The Advice -- Part 2

I had someone ask me about some tips for improving his eating habits while starting to work out. He works a night shift from around 3:00pm to 1:00am so his meal timing was very different from a typical 9 to 5'er... however, the goals remain the same.


Here's his current routine:
I go to bed at around 4-5 AM (I work till 1:00 AM)
I wake up at around 9 AM and down a bowl of cereal, just to get some food in me, then I go back to bed.
I wake up again at 2PM and eat 2 scrambled eggs and wash it down with either Orange Juice or Milk with the breakfast shake in it before heading to work.
At 5:30 I eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich
At 7:30 I eat whatever I feel like eating, Subway, Wendy's whatever I'm in the mood for
At 10:00 I eat something small like grapes to tide me over till I get home
Then at 1:00 AM I eat dinner, and lately it's been chicken or fish.
That's my eating schedule pretty much, I've been trying to fit more food into my day.


And my response:
So let's start with the nutrition part:
It's good that you're eating that frequently just because you're body needs constant fuel.
- I'd probably say that unless you're prepping for a bodybuilding contest you really don't need to wake up halfway through your sleep to eat (unless you're starving). When you're working out you're body needs uninterrupted sleep to recover from the stress you're placing on it. Waking up halfway through disrupts that.
- You're 2pm breakfast is good. I'd stick with milk and add a couple pieces of toast for additional carbs. Extra protein from the milk is good. You always have the option of adding egg whites to your scrambled eggs to get more protein.
- peanut butter and jelly is one of my faves. Again addition protein and carbs is key. Start by adding a glass of milk and maybe some fruit. To be honest, one of the things i ate when i really started putting on weight was peanut butter and banana sandwiches with milk to wash it down.
- Subway and Wendy's have good choices as long as you're staying away from the fatty stuff. Double up on the meat with things like their turkey and ham subs for extra protein. Wendy's has a great chili that's super cheap.
- the grapes is good for a snack but this is where the protein shake comes in useful. This is the perfect time to have it as you're supplementing your existing meal plan like we outlined above. (Notice how you're getting the majority of your calories from whole foods and not relying on the protein supplement). You can also use the protein powder after you work out. Just remember that carbs are just as important (if not more important) than protein after your workout.


I always tell my clients to incorporate small changes and it'll help you maintain it over the long haul instead of trying to change everything up at once. that's why i mentioned that you really don't need the snack halfway through your sleep. Ur probably better off without it (again... unless you're starving).

The Advice --- Not a Mr. Knowitall

So my cousin (Cousin's husband actually) recently msg'd me on facebook asking about some workout and diet (sorry... i should say "nutrition") tips. He's a mid 20's thin build guy looking to bulk up but hasn't been in the training game for long. Now I'm not saying I'm an expert by any means but I do try to offer unbiased advice as much as I can and always promote a natural, predominantly whole foods approach where possible. Here's what I suggested:

Hey Cuzz! Yah man I can definitely help out. Let me know what you're doing for meals. You'll need to bump up ur overall caloric intake but make sure they're quality calories from lots of whole foods. Try to stay away from refined foods. Lots of carbs (oatmeal, potatoes, brown and basmati rice) and protein and a moderate amount of healthy fats (from things like olive oil, eggs, nut butters, etc).

Protein should come from lean sources like chicken, fish, and definitely beef (high in B vitamins and for some reason it really helps kick up ur testosterone). Make sure ur taking a good quality multivitamin too.

Since ur starting out i'd say stay away from spending ur money on protein and weight gain supplements. They're great for helping to put on weight but i personally think they should only be used once you've got ur real meal plan on track. If u go to a (insert big retail "nutrition" store name here) i guarantee they'll try to sell u everything under the sun promising to help you gain weight but trust me... they work on commission and want to make the sale (i should know... i used to work there. haha)

With regards to weight training, stick with heavy compound movements and make sure ur doing the movements properly before adding more weight. Lots of guys starting out try to do too many fancy moves they see the bigger guys doing but they forget about the basics. Base ur workouts around bench press, squats, and deadlifts and i promise you'll notice a difference in ur strength right away. Dude i've been training for almost 20 years (damn i feel old!) and i still do those movements. If you want, email me ur current workout schedule and i'll take a look at.

This is kinda the tip of the iceberg so let me know if you have any questions and i'd be happy to help out. Also keep me updated with ur progress!

The Diesel Shake

Having the name Vinny (or Vin) friends have sometimes nicknamed me after a certain actor for whatever crazy reasons. I figured that instead of naming this delicious morning breakfast the typical "Power Shake" or "Breakfast Shake" I would get a little more creative and hence, "The Diesel Shake" was born!

The shake consists of all natural ingredients with no refined sugars. It packs a healthy caloric punch with just under 300 calories (Carbs - 29 grams, Protein - 23 grams, Fat - 10 grams)

The fat may seem like a shock to you but remember that we're using all natural peanut butter which contains no added fat... only healthy fats provided by the peanut oil (no trans fats, very little saturated fats and heart healthy unsaturated fats).

You'll get great source of protein from the cottage cheese, peanut butter and yogurt. The yogurt also provides you with acidophilis (healthy bacteria that keeps your digestive system strong).

The strawberries and baby spinach give you a powerful dose of antioxidants. These antioxidants help you body battle free radicals (little evil oxygenated molecules that float around your body attacking your cells; also linked to cancer, aging and other diseases).

1 cup - strawberries
2 tbsp - 2% plain yogurt
1 tbsp - all natural peanut butter
1/2 cup - low fat cottage cheese
1 handful of baby spinach

Put the strawberries in the blender with just enough water to blend it. Add the baby spinach and let the blender run for about 30 seconds. Finally add the peanut butter, yogurt and cottage cheese and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

The Intro

Hey Everybody,

Thanks for stopping by. This is my first attempt at blogging so feel free to drop me a line on your thoughts on the posts and suggestions for improvements.

I'm planning, with this blog, to relay information and ideas on different areas of mens' lifestyle such as fitness and nutrition, fashion, travel, money, and any other areas that may come up.

All this from a simple guy with a passion for fitness coupled with a corporate sales background that was diagnosed with Celiac Allergy years ago (who ironically enjoyed a good slice of pizza) after travelling to Barcelona. Basically a guy trying to get his hustle on.

Stay sharp and stay tuned!

Vinny