EAT TO GROW

[PAiN]

What if I told you your success or failure in the gym has very little to do with what you do in the gym. You would probably look at me like I was crazy. Guess what, nutrition is by far the most important factor to making progress on any fitness program. Why have the so called "experts" made nutrition so confusing? I am going to attempt to take some of the confusion out of this subject and simplify things for you. First, lets start off by getting rid of the word "nutrition" and call it eating.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE EATING?

The first determination we need to make is how many calories should we be consuming each day? Unfortunately, everybody does not have the same caloric demands. Therefore, we must come up with a caloric figure to meet your specific demands. To determine what your caloric intake should be, simply take your current body weight and multiply by 12. The number you get will be the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight (assuming you are training regularly). If you would like to gain weight, simply multiply your current body weight by a factor of 15. If you would like to lose some weight, simply multiply your body weight by a factor of 10. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb male X 12 = 2400 calories per day).

Remember, everybody has a different metabolism. Therefore, you may need to adjust these factors slightly to fit your specific demands. Basically, these figures serve as an ideal starting point to figure out what your personal caloric demands are.

HOW MANY GRAMS OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES AND FAT?

I am a strong proponent of the high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat way of eating. I even go as far as putting some of my clients on regimens consisting of 60% protein, 30% carbohydrate and 10% fat. For purposes of this article I will suggest that 50% of your calories come from protein, 30% from carbohydrates and 20% from fat. A gram of protein is equal to 4 calories and a gram of carbohydrate is also equal to 4 calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. Now, take the above formula and figure out how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and protein you should be consuming each day. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb man requires 2400 calories, 300 grams of protein, 180 grams of carbohydrate, 53 grams of fat).

WHEN DO I EAT MY MEALS?

I suggest that you consume a meal every two and a half to three hours throughout the day. The easiest way to calculate when to eat your meals is to plan it out in advance. Therefore, write down what time it will be three hours from your first meal (breakfast) and then every three hours thereafter. Basically what I am saying is to eat when the clock tells you to, not when your stomach tells you. (Example: If you ate breakfast at 8:00 a.m., your next meals would be at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m.). Attempt to eat each meal using the 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 20% fat breakdown. Also, if your caloric demand is roughly 2400 calories per day try to get in about 500 calories at each meal. Eating in this manner makes it very easy to stay disciplined.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS TO EAT?

I guess this one depends upon what you like to eat. Remember, I am trying to make this eating concept easy for you. First, let me give you some examples of what protein, carbohydrates and fats are. Examples of good protein include: red meat, fish, chicken, turkey, milk, eggs and whey. Examples of carbohydrates include: rice, potatoes, breads, grains, fruits and vegetables. Examples of good fats include: flax seed oil, safflower oil, borage seed oil, fish oil, conjugated lineic acid and MCT oil. Obviously there are many more examples of the food groups I have mentioned, however, these are the most common.

Using the foods I have mentioned above in the right quantity would give you all you ever needed to succeed in the gym. The problem is preparing food during your busy day is not convenient. Therefore the solution is using meal replacement powders. These powders come in convenient packs, are easily mixed with water and the nutritional breakdown is great. There are many companies such as Met Rx, Myoplex, Perfect Rx and Rx Fuel which make decent meal replacements. I highly recommend that you incorporate one of these products into your daily eating program. I suggest eating three regular food meals and two meal replacements per day. If you are trying to lose weight you may want to eat three meal replacements and two regular food meals. If you are trying to gain weight you may try eating three regular meals and three or even four meal replacements.

MEAL SUGGESTIONS

The most common complaint about eating properly is not having enough time to prepare good meals. We have already discussed the convenience of meal replacement powders, so I will give you some dishes that are easy and enjoyable. I usually start my day off with a bowl of oatmeal mixed with egg whites, a scoop of whey protein powder, and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. To spice it up I will add apple filling, cinnamon or equal packets. This recipe is quick, easy, tastes good and yields about 50 grams of protein (8 egg whites and one scoop of whey protein), 35 grams of carbs, 14 grams of fat (flaxseed oil) and roughly 500 calories. As you can see, this concoction fits exactly into my nutritional profile.

Another meal I eat frequently for lunch or dinner is a mixture of white rice, boiled egg whites and tuna (chicken may be substituted). I simply cook about 3 oz. of white rice and boil six eggs. I mix the rice together with six egg whites and one yolk. I then add in a can of white chunk tuna, flaxseed oil and some garlic powder (or your favorite spice). This recipe yields about 60 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat and roughly 500 calories.

THINGS TO AVOID WHEN EATING:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN

Protein is essential in your quest to build quality muscle. The question is how much protein should you be consuming? A good rule of thumb is to consume 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The easiest way to get enough protein into your body is with a good whey protein supplement. In addition to your meals, mix two scoops of whey protein with some water. Also, try to mix up your protein sources throughout the day. For example, eat tuna at one meal, chicken at the next and eggs at the next meal. No matter what you do, consume at least your minimum protein requirement everyday.

NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER

Try to sip on water constantly throughout the day. Water may be the most underrated piece of the bodybuilding puzzle. As we know, the body is made up of approximately 67% water. Water is desperately needed to cleanse the body and help to regenerate muscle cells. As a rule of thumb, try to consume at least one gallon of water per day.

NOT KEEPING A DAILY JOURNAL

The first thing I tell my bodybuilding clients is to write down everything that goes into their body. Writing down what you eat is the only way to analyze any changes that need to be made for future progress. It is very hard to make changes in your diet if you don't know what time you eat, what kind of protein you eat and how many grams of protein, carbs, fats and calories you are ingesting. The more detailed your log is, the easier it will be for you to go back and analyze it. Until it is second nature to you than this will really help.

TOO MANY SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES

Yes you need carbohydrates in your body. The question becomes are all carbs created equal. The answer is no. Without getting into too much detail, simple carbs cause a high insulin spike because they have a high glycemic index. This is usually not a good thing when trying to keep fat off of your body. Simple carbs are basically your sugars, sweets and fruits. Try to stick to carbs like potatoes, rice and vegetables. The best time to consume simple carbs is within two hours after training. During this period your muscles are very receptive to simple sugars.

NOT CONSUMING ENOUGH GOOD FAT

Yes, you read that correctly. Fat is not always the enemy. There is nothing wrong with consuming moderate amounts of fat in your diet. In fact, research has shown that fat is essential to growth, recovery, skin and connective tissue. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from hydrogenated oils, "shelf oils" and vegetable oils. These are the fats found in potato chips and snacks. Also, limit your saturated fat intake to that which is found naturally in the protein you eat. Finally, make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. Try to add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your protein shakes or meals.

DON'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

What are you doing? You should be looking at the clock to see if it is time to eat again. As I stated earlier, eating is the key to your success or failure in the gym. Once you begin to gain more of an understanding of what your body's demands are, you will be able to customize a more intricate eating plan for yourself. For now, keep a detailed journal and watch your body change for the better.

[FastTrack]

Super Sticky!!

[jdb3]

this is the truth of bodybuilding.....all the big heavyweights got one thing in common...they all have the ability to consume mass amounts of food. STICKY

[PAiN]

Thanks guys!

[Big Moose]

Great Info!!

[bionic redneck]

great read, thanks boss

[JM750]

+10000 This is very good info. I'm at work right now and cant read and ingest it all right now, but I will be later on. This is the stuff that I always have such a hard time trying to comprehend. the whole eating thing is like a damn science. But this here breaks it down to easily understand.

I vote for sticky as well.

stuff like this is why i luv this place.

[BlueJayMuscle]

Great info and example meals.

[Actuated01]

Awesome info!

[BIGBOSS]

Damn good read!!!

[bhcolex50x]

Awsome write up

[Greenegorilla2]

The most important part of this is the journal! If you don't know what Ur doing how can you make any progress? Good shit pain.

[danimal]

We often forget the basics

[peewee]

Damn good read. Nice breakdown

[Gopro]

Bump for another great sticky bro!!!

[gotmilf]

Good read! This is very important info i went years without the info and made very little gains.

[bgchiz]

Thanks for the info

[flip1972]

Great read

[davethaflave]

Awesome info.

[rollinonsumdubbs]

Great info

[danimal]

Good info

[TheMack]

Excellent information and so true. Quality gains are directly tied to diet.

[sick cunt]

I had to learn this the hard way....a year of terrible gains

[demo45151]

nice post shared thanx

[BigPapa]

Good rule of thumb. If you want to be a monster eat like a monster. You want to be a bird eat like a bird.

[Buckshot713]

Great read!! PAiN broke it down in laymen terms.Ive read this type of info a dozen times , but never so simplified. Thnks Brother

[studmuffin]

Thanks I will try these things and keep you p[osted.

[Butters]

Well, a lot of good advice, but there are some numbers I wonder about.

Im pretty certain the caloric needs of someone who is 200lbs & 10% body fat, are different than someone of 200lbs & 35% bodyfat, as well as protein.

I have been near 200 lbs(over & under) before & lost fat, eating over 3000 calories...with a fairly low activity level. I'm not saying everyone should do this....or that there is one right way...but simply that it happened.

One piece of advice that worked fom me(this was from Chris Acetos book) was keeping a chart of everything I ate for 3 days, dividing it up by 3 & finding the average. You could do it while you are losing, maintaining, or increasing weight to find out whichever number is working for you. Then....you can make a adjustment like adding/dropping a few hundred calories...instead of going to full on bulk(add 1000) or cut(drop 1000) etc & just continue until you need to adjust it again.

Now, I know what I need to do drop to low bodyfat, but living on whey, tuna & rice cakes is tough. I'm sure it would be nice to be able to figure a way to cook these things, quickly & make them taste decent enough to stick to it.

[MR14]

i add 500 calories above maintenance for bulking and -500 maintenance for cutting.

recommended 10%-15% +/- but I find 500 cals to get the job done just as effectively.

[cbooze]

im a dietitian myself and do meal plans for man clients. I liked your acticle but the weight times 12 like you said doesnt work for every one. My body type builds muscle good but gains fat as well as i was chucky until i started training 15 years ago. Shakes are alright but whole foods are always best. Im cutting now and weigh 251lbs and make sure i eat at least 270=300 grams of protein everyday. I think you wrote a good acticle shakes are better then nothing so if your somewhere u can5 get good whole food meal its better to eat fastfood then nothing or a protein shake. everyone has time to eat right. For example ill make 3lbs8chicken hearts and 2 lbs chicken breast, just an example i eat alot of tilipia shimp etc. To cut i always try to limit my lean red meat to a max or 4 ounces every other day so i usually eat lean bison or venison 8oz 3 times a week both are very lean and high in proteim. while cutting redmeat and dairy are very mad imo to really shed up. I love milk but limit to 8 ounches twice a week and i drink organic ultra filtered milk with 13gram of protein per one cup 8ozs. Then i take 2lbs to work everyday and mix with fresh romaine lettuce green peppers etc. And eat alot of enzikel bread which isnt fllour at all its made from lentils and must be kept cold i eat 4 slces of that in sandwhiches and bring real 2 small sweet potatoes too. Yams are complex but real sweet potatoes are light ye llow not orange and alot better then yams. I cook my meals sunday night for the week and sometimes again thursday night I eat every 2-3 hours and eat 8ozs of chicken hearts this week and chicken breast 4ozs of chicken break has 26grams of protein and no fat. The chicken hearts i get have 29grams of protein per 4ozs 7 grams of fat but 2 grams saturated fats. i love how you said high protein low carb when bulking i even go 60/40 and cutting i carb cyle and go 5 days 40 percent carbs 5 days 30 percent carbs and 5 days 18 percent carbs. On my low carb days i only eat 80grams carbs tops this has worked well for me. i stopped competing late year but a prime example when i used to come into a show at 3-5 percent bf between 242-245lbs and within a week after the show i eat like a mad main and would easy put on 10 plus lbs in a week for dieting so hard. good read

[cbooze]

i used to keep a log put if your eating the same portions and have done it for many years like me your eating around the same amount of calories the same day the only time i really check and dial in with a log is with cutting. And with show your gonna have to come in at least single digits or theres no reason to compete. around 12 percent you can see your abs so bf is deceptive. i see alot of young guys who think they like 5-6 percent cause they can see there abs and most are 12-13 percent. If your under 7 percent your gonna pop every muscle is gonna be veiny as hell and you actually look bigger cause your tri bis quads really pop and you will start to see vein everywhere. The machine they have where you can hold are a joke not accurate at all. My friend a client is a IFBB bro in the 202 division hes only 5'5 and offseason get up to around 220-225 but he stay in good shape year round and never get over 11 percent. He just did his first show and placed 8th not to bad. He meet Ben Pakulski and i told him to start working with ben if he really wants to take it to the next level as ben is a great body builder and one of the best nutrionists in the world as far as bodybuiding is concerned. My friend is young hes only 22 so has a bright future especially to get a pro card at 22! Hes only been training serious for 4 years and hes a genetic freak. I am totally againist someone that young using AAS but in order to keep up these day you gotta but natural he was bigger then almost everyone is the gym that was juicing, I waiting til i was 26 and wish i would have waited longer but i competed natural and its hard to win when others have that edge. Id love to do the master in a couple year when im 40

[NutritionGame]

Good read pain, very good info throughout. really brings all aspects together. you can take this and run with it. Nutrition or in the case of this article "Eating" is 80% of what meeting really good goals in growth and body composition is about.

very well put together!!

[Predator1]

Good read always good to come back for a fresh up

[Deeg1502]

Awesome post!

[milleniumgirl]

I stopped growing the day I started eating like a bird. Now all I want is to stay healthy (no juice, clean foods).

[james185]

Thanks for the info, that is one of my problems not being able to eat enough to gain more

[MaxSteel]

good stuff..I'm not too far off this so this is great info and reinforcement that I'm pretty close to doing the right thing..

[dc_812000]

Good ass read there thanks.


dc.

[realprodigy001]

Great tip

[NutritionGame]

Great, simple way of explaining the importance of your eating Pain. Ill send a few clients this direction for a good read, thanks brother!

[old fart]

Excellent info.

[Anzel]

A very worthwhile re-read for me! It never hurts to read something twice!

Anzel
Puritysourcelabs.com

[kfrech]

I know this post is old but had to say it Exactly what i came on today looking for.
Thanx Pain!!

[Robocop_9]

Yeah I just revamped my entire diet


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[babybull34]

Very candid, straight-forward,well-written plan of attack, Pain. Thank you, big guy.

[JR99]

Everyone just starting out needs to hear this.

[halleluiah]

What if I told you your success or failure in the gym has very little to do with what you do in the gym. You would probably look at me like I was crazy. Guess what, nutrition is by far the most important factor to making progress on any fitness program. Why have the so called "experts" made nutrition so confusing? I am going to attempt to take some of the confusion out of this subject and simplify things for you. First, lets start off by getting rid of the word "nutrition" and call it eating.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE EATING?

The first determination we need to make is how many calories should we be consuming each day? Unfortunately, everybody does not have the same caloric demands. Therefore, we must come up with a caloric figure to meet your specific demands. To determine what your caloric intake should be, simply take your current body weight and multiply by 12. The number you get will be the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight (assuming you are training regularly). If you would like to gain weight, simply multiply your current body weight by a factor of 15. If you would like to lose some weight, simply multiply your body weight by a factor of 10. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb male X 12 = 2400 calories per day). Also eat a diet like HCG Diet (https://besthcgdropswebsite.com/hcg-diet/) to fulfill your weight loss goal. This is a strict low calorie diet. Also you can use these (https://besthcgdropswebsite.com/hcg-drops/) hcg drops for best results. As drops help you lower your hunger and stay on diet.

Remember, everybody has a different metabolism. Therefore, you may need to adjust these factors slightly to fit your specific demands. Basically, these figures serve as an ideal starting point to figure out what your personal caloric demands are.

HOW MANY GRAMS OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES AND FAT?

I am a strong proponent of the high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat way of eating. I even go as far as putting some of my clients on regimens consisting of 60% protein, 30% carbohydrate and 10% fat. For purposes of this article I will suggest that 50% of your calories come from protein, 30% from carbohydrates and 20% from fat. A gram of protein is equal to 4 calories and a gram of carbohydrate is also equal to 4 calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. Now, take the above formula and figure out how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and protein you should be consuming each day. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb man requires 2400 calories, 300 grams of protein, 180 grams of carbohydrate, 53 grams of fat).

WHEN DO I EAT MY MEALS?

I suggest that you consume a meal every two and a half to three hours throughout the day. The easiest way to calculate when to eat your meals is to plan it out in advance. Therefore, write down what time it will be three hours from your first meal (breakfast) and then every three hours thereafter. Basically what I am saying is to eat when the clock tells you to, not when your stomach tells you. (Example: If you ate breakfast at 8:00 a.m., your next meals would be at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m.). Attempt to eat each meal using the 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 20% fat breakdown. Also, if your caloric demand is roughly 2400 calories per day try to get in about 500 calories at each meal. Eating in this manner makes it very easy to stay disciplined.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS TO EAT?

I guess this one depends upon what you like to eat. Remember, I am trying to make this eating concept easy for you. First, let me give you some examples of what protein, carbohydrates and fats are. Examples of good protein include: red meat, fish, chicken, turkey, milk, eggs and whey. Examples of carbohydrates include: rice, potatoes, breads, grains, fruits and vegetables. Examples of good fats include: flax seed oil, safflower oil, borage seed oil, fish oil, conjugated lineic acid and MCT oil. Obviously there are many more examples of the food groups I have mentioned, however, these are the most common.

Using the foods I have mentioned above in the right quantity would give you all you ever needed to succeed in the gym. The problem is preparing food during your busy day is not convenient. Therefore the solution is using meal replacement powders. These powders come in convenient packs, are easily mixed with water and the nutritional breakdown is great. There are many companies such as Met Rx, Myoplex, Perfect Rx and Rx Fuel which make decent meal replacements. I highly recommend that you incorporate one of these products into your daily eating program. I suggest eating three regular food meals and two meal replacements per day. If you are trying to lose weight you may want to eat three meal replacements and two regular food meals. If you are trying to gain weight you may try eating three regular meals and three or even four meal replacements.

MEAL SUGGESTIONS

The most common complaint about eating properly is not having enough time to prepare good meals. We have already discussed the convenience of meal replacement powders, so I will give you some dishes that are easy and enjoyable. I usually start my day off with a bowl of oatmeal mixed with egg whites, a scoop of whey protein powder, and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. To spice it up I will add apple filling, cinnamon or equal packets. This recipe is quick, easy, tastes good and yields about 50 grams of protein (8 egg whites and one scoop of whey protein), 35 grams of carbs, 14 grams of fat (flaxseed oil) and roughly 500 calories. As you can see, this concoction fits exactly into my nutritional profile.

Another meal I eat frequently for lunch or dinner is a mixture of white rice, boiled egg whites and tuna (chicken may be substituted). I simply cook about 3 oz. of white rice and boil six eggs. I mix the rice together with six egg whites and one yolk. I then add in a can of white chunk tuna, flaxseed oil and some garlic powder (or your favorite spice). This recipe yields about 60 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat and roughly 500 calories.

THINGS TO AVOID WHEN EATING:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN

Protein is essential in your quest to build quality muscle. The question is how much protein should you be consuming? A good rule of thumb is to consume 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The easiest way to get enough protein into your body is with a good whey protein supplement. In addition to your meals, mix two scoops of whey protein with some water. Also, try to mix up your protein sources throughout the day. For example, eat tuna at one meal, chicken at the next and eggs at the next meal. No matter what you do, consume at least your minimum protein requirement everyday.

NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER

Try to sip on water constantly throughout the day. Water may be the most underrated piece of the bodybuilding puzzle. As we know, the body is made up of approximately 67% water. Water is desperately needed to cleanse the body and help to regenerate muscle cells. As a rule of thumb, try to consume at least one gallon of water per day.

NOT KEEPING A DAILY JOURNAL

The first thing I tell my bodybuilding clients is to write down everything that goes into their body. Writing down what you eat is the only way to analyze any changes that need to be made for future progress. It is very hard to make changes in your diet if you don't know what time you eat, what kind of protein you eat and how many grams of protein, carbs, fats and calories you are ingesting. The more detailed your log is, the easier it will be for you to go back and analyze it. Until it is second nature to you than this will really help.

TOO MANY SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES

Yes you need carbohydrates in your body. The question becomes are all carbs created equal. The answer is no. Without getting into too much detail, simple carbs cause a high insulin spike because they have a high glycemic index. This is usually not a good thing when trying to keep fat off of your body. Simple carbs are basically your sugars, sweets and fruits. Try to stick to carbs like potatoes, rice and vegetables. The best time to consume simple carbs is within two hours after training. During this period your muscles are very receptive to simple sugars.

NOT CONSUMING ENOUGH GOOD FAT

Yes, you read that correctly. Fat is not always the enemy. There is nothing wrong with consuming moderate amounts of fat in your diet. In fact, research has shown that fat is essential to growth, recovery, skin and connective tissue. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from hydrogenated oils, "shelf oils" and vegetable oils. These are the fats found in potato chips and snacks. Also, limit your saturated fat intake to that which is found naturally in the protein you eat. Finally, make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. Try to add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your protein shakes or meals.

DON'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

What are you doing? You should be looking at the clock to see if it is time to eat again. As I stated earlier, eating is the key to your success or failure in the gym. Once you begin to gain more of an understanding of what your body's demands are, you will be able to customize a more intricate eating plan for yourself. For now, keep a detailed journal and watch your body change for the better.

Your post has good information. I would like to follow. Especially it is natural diet structure to gain or lose weight. Thank you.
I am 220 pounds and my target weight is to lose 40 pounds in 3 months. My friend suggested me to use HCG drops along with diet. As HCG Diet is a very low calorie diet where I can intake only 500-800 calories a day.
As per your suggestion, I have to eat 2640 calories (220 x 12=2640). That's why I had this question.
But I had one question does works fine with HCG Diet?
Please answer.

[BornFat]

thanks pain

[korian]

Great article!I'd add here all kinds of nuts, as they are highly nutritive. Thanks for the examples

[Boxsquatter]

Late to this thread but very glad I found it.. I love when something make me more knowledgeable on a subject even if I knew some of it. But it just cements the principles I should be following. If I was more strict with my nutrition my gains would be so much more.

[saucegod]

always had more success with high carbs

[gym_junkie]

Thanks for this article Pain. I am really trying to find a meal plan that works me. I’m trying to get real cut up but not quite sure what program to go with. Tried keto and felt horrible. Tried limiting fat to 40 g a day but I think my carbs were ridiculously high. I’m meal prepping and really want to get serious. Any chance you could share an example of a days log? Itd really help me out

[Coreaga]

Awesome thread this has been the absolute hardest thing for me is not eating enough or eating way to much to make up for a month long caloric deficit my metabolism is probably fucked because of it.

[NoXainNoGain]

Power post !!!! I recommend this to post to anyone that is double thinking what to do with your diet

[GmanPLS]

What if I told you your success or failure in the gym has very little to do with what you do in the gym. You would probably look at me like I was crazy. Guess what, nutrition is by far the most important factor to making progress on any fitness program. Why have the so called "experts" made nutrition so confusing? I am going to attempt to take some of the confusion out of this subject and simplify things for you. First, lets start off by getting rid of the word "nutrition" and call it eating.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I BE EATING?

The first determination we need to make is how many calories should we be consuming each day? Unfortunately, everybody does not have the same caloric demands. Therefore, we must come up with a caloric figure to meet your specific demands. To determine what your caloric intake should be, simply take your current body weight and multiply by 12. The number you get will be the amount of calories you need to maintain your current weight (assuming you are training regularly). If you would like to gain weight, simply multiply your current body weight by a factor of 15. If you would like to lose some weight, simply multiply your body weight by a factor of 10. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb male X 12 = 2400 calories per day).

Remember, everybody has a different metabolism. Therefore, you may need to adjust these factors slightly to fit your specific demands. Basically, these figures serve as an ideal starting point to figure out what your personal caloric demands are.

HOW MANY GRAMS OF PROTEIN, CARBOHYDRATES AND FAT?

I am a strong proponent of the high protein, low carbohydrate and low fat way of eating. I even go as far as putting some of my clients on regimens consisting of 60% protein, 30% carbohydrate and 10% fat. For purposes of this article I will suggest that 50% of your calories come from protein, 30% from carbohydrates and 20% from fat. A gram of protein is equal to 4 calories and a gram of carbohydrate is also equal to 4 calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories. Now, take the above formula and figure out how many grams of protein, carbohydrates and protein you should be consuming each day. (Example: Maintenance, 200lb man requires 2400 calories, 300 grams of protein, 180 grams of carbohydrate, 53 grams of fat).

WHEN DO I EAT MY MEALS?

I suggest that you consume a meal every two and a half to three hours throughout the day. The easiest way to calculate when to eat your meals is to plan it out in advance. Therefore, write down what time it will be three hours from your first meal (breakfast) and then every three hours thereafter. Basically what I am saying is to eat when the clock tells you to, not when your stomach tells you. (Example: If you ate breakfast at 8:00 a.m., your next meals would be at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00p.m. and 8:00 p.m.). Attempt to eat each meal using the 50% protein, 30% carbohydrates and 20% fat breakdown. Also, if your caloric demand is roughly 2400 calories per day try to get in about 500 calories at each meal. Eating in this manner makes it very easy to stay disciplined.

WHAT ARE THE BEST THINGS TO EAT?

I guess this one depends upon what you like to eat. Remember, I am trying to make this eating concept easy for you. First, let me give you some examples of what protein, carbohydrates and fats are. Examples of good protein include: red meat, fish, chicken, turkey, milk, eggs and whey. Examples of carbohydrates include: rice, potatoes, breads, grains, fruits and vegetables. Examples of good fats include: flax seed oil, safflower oil, borage seed oil, fish oil, conjugated lineic acid and MCT oil. Obviously there are many more examples of the food groups I have mentioned, however, these are the most common.

Using the foods I have mentioned above in the right quantity would give you all you ever needed to succeed in the gym. The problem is preparing food during your busy day is not convenient. Therefore the solution is using meal replacement powders. These powders come in convenient packs, are easily mixed with water and the nutritional breakdown is great. There are many companies such as Met Rx, Myoplex, Perfect Rx and Rx Fuel which make decent meal replacements. I highly recommend that you incorporate one of these products into your daily eating program. I suggest eating three regular food meals and two meal replacements per day. If you are trying to lose weight you may want to eat three meal replacements and two regular food meals. If you are trying to gain weight you may try eating three regular meals and three or even four meal replacements.

MEAL SUGGESTIONS

The most common complaint about eating properly is not having enough time to prepare good meals. We have already discussed the convenience of meal replacement powders, so I will give you some dishes that are easy and enjoyable. I usually start my day off with a bowl of oatmeal mixed with egg whites, a scoop of whey protein powder, and a tablespoon of flaxseed oil. To spice it up I will add apple filling, cinnamon or equal packets. This recipe is quick, easy, tastes good and yields about 50 grams of protein (8 egg whites and one scoop of whey protein), 35 grams of carbs, 14 grams of fat (flaxseed oil) and roughly 500 calories. As you can see, this concoction fits exactly into my nutritional profile.

Another meal I eat frequently for lunch or dinner is a mixture of white rice, boiled egg whites and tuna (chicken may be substituted). I simply cook about 3 oz. of white rice and boil six eggs. I mix the rice together with six egg whites and one yolk. I then add in a can of white chunk tuna, flaxseed oil and some garlic powder (or your favorite spice). This recipe yields about 60 grams of protein, 30 grams of carbs, 15 grams of fat and roughly 500 calories.

THINGS TO AVOID WHEN EATING:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN

Protein is essential in your quest to build quality muscle. The question is how much protein should you be consuming? A good rule of thumb is to consume 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The easiest way to get enough protein into your body is with a good whey protein supplement. In addition to your meals, mix two scoops of whey protein with some water. Also, try to mix up your protein sources throughout the day. For example, eat tuna at one meal, chicken at the next and eggs at the next meal. No matter what you do, consume at least your minimum protein requirement everyday.

NOT GETTING ENOUGH WATER

Try to sip on water constantly throughout the day. Water may be the most underrated piece of the bodybuilding puzzle. As we know, the body is made up of approximately 67% water. Water is desperately needed to cleanse the body and help to regenerate muscle cells. As a rule of thumb, try to consume at least one gallon of water per day.

NOT KEEPING A DAILY JOURNAL

The first thing I tell my bodybuilding clients is to write down everything that goes into their body. Writing down what you eat is the only way to analyze any changes that need to be made for future progress. It is very hard to make changes in your diet if you don't know what time you eat, what kind of protein you eat and how many grams of protein, carbs, fats and calories you are ingesting. The more detailed your log is, the easier it will be for you to go back and analyze it. Until it is second nature to you than this will really help.

TOO MANY SIMPLE CARBOHYDRATES

Yes you need carbohydrates in your body. The question becomes are all carbs created equal. The answer is no. Without getting into too much detail, simple carbs cause a high insulin spike because they have a high glycemic index. This is usually not a good thing when trying to keep fat off of your body. Simple carbs are basically your sugars, sweets and fruits. Try to stick to carbs like potatoes, rice and vegetables. The best time to consume simple carbs is within two hours after training. During this period your muscles are very receptive to simple sugars.

NOT CONSUMING ENOUGH GOOD FAT

Yes, you read that correctly. Fat is not always the enemy. There is nothing wrong with consuming moderate amounts of fat in your diet. In fact, research has shown that fat is essential to growth, recovery, skin and connective tissue. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from hydrogenated oils, "shelf oils" and vegetable oils. These are the fats found in potato chips and snacks. Also, limit your saturated fat intake to that which is found naturally in the protein you eat. Finally, make sure you are getting a sufficient amount of essential fatty acids in your diet. Try to add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to your protein shakes or meals.

DON'T WAIT ANOTHER MINUTE

What are you doing? You should be looking at the clock to see if it is time to eat again. As I stated earlier, eating is the key to your success or failure in the gym. Once you begin to gain more of an understanding of what your body's demands are, you will be able to customize a more intricate eating plan for yourself. For now, keep a detailed journal and watch your body change for the better.

Bump....I know this is an old post, but goddamn, every time I read it, it’s like a reset for my brain when I slide off track for too long.
COVID-19 is my sliding board, this will be my reset.


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[Trtquest]

Good read

[Bostonpaul]

Great read

[IRISHOAK]

Everyone should read this.