Bodybuilding Diet

Warning: If you’re looking for some new fad diet or a way to lose 10 pounds in 10 days then this section is not for you, the diet and fitness section is a guide to help people diet safely and effectively so they can build muscle, lose weight or do both at the same time. I do not believe in fad diets created to make corporations or individuals large sums of money, only the truth about diet and nutrition is contained in this section and throughout this website.

One of the most overlooked aspects of any weight training routine is diet. Most amateur and intermediate weight lifters and bodybuilders focus so much of their energy on lifting weights that they forget the second most important part of the muscle building formula, that formula being diet!

All diets, regardless of the foods they have you eating all boil down to one important factor “Calories”. Calories are energy stored in foods and drinks we consume, everything (apart from water) has calories in it. Calories give us energy to survive every day, to keep our brains functioning, hearts beating and organs working, without them we would die.

The human body requires a certain number of calories every day in order to function, this level is known as the calorie maintenance level, if you consume less calories than this you lose weight, if you consume more calories than this you gain weight. (See my section on weight loss for a more detailed explanation about calories).

Protein, Carbohydrates & Fats

So now you know that all diets consist of calories it’s important to understand what those calories consist of. Well calories consist of macronutrients known as proteins, carbohydrates and fats and getting the correct balance of these is crucial to your diet.

Important: When purchasing food I strongly recommend you purchase organic food for meats, fish, fruits, nuts and dairy. Organic means that animals have been organically fed, for example a cow that produces milk and cheese has been fed on grass and not grain fed. The same applies for vegetables, fruits and seeds, they are organic because they have not been genetically modified. When purchasing fish you must make sure that you buy fish caught from the wild, do not buy farmed fish as they will have been fed on grains all their lives.

Before I explain about protein, carbohydrates and fats I would like to briefly explain the United States recommended daily intake of these three macronutrients:

Recommended daily calorie intake (for a full grown adult): 2,000 calories

Protein: 50g (approx 200 calories)

Carbohydrate: 300g (approx 1,200 calories)

Fat: 65g (approx 585 calories)

The remaining calories come from other nutrients known as macronutrients; examples of macronutrients are iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium etc

Proteins

Protein is very important in the diet, it’s used for growth and repair, making new cells, repairing damages cells and proper brain function. Protein is the second most abundant molecule in the human body (the first being water), proteins are found throughout the body, mostly in the muscles but also in the hair, skin and organs.

There are several very sources of protein ranging from: milk, eggs, meats, fish, beans and vegetables. There are also the manufactured proteins used by weight lifters and bodybuilders, known as bodybuilding supplements, these are: whey protein, casein protein, soy protein etc.
You must ensure that you receive a mixture of these protein sources (from both animal sources and plant sources) on a daily basis as they contain essential macronutrients such as zinc, iron, calcium etc.

How Much Protein Do I Need

There are 4 calories in every gram (g) of protein, so if you are consuming food that has 10g of protein it means you have consumed 40 calories (4 calories x 10g = 40 calories).

According to the United States recommended daily intake you need 50g of protein, which equates to approximately 200 calories from protein per day.

However it is widely accepted that for someone trying to build muscle should consume approximately 0.8g – 1g of protein for every pound of bodyweight. So if you weigh 200lbs you should consume between 160g – 200g of protein (640 – 800 calories from protein) every day to increase your muscle mass. Of course you still need to lift weights and follow a strict workout routine in order to build muscle, you won’t just get it from eating protein.

Below is a brief list of the best protein sources which should be included into your diet:

• Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, anchovies)
• Beans (black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils, soybeans, tofu)
• Dairy (cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, milk, low fat yogurt)
• Poultry (turkey breast, chicken breast)
• Nuts (almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, walnuts)
• Seeds (pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds)
• Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, peas, Brussels sprouts)

You probably noticed I didn’t mention bodybuilding supplements, namely protein supplements in the above list, the reason for this is that I don’t believe protein supplements should be included in your diet.

For me personally I eat natural sources of protein every day and do not believe in consuming manufactured protein sources, however I understand that people consume these bodybuilding supplements, but as I don’t agree with them I personally do not believe they should be part of your daily protein intake.

The Best Time to Eat Proteins

The best time to consume protein is immediately following a workout. As you know protein is used for muscle repair and growth which is why it’s essential to consume a protein based meal after a workout. I recommend eating something like turkey or chicken breast as part of your post workout meal. Remember though, you need to consume protein gradually throughout the day and it’s just as important to consume protein on your rest days because you build muscle when you rest/sleep not when you’re in the gym lifting weights.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are sugars and starches which are the primary source of fuel for the body. Your body uses carbohydrates found in food and turns this into energy, the energy from carbohydrates are broken down and stored as glucose in the body.

There are several good sources of carbohydrates, but before I give you a basic list you should know that there are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex carbohydrates.

Simple Carbohydrates

Simple carbohydrates (sometimes referred to as simple sugars) are found naturally in fruits, milk and milk products and also found in processed foods such as candy, cakes, chocolate etc.

Simple carbohydrates are chemically made of one or two sugars, simple carbohydrates are quickly digested into the bloodstream, which causes your blood sugar levels to rise quite rapidly. Have you ever noticed a runner will eat a chocolate bar or sports drink whilst running? Well that’s because the simple carbohydrates are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, creating energy within minutes, not hours.

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbohydrates are found in wholemeal breads, muesli, brown rice, oats, wholegrain pastas, potatoes etc.

Complex carbohydrates are chains of three or more single sugar molecules linked together. Complex carbohydrates are broken down more slowly compared to simple carbohydrates and thus provide a steadier stream of energy throughout the day.

To put it simply you should stick to a diet that consists mainly of complex carbohydrates as there will be healthier foods with a greater nutrition value. Obviously you can consume fruits even though they contain simple carbohydrates, just try to avoid as much as possible the “bad” simple carbohydrates which are candies, chocolates, cola drinks etc.

How Many Carbohydrates Do I Need

There are 4 calories in every gram (g) of carbohydrate, so if you are consuming food that has 10g of carbohydrate it means you have consumed 40 calories (4 calories x 10g = 40 calories).

According to the United States recommended daily intake you need 300g of protein, which equates to approximately 1,200 calories from carbohydrates per day.

Below is a brief list of the best carbohydrate sources which should be included into your diet:

• Breads (wholemeal, granary, brown bread, brown bagels)
• Cereals (muesli, oats, weetabix, bran flakes, wheat germ, barley, buckwheat)
• Pastas (wholemeal pasta, wholemeal spaghetti, wholemeal macaroni)
• Potatoes (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes)
• Beans (peas, lentils, kidney beans, baked beans)
• Rice (brown rice)

If you are serious about building muscle you must ensure you receive enough energy from carbohydrates to cope with all strenuous weight lifting, remember it’s all well and good getting adequate protein intake to repair and build muscles after a workout, but if you don’t receive adequate carbohydrate intake you won’t have the energy to train several times per week to a high intensity.

The Best Time to Eat Carbohydrates

Like proteins, carbohydrates should be consumed throughout the day, however there are certain times that consuming carbohydrates will be advantageous, such as for breakfast when you need the most amount of calories to recover your energy after sleeping and also in your pre and post workout meals.

Fats

I know what you’re thinking, “fats are bad” or “fats make you fat”, well that statement depends on the type of fats you consume. There are many types of fats, but the 4 most important are saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated and trans fats.

Fats are very important for us and provide a vital role within the human body, such as transporting certain vitamins throughout the body, maintaining healthy skin and hair, maintaining body temperature, promoting healthy cell function, preventing certain diseases and so much more. Some fatty acids are essential nutrients in the body and attempting to remove them from your diet would be harmful to your health.

How Much Fat Do I Need

There are 9 calories in every gram (g) of fat, so if you are consuming food that has 10g of fat it means you have consumed 90 calories (9 calories x 10g = 90 calories).

According to the United States recommended daily intake you need 65g of fat, which equates to approximately 585 calories from fat every day. Below is a brief list of the best fat sources which should be included into your diet:

• Fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, trout, anchovies, halibut)
• Plant Oils (grape seed oil, hemp oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, flax seed oil)
• Nuts & Seeds (peanuts, peanut butter, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds)
• Dairy (cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, milk, butter, fresh crème)
• Beans (black beans, kidney beans, mung beans, butter beans)

So remember good fats (as shown above) are important for maintaining a healthy diet, it’s the bad (trans) fats such as chocolate, candy, sodas etc that should be consumed in moderation.

The Best Time to Eat Fats

Fats, like proteins and carbohydrates should be consumed throughout the day, however there are certain times consuming fat would be advantageous, this is first thing in the morning and last thing before bed.

Diet & Nutrition Summary

Treat Yourself

Okay by now you should have enough information to get started with a muscle building, fat burning nutritional diet. The hardest part of any diet is sticking to it, especially if you are consuming foods you do not like or have not eaten before, the trick is to treat yourself but in moderation, for me personally I eat very healthy organic fresh foods 90% of the time and “bad” foods or “treat” foods 10% of the time. I find that by doing this I don’t feel the need to give up eating healthy, I admit it’s hard at times but I feel better knowing I’m not 100% restricted to a healthy diet.

Write Down the Foods You Eat

So, whether your goal is weight loss, building muscle or both your diet is an integral part of these goals, the best advice I can give you is to write down the foods you eat on a daily basis so that you can successfully track the amount of calories, proteins, carbohydrates and fats you have consumed throughout the day (more information about this can be found on my weight loss page). After all, if you don’t know the nutrients you are consuming how do you know if you are eating a balanced diet!

Be Persistent

Make sure you stick to your diet and combine it with a cardio vascular routine and bodybuilding workout routine, if you are persistent you will eventually see results, it takes time but just remember that old saying “anything worth having is worth working hard for”.

Good luck!