You want muscles? Build them in the kitchen!
Eat 5 to 6 small meals/snacks each day. This means you are to eat something every 2 to 3 hours. Ideally you should be consuming small meal throughout the day. You have to plan and be innovative to be able to do this. Your body craves nutrients all day long. If you do not meet these needs, your body will begin to break-down energy sources that are needed for muscle growth. If you are into counting calories, multiply your bodyweight by 18. This is how many calories you need to consume each day to gain lean muscle. They should be consumed according to the break-down below. You want to eat both protein and carbohydrates throughout the day. Try to eat some protein at each meal. Despite the current craze to significantly reduce carbohydrates, carbohydrates are very important for energy and overall health. High quality, fiber-filled carbs should make up the majority of your caloric consumption.
Here are some general guidelines.
PROTEIN - should range from 30 to 35% of your total calories
Click here to see what protein shake I use
Protein is in every living food; it’s also in vegetables and fruit.
You should consume between 0.8 grams to 1 gram per pound
of bodyweight each day.
Some people suggest more but it really
depands what diet you are on and how many calories you need.
Good sources:
- Deep. cold water fish (tuna, salmon, cod, haddock, sea bass)
- Lean beef, chicken, turkey
- low-fat milk, low-fat cottage cheese, low-fat yogurt (plain)
- eggs (don’t be afraid of 1 or 2 whole eggs each day),
- beans, sugar free peanut butter
- a handful of raw nuts (almond, pistachio) – keep in the refrigerator
- a handful of raw seeds (pumpernickel) – keep in the refrigerator
CARBOHYDRATES – 50 to 60% of your total calories
Complex vs. Simple –Complex carbs (whole grain) are digested more slowly and provide more even, constant supply of energy than simple carbs (sugar).
Good Sources: Note: Look for additive free and no sugar added Brown rice, brown bread, pasta, etc.
- whole grain for these
- Whole grain cereals
- choose cereals that have more than 5 grams of fiber
- Oatmeal –not in the little packets as this contains sugar;
- Sweet potatoes/yams
- Dark green vegetables:
- (spinach, broccoli, asparagus, peas, lettuce (eat romaine not iceberg)
- Fruits: Eat many different colors each day. The darker the color the better. Blueberries are the best!
FAT – 10 to 20% of your total calories
- Try to get EFA (essential fatty acids) such as olive oil, flaxseed oil;
- limit animal fats and fried foods and get non-hydrogenated fats.
- Eat a handful of walnuts/almonds and pumpkin/sesame/sunflower sees. These contain Omega 3 fatty acids
- Fish also contains fat and it’s the “good” fat
MEALS
This is a general, overall guideline. It can be modified to fit one’s schedule and time constraints. A more detailed, meal by meal diet plan can be provided, please be aware that I only provide individual diet plants for people who pay me, and it includes online training as well.
BREAKFAST
One of the two most important meals you will eat.
Get up 10 minutes earlier and eat for 10 more minutes!
As soon as you get up, drink 8 ounces of water.
Things to eat: Oatmeal (not instant), Cereal (whole grain), eggs, whole-grain: bread, or bagel or muffin; bananas; pancakes or waffles
Lunch foods also make good breakfast foods (ex. peanut butter and jelly on wheat); wraps; turkey bacon/sausage without additives; protein shake
Mid-morning snack
-Whole grain bagel, piece of fruit and water
Lunch
Eat a reasonable sized meal – with a moderate amount of both protein and crabs
Ex. Eat some chicken (or beef or fish) and a fair portion of rice (or pasta or potatoes), oatmeal, salad, vegetables, some whole grain bread and a piece of fruit
Pre-Workout Meals
Ea some carbs and some protein.
Things to eat: Pasta, potatoes, oatmeal, rice, salad, meat/fish
2 to 3 hours before working out
Consume between 250-300 calories with a 1:1 ratio of protein and carbs.Ex.: 8 oz. of low-fat cottage cheese and an apple; nuts/seeds; dried fruit
Post-Workout Meals
A. Between 30 minutes to 1 hour after working out consume about 60
grams of a fast-acting carbohydrate and about 40 grams of protein Ex. 60 grams of dextrose or 3 slices of WHITE bread can be your
fast-acting carb and a protein drink for the 40 grams of protein.
B. 2 hours after working out - have a "balanced” meal eat a medium sized meal – one with a moderate amount of both protein and carbs.
Ex. eat chicken (or beef or fish) and a smaller portion of rice (or pasta or sweet potato), vegetables; salad and fruit; some EFA’s (nuts)
Bedtime Snack
Shake – Ideally a Casein Protein Shake which is a slow release protein which we see you through to the next morning.
You will not eat again for a long time, so make sure you eat something.
OTHER NOTES
- Drink a lot of water (about 1 gallon) throughout the day.
- Have 5 or 6 servings of fruits/vegetables each day.
- Try to sleep at least 7 hours every night (preferably 8 hours).
SUPPLEMENTS - Click here to see what supplements I take.
If you eat properly then you may limit supplementing accordingly.
Many people don’t fully supply their body with minerals, Vitamin C, B-Complex and flaxseed oil.
If you want to take a protein shake or meal replacement drink, take one that is whey protein based. (Look for whey protein concentrate on the label if you take it after you workout or use a micellar casein supplement if you take it before you go to bed.) A supplement is, by definition, something extra. The most important thing is to eat properly. If you do this, the need to supplement is not as great. At a maximum, consume two protein shakes per day and make sure you consume no more than 35 grams of protein at one time. Don’t forget that companies want you to consume a lot of their products and their suggested serving size are far too great. Also, “weight gainers” frequently have a lot of their calories which come from sugar sources and this is not healthy and should be avoided.
Every 10 weeks, take one week off from lifting. Give your joints a rest, and let your muscles to fully repair.
Hope the above gives you a valuable insight into how I eat to stay in shape.