ExRx.net

I'm new to muscle building (about 3 months), And I had not considered my diet as a weak point until recently. I've read a few posts here and there (and many many articles), and I've found the sheer amount of information to be a bit overwhelming and largely conflicting. My goal is to build muscle while simultaneously shedding fat (If that's possible).

I am 19 y/o, 158 lbs 5'11" and have a body fat percentage of roughly 13%.
My diet goes like this:
Cereal in the morning, lunch at around 12 (lunch is usually fried/baked chicken, rice and veggies), on the days I workout I usually do so at 1, I eat a tuna sandwich after my workout. My biggest problem is when I'm home. I eat constantly at home, I find I'm always hungry (strangely this has never caused me to gain weight). I eat sweets, bread, chesse, cereal and anything that I come across.

My big question is this: Do I need to change my diet at all or should I just really on workouts and my natural resistance to fat gain to get lean?

I have a few smaller questions. If muscle is built during sleep why is it that you need to have protein after a workout? Wouldn't the muscles only need the protein while sleeping? Assuming that protein levels are low during sleep, wouldn't that encourage a catabolic state? Is whey protein, or other supplements, really necessary if your're serious about putting on mass?

P.S. I have been getting stronger (which I assume means I'm gaining muscle mass) while my weight is just about fluctuating around 158 lbs.

At that age you're probably still spending a lot of caloric intake on body maturity stuff - usually that stops around mid-20s or so at which point it'll be easier for you to balloon up in fat if you want to.

You can rely on workouts and your natural resistance to fat gain to get lean but at some point, it will catch up with you, usually around age 30. You can start by learning more about nutrition and gradually improving your diet in sustainable ways. Realize that most of what the general population eats is crap. You need to eat real food. That means you need to learn to cook. Cereal and sandwiches will not cut it in the long run.

The protein after working out is to prevent your muscles from being used for fuel. Some carbs after working out are helpful as well. It's better to get a little too much protein than not enough. Whey protein is a convenient way of getting enough protein. It's not the only way. What I do is have breakfast (eggs and sausages) after my workout.