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NEVER DIET AGAIN


Written by Debra Wein, MS, RD

Meal timing? Carbs vs protein? Fat-free snacks? There's more to your diet than calories.















You know those gals in your gym with the perfect physiques, the ones with the rounded delts, sculpted arms, defined abs and to-die-for legs? I can't tell you exactly what they eat, but I can tell you that they neither diet constantly nor are slaves to the scale. Many athletes consider proper nutrition to be 60%-70% of the equation in helping them achieve their muscularity and definition, and they eat much more - and feel much better - than you have while on any fad diet.


Do you need a protein supplement?
You do need some fat!

The following advice can assist you in setting up a nutritionally sound eating plan that will help you meet your strength-training goals without spending hours in the kitchen or the supermarket. If you remember nothing else from this article, take note of these three strategies:

  • Eat the right amount of calories - not too many, not too few.
  • Don't try to use protein to fuel your activity or ignore the importance of carbohydrates in your diet.
  • Don't expect too much too quickly.


    Dont skip meals
    More sugar, fewer nutrients

    Some bodybuilders eat too few calories to meet their energy needs. During strength-training workouts alone, you may burn between 300 and 370 calories per hour. A restricted-calorie diet could actually lead to a loss of lean mass! Furthermore, female bodybuilders who severely restrict calories might have menstrual irregularities and potential long-term consequences such as weak bones, osteoporosis and other vitamin and mineral deficiencies. (Here the term bodybuilder also includes those who train moderately to sculpt their physiques without getting big.)

    To create the best eating plan for you, you'll need to know how many calories your body needs to maintain or lose weight and just how much protein you should eat each day. To determine the number of calories you should consume daily, multiply your current bodyweight (in pounds) by 14. See "Nutrition Calculator" to work out your totals. A 129-pound woman, for example, would need to eat 1,806 calories.

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