There is a common myth going around that you can go on a see all, eat all diet for body building. The theory is that as you are lifting weights, you will burn off anything you eat. This is pure nonsense. If you continue to eat unhealthy foods you will never get the body you desire.
When bodybuilding or following any other form of exercise, you should also look at your eating habits. Instead of eating three large meals a day, you need to start eating five to six smaller ones every 3 hours or so. This will help to burn calories by speeding up your metabolism but it will also stop you feeling deprived which is a common feature of some diets. Also if you are working out and your body is not getting enough fuel you can enter something called the catabolic state. This is where your body thinks you are actually starving and starts to store calories as fat and feeds on lean muscle instead. The exact opposite of the effect you are trying to achieve which is to build lean muscle and burn calories!
Eating quality food more regularly, you should also find your blood sugars are more regulated and you are less likely to reach for a sugary snack. Every meal in your diet for bodybuilding should include a mixture of food groups. If you only eat carbohydrates at one meal sitting, your energy levels will spike and crash. You will also produce too much insulin tempting your body into becoming a fat storing device.
Your body needs a combination of protein and complex carbohydrates to work at its optimum levels. Good examples of proteins that you should be consuming are eggs, chicken and turkey breast, tuna and good quality red meats. You also need some good fats in your diet although less than 30% of your calorie intake should come from unsaturated fats.
Diet supplements are big business in the world of bodybuilding. Some work, others don’t and some actually harm your health. Approach all supplements with a degree of caution. If they are being recommended as part of your routine, ask why? What is it that you are specifically lacking that taking these powders or pills will accomplish?
If you are a vegetarian or a vegan and want to start weight training you need to be extra careful. Unless you have a great well balanced diet, you may find that you lack energy and focus. This doesn’t mean that you have to start eating meat but a lot of bodybuilders do eat eggs, tuna and other fish. In other words they cease to be strictly vegetarian but do still avoid meat. They ensure that they eat a wide variety of vegetables, complex carbohydrates and good sources of vegetable protein such as Kidney beans and tofu. Vegans can be successful bodybuilders without compromising their beliefs but they need specialist help and advice on their diet for bodybuilding.