There are many different formulas you can use to
determine how many calories you need to eat each day.
But the quickest and easiest way to guesstimate how much
you should be eating is to simply take your total current
body weight and multiply it by the following:
- For Fat loss = eat 12 calories per pound of bodyweight
- For Maintenance = eat 15 calories per pound of bodyweight
- For Weight Gain = eat 19 calories per pound of bodyweight
This is a very easy way to estimate caloric needs.
However, there are obvious drawbacks to this method
because it doesn't take into account your activity levels
or body composition. But it will put you in the ballpark
and you can adjust your caloric intake up or down as
needed based on your progress.
A good nutrient break down for gaining muscular bodyweight
is 35% protein, 45% carbohydrates, and 20% fat.
Note: each gram of protein has 4 calories, each gram
of carbohydrate has 4 calories, and each gram of fat
has 9 calories.
The whole idea of eating 6 well balanced meals per day is
by no means a new concept. Most of the clients that I work
with usually already have a good idea of how they should
be eating. But their main excuse is they don't have the
time to eat properly. So below I've outlined a few time
saving eating tips that you can use to help make eating
a healthy muscle building diet simple and easy.
When you cook your food, cook up large quantities so
you'll have left overs. This saves time and makes it
easier to have quick nutritious meals on hand. I'll
often grill several steaks at a time, cook several
chicken breasts at a time, bake several potatoes at
a time, cook up a large pot of rice, etc.
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A George Foreman grill (or similar type of grill) is
awesome for fast cooking. A frozen chicken breast can be
cooked and ready to eat in just 10 minutes. While you are
eating your breakfast each morning you could have your
chicken breasts cooked on the grill for meals later in
the day.
Potatoes, yams, etc. can be cooked within 10 minutes in
the microwave.
Bags of pre-made salad, spinach, bags of chopped frozen
veggies, etc. are a quick way to add healthy veggies to
your diet. Fresh fruit like bananas, apples, oranges, etc.
are easy to pack with lunches.
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An easy to make breakfast favorite of mine; is to cook up
some instant oatmeal, stir in a couple scoops of vanilla
protein powder, add some apple sauce, top with a dash of
cinnamon and some low calorie sweetener. Presto, you'll
have yourself a tasty nutritious breakfast ready to eat
in about 5 minutes.
A fast and healthy lunch would be to pack a grilled
chicken breast and baked potatoe in a small Tupperware
container. Toss in some pre-washed salad veggies,
take a piece of fruit, and you're all set.
Most people usually do not have much of a problem eating
well for dinner as this is typically the biggest meal of
the day for the average person. Just make sure to have
generous portions of protein foods like beef, chicken,
turkey, fish, etc. Wholesome complex carbohydrates such
as potatoes, yams, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etc.
And also include some green veggies like a garden salad,
steamed, or stir fried veggies.
For in between meal snacks and times when you can't sit
down to the table for a formal meal you can still keep a
steady supply of protein and nutrients in your system with
quick foods like; protein / meal replacement bars,
protein / meal replacement drinks, beef jerky, mixed nuts,
fresh fruit, cottage cheese, etc.
