Bodybuilding Nutrition

If you want to look like a bodybuilder, it’s all about nutrition. You have to eat the right amount, of the right calories, at the right frequencies, so that your body has everything he needs to stay lean and build muscle. I’ll go over some of the simple rules you need to follow, so that you can incorporate a bodybuilder’s eating schedule into your life. It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s a simple thing. It’s all about willpower. If you can follow the instructions I’m going to give you, you can get down to 8% body fat, while maintaining your muscle mass and even gaining muscle.

First, let’s talk about what we want to avoid. The things on your blacklist include sugar, sodium and saturated fat. If sugar isn’t burned off immediately, it’s stored as body fat. Sodium can make it hard to lose fat because it makes you retain water and causes your body to hold onto fat. Saturated fat is not the type of fat want to be taking in, in high quantities. Unsaturated, healthy fats, however, can help you lose body fat. Avocados and nuts are good examples of those. Some foods you want to avoid include milk (because of its high sugar content), breads, any baked goods, candy, fried foods, starchy foods like potatoes, fruit juices, soda and anything prepackaged because of its high sodium content.

Next, let’s talk about what we want to consume. The top foods on your list should be chicken breasts, vegetables (Vegetables should be your main source of carbohydrates), fish (such as tilapia and salmon as well as others), turkey, steaks (in moderation), quinoa, beans (black, kidney, white, pinto, as well as others), nuts, hydrolyzed whey protein powder, cottage cheese, organic peanut butter and oats. The goal here is that you want foods that are high in protein and low in sugar, saturated fat and sodium. Carbohydrates are okay, but they need to be slow burning carbohydrates. Quinoa and oats are examples of slow burning, high quality carbohydrates, that also contain protein. Beans are another slow burning carbohydrate that are also high in fiber, which makes the carbohydrates burn even slower, which is a good thing. Foods that are high in fiber are your friend. Fiber is a very effective weight loss and body cleansing aid.

A good way to break up your calorie intake would be 50% protein, 30% slow burning carbohydrates and 20% unsaturated fats. It’s not about cutting your calorie intake, per se, it’s more about modifying your calorie intake. Just keep in mind that you do need to eat a lot to lose body fat and gain muscle. Eating keeps your metabolism up and a high metabolism is necessary for fat burning. When switching over to eating like this, when you haven’t done it before, you will see a rapid decrease in body fat in the first month. The best way to break your eating schedule up is five or six small meals per day, rather than three larger meals. This will keep your metabolism up and help your body avoid storing fat, that comes with eating large meals. You should be eating every 2 to 3 hours. Unsalted, mixed nuts are great for snacking on between meals. Drink lots and lots of water, as this will make it easier for your body to shed fat. Follow this guide and I guarantee you will start to see those abs show through in no time! To learn about how to take supplements like a bodybuilder, see my top supplements for muscle gain post!

Related posts:

1. Getting to Know Canola Oil Nutrition Facts
2. Vitamins, Diet, and Nutrition
3. The Low Sodium Diet Guidelines