Weightlifting & Chinese Food

[Saxondale]

This is something i've got into for the past 2 years or so and obviously your diet plays a huge role in your muscle growth. It'll probably take me a month or so to start cooking my own food out there, but i was curious to know if anyone knows of any healthy fish/chicken dishes in China? The only thing i can think of is hot pot : / The Chinese food i'm use to isn't exactly healthy and being as hui guo rou is my favourite dish, it's going to be difficult!

I'd imagine bulking would be a lot easier than cutting out there, so i'm just concerned when i start cutting that i'm going to find it difficult to find the appropriate food for when i eat out.

[Hofmann]

As in elsewhere, you'll often have to specify some changes to the recipe if you want to eat out, e.g. saying no butter, steam instead of fry, no sugar, minimal oil, etc.

I'm mostly familiar with Cantonese food, but among that, I like steamed fish (蒸魚). Hot pot has a lot of potential for variety (if you do it yourself).

Cutting might not be as hard as your think. Your cutting diet should just be your bulking diet but smaller (right?). If you don't eat out much, I wouldn't worry about it (unless you're in a competition or something), or ask them how big your portion is and tell them to make it smaller if necessary. And if you get hungry, tea is everywhere, and most of the stuff I've read （which might not be a lot, but...) said it helps fat reduction, but more importantly, it makes you feel less hungry in my experience.

[murrayjames]

I have a friend in Chengdu who's built like a weightlifter. He works out hours every day, uses protein supplements, has veiny arms, the whole deal. I asked him what he eats to maintain his shape. He said he can't eat the food in most restaurants, so he doesn't eat out much. Instead, he buys massive amounts of chicken breasts and prepares them at home.

[xiaoxiaocao]

Chicken breast is the cheapest part of the chicken here. Make use of that. I also go for 西红柿炒鸡蛋 for 10 kuai you get 4-5 eggs with tomato.

[amandagmu]

Will you be in Shanghai or Beijing? If so, I *highly* recommend just going into the World Health Store and talking to the guys in there. In Beijing where I live, they are foreigners and local Chinese who know what they're talking about... everything from protein supplements to Jennifer, the raw food chef. They are even starting some kind of 12 week challenge thing in a few weeks. I'm sure there are other legit places in China, but given my trials and tribulations around the gym staff at several notorious gyms in Beijing, these guys at WHS are the only ones I'd trust.

http://www.worldhealthstore.com.cn/en/

[imron]

Instead, he buys massive amounts of chicken breasts

I'm sure all the added growth hormones would help with the bulking up process.

[xiaocai]

I'm sure all the added growth hormones would help with the bulking up process.

As far as I am aware of, estrogens are far more popular in livestock feeding... And they are not licensed for poultry feed.

[imron]

I'm not sure exactly what they put in, all I remember is talking to someone who ran a chicken farm who said it took 3-4 weeks to go from hatched egg to fully mature chicken. However you dice it, something's not right there.

[wedge]

In Beijing, I think Xiabu Xiabu is a good option - like a quicker and healthier version of hot pot. And plus they're everywhere so it can be quite convenient. I eat alot of 麻辣烫 as well.

[imron]

Xiabu xiabu is great.

[amandagmu]

In Beijing I eat a lot at Bitepitta. They've got falafel, hummus, baba ganouj, and fresh veggie salads (you can get chicken breast or tuna on top of most of them I believe). Not Chinese food but definitely lots of healthy protein and delicious if I do say so myself!

[skylee]

Xiabu xiabu

How do you write this in characters? We simply call it shabu shabu here, no characters. But some people use 砂煲.

[imron]

呷哺呷哺

[xiaocai]

I thought syabu-syabu is just the Japanese word for 涮羊肉...

Basically and plain soup hot pot will do. You can easily find the recipes for various soup bases on youtube and there are few by cookingwithdog channel which I've tried and turned out to be quite good and also easy to prepare, provided you can find the ingredients. (You can find some clips on this tudou channel if you are currently living behind the GFW...)

[wedge]

I think shabu shabu/syabu syabu are generic nouns that describe that type of Japanese hot pot. Xiabu Xiabu/呷哺呷哺 is a shabu shabu chain in Beijing.

[Saxondale]

I'll most likely be in QingDao, but i'm not entirely sure at the moment. I'm sure i'll be able to pick up some whey whilst i'm out there. Is organic stuff even heard of out there?

[Hugh]

I'll be in Qingdao from September for a year, also a weight-lifter

[Saxondale]

Oh cool, where abouts are you studying? I haven't been accepted yet but hopefully i'll be studying at Qingdao University or Ocean University of China.

[Hugh]

Studying at Ocean University