Basic Bodybuilding Nutrition
There are many ways a bodybuilder’s diet differs from a regular diet, however, the two main goals of a bodybuilding diet are to make sure your muscles are supplied with protein when they need it, and that you have enough energy to use for training.
How many meals a day?
Three meals a day is considered healthy, and it is. However, a bodybuilder may want to eat more than three meals a day. Eating more often and spread throughout the day will guarantee a more steady supply of nutrients to your muscles. This is important because you want your muscles to be repairing themselves at all times outside of training to get the most gains.
Some people take this the wrong way and eat 5 meals, of equal amounts of calories to their regular 3 meals a day diet. Your body will still need the same amount of calories throughout the day as it normally does, so the more meals you eat, the smaller they should be. Also, this strategy only works if each meal contains protein, because otherwise the meal is only fueling your energy and not helping your muscles rebuild.
How much food/protein do I need?
Everyone’s metabolism is different, and everyone’s metabolism also varies day by day. Some bodybuilders are fans of IIFYM, or “if it fits your macros”, meaning they eat a certain number of calories in each macronutrient category per day. For example, 50g of protein per day, 250 carbohydrates per day, and 80g fat per day. This strategy ignores the fact that metabolism varies by day. There is no exact set amount of macronutrients you should take in. Instead, a better way is to use the numbers calculated as a guideline. If you use IIFYM for dieting, only use it as a guideline, not exact amounts. Everyone can estimate their suggested intake here at ChooseMyPlate.gov. The suggested amount of daily protein intake is 0.36g per lb of bodyweight, but again, this number varies due to many different reasons. A bodybuilder may want to take in closer to .7g per lb of bodyweight.
What type of food should I eat?/Where should I get my protein from?
The type of food should vary. Nobody should only ever eat fish, or only eat broccoli. It’s healthy to be eating different types of food in order to get all the nutrients you need. Protein shakes are great if you need a ton of protein, but most people will find that from their normal diet they get all that they need. If you make choices to eat foods that are high protein there is no need for protein supplementation. More protein that your body can use will not help you.
Good tips on cutting bodyfat
Low body fat percentages bring out the cuts and curves in a muscle. To cut body fat you must be in a caloric deficit. This basically means you need to burn more calories that you consume. You can do this by exercising more, consuming less, or both. Here’s a list of strategies to drop body fat the easiest and simplest ways:
- One of the easiest strategies to dropping body fat is excluding all junk food from your diet. When I say junk food, I mean any food that is high fat or high sugar.
- Another is making sure you never overeat. Pay attention to how much you eat by eating slowly. Eating slowly will allow you to realize when you're full, before you’ve already eaten more.
- Drink water instead of other drinks. Especially avoid juices, they are high calorie.
- Don’t snack. Many people grab a bite of food, even just a cracker, almost every time they pass through their kitchen. Especially at night people trying to diet are more at risk of snacking.
- Lower your normal food consumption slightly. If you would normally eat a sandwich, a protein shake, some carrots, and an orange, don't eat the orange during your diet. Nobody should skip whole meals, but instead just make each meal a little bit smaller.
- Keep a goal. It’s hard to measure small bodyweight cuts by weight due to body weight fluctuations (Average body weights can fluctuate anywhere from 2 to 8 pounds during a day), but for longer diets people can see progress by measuring their body weight. Also, you should be able to see your body change as you make progress.
You shouldn’t have to be hungry when you're dieting. If you spread out your meals throughout the day, make sure you don’t cut too quick, and stay motivated with a goal, dieting really isn’t that hard!
Other tips:
- Make sure you get your protein after a workout within 30 minutes. This is key because your body is most responsive to muscle rebuilding 15 minutes after a workout.
- Have some protein close to when you go to sleep. A lot of rebuilding is done when you’re sleeping (make sure you get enough sleep!) so if your body has nothing to build with, your muscles won't grow.
