: MedX Abs, Seated Leg Curl, Hip Abduction, Hip Adduction, Calf, Gluteflexor, Lower back, Lat, Chest, Squat (or leg press, I alternate), Rear Deltoid, Arm Curl
Cardio: 1 hour on eliptical machine

Don't alternate between squat and leg press. Stick with the squat. You don't have deadlifts in there.

Skip the adduction and abduction. It's near useless since it's working a tiny muscle. Replace with deadlifts.

Don't bother with isolation exercises. Compound will illicit a greater homronal response.

Stick with Schmidt's basic six:

Squat
Deadlift
Lunge
Push
Pull
Twist

In fact, I'd recommend you pick up "New Rules of Lifting" by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove. I know a lot of people using that book and getting great results (one a 57yr old man close pulling a 400lb deadlift).

Off days:
Cardio: 1/2 hour walking on treadmill at home (can't run on it, it's too small, and don't have a good area to run in, also planning to work up to 1 hour, but I'm just getting started with this and the 1/2 hour is still kicking my butt).

Either eliminate the cardio or switch to HIIT.

 

[Z1P2]

Stick with Schmidt's basic six:

Squat
Deadlift
Lunge
Push
Pull
Twist

Either eliminate the cardio or switch to HIIT.

I will definately check out the book...

And go back over my diet with your advice in mind...

I'm curious, what's the Push, Pull, and Twist? I've heard of Push and Pull routines that should be done on alternating days, is that what you're talking about there?

Also, why eliminate the cardio on the off days while I'm cutting?

 

[Cynic]

Push is any push move: bench press, pushup, etc.
Pull is any pull move: pull-ups/downs, rows, etc.
Twist is essentially ab work.

 

[Z1P2]

Push is any push move: bench press, pushup, etc.
Pull is any pull move: pull-ups/downs, rows, etc.
Twist is essentially ab work.

And you recommend just doing one push move, one pull move, and one twist move per workout? Seems like an awefully short workout...

 

[Cynic]

You are soooo wrong.

Get the book. It'll hand you your azz over and over again.

It takes me two hours from walk-in to walk-out to complete a workout. And it leaves me pretty knackered.