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Lean bodybuilding diet
Posted by: Shawn
If you are looking to increase the amount of muscle on your body and you want to lose fat at the same time then you have to be prepared to make the sacrifice to get these types of rewards. We will be discussing the basics that are required for a lean bodybuilding diet.
The first thing that you need to get your head around is to completely stop taking in all kinds of junk food that you might have in your normal daily diet. Just by avoiding all junk food will help to eliminate all those empty calories that have not been used by the body which as you know just turn into fat.
Part of the process of eliminating junk food is also getting rid of any and all bad fats that you were eating. Bad fats are all the saturated fats that come from foods like butter and cooking oils as well as red meats. The cheapest and most effective way to ensure that you only get all the good fats that you need is to simply take just 1 tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day. If you are able to stop eating junk food then you also need to concentrate on stopping the eating of foods that are full of sugar. The reason is simply because taking in any simple sugars causes a very sharp rise in insulin levels. Insulin is a very valuable hormone when it is not in excess as it carries the precious amino acids directly from the protein straight into the muscle cell so that they can be used for growth and repair.
The problem is that insulin also carries carbohydrates into the liver and muscle cells for storage as glycogen (stored carbohydrates) that can be used for future occasions. When you have excess insulin and the body's reserves of carbohydrate storage are full, insulin turns these carbs into fat!
This has a compounded effect when you have excess insulin production because it will take the carbs away from the blood stream too quickly which will immediately create a situation of low blood sugar. This will result in you feeling tired and groggy or listless, and probably craving sweets or junk food. This just creates a vicious cycle that guarantees fat gain.
To get the return from your hard workouts you need to increase your intake of protein because protein foods provide the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without protein the building of muscle and the burning of fat efficiently would be completely impossible. Protein also helps to increase the efficiency of your metabolism every time you eat it by approximately 20%. Eating protein on a regular basis throughout the day will also make the carbohydrates that you are eating achieve a 'timed release'. This means that you will get a sustained energy throughout the day which results in a more steady release of insulin as opposed to the sharp rise you would get if you ate carbohydrate foods alone.
A good example of this is the protein in eggs, chicken breast or turkey and lean red meats or tuna and salmon. Each serving size of these proteins equals approximately 35-40 grams of protein. It is recommended that for every serving of protein you also have an equal size serving of starchy carbohydrates.
You also need to keep in mind that too many carbohydrates will always cause a huge rise in your insulin levels. When there is too much insulin in the body, your body simply turns into a fat storing machine, so you want to avoid that at all costs. It is therefore important that you eat no extra carbohydrates than are absolutely necessary and that you always eat the correct amount of carbohydrates.
It is good to note that there are good sources of starchy carbohydrates which are foods like oatmeal, sweet potatoes or potatoes, rice, pasta, corn and peas. Each serving of these starchy carbs gives you approximately 40-50 grams of carbohydrates. By ensuring that you get no more carbohydrates than your body requires you will guarantee that body fat decreases. Below is an example of 6 meals that you can have in a day that will get you all the protein, carbs and healthy fat that you need. These meals are specifically for men as women would be eating less.
Sample Bodybuilding Diet For Lean Muscle
Meal 1: 7 AM
1 Cup Dry Oats
1 Cup Egg Beaters
Meal 2: 9 AM
Meal Replacement or 40g Protein Powder
1 Tbls Flaxseed Oil
Meal 3: 12 Noon
1 Cup Brown Rice, Medium Baked Potato, or 1 Cup Oatmeal
2 Cups Green Beans, or Broccoli
6-8oz Chicken, Turkey, or Lean Fish
Meal 4: 3 PM
Meal Replacement or 40g Protein Powder
Meal 5: 6 PM
1 Cup Brown Rice, Medium Baked Potato, or 1 Cup Oatmeal
2 Cups Green Beans, or Broccoli
6-8oz Chicken, Turkey, or Lean Fish
Meal 6: 8 PM
Meal Replacement or 40g Protein Powder
Note: For more information checkout The Bodybuilders Cookbook
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