I received this email from a long time follower of the website:
“Hey Josh,
I just wanted to tell you that I’ve read the WLC Program Guide not once but twice, and now that I’m out of school I’ll be starting a new cycle come the beginning of June.
However, I’m having a problem coming up with food choices other than those listed in the WLC guide. Is there a list you can provide that covers everything you eat?
I’ve googled several things (‘raw foods’ ‘organic foods’) but its a tad overwhelming considering there is so much.
I’m hoping to have a wide pallet of foods to choose from but again I’m having some difficulty coming up with new foods that would pass the WLC Program inspection.
Also, on a side note, Ive noticed in some of the organic stores they offer ‘Baked Beans’ and the ingredients seem to check out except for ‘Organic Brown Rice’ which is a no-no on the list but what do you think of this?
Let me know how you’re doing.”
Instead of responding through email, I decided to answer the email here on my new blog. I think the answer will benefit everyone who reads.
Within the WLC Program Guide, you learn that there are several categories of food allowed while you are on the WLC Program:
1) Lean Protein
2) Natural Starchy Carbohydrates
3) Natural Sugary Carbohydrates
4) Natural Fibrous Carbohydrates
5) Essential Fats
So any food that fits into the above categories is perfectly fine to eat on the WLC Program. Within the program, you learn how to combine the foods into meals perfect for building muscle and burning fat.
Let’s look at a few examples of how to choose healthy foods…
Brown Rice. What do you think about brown rice? Brown rice definitely fits into the Natural Starchy Carbohydrates category. Brown rice is perfectly fine to have on the WLC Program.
The only things not allowed on the WLC Program are processed foods. This includes foods at the grocery store that have a long ingredients list filled with junk you’ve never heard of. For example, if you see any of the following ingredients the food is junk and you should pass on it:
Beet Sugar
Brown Sugar
Cane Sugar
Confectioner’s Sugar
Corn Syrup
Demerera
Dextrose
Granulated Sugar
Grape Sugar
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Maltose Corn Syrup
Maltodextrin
Molasses
Muscavado Sugar
Raw Sugar
Refined Sugar
Sucrose
Table Sugar
Turbinado Sugar
White Sugar
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils
You also want to avoid artificial flavors and sweeteners. If the ingredients list is long, it’s probably a processed food. Most natural foods will have one ingredient on the list. For example, organic brown rice will have one ingredient: organic brown rice.
What does all this mean? This means foods like protein bars are junk. Frozen dinners are junk. Wheat crackers are junk. Rice cakes are junk. Pretty much anything in a nice, shiny wrapper or box is junk. Most cereals are junk.
It sounds harsh and it might sound difficult to eat only healthy foods, but really, it isn’t.
Here’s a typical day of eating for me… it’s not difficult and it’s very easy to follow once you get the hang of it:
Meal 1
3 Whole Eggs
2 Whole Grain Wheat Bread
1 Banana
2 Scoops Whey Protein
2 and 1/2 Cups Raw Milk
4 Fish Oil Capsules
Meal 2
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
1 Cup Pineapple
1/4 Cup Walnuts
Meal 3
6 oz Wild Caught Salmon
1/2 Cup Quinoa
1/2 Cup Steamed Broccoli
1/8 Cup Sunflower Seeds
Meal 4
2 Scoops Whey Protein
1/2 Cup Old Fashioned Oats
1 Tbls of Flax Oil
1 Bag Mixed Veggies
Meal 5
6 oz Wild Caught Cod
1 Large Sweet Potato with Cinnamon
1/2 Cup Steamed Squash
1/4 Cup of Peanuts
Meal 6
4 oz Grass Fed Beef
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce
1/2 Cup Spinach
2 Tbls Salsa
See how it’s filled with all natural foods? There are no manufactured and processed foods filled with unhealthy ingredients. All you have to do to find foods that fit the WLC Program are to ask yourself is the food natural? If so, it’s all good for you to eat.
The list of foods included in the WLC Program Guide is an extensive list. Brown rice is included in that list so I’m not sure why you thought brown rice is a no-no. Any type of beans are also great! Many types of baked beans in a can are filled with unhealthy ingredients including a ton of brown sugar. So be careful with those.
Feel free to ask any other questions in the comments section below:
{ 41 comments… read them below or add one }
Yes I was thinking Brown Rice as Brown Sugar, so I just made a mistake, by no fault of my own..
Thanks again Josh
Got ya Kevin. I thought that might have been a mistake. It’s hard to find pre-made baked beans without brown sugar.
Hey Josh,
Im just going to keep this tread going so you dont have to track my emails and create new posts for me.
I had a quick question. Im starting to get in the habit (and struggling) of counting my daily caloric intake. Im having more of a problem finding decent whole foods that compliment the list already given in the WLC program.
However, there are some foods that dont contain caloric info, such as stuff in the produce section. What do you think of using http://www.nutritiondata.com/ as a means for obtaining that missing caloric info. I feel its better than the lists found on Fitday.com
If you play with it for a second do you get the feeling this could be used as a tool for estimating caloric/nutrition info when its unknown?
Thanks again Josh,
-Kevin-
Yes, I’ve actually used that site before. I really like the site, and it works well for getting information on food. Gives you more information than Fitday on each food too. I would definitely approve of that website.
One other quick question Josh. Im trying to find information for egg white thats have been hardboiled. Nutritiondata.com says almost 120 calories for 1 cup of egg whites but other sites report egg whites at 17 calories.
What do you have cataloged for nutrition info for eggs?
You rock Josh
-kev-
Both are correct — it’s just that one is for an entire CUP of egg whites and the other is for a single egg white. It would take about 7 to 8 egg whites to make a cup of egg whites. So, one egg white has about 4 grams of protein or 17 calories.
Josh,
I noticed in the manual, i dont think I saw the manual taking into account the pre and post workout shakes as far as calculating caloric info. The shakes are suppose to go towards our daily caloric intake correct? In addition to our 5 or 6 regular meals..?
Thanks,
-Kev-
Hey Kevin,
One of the strategies within the WLC Program is to use calorie cycling or shifting… which is having a different number of calories each day to keep the body off guard and help you to burn fat continuously… even on a muscle building cycle.
So, to make this easy for you… the calories from the pre and post workout meals make your calorie intake higher for your workout days. Yes, the calories definitely count but will make your workout days have a higher number of calories… those which will go towards building muscle and help you get faster results.
So you should try to get the same amount of calories each day besides the pre and post workout shakes/meals. Do you see what I mean? I can explain further if needed.
Josh,
Can you explain what it means to go to failure. Say Im doing a set of bench presses and Im suppose to get between 6-8 reps in this particular set (say 3rd set). Does this mean I should ‘fail’ at rep 8??? Ive tried to look up a few other definitions but there are conflicting answers, plus I think some people dont even know what it is they’re trying to explain, and I know youre the man for this job.
Thanks
-Kev-
Also,
Im reading the workout secrion and Im a bit confused about the phases although I think I have it Im just second guessing myself.
Each phase takes up an entire WLC cycle correct? For example I’ll be spending about 12 weeks on phase 1? Then after that, a 10 day break then start phase 2 which will last another 12 weeks….Do I have this right?
Thanks,
-Kev-
Josh,
I think my only worry with the rest of the program (which is great by the way) are the supplements. I think I can feel safe with the whey protein but Im concerned with the BCAA’s and waxize maize starch supplements. Ive done some research but I still feel like doing this without the supplements. I would be open to alternatives but I still approach supplemets with a healthy amount of skepticism, even if they are considered safe? Is there any other way I can get my pre and post workout shakes in some other way without the use of supplements? Perhaps just add in small meals in their place ? I know without these supplements it may slow my progress but Im completely fine with that.
Thanks,
-Kevin-
Hey Kevin… definitely — you can use whole foods instead of supplements for pre and post workout.
Real fruit juice is a great option instead of waxy maize. A good juicer will do the trick there. Or you can simply have fruit instead of fruit juice.
As for a replacement for the whey… any lean protein source will do the trick. Real milk is a good option. The digestion process will be slowed but that’s okay.
Supplements will only slightly help your progress.
Yes, you are correct.
Failure is when you can’t do another full rep. For example, let’s say I am pushing as hard as I can on a rep of bench press. I barely make that rep. I would not do another rep because I’m positive I can’t complete another full rep.
Complete failure is when you keep going until the weight is no longer moving at all. In the scenario above, you would try another rep and just keep pushing until the weight is no longer moving at all. I don’t condone this method and it isn’t necessary for building muscle… it’s dangerous too… especially in the bench press scenario. You must have a good spotter to train that way.
The rep ranges of say 6 to 8 are just so you can choose a weight that you can lift for that number of reps. It’s also for choosing weight your next workout. If you reach 8 reps at a given workout, you know you can increase the weight a few pounds and still be in the rep range of 6 to 8.
But I’m not sure where this falls into the WLC Program because I don’t really have many to failure workout programs… can you give me some more insight into the question?
Im looking at phase 1 and the dips require me to ‘fail’
So im doing 3 sets and going to failure on all 3 sets.
So ill do as many dips as possible until I cant do any more. And ill do this for all 3 sets.
Correct?
Yes, that is correct… only on the dips and pull ups. Remember to stop when you know you can’t do another rep. Also, you can stop when the rep speed slows down just to test your recovery abilities. Then, if recovering okay, increase the intensity of those sets and try going to failure. See what I mean? You know you’re recovering properly if you’re getting slightly better each time you do the exercise.
Josh,
So despite me being unable to plan meals properly Ive come up with 2 different food schedules. One for workout days and one for off days. Ive uploaded them and was wondering if you could make any suggestions. Im starting phase 1 on June 14th so I have phase 1 logs printed and Im still trying to figure out how and when to cook my meals.
Im thinking of cooking an entire week’s worth of food on Saturday when I have a free day. But how do you do it?
If you get a chance just let me know what you think of my 2 food schedules and how you go about cooking. Do you do it everyday just on the whim or do you prep it the night before? Or do you cook an entire’s weeks worth of food in one day? How do you do it?
http://img19.imageshack.us/i/workoutdays.jpg/ WORKOUT DAY
http://img693.imageshack.us/i/offday.jpg/ OFFDAY
And in the meantime Im reading Starting Strength.
Thanks Josh
Just a thought, I think my carbs may be too high for my off days (and perhaps days for workouts). I set Fat intake at 10% but I have a feeling youre going to suggest it be higher, I just want to limit fat buildup while im trying to gain muscle mass.
Although Im also keeping in mind that one workout days I’ll also be doing medium cardio so perhaps thats justification for the extra carbs.
I have a feeling Im going to get a hard lesson in calorie cycling.
Plus, since Im not doing supplements Im doing just regular food meals as my pre and post workout meals. Hopefully this sounds correct to you:
5 regular meals per day
2 ‘other small’ meals for pre and post workout meals. (complex carbs and protein)
On off days I just drop those 2 other ’small meals’
Hey Kevin,
You read my mind =)
I would add some more good fats to the plan and get rid of some of the carbs to make up the difference and keep the calories the same. Trust me… good fats will only help you — they will help raise your testosterone levels and create the optimal muscle building environment. You need carbs too so don’t cut them back too far. Just try to hit about 20% of your calories from good fats.
Yes, you have that correct… just delete the 2 smaller meals on your off days. And remember, they don’t have to be smaller meals after your workout either. When I am really trying to gain muscle mass fast, I pack myself full of food for a few hours after the workout. Actually, to the point of being uncomfortable. But all the foods are healthy foods.
Here’s what I usually do for my meals… my wife really helps me out.
Meal 1: Usually have scrambled eggs, whole grain toast, milk, and why protein along with a piece of fruit. I just wake up a little earlier than normal to fix the eggs and eat the meal.
Meal 2: Not much preparation. Some cottage cheese, fruit, nuts, and veggies… or something similar that doesn’t take much prep time.
Meal 3: This is around lunch time. We usually cook more for dinner the previous night so I have extra for lunch the next day.
Meal 4: Another meal that doesn’t require much cooking or preparation time… similar the meal 2. Maybe some yogurt, protein shake with oats, fish oil, nuts. Something like that.
Meal 5: A quick meal after I get home from work. If we have something left from a previous dinner I might eat that here. Sometimes we fix larger quantities at dinner so we have extra to eat. Or this might be a turkey or chicken sandwich with tomatoes, veggies, and some nuts.
Meal 6: This is dinner that requires some cooking and prep time. We’ve been grilling out a lot lately which is fun and doesn’t take a whole lot of time. We like cutting up potatoes, adding a little butter, and wrapping them up in foil with some onions. We make up some lean beef hamburgers with some seasoning and then add some steamed veggies to the meal. We also have a salad on the side sometimes too. We get rid of the potatoes if we’re trying to lose fat.
That’s what a typical day looks like for me. Sometimes we boil a bunch of eggs for the week but we don’t fix a lot of food early. But that’s because my wife helps me out a lot. Hope this helps you out some.
Josh,
What are your opinions on Peant Butter while on the WLC program. I dont think I recall it being on the list but the organic kind I have here does have high calories and lots of fat but its also packed with the healthy fats (mono and poly).
What do you think?
So Ive been figuring out how many calories I need a day to maintain my constant body weight. Ive done my weight which is 160×12% for body fat and come up with 140 ‘Lean Mass.’ So, 370+(9.82)(140) x (1.55) for activity level gives me 2700 calories. So Ive come up with a new meal plan for workout days for 3050 calories.
The macro levels are Fat 17%, Protein, 27% and Carbs 56%.
That 3050 calories includes my pre and post workout meals so on off days Im going to knock it down to about 2800 calories for off days. Does this sound better than my last plan?
Definitely have natural peanut butter. It’s very good for you — only the natural type, though.
Kevin, yes… that sounds much better. That’s a good plan.
Remember to measure your progress each week and raise the calories when needed. That’s very important.
When you gain muscle, you must continue to increase the amount of food you eat. For example, you are still a little low on fat intake so you can easily add peanut butter, nuts, and other good fats that are easy to add when it’s time to up the calories.
I just noticed my grams is also a little off. the Basic WLC diet calls for 375g at 3000 calories of carbs but mine clocks in at 440. I think I’ll have to readjust my diet a bit. I dont want that extra 40g or so to mess me up.
My goodness I never thought food planning would be this much work
Thanks again Josh
You are at about 59% carbs for your diet… the numbers do not have to be perfect but they should be in the ballpark. That’s actually not bad… just decrease carbs slightly and you’ll be right on track.
Josh,
What are good food sources of BCAA’s? Im coming up with a pre workout shake since Ive decided against supplements. Any suggestions that might help?
Also the pre and post workout shakes should be about 200 calories each?
so 400 for the both shakes?
Thanks again
BCAA’s = raw form of protein … the building blocks of protein. So any lean protein source will work … milk will be fine.
I would go for about 20-30 grams of protein and 40-50 grams of carbohydrates. Then increase that over the weeks if needed to gain more.
Josh,
I need a favor which I think will help get me off your back lol;)
Can you send me your log of foods that you eat everyday? Maybe for like a month, I think this will help and put an end to my struggle with coming up with meals.
Im one week into my Phase 1 and Ive got to say Ive been really happy with the Rippetoe videos and the starting strength book you recommended. My only struggle is with my new job and Im still trying to find a system where I can workout (shooting for 5am-ish) and come home and prepare the next day’s meals.
Its overwhelming at times so Im calling upon any advice you can offer.
Thanks man,
-Kev-
Josh,
Weird question. Say peanut butter is 200 calories for 2tbsp. Lets say I only want 1Tbsp would I just cut all the nutrition info in half? Does it work that way?
Have a good holiday,
Kev
Yes. Just divide the number by 2 for calories, protein, carbs, and fat.
Josh,
I am re-reading the WLC manual just for more info but I cant remember if you had carb cycling as a recommendation for muscle building cycles? I know its popular for fat loss but was there a section for muscle bulding?
Thanks
Kev
PS- Hope you enjoyed your 4th
Also, I noticed when I take out my pre and post workout meals for my off days I lose about 400 calories. I do believe this to be correct? Im just going by the on and off day charts in the manual.
Thanks again
Definitely not for muscle building cycles. Carb cycling should be used only during fat loss cycles.
Yes, that is correct. This allows you to use a form of calorie cycling.
Josh,
Ive become a total miser about form. Ive watched the Rippetoe videos more times then I care to count. These videos show proper form and how to do each exercise.
My question for you is how do I perfect my form? Its a little hard to judge yourself. you kind of need another person’s opinion to see if youre doing it right but few people I feel know how do do these exercises properly.
Any ideas or suggestions to perfect my form besides the ‘practice makes perfect’ gig?
Also, where should I be on intensity? Can you give a little more info on how intense my Pahse 1 workouts should be?
Thanks again,
Enjoy your weekend Josh.
Also, what do you think of Honey Nut Cheerios by themselves, with no milk? Too highly processed for your liking? I was thinking of just sprinkling a few on my yogurt…
Also, on the food database’ tab in the excel file what do we enter for saturated fat?
So what if a particular food has 10g of fat and 4g of sat fat what would I enter?
Josh,
Ive noticed that I have a weak grip on chin ups, then again I do palms facing away. Any suggestions to correct this?
How have you been lately?
Kev
You should work on your grip when doing the weighted back stretch … try to hold onto the bar for a longer period of time each workout. If you really want to work your back during chin ups without worrying about your grip, use wrist straps. Then you can work on your grip when you are hanging from the bar for your stretching.
Been pretty good… did you get my email responses to your questions. I sent you an email not too long ago.
Yes I intend to mess around with the foods this week, see if I can change a few things around for a week or so.
Any suggestions on my comment above about form? Ive noticed my form has taken a small hit with the increase of the weights. I think Im going to wait to progress in heavier weight until I can get flawless form with that given weight.
I wont wait too long though I know I have to increase. Also, any suggestions on watching form? Im currently reading starting strength and watching the rippetoe videos on how to perform certain exercises. And Rip really seems to know his shit!
Hey Josh,
Hope all is well. I wanted to ask a big favor. I have a few concerns to address, would you be able to find time in your extremely busy to do a Q and A with me for about 20-25 minutes using like AIM or Skype? I know this is an odd request but Im still struggling with some things on the program and I just feel with your knowledge you could put those concerns to rest.
Please let me know if you are available at some point in the future to address these concerns.
Thanks for all you do,
Kevin
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