Advice for an 18 year old please

Ok so I have been following this site and researching steroids for well over 8 months now, partly because I wanted to use, but also partly because the whole thing just fascinates me, the way you can put something into your body and turn into a beast (somewhat like a superhero).

However, I have come extremely close to ruining my body at this age by almost starting a cycle. I am proud to say I have reconsidered and wanted to thank all of you guys on this forum, always having the public's best interest at heart. When I first found this forum, I expected it to be like the rest of them: a bunch of inebriated juice heads giving hillbilly advice. Fortunately the elders on this forum are as professional as can be and this forum is really something to be proud of (talking to admin here).

Now, to the question. I am currently excelling at school and working out everyday (Loving the balance). Been working out for 3 years, however my diet has been deplorable. I am currently 88/89 kgs and 6ft in height. I am quite happy with my physique, I just want to add on mass.

Problem is, I can't seem to get my head around calories (No matter how simple everybody says it is). I do understand caloric surplus and that jargon, however I do not understand how to calculate calories in a certain product (If they only provide energy, proteins, fats etc. [Nutritional info]) and in terms of diet, I am getting on the straight path. All I can find online is elaborate meals like fish with egg whites and sweet potatoes and such. I am eating tons of chicken and rice along with egg whites which I have sometimes. Could anyone recommend simple meals (for bulking) for a student? Right now I am living on instant oats, chicken, rice and toast with peanut butter lol :lol:

p.s. I have decided to continue reading this forum because I know you guys are knowledgeable and I will eventually start a cycle in the future.

Chicken, rice, oats, PB and bread are a pretty good start for someone your age who wants to bulk. Judging by your stats, you're not predisposed towards getting fat, so I would focus on eating as clean as possible and as much as possible (and of course lifting heavy). You don't *really* have to bother yourself with calorie counting at this point.

I would introduce other protein sources, such as lean beef (steaks or mince), pork fillet (cheap, tasty, packed with protein and very lean), fish (personally for me a PITA to make but worth it for the fatty acids). All of those are quick and easy to cook up, and taste great when you use some basic spices.

Roast potatoes/ sweet potatoes are easy to make, as are roasted veg (you can buy pre packed mixes or make your own).

Combine those and you're set with a clean, nutritious meal which is easy to pack at take to school/varsity.

If you want to count calories / macros, get yourself a cheap digital kitchen scale, register an account at MyFitnessPal and weigh and log all your portions. You'll get an idea of what kind of macros/calories you're eating daily, and you can then adjust this as you go along depending on your goals.

However, again, at your age eating clean 80% of the time and balls to the wall lifting will see you make impressive gains, your body is bursting with test as it is, you just need to put it to good use.

Congrats on making the right decision to not start AAS just yet - you have plenty of natty gains to make yet and lots to learn.

Good luck.

Luckily for you there is an app for that, called fatsecret.

It makes tracking your daily macros a lot easier.

Have you worked out your calorie needs?


You can work out the Kcal using the following:

1Kj = 4.184 Kcal
1g Fat = 9 Kcal
1g Protein = 4 Kcal
1g car = 4 Kcal

+1 for making the right call bro.

Get the app "my fitness pal" to keep track of your calories and your daily progress,it can tell you the caloric value of most foods.

Honestly there are more experienced guys than me to help you with meal planning

Good luck!

This is exactly why I love this forum, thanks for all the awesome answers! Will go check out the app.

For local SA foods the Fat Secret app is more user friendly than fitness pall.

Potatoes and mince. Potatoes snd steak. Potstoes and pork tjops. Eggs loads of eggs

The last time weighed myself was 6 months ago, I just got back from the gym and turns out I am actually 101 kg lol :lol: So now I am thinking I should rather go with a cut first, since I have some stubborn chest fat? Any thoughts. Thanks Rooi Bul! Love potatoes and I already eat a crap load of eggs.

What's your BF %? Post a pic if not sure.

I just realized from looking at multiple different body fat percentage pics that I am in no shape to bulk yet, I am definitely going to cut first. I would say I am probably around 18%. Reason I was so misled is because when I wear a shit I actually look quite lean, but not after looking at myself in the mirror for 3 minutes shirtless (May be due to the fact that I just had 2 chicken breasts and rice).

Hey Hodor, if I haven't said it already: welcome to the forum!
Props for your decision to stay off gear, but even a bigger pat on the back for taking your time to read up on your own. I've talked to a lot of teens in the last few months and I am seriously amazed by how easily they would turn to gear, and how much pressure is put on them to get this mindset.

As for answering your question, I guess it's changed since from bulking to cutting? At your age, a drastic calorie restriction is hardly a good idea. I say that because your body is still in development and craves good nutrition to transition into an adult. Nor is a big calorie cut needed. If you already partake in a sport your cut will be a breeze, if you are only doing weight lifting it might take some time. Either way, for you it will be possible to shed fat while building muscle. If you are 18 now and you've been working out for 3 years; you started at 15ish? What sort of exercise have you been doing? What does your current workout look like?

Also, all good and true info from the posts above.

For diet, now is the time to start teaching yourself to eat well, develop good habits and break bad habits. By "eat well" I don't mean to eat lavish or expensive, but rather learn to discern between unprocessed whole foods and palatable "food-like-substances". Yes that's an actual term. Here are some general guidelines to get started so long while you figure out how calories and macros work:

1. Think of your weekly diet and write down all the meals you usually eat in an average day. Some of them will be the same everyday, like oatmeal and eggs for breakie. That's no problem, in fact that's an easy "control group".
2. Cross out all the fast food, junk food, and unhealthy convenience food.
3. Cross out all the unhealthy drinks. Juices, sodas, milkshakes, Milo... You get the idea.
4. Make sure there is protein in every meal. Including snacks, in fact from now on snacks count as meals.

Okay might seem like basic shit, but I didn't really know if I should advise for cutting or bulking so I hope it helps.

Oh and as a bonus, here is a simple cheat sheet, because pictures are awesome.

Thanks for the reply Furk, definitely one of the greats on here!

I used to workout about 3 times a week, but without determination really. I was somewhat addicted to games and I decided to stop since it was hurting my grades. So now that there is nothing holding me back I workout 5 times a week with full intensity, and I have already noticed a dramatic strength increase. (In just about a month my leg extensions have gone from 55 kg to 77 2 days ago [For me that is quite exciting]).

I still don't do many compound exercises which I am working on. I don't know why, but I really battle with form when it comes to squats, I have tried watching many videos, but I am just going to keep trying.

If I understand your answer correctly, it is better to maintain my current calories, however, just cut all the crap out and eat clean? I already eat a ton of peanuts for snacks. I guess my diet was kind of alright for the most part, just need to cut out the crap and train harder.

That's right, cut out all the crap and see how your weight moves. From there you can asses more or less what your maintenance is. IE if you are gaining weight, you are eating over maintenance, if you are loosing fat, you are eating below maintenance. I know I know it's not scientific, but it's a way to measure. For me, I adapt to the person I am "coaching" /giving advice to. So if you are uncomfortable with the nitty-gritty details of daily nutrition, we use a method to fit you. For most beginners basic rules and guidelines are much more valuable than strict instructions and numbers.

Training style is also going to play a big role (like the type of routine you do and how often you lift). Let us know what your training consists of and I'll get back to you later tonight (or early hours of the morning lol) for input and opinion.

"Ex-Gamer, Pro-Gainer" lol I also used to game in high school. I respect that you are giving attention to your grades and respecting you body. Your future self will thank you.

Yeah the simple advice is a lot easier to understand right now so I thank you taking the time to help me.

I am not going to bother posting my workout routine, because I don't remember many of the names and it isn't a great routine (Basically what is available and what isn't taken at that moment) :lol:

I am going to do some reading up on the training section, but I really struggle with chest (Hitting all areas), so any good chest workout will be a massive help.

I prefer whole milk for bulking, it has whey and casein protein and carbs