A good (cheap) meal plan more focused on toning?

I tried looking for a better thread to post this in, but none seemed really ideal for my question.

To put it best, my main goals in how i eat will be cost (i will be living alone) and convenience (toasted cheese or ham sandwiches would be the type of cooking i'd enjoy, as its very easy). My main goals for exercising isnt to bulk up with muscle (as the protein required would be more expensive and i would only be able to do body weight exercises due to space at home and costs), but to be more toned with a flatter stomach (no "gut" that sticks out with flab).

This is what i eat right now:
Breakfast: Two pieces of (Coles Brand) White Bread with (Woolies Brand) "Lite" Peanut Butter
Lunch: Two pieces of Weet Bix (usually sanitarium) in Milk
Dinner: Pasta and Mince (with peas, corn, etc), Meat such as sausages or rissoles or steakettes with mashed potatoes and peas, Stirfry, etc
Coffee: 2 teaspoons of Instant Coffee Granules (Woolies Brand) in Milk

I dont use any sugar and the Milk i use is generally Devondale UHT Milk. I also microwave food often (ie: i'll have 3 nights of Pasta made up and ill reheat it in the microwave for the 2nd and third nights).

I know that is terrible and probably shameful, but thats why i've come for advice. My plan with exercising will be mostly focused on Skipping (with a rope), Star Jumps and Dancing....so my eating would need to best reflect that (which is why i dont intend to use any protein drinks, but i am happy to eat more vegetables and fruit).

I try and read up on this stuff myself and it just overwhelms me. Or i just find information that is more suited to building muscle or just having far lower calorie intakes. I want to be fit and toned.

Firstly, what is your height, age, weight, and weight training program?

Tuna is cheap, esp the Homebrand, Woolies stuff.

Also need gender.

I thought all trolls were male???

By the way protein isnt just for people trying to build muscle. Its great in helping people lose weight. plus your body needs it. Doesnt sound to me like your eating enough either

The type of dancing you are doing could make a big difference with results.
Which kind do you do?

Some of that Russian style pistol squat type dancing would smash your quads.
Or street dance should give you a really toned upper body.

Good thing you mentioned you do skipping (with a rope), only schoolgirls do the other type of skipping.

Good luck with your goals.

Morgan said:

I thought all trolls were male???

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Everyone's now a troll? Don't like the post, troll.

if you checked his history he posted something similar last year, I guess he didn't get the advice he was after.

megaphoenix said:

My diet is pretty much the following every day:
Breakfast = 4 Weet Bix, Two pieces of white bread toast (with peanut butter) and coffee
Lunch = 100g of Pasta
Dinner = various vegetables and meats
Snack = 50g of Peanuts
After Workout Drink = 2 Eggs, 250ml of Milk, 25g of Powdered Milk and a serving of AST Sports Science VP2 (all mixed in one drink). The rest is water.

I rarely eat any "actual" junk food (like chocolate or biscuits) and if i eat anything not listed here, its usually a few rolls with either peanut butter or sliced meat.

Considering im at the point where im now lifting 8kg free weights, is there anything seriously wrong with my diet? my protein intake is just over 100g and i also take creatine before my workout.

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Calculate your calorie requirements for your goal. Use this tool - LBM: Body Weight Simulator

Ensure you are meeting minimum protein intake 2.2g/kg and fat intake 0.85g/kg. The rest of your calories can come from what ever you (carbs or protein or fats or a mixture) like and whatever supports your exercise performance the best. See link - http://www.emma-leigh.com/basics_calorie_needs.html

Eat the food in which you like and help you meet your requirements the best, see link The Dirt on Clean Eating | Wannabebig FYI, Whole foods>supplements.

Diet generator - http://swole.me/

vatiety is key, and if you buy smart you can save, Lean to cook mate and enjoy it, You will thank yourself having awsome healthy food to fuel your body everyday that you look forward to eating, Food is nubmer 1

toning


and TLDR

LMD1234 said:

Firstly, what is your height, age, weight, and weight training program?

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oh damn, knew i forgot something to add:
Height = 180cm
Age = 25
Weight = 75kg
Gender = Male
Weight Training = i wont be doing any actual "weights", but i can do body weight exercises. Based on whats available, push ups would be the most likely.

I'm also aware i need protein, but i believe from what i have read, i dont "require" anything like noticeable supplements of it with a goal more based on reducing body fat and increasing toning (and not building a lot of strength and muscle)

The type of Dancing i do is actually sometimes the russian squat dancing oddly enough. It's basically copying dance moves that are high cardio (in other words, less macarena and more Maniac from Flash Dance).

Shrek said:

if you checked his history he posted something similar last year, I guess he didn't get the advice he was after.

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yeah my advice then was good and helpful, i just had circumstances arise and i lost track of it. I think i may have had a more superficial reason back then too, while now its strictly slimming down around my waist and thighs and being healthier with how fit i am and how i eat.


To reach goals such as that though, is there anything specifically "negative" about the food im already eating? Since i am pretty uneducated in things, i have assumed this might be a good plan that would meet a "healthy diet" need that wont make things more difficult in maintaining a healthy lifestyle:

Breakfast: What i'm having now, but both the weetbix and toast at the same meal
Lunch: Small dish of rice or pasta or a white bread sandwich (no butter) with a slice of cheese or ham
Snack: Salada or Cruskit with a few slices of cucumber or celery (or an apple) with some unsalted nuts (walnuts or almonds)
Dinner: similar to what i have been having which is very often the "meat and two veggies" dish.

That sounds low fat and good with protein, but after a long period of obviously thinking "bad" with my eating, i may not be the best judge there. I know theres some foods i dont eat (i cant stand fish, brocolli, eating eggs, etc), but with that "menu", is there anything notable im missing such as too little amounts or too much of a focus?

I do apologize i ask stupid questions, i just believe this is the best place to ask with the most amount of people that are educated enough on the subject to help.

Not stupid questions, all questions are good questions.

See post # 9 (my last post) and it has ALL your answers

oh i didnt see that new link before, between that and some of the other advice, its making a bit more sense now.

Just to be sure though, would (Home Brand, because of cost) food such as Cruskits, Saladas, Peanut Butter (on toast) be seen as "acceptable"?

I think im just a little worried as i think in the past i thought noodles were a good thing, but i dont believe that was actually accurate lol.

One more thing (which i guess might not be the place to ask though), If i did my cardio exercise within an hour before going to sleep, would i need to adapt any eating plans? Or would it just make far more sense to do the cardio exercise much earlier in the day? I work overnights, so i cant really choose "middle of the day" as a time.

Crackers have no nutritional value. Have you not learned anything?

megaphoenix said:

oh i didnt see that new link before, between that and some of the other advice, its making a bit more sense now.

Just to be sure though, would (Home Brand, because of cost) food such as Cruskits, Saladas, Peanut Butter (on toast) be seen as "acceptable"?

I think im just a little worried as i think in the past i thought noodles were a good thing, but i dont believe that was actually accurate lol.

One more thing (which i guess might not be the place to ask though), If i did my cardio exercise within an hour before going to sleep, would i need to adapt any eating plans? Or would it just make far more sense to do the cardio exercise much earlier in the day? I work overnights, so i cant really choose "middle of the day" as a time.

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As long as you do/have met your MICRONUTRIENT (Vitamins and Minerals plus getting fibre (40 odd grams per day) to keep things 'moving') and MACRONUTRIENT (Protein and Fats. Carbohydrates ARE NON ESSENTIAL) food choice is essentially irrelevant for body composition. Simply pick foods that you like and that help you achieve your dietary requirements.

FYI meal timing/frequency is irrelevant and is of personal preference. High or low meal frequency has NO metabolic advantages over one or the other. Consuming your daily required nutrients is far more important that nutrient timing/frequency.

Hey Max are there any rough guidelines for getting enough micronutrients. I know eat a decent amount and range of fruit, veggies and meats ect.

Just want to be able to maximise my choc ice cream intake without cutting myself short on micronutrients.

megaphoenix said:

Breakfast: What i'm having now, but both the weetbix and toast at the same meal
Lunch: Small dish of rice or pasta or a white bread sandwich (no butter) with a slice of cheese or ham
Snack: Salada or Cruskit with a few slices of cucumber or celery (or an apple) with some unsalted nuts (walnuts or almonds)
Dinner: similar to what i have been having which is very often the "meat and two veggies" dish.

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If i was you i would substitute some of your carbohydrates such as your pasta or white bread for either whole wheat bread or better still some oatmeal. It is still cheap but will have less effect on blood sugar, therefore allowing for less fat storage.

also if you are looking for cheap protein eggs and tuna are a good choice. You can also shop around for websites such as this - one of the site sponsors

if you buy the 20kg bag of protein it might cost $250 to begin with but that will last you 2 years basically which equals around $2.50 a week for protein. you could then substitute breakfast and a snack for a shake.However its only a suggestion

You also mentioned working out with just body weight exercises. If you hunt around the internet there are a lot of fantastic body weight exercises and routines to do. Dont think that if you dont have weights you cant get a decent work out in.

Bazza20 said:

Hey Max are there any rough guidelines for getting enough micronutrients. I know eat a decent amount and range of fruit, veggies and meats ect.

Just want to be able to maximise my choc ice cream intake without cutting myself short on micronutrients.

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As a massive generalization, if you are eating 500-600 gram mix of veg and fruit as well as 600-700 grams of meat, a couple of eggs and some dairy (acquire Ice-cream lol) you should have all your needs covered quite easily.

A good explanation -

The body stores of vitamins vary from one individual to another according to the general state of nutrition and health. The stores of the fat-soluble vitamins are usually higher than those of the water-soluble vitamins. However, even the stores of the latter are sufficient to protect the well nourished individual for many days or even months. For example, it may take as long as 80-90 days before the symptoms of scurvy appear if one eats a diet without vitamin C.

It is estimated that body stores of vitamin B12 are adequate for more than two years and a diet lacking vitamin A will not lead to clinical signs of deficiency for several months.

Consequently, well nourished individuals are usually able to withstand periods of deprivation or periods of increased need such as occur with pregnancy and lactation. They are also at an advantage when stressed by disease or trauma. Undue concern about particular food preferences, for example about children who seem to want one kind of food and not another for a few days, is unnecessary. As long as a variety of foods are eaten over a period of time, the range of essential nutrients should be provided.

RDI's are the amounts of essential nutrients that are considered adequate to meet the nutritional requirements of healthy people. The RDI's are designed to easily prevent classical nutritional deficiency diseases, such as scurvy, beri-beri, pellagra, rickets and anaemia. Indeed, there is a wide margin of safety. However, they do not address the extra nutrient needs of persons with certain chronic ailments, who smoke, or who are on drug medication.

New research suggests a greater role for vitamins (and minerals) in the prevention or slowing down of many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, cataracts, osteoporosis and birth defects. The total effects of vitamins on the body are still not fully known or understood. Further, there is increasing scientific evidence to suggest that higher levels of certain vitamins (e.g. antioxidants vitamins C, E, and beta-carotene) may be necessary for optimal health, and may provide extra protection against cancer, heart disease and other diseases.

In time, the concept of RDI may well be broadened to include a second set of much higher vitamin levels that optimise their disease-preventing properties. From the medical practitioner's point of view, it is particularly important to remember that RDI's are for healthy people. In illness the requirements for many nutrients are altered. For example, with stress, trauma or surgery, the requirement for vitamin C may be more than 8 times the RDI for healthy adults; zinc requirements increase for wound healing.

Thanks for that Max.