A frequently asked question we get is how do you create a bodybuilding diet? This article teaches bodybuilders how to build their own bodybuilding meal plan.

Ok, so you want to get huge?!

All you have to do is make it to the gym, crank out reps until you get a sick pump, head home and get on with the rest of your day, right? If bodybuilding were only that simple.

Nutrition plays a very large part of recovery, growth and general fitness and without it your body won’t put on any lean muscle mass.

So, if you want to be a true bodybuilder, you’re going to change your lifestyle and develop a muscle building meal plan.

Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it sounds. We’ll give you the complete breakdown on how to determine your dietary needs to build a muscular physique.

Determining Calories for your Bodybuilding Diet

Bodybuilding diets are constantly changing due to the increase of your muscle mass as well as the changing difficulty in your workouts.

If you increase your muscle mass and/or the time you spend weight training, you have to eat more. If you lose muscle and/or if you lessen the intensity level of your training, you need to eat less.

So how do you know if you’re building or losing lean muscle mass?

You measure of course. There are two main means that would work very well. The first is the good ole scale that sits gathering dust in the corner of your bathroom. You should monitor your weight to see if your goal to build lean muscle is causing an increase in bodyweight.

M&S Male Meal Prepping a Bodybuilding Diet

If the scale shows that your weight is staying the same (or going down) then it’s time to look at your diet and make healthy changes to create a high calorie bodybuilding diet.

If your weight is increasing, is it muscle mass or fat mass? If your stomach is getting larger then you might be eating too much. You can expect to put on some bodyfat when trying to put build muscle (especially if you’re eating a high calorie diet), but you want to monitor to make sure that dreaded fat percentage isn’t increasing too much.

Another good tool to track your progress is a set of body fat calipers. Using calipers every two weeks will provide you an idea of exactly what is happening. If your lean body mass is going down, you might want to increase the amount of calories that you eat. On the contrary, if body fat is increasing, you might want to decrease your food consumption. Finding the sweet spot where you can gain muscle without fat is every bodybuilder’s dream.

All good gyms will have a set of calipers and as long as the same person does the measurements every time you should be able to get a true reading as to what exactly is happening. Once you have obtained the amount of total millimeters and your bodyweight, the chart that comes with the calipers will show what your bodyfat percentage is.

Now comes the clever bit. If you take your bodyweight in pounds and times it by the bodyfat percentage, then you will be able to figure out your total level of bodyfat. Then you subtract this number from the total bodyweight and that will give you a figure for your fat free mass. The figure is not all muscle (technically it includes internal organs, bones etc.) but we’ll use the figure as muscle for our calculations.

The two figures you have just worked out (total bodyfat and fat free mass) should be written down and kept. Then next time you have your measurements done you can compare the two and see if your bodyfat percentage has gone up.

You will find that if your food intake is right, then with proper amount of exercise, your fat free mass will go up and your total bodyfat will go down. But if you're not eating enough, you will find that your fat free mass (muscle) is going down and your bodyfat goes up, which is definitely not what you want!

Bodyfat Calculations

Example of calculations of bodyfat, and fat free mass, using the weight as 200lb, and a bodyfat percentage of 21%.

Bodyfat Calculations Example
Bodyweight: 200lbs
Bodyfat Percentage: 21%
The calculations...
Step1. Bodyweight x bodyfat percentage = lb bodyfat.
(200 x 0.21 = 42 lb bodyfat)
Step2. Bodyweight – 42 = fat free mass (200 – 42 = 158) (This figure is the total amount of fat free mass).
So now we know...
Bodyweight: 200lbs
Bodyfat Percentage: 21%
Total Bodyfat: 42lbs
Fat Free Mass: 158lbs

The next time you have the bodyfat percentage calculated, ideally you want to see that the level of fat free mass has gone up and the total bodyfat has stayed the same or has gone down. That is the ideal situation. But sometimes it doesn’t happen and the fat level increases and the fat free mass decreases.

The reason that the fat free mass decreases is that possibly you are losing muscle, because you don't eat enough food for the amount of work/training you are doing.

Ok, I hear you saying, what if I train at home? Well in this situation we can use the old favorites, a set of scales and the mirror. You know, the one you use to admire yourself in!

The bathroom scales should show an increase in your bodyweight, if it's not going up then you're not eating enough. If the mirror is showing an increase of bodyfat around your midsection, then you are eating too much.

So how do we set up a bodybuilding meal plan with the right nutrition for ourselves? First, we need to know how many calories we should eat in a day, on top of the calories required for our body at rest we need to add into the diet calories we expend on daily activities and our training.

Use This Calculator to work out your calories per day. As a basic starting point, we use a ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats (PCF) of 30% protein, 50% carbohydrates and 20% fats. Remember that protein and carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram, fat contain (a high) 9 calories per gram.

Male Bodybuilder Eating Chicken and Rice

An example: The calculator has given us a value of 2900 calories per day, so use the following calculation to find the PCF ratio:

  • Protein: 30% of 2900 = 870 calories / 4 = 217.5g per day.
  • Carbohydrates: 50% of 2900 = 1450 calories / 4 calories = 362.5g per day.
  • Fat: 20% of 2900 = 580 calories / 9 = 64.4g per day.

So now you know exactly how much food you require per day. Now you will need to determine how many meals you’d like to eat during the day and find out how much food you require (approx) per meal.

You should be using frequent feedings to promote satiety, increase muscle protein synthesis from regular consumption of high protein meals1, and provide yourself with enough energy during the day.

As such you should divide the grams of food given above into as many meals per day as you can comfortably consume and digest, usually between 4-6 meals per day.

So to work the above amount of grams of food per day you use the following calculation:

  • Total meals required per day 6. (Figures rounded off)
  • Protein: 217.5g / 6 = 36g of protein per meal x 6
  • Carbohydrates: 362.5g / 6 = 60g of carbohydrates per meal x 6
  • Fat: 64.4g / 5* = 13g of fat per meal x 5*

* Note: In the after training meal you want the nutrients to be digested quickly and fat can delay the digestion of the meal, so fat is omitted in this meal only.

* Below are listings of the best foods for our nutrition plan, and for our recovery and growth from training. The amounts have been put as per ounce (28g) of each food for easier calculation.

* So to work out a meal you have to look at the lists given below and choose what foods you want to eat in a particular meal to give you the amounts required per meal.

Example: Evening meal.

(Requirements, good sources of: protein 36g, Carbohydrates 60g, Fat 13g)

Food Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Beef (sirloin grilled) 3oz 27.9 0.0 8.4
Brown rice (cooked)6oz 4.2 38.4 1.2
Carrot (2 large) 2.0 14 1.2
Cabbage (2oz) 0.8 3.2 0.0
Green beans (2oz) 1.0 4.0 0.0
Totals: 35.6 60 10.8

So you can see by the above meal that you are very close to the total amount that is required per meal, you can eat larger portions (for extra energy) for the main meals like breakfast, lunch and evening meal, and eat smaller meals for mid morning, mid afternoon, and supper time. Choose whichever you are more comfortable with for your own bodybuilding meal plan.

Also note that the example meal contains a balanced selection of healthy food groups including a lean meat, three different vegetable sources, and a good carb source to provide energy for the body.

Use the charts below to calculate your meals for your given calculations, you will find that after you have done it a couple of times how easy it is, and you will also get to know what portion size you require for that given amount of food.
Once you have your food sorted out, give the plan two weeks for the body to adapt to your new meal plan.

Adapt your diet accordingly by either adding or subtracting calories depending on the results you have noticed (gaining too fast, too slow, or noticing a significant increase in your weight and the level of body fat).

Female Bodybuilder reaching for vegetable and chopping eggs

Best Foods For Muscle Building

Below is a list of the best bodybuilding foods and their macronutrient profiles, with the information below you can build a healthy bodybuilding diet based on your own particular goals, mass building, getting lean, or just basic maintenance of your diet.

Meat, Fish, and Poultry (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Atlantic Salmon 56.6 7.7 nil 2.4
Bacon back (grilled) 27.0 3.4 nil 1.2
Beef (mince-lean) 53.0 8.0 nil 2.1
Beef (silverside) 54.4 8.7 nil 1.8
Beef (sirloin-grilled) 64.0 9.3 nil 2.8
Beef (topside) 54.7 9.9 nil 1.5
Catfish (fillet) 46.6 8.0 nil 1.2
Chicken (breast) 49.7 9.6 nil 1.2
Chicken (drumstick) 23.6 3.7 nil 0.9
Chicken (thigh) 33.6 4.3 nil 4.3
Cod 32.6 7.1 nil 0.3
Crab (Alaskan) 30.1 5.9 nil 0.6
Deli roast beef 15.5 2.5 0.6 0.3
Halibut 43.5 8.4 nil 0.9
Ham (sliced-lean) 40.7 6.2 0.3 1.5
Lamb (leg) 63.7 8.2 nil 3.7
Pork tenderloin 51.0 8.7 nil 1.5
Scallops 27.3 5.2 0.9 0.3
Shrimps 30.8 6.5 nil nil
Tuna (bluefish-fresh) 57.2 9.3 nil 1.8
Tuna (canned-white) 39.8 8.0 nil 0.9
Turkey (breast) 42.9 9.3 nil nil
Venison (tenderloin) 46.3 9.3 nil 0.6

Dairy & Egg Products (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Egg (whole-1 large) 74 6.0 trace 5.0
Egg (substitute-50ml) 53 8.0 trace 2.0
Egg (white-1 large) 18.0 4.0 trace trace
Low fat buttermilk (250ml) 98.0 8.0 12 2.0
Ricotta cheese (part skimmed) 38.3 3.13 1.3 2.24
Yogurt (plain fat-free) 15.8 1.6 2.1 trace
Cheddar Cheese (reduced fat) 54.8 7.8 1.1 2.2
Swiss Cheese (reduced fat) 56.0 8.9 1.1 1.1
Skimmed Milk(250ml) 86 8.0 12 trace
Cottage Cheese (2%) 25.0 4.0 1.0 1

Nuts, Seeds, and Oils (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Almonds 183 6.7 6.7 15.6
Almond Butter (1 tbsp) 101 2.5 3.5 9.5
Canola oil (1 tbsp) 124 0.0 0.0 14
Flaxseeds (1 tbsp) 59 2.3 4.0 4.0
Olive Oil (1 tbsp) 119 0.0 0.0 14
Peanut butter 96 4.0 3.0 8.5
Peanuts (dry roasted) 186 7.8 6.7 15.6
Walnuts 207 4.5 4.5 21.2

Grains, Breads, and Pasta (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Bagel, plain (1 small-3”) 190 7 37 1
Barley, pearl (cooked) 33.7 7 7.7 0.1
Bran Muffin (1 small) 178 5 32 5
Brown Rice (cooked) 31.1 0.7 6.4 0.2
Corn, tortilla (1) 58 2 12 1
Couscous (cooked) 30.8 1 6.4 trace
Crumpet (1) 134 4 26 1
Flour, tortilla (8”dia) 146 4 25 3
Macaroni (wholewheat) 39.3 1.4 8 0.2
Oatmeal (cooked) 17.2 0.7 3.0 0.2
Rye bread (1 slice) 83 3.0 16 1.0
Sourdough Bread (1 slice) 88 3.0 17 1.0
Spaghetti (wholewheat) (cooked) 39.3 1.4 8.0 0.2
Wheatgerm (1tbsp) 26 2.0 4.0 0.5
White rice (cooked) 31 0.6 6.8 trace
Wholegrain Cereal 84 2.0 21.4 0.9
Wholegrain Crackers (5) 90 2.0 14 3.0
Wholemeal Bread (1 slice) 73 3.0 13 1
Wholemeal Pitta (1) 170 6.0 35 2.0
Wholemeal Pretzels 115 3.3 21.4 0.9
Wild Rice (cooked) 28.1 1.1 5.9 0.1

Fruits (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Apple 1 (med) 72 trace 19 trace
Apricots (3) 50 2.0 12 trace
Avocado (1/4) 80 1.0 4.0 7.0
Banana (1 med) 105 1.0 30 trace
Blueberries 50.6 0.1 3.9 trace
Cantaloupe 9.4 0.1 2.2 trace
Cherries (tart) 14 0.3 3.4 trace
Grapefruit (1/2 Medium) 41 1.0 10 trace
Grape Juice (100 ml) 45.2 trace 19 trace
Grapes (seedless) 20 0.1 5.4 trace
Melon (cubed) Honeydew 10 0.1 5.4 trace
Mango (cubes) 18 0.1 4.7 trace
Nectarine (1 medium) 60 1.0 14 trace
Orange (1 navel) 69 1.0 18 trace
Orange Juice (100ml) 44.8 0.8 26 trace
Papaya (cubes) 10.9 0.1 2.8 trace
Peach (1 med) 38 1.0 9.0 trace
Pear (1 med) 96 1.0 26 trace
Pineapple (cubes) 13.3 1.0 20 trace
Plum (1) 30 Trace 8.0 trace
Raisins (loose) 86.3 0.7 23 trace
Raspberries 14.3 0.4 3.3 0.1
Strawberries 9.1 0.1 2.2 trace
Watermelon (cubes) 8.5 0.1 2.2 trace

Legumes (per ounce, 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Lima Beans (baby) 33.8 2.0 6.1 trace
Black Beans 36.8 2.3 6.5 trace
Chickpeas 46.9 2.4 8.0 0.7
Kidney beans 34 2.4 8.0 trace
Lentils (cooked) 32 2.5 5.6 trace
Tofu (raw) 45 4.9 1.1 2.5
Soya beans (cooked) 79 6.8 6.2 3.1
Split Peas (cooked) 32.4 2.2 5.8 trace

Vegetables (per ounce. 28g)

Food Calories Protein(g) Carbs(g) Fat(g)
Artichokes (1 medium) 60 4.0 13 trace
Asparagus (4 large spears) 16 2.0 3.0 trace
Aubergine (cubed) 7.0 trace 1.4 trace
Beats (sliced cooked) 2.35 0.8 2.8 trace
Broccoli (florets raw) 7.7 0.6 1.2 trace
Brussels sprouts 10 1.2 2.0 trace
Butternut squash 11.5 0.3 3.0 trace
Cabbage (shredded) 6.8 0.4 1.6 trace
Carrot (1 large) 30 1.0 7 trace
Cauliflower 7.0 0.5 2.0 trace
Chinese cabbage (cooked) 3.3 0.5 .05 trace
Collard greens (chopped) 1.6 0.1 0.3 trace
Corn, kernels 22 1.0. 5.0 0.3
Courgette (chopped) 5.0 0.4 0.9 trace
Cucumber (sliced) 4.3 0.2 1.0 trace
Garlic (1 clove) 5.0 trace 1.0 trace
Green beans 3.7 0.5 2.0 trace
Green peas (raw) 24 1.6 4.3 trace
Kale (chopped) 6.5 0.6 1.5 0.2
Mushrooms (sliced) 6.0 0.8 0.8 trace
Onion (chopped) 11.5 0.3 2.8 trace
Pepper (green) Chopped 5.6 0.2 1.3 trace
Potato (1 med) Baked 161 4.0 37 trace
Potato (boiled) 24 0.0 6.0 0.0
Potato (mashed with milk) 23 1.0 5.0 0.0
Pumpkin (fresh) 5.6 0.2 1.2 trace
Romaine lettuce (shredded) 6.2 0.6 1.2 trace
Spinach 7.0 1.0 1.0 trace
Sweet potato 1 med, baked) 103 2.0 24 trace
Tomato (1 lge) 33 2.0 7.0 trace
Tomato juice (100ml) 16 0.8 4.0 trace

Supplements for Bodybuilding Diets

It’s not always easy to gain all the right nutrition and calories for your body building from your diet alone.

Your time may be too limited to be cooking large and healthy meals between your workouts, job, and training sessions.

So if you struggle with eating the right amount of nutrients, there are supplements that can help you in the journey of bodybuilding diets.

M&S Female Athlete Scooping Whey Protein

Whey Protein

Providing your body with the recommended 0.6-1.2 grams of protein per lbs can be hard to obtain from high protein foods alone. So if you are going to add any supplement to your bodybuilding diet, start with Whey Protein. WP has gained popularity amongst bodybuilders and athletes (and in the fitness world) for years and not without purpose.

Whey protein is a milk protein that has been isolated from whey. It is a fast-digesting complete protein source containing all of the essential amino acids, making it extremely useful to consume after a workout or upon waking in the morning for breakfast.

Whey protein can come in 3 different forms: isolate, concentrate and hydrolysates.

WP Isolate is considered the purest form of whey protein. It contains between 90-95% of WP (one of the most high-protein forms). Concentrate has a lower amount of protein (25-89%) making it a less pure form of WP. Last but not least Hydrolysates is a form of WP that has been treated enzymatically to break down long proteins into short proteins (making it easier for the body to absorb).

If you are going for a supplement to recover from your weight training and help you meet your diets protein needs, we recommend to choose a highly rated whey protein from a trustworthy and established brand.2

Creatine

Creatine is a natural substance that after consumption turns into creatine phosphate in our body. Creatine phosphate is then turned into a substance called Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which helps to provide energy for your muscles.3

It is being produced by the body itself but can also be found in high-protein foods like meat and fish. Besides eating meat and fish, creatine is a great supplement for your bodybuilding diet. It has positive effects on strength, power and lean muscle tissue.

This supplement is very easy to consume, you can add it in your pre or post-workout shake, smoothie or even in a cup of fruit juice. Whether it is more beneficial to take this muscle building supplement before or after your workout is not completely clear as of yet.4 So our advice is to take it at whatever time of day best fits your lifestyle.

Omega 3 Fish Oil

Another supplement that can be a great addition to your meal plan is omega 3 fish oil. Eating fatty fish (like salmon) has proven to have many health benefits for our body, but due to the fact that seafood can be expensive, sometimes it is a better choice to get your pure and concentrated fish oil from supplemental form.

But what does adding these omega 3 fatty acids to your diet do for your muscle growth?

Fish oil has also been proven to reduce stiffness in your joints, improve blood flow, and enhance recovery - meaning more productive workouts and a longer gym-longevity for you as a bodybuilder.5

This makes omega 3 fish oil a very useful supplement for your body, weight training and as addition to your bodybuilding diet.

References
  1. Per meal dose and frequency of protein consumption is associated with lean mass and muscle performance.
  2. Hulmi, J. J., Lockwood, C., & Stout, J. (2010). Effect of protein/essential amino acids and resistance training on skeletal muscle hypertrophy: A case for whey protein . Nutrition & Metabolism , 7 (51).
  3. Kreider RB, Leutholtz BC & Greenwood M. Creatine. Nutritional Ergogenic Aids. CRC Press LLC: Boca Raton, FL, 2004, p 81-104
  4. Antonio J, Ciccone V. The effects of pre versus post workout supplementation of creatine monohydrate on body composition and strength. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:36.
  5. The effects of fish oil and isoflavones on delayed onset muscle soreness.

 

294 Comments
Jeremy
Posted on: Tue, 11/01/2022 - 01:33

Hello, I hope the creator of this page is still active. I came up with my macros to hit daily which is a great first step, how do I translate that into what to eat? I see the nice graph you have, but I can't connect how to eat 275g of Protein, 206g of Carbs, and 91g of Fat without overcomplicating the meals. Any advice please?

M&S Team Badge
Roger
Posted on: Mon, 11/07/2022 - 11:43

Take the numbers and divide them by the number of meals you have per day to come up with the per meal numbers. Using 6 meals as an example.

275g protein / 6 = 46g per meal
206g carbs / 6 = 34g per meal
91g fat / 6 = 15g per meal

After that, it's a matter of eating the food necessary to meet those numbers. That is up to you and what you choose to eat. Hope this provides a little help.

Jeremy
Posted on: Mon, 11/21/2022 - 21:37

Thank you for replying! I will give this a shot. Wonderful article, thanks again.

Josephine Llait...
Posted on: Tue, 09/07/2021 - 23:28

Very nice

Munna
Posted on: Sun, 03/07/2021 - 11:03

Please help eny one
Aim30 year old i strarted gym before one year
But results slowly
My daily diet plan
Meal one 5 eegs
Meal two milk
Meal three wbite rice veeg carry
Meal fore skaks
Meal five 5eegs
Please any chainge diet plan

Brian
Posted on: Tue, 09/10/2019 - 18:04

I started following this guide. I'm only on day 2. I have a lot of energy and feel kind of great, but my stomach is a mess. I think it's too much fiber. I've cut all simple carbs except for a limited amount right after workout. Should I work in more simple starches or is this something I should just kind of power through until my body adjusts and it will go away?

David
Posted on: Mon, 05/20/2019 - 13:18

Hello, I would like to ask if the final calculation (the BMR) is for gaining muscle or do i need to add another 500 calories if I am bulking? Also I would like to know if I need to count my burned calories by training or if it is already included..?
PS: My english is not that good so I apologize if I typed something wrong so you cant understand.. if that happens just let me know.

David

John
Posted on: Wed, 02/13/2019 - 12:45

I'm a 45 y/o male. 200lbs and probably 25% body fat.
I'd like to get down to 185-190lbs and 10% body fat while still adding muscle. I realize this is difficult.
Should I base my caloric intake on 185lbs?

Stephen Trotter
Posted on: Sun, 04/07/2019 - 13:26

No you need to base your calories on what your weighing now and as you start to lose that's when you cut back calories even further

magda
Posted on: Sun, 01/27/2019 - 07:39

I am a 15 year old female, 5'2, 112lbs 26% body fat and i want to be 18% and i am looking to loose fat. I need help because i tried dieting and never lost stomach fat. I would like a meal plan suggestion.

Avinash Chakrapani
Posted on: Thu, 01/31/2019 - 22:30

Consume plenty of soluble fiber & High-Protein Diet,
Reduce you stress levels, Don't consume lot of Sugary Foods & sugary beverages.
Get Plenty of Restful Sleep!
Last but not the least "do Cardio"

fady
Posted on: Tue, 10/31/2017 - 18:47

Is that (BMR) mentioned above used to calculate the calories need for living or for gaining the weight,and how could i differ between the two of them?

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JoshEngland
Posted on: Wed, 11/01/2017 - 08:30

Hi Fady,

BMR is your maintenance level calorie intake. To gain weight you'll need to add ~250-500 calories to that number to create a slight calorie surplus.

Hope this helps!

Abdul Saboor
Posted on: Thu, 12/22/2016 - 13:04

I'm counting calories of above given table. Why your calories are more compare to my calculation and you take everything 1 ounce/28.3gm but in this only few % of Protein, Carbohydrate & Fat also not coming the sum of these 3 equal to 1 ounce/28.3gm? Please reply... Really very confused...!

Jabbar shaik
Posted on: Fri, 12/02/2016 - 00:07

I have lots of tummy fat I work out at gym and regularly but I could not able to lover my fat may be because of improper site. Could u recommend me the dite

Ebenezer
Posted on: Fri, 09/16/2016 - 10:22

I have put in a lot of muscle lately but I think am beginning to get belly fat. How can I get rid of that

IHooda
Posted on: Sat, 08/27/2016 - 11:24

Very well written.

yov
Posted on: Sun, 09/20/2015 - 08:50

Is making love everyday for body builders?is it a problem?

captain
Posted on: Sun, 09/13/2015 - 07:13

i am currently at 74 kg bodyweight and i want lean body shapes .my height is 5feet and 5 inches when ever i start eating more my belly start growing and its hard to lose it and my musles are still same i workout for 80 min can u tell me plz what shoud i do ? i am really confuse

Faraz
Posted on: Thu, 04/09/2015 - 15:39

Hey Steven, I am a teenager of 15 years and I know bodybuilding is not easy but I am a teenager and the food require for body building is huge I am not able to eat that much food please tell me what to eat give full diet.
Thanks,
Faraz

Stephanie
Posted on: Thu, 02/19/2015 - 13:35

I am currently at 108 pounds and looking to be at least 112 pounds. I already have a ton of muscle and basically became underweight due to eating nothing but chicken and eggs. I used to be at 11% body fat...in many attempts to gain weight I know my body fat is now much higher. I am stronger than I have ever been at the gym. I can do 6 chin ups, people say my back looks insane. All of the ab exercises are a breeze. But honestly I'm not sure what I should be eating anymore and the more I research it the more confused I am. I am trying to gain weight to get my period back. I want to be really lean and weigh about 112 as I had my period back then even at 11% body fat. It has been recommended to me to eat about 18 grams of meat every 3 hours with a serving or two of carbs and a vegetable. How many calories do you think I need to be taking in? I see physique plans at 1500 calories. The thing on this page told me to eat 2000. Honestly all these carbs got me feeling carb dependent. My body feels ready to eat every three hours but I don't actually feel hungry. Someone please give me some good advice.

John
Posted on: Thu, 02/19/2015 - 14:25

Hi Stephanie, Sounds like you are training real hard so you will need to fuel up. Also seems to be a bad case of information overload. Best to pick one source of good information and stick with it. I would suggest The Complete Guide To Sports Nutrition by Anita Bean. Also not one size fits all we are all different. Check Anita's book and work out your requirements (near enough). The the best bet is look in the mirror and weighing scales but no more than once every 2 weeks. If you look like you are are putting on lean muscle stick with it. Add or subtract nutrients to add or loose weight. For example add 500 calories more than you use to put on weight and 500 calories less to loose. Losing your period is a signal that something is out of balance.

James
Posted on: Sun, 11/30/2014 - 00:22

How many calories a day should I be consuming? I am a pretty active individual who works out 5-6 day a week on top of school and sports most of the year. What's a calculation I should be doing for the calorie intake?

Thanks

Marshall Borel
Posted on: Fri, 03/03/2017 - 09:00

How tall, weight and age r u? And what types of workouts you r doing? Cardio, strength?

Imran
Posted on: Fri, 10/24/2014 - 06:03

I am 30 years old and started to work out in gym from past 6 months but have not seen any commendable results. I want to shred the belly fat and get good shape. After reading the articles and so many reviews, I ordered Whey protein to include it in my diet. Now, my question is...as I am working professional, how do I include Whey protein in my every day diet plan?

My goal is to get in shape and build moderate muscle.

Marshall Borel
Posted on: Fri, 03/03/2017 - 09:04

It depends on macros, deit break down. But suggested before and after workouts. I use whey as a meal supplement but with my macros I use 1.5 morning snack and afternoon snack then 1 scoop evening snack.

Wayne
Posted on: Sun, 10/05/2014 - 14:51

When figuring calorie intake why did you divide the total calories for protein and carbs by 4 and fats by 9? Where did the 4 & 9 come from? Thanks!

Theodore
Posted on: Thu, 11/03/2016 - 09:55

They are the calories per gram for the different macros. Portion contains 4 calories per gram, carbs also contains 4 calories per gram, and fat has 9.

joe
Posted on: Wed, 09/10/2014 - 01:24

Hello
iv been going to gym just over a year now and I added size to start now I'm stuck. I work on site so I'm really active there and the gym everyday so I burn alot of calories but getting that much food in is hard as only get 2 breaks at work. What diet would you suggest for a 4meal plan?
Thanks

kapil
Posted on: Thu, 08/07/2014 - 12:23

I want to make a perfect body with great shape..but i have the shape but my museles are not growing so plss tell me what to do..

Manjit Singh Rana
Posted on: Sat, 08/02/2014 - 07:48

I want to weight gain.

Hiranya
Posted on: Thu, 07/17/2014 - 10:59

very informative article

Al
Posted on: Sun, 07/06/2014 - 12:27

Hello I'm 37 and I've being working out for about year. My ? Is at my age is it to late to really get into getting the size and the look of a body builder.

Danny
Posted on: Wed, 06/04/2014 - 17:53

Hi steve,
I'm 15 6,2 unsure of weight but around 14 stone
I have been bodybuilding for around 4-5 months and have made good gains gone from 14 inch arms to 15.5 and chest has got a lot bigger to ( as well as all body parts just used them as example )
I go to school still and only have enough time to eat 3 meals a day
Breakfast cereal maybe some egg
Lunch around 180g chicken some salad, pasta or cus cus
Dinner what ever my parents cook usual a chicken based dish
Is this enough calories or too little or too much? Also protein carbs etc
Would appreciate a reply with some help
Thanks

sachin
Posted on: Wed, 06/04/2014 - 13:24

how to increase stamina also

sachin
Posted on: Wed, 06/04/2014 - 13:22

i hav a weak body i cant lift more weight by folowing diet can i get more musvles at the same time six packs ............................................................

harry
Posted on: Mon, 03/31/2014 - 04:42

hii,
im 19 years old, im very thin nd tiny . how can i make my body & grow my height?

harry
Posted on: Mon, 03/31/2014 - 04:39

im very thin nd tiny ..how can i make my body and grow my height..?

AB
Posted on: Thu, 03/13/2014 - 09:15

Hi Steve,

I'm 43 years old ad have started some mild weight training since 4 weeks,, I walk for 30minutes and then I workout out for another 30 mintues,, The last time I worked out was 20 years ago when I was 24 yrs old. I have erratic work timings and my day starts at 10 am and I sleep at around 3 am. Presently I am 173 cms tall / 78 kgs.

I am vegetarian at home but do eat eggs ad chicken occasionally when I dine outside. The big challenge for me is that my diet / sleep / age is not on my side. But it is now or never. Also, so far I am used to eating only 3 meals a day.... taking it to 4/5/6 meals is another challenge... pl. advise

rock
Posted on: Sun, 03/09/2014 - 13:36

hi.. i how to make body what food we eat for growth and body

rock
Posted on: Sun, 03/09/2014 - 13:36

hi.. i how to make body what food we eat for growth and body

gaurav kumar
Posted on: Fri, 12/27/2013 - 23:05

i have a loose belly fat
i want to tight my abdomen skin and to get abs.
please give me advice

will
Posted on: Fri, 12/27/2013 - 02:56

Hello steve.
It's been 20 years since I've seen the gym. Time.i get.back to it. I'm 5.5 120 pounds 35 years old.
Don't have much body fat. Very high metabolism.
My jib.if physically demanding. With that said. Should I try and add 300 extra calories per day to compensate the toll of my job on top of my workouts?
Thank you for your time.
Will

Ravi Kumar
Posted on: Thu, 10/31/2013 - 09:35

Hi Steve,

I want to gain weight with the muscles also. I am doing middle level workout.

Can you suggest me without taking protein shake can I get good muscles and weight.

I am afrading to take protien shake. i can eat natural protein from many source specially white egg,soy bean , milk,cottege chees,

can you suggest mine diet plan. without invovling of protein shake.

I would appreciate if you can help me out.

Thanks in advance

Dylan
Posted on: Sun, 10/27/2013 - 02:41

Should I count my protien supplements as well when formulating a diet plan?

Marshall Borel
Posted on: Fri, 03/03/2017 - 09:11

Yes. Protien shakes have caliore counts. So with the macro break down you need to know how much protien and fats and carbs in the shake or your count will be understated.

Sandy
Posted on: Wed, 10/16/2013 - 10:13

hi master Steve,
I do have a sporty body.. my hands r around 15 inchs.. but when its about chest, its like 33-34 inchs.. so my body is not looking good because of the proposition of my hands and chest... m doing my exercise as instrcted.... what can i do more for it..????????

Carla
Posted on: Tue, 10/15/2013 - 15:27

I notice that most of the comments are from males (or thats what the names show), do these helpful suggestions also work for females? I have not ALL the comments yet so I apologize if I'm asking something that has already been answered. Thx.

vikram
Posted on: Tue, 10/08/2013 - 03:29

hi steve,
bro my body weight is 175 pounds n my height is 5feet 10 inches.i have been working out from past 6 months now..can u please tell me how much calories i require each day..as i dont want to increase my body weight but increase my body size...so please tell me how much protein, fat and carbs should i take each day..and also on the days when i m not working out..

Ingrid
Posted on: Fri, 10/04/2013 - 13:30

Hi Steve,

I am a female, 31, 5'2 and 59kg. I know I'm not very overweight in the strict sense (for some reason I even have super marked abs!) but my body fat percentage is about 33.8% which is way higher than I think it should be. I would like to lower my body fat percentage and be more toned in my lower body. I have looked at your 'beginners' advice for body building and I am following it, but I am a bit unsure on what to do with the diet part? Thanks!