Diets for Building Muscle

Today I just want to share with you my diets for building muscle and some ideas so that together with good routines of weights will make you muscles grow and increase your basal metabolic rate.

First you’ll need to know how much protein, carbohydrates and fats you should take. This depends on your basal metabolic rate and it has to be calculated. Is the amount of calories you need daily and as your fitness level increases or decreases. The more muscle you have, the more energy needed to maintain and the more you need if you want to keep growing. There are several ways to find your energy level. Here is a predictor of basal metabolic rate. Once you know the your basal metabolic rate, estimated what percentage 50/35/15 of protein, carbohydrates and fat you want to intake.

All that said get down to business:

My diet

I do a diet of 1400 calories a day. The training days a little more to offset the calories you burn.
At each meal I take a lot of protein and other carbohydrates. If you want to burn fat is going down gradually the proportion of carbohydrates but without going over. There are two different types of carbohydrates you should combine. Starchy carbohydrates such as rice and potatoes, and fibrous like cauliflower, green vegetables (it is much more complex than this but I am being very brief). If you look at the amount of carbohydrates per 3.5oz of starch are above 1.4oz while the fibrous between .25 – .70oz.

Combining these two types of carbohydrates manage to lower the proportion of carbohydrates you take in a day. Fibrous carbohydrates are very satisfying and can be eaten in large amounts without consuming a lot of calories. Proteins should be taken with carbohydrates whenever possible because it improves their absorption. You should take between .02 and .028 ounces per 1 pound of body weight for muscle growth and prevent catabolism. Catabolism occurs when the muscles grow but lack the necessary protein and glycogen and caught the muscle itself, leading to reduction of muscle.
There are different types of foods that contain protein. In general you have to find the calories that give you a greater amount of protein without fat (saturated). The best foods are chicken breast and tuna packed in water. Legumes are also good protein foods. Vegetarians eat many vegetables. Lentils and beans are about .14 or .28oz of protein per 3.5oz.
Carbohydrate starts taking the same ounces of protein day and then go gradually reduced while increasing activity. It is not good to cut sharply the amount of carbohydrates we take because they are necessary for energy recovery. A shock to the metabolism is not good either because if you do not to take the necessary carbohydrate your body will kept them in reserves (as fat).

As for fats, not all fat is bad. On the contrary, there may also stimulate the loss of body fat and are also needed for muscle growth. Good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) are the Omega-3 fish for example. Also, very good fats come from peanuts, avocados and olive oil. Although in general we must be careful not to overdo them, since fats are highly caloric, 255 calories per ounce, compared with 56.7 calories per ounce of protein and carbohydrates. But this is a matter of proportion; all foods are as good as the rate at which they are taken during the day and week. I put olive oil on my vegetables. You can take about .70 ounces of fat per day. Drink lots of water. Your liver and your kidneys will work and your body needs water to get rid of toxins. I drink about 13 cups of water daily.

Plan your diets for building muscle

It starts right from the beginning or if not, you won’t keep your goals. You better do a good shopping list.
In the store starts to look at all the food packages you buy. Look at the chart of nutrients and wary of foods that do not take it. The manufacturers do not put it where the food is shockingly poor in nutrients and high in calories.
Also, you must list what you eat and the nutrients. Buy a cheap scale to calculate your servings. My meals are usually in the 220 calories.

This is my shopping list for a week (not always).

Dairy

Hals a gallon of skimmed milk with calcium
Zero percent fat chees
Meat, eggs and sausages
4 ½ lbs of chicken breast cut into thin slices (last week)
eggs
turkey breast (deli)

Fish

3 packages of 3 cans of tuna in water
1 hake (part I keep it in the freezer)
Salmon
Natural tuna
Other fish
Legumes:
Potatoes
Lentils
White beans
Chickpeas

Grains, Pasta & Bread

Wheat bread
Normal Pasta
Wheat pasta
Rolled oats 1 bag
Brown rice
Cuscus

Vegetables

Hearts of lettuce, tomato … any vegetable salad
Avocado (occasionally)
Asparagus
Red peppers
Cauliflower
Green tomatoes
Lettuce
Spinach
Carrots

Frozen Vegetables

Brussels sprouts
French beans
Break frozen vegetables, pasta, rice or spinach
Vegetable stew
Chopped frozen artichoke hearts

Fruits

Apples
Fresh fruit

Meal Replacements and Protein Powder (whey or similar)

I not always want to eat so I drink a meal replacement shake that provides a ratio of protein and carbohydrates. If you only take a protein shake drink it with some form of carbohydrates. GNC protein shakes are quite good for the price. They come in chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and cost around $35 to $54 (enough for a month). I take a shake or two a day especially in the morning and after training. If I have to go somewhere, buy some protein bars for Nutrisport, which give about .39 ounces of protein per bar, and serve as food when there is no choice. Yes, make sure you have water the bars will make you very thirsty.

Meals

Breakfast

Half cup of oats cooked in 8.1oz of skimmed milk.
A protein shake (1oz protein)

Lunch

4.4oz of grilled chicken with 5 Brussels sprouts (cooked in the microwave straight from the freezer). Can be any other green vegetable or if I feel like half potato.

Dinner

5 Brussels sprouts or other vegetables with half a potato or a whole potato or rice. The proportion varies with the amount of other vegetables and carbohydrates that you take during the day. It is the best time for starchy carbohydrates.
A pasta dish is also good, especially the training days, but trying to be careful with the amount of pasta. It is best not to spend the 3.5oz since they are already 350 calories. Ground beef, in moderation because of its content of calories / protein / fat.

Snack

A sandwich on whole wheat bread, turkey breast (3 slices) and lettuce, tomato, cucumber …
If I’ve eaten lots of carbohydrates, at this time I begin to cut. It is best to take only fibrous carbohydrates to be running the day to avoid excess energy before bed. All excess calories you do not spend what we accumulate in fat.
A little cheese (nonfat) and hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts or an apple or a healthy snack is also possible, eat enough because if do not you will be hungry before dinner.

Dinner (Yes, this is a five meals a day diet)

A salad, no potatoes or rice or pasta.
Volume 1 ½ cans of tuna for sure about 70oz. of protein

If You Eat Out

If you eat out, buy a sandwich of turkey breast or chicken without mayonnaise in wheat bread. In general do not put mayonnaise on sandwiches. Nothing fried. Eat salads.
Looking for more protein and less fat clean:
Be aware of how you feel when eating. If you eat hungry be careful not to eat until you over eat. Eat slowly and if you feel you’ve had enough stop even if you have food on the plate.
Do not skip the next meal if you’ve eaten too much food before. Eat less amount to compensate.

The Refrigerator

When you reach the supermarket, prepare the chicken. Make aluminum packs of around half a pound, keep 2 in the refrigerator and freeze the rest. When you use fresh chicken that will last about 2 days, grab a package or two of the freezer and put them in the refrigerator the night before to thaw, to do so slowly. Keep in mind that frozen foods retain their properties better when the process is slow (except precooked food).
You can also cut your vegetables and freeze them to save time cooking.
If you do not have time during the week, prepare food during the weekend. You can make grilled chicken and freeze it or keep it in the refrigerator up to 3 days. You can also boil rice or noodles.
If you work in an office, take a your own food in a plastic bowl.

Microwave

Vegetable can be done very quickly in the microwave. A bowl with a little water, and your favorite frozen or natural vegetable can be microwaved 4 to 6 minutes.
I make potatoes, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, green beans, mixed vegetables, carrots …

A day of rest

Take one day a week off and eat what you want.
I usually take some beer or ice cream or make a big meal. If I eat out, I do not to overdo it but I do not deprive myself of anything. Choose what ever is healthy, but do not eat anything fried.

Eating Between Meals

If you want to eat between meals and you cannot avoid it eat by something healthy. You can have some nuts, but with care that they are high in calories and can become a bad habit. If you are hungry eat more at meals, because probably do not eat enough.
Peanuts are a good choice as snacks (unsalted natural oil), as they contain monounsaturated fats and proteins. When you have eaten too many carbohydrates during the day, is a good caloric intake. I figure I can take a handful or two a day (but always try to calculate how much fat you eat per day, not to exceed the 1oz)

Completely Remove them

Eliminate soft drinks and replace them with water. Soft drinks are high in calories and provide no nutrients. You could be taking a meal with all the calories you need with only two cans.