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General Bodybuilding Diet Guide

Jimihendrixq

By Jimihendrixq ,
in Sports & Fitness

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Jimihendrixq

Jimihendrixq

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So I've gotten into the diet part of things pretty heavy over the past year and seen good results. I made this spreadsheet a while ago for some friends who were asking me what I did to get lean, so figured I'd share on here. I think it'll be useful for noobs to nutrition and would be interested in feedback from the more knowledgable guys as far as what you agree/disagree with. Keep in mind I'm American so types of foods/names may differ from you euro folk. Here we go gentlemen:

 

 

 

Ideal Food Sources        
 

Protein
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
Lean Ground Turkey
Tuna
Salmon
Tilapia
Greek Yogurt (Low Fat/Sugar Flavors)
Milk
Whey Protein
Eggs/Liquid Egg Whites
 

Carbs
Sweet Potatoes
Brown Rice
Oats (Steel Cut or Rolled/Old Fashioned)
Beans/Legumes
Whole Grains
Quinoa
Fruits
Vegetables
 

Fats
Nuts
Natural Peanut Butter
Olive Oil
Avocado
Unsweetened Almond Milk
Fatty Fish
Fish Oil
Flax
Chia

 

Foods to Moderate/Avoid        
 

Protein
Beef
Pork
 

Carbs
Alcohol
White Grains
Processed Sugars
Breading
 

Fats
Cheese
Butter
Creamy/Thick Sauces
Excess Oils
Mayo/Dressings

 

 

Macro Planning    

    
1) Use a BMR calculator and pair with activity level to estimate maintenance daily caloric intake (http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/)     

   
2) Track calories, macros, weight, and activity level over time to improve this estimate (keep in mind that this changes as your weight/activity changes) 

       
3) Determine what your goals are, e.g. maintaining, bulking (adding lean mass and strength), or cutting (fat loss while maintaining strength)      

 
4) Maintaining - match your estimated maintenance caloric intake        
    Bulking - multiply maintenance caloric intake by 1.1 - 1.2        
    Cutting - multiply maintenance caloric intake by 0.8 - 0.9

        
5) Slowly adjust calories to desired level, it is recommended to not change intake by more than 100-200 calories per week     

   
6) Continue tracking progress as you change diet/activity to evaluate effectiveness        

Suggested Calories and Ratios for Bodybuilding (1g of protein/carbs = 4 calories, 1g of fat = 9 calories)        

Maintenance
35% Protein 45% Carbs 20% Fat

Bulking
30% Protein 50% Carbs 20% Fat

Cutting
40% Protein 45% Carbs 15% Fat

Example Using 160 lb. Male with Maintenance Intake of 2250 Calories/day                

Goal               Calories    Protein (g)    Carbs (g)    Fats (g)

 

Maintenance    2250           190              260             50

Bulking             2660           200              330             60

 

Cutting             1835           180              200             35

 

 

General Advice 

               
Consume 0.8 - 1.4 grams of protein per pound bodyweight to ensure maximum muscle growth  

             
Adjust this value based on results and goals  

             
Consume majority of carbs pre/post workout, especially any sugars (High GI) carbs you plan to eat that day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glycemic_index)                

Consume large serving of protein post workout, whey protein is a great option because it is fast abosrbing and convenient  

             
Otherwise, try to keep meals to 10-30g of protein per meal along with remaining carbs and fats to fit macros for the day    

            
Consume fats away from workout time, as they are slow digesting  

             
Aim to get 3-4 servings of fruits/veggies per day to ensure optimal health and nutrient absorption

                
Make sure to stay hydrated, especially if cutting and/or using creatine (monitor hydration by urine color)  

             
When cutting, pick one or two days a week (preferrably rest days) to reduce carbs greatly, which will also keeps calories lower that day (carb cycling)              

 
On this low carb day try to make any carbs you do consume mostly fiber. This will reduce hunger and aid digestion/nutrient absorption     

           
Also when cutting, have a refeed day once every 10-14 days (preferrably on intense workout day), where carb intake is increased and fats are decreased so that you don't exceed calorie goal    

            
This will improve energy as well as keep body from reverting to starvation mode where it more readily stores fat                



 

Edited by Jimihendrixq
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E ric

E ric

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Posted

Good guide, I like that graph for the macros/calories.  I personally am not to serious about getting ripped as fuck or what I eat as long as I feel I personally look alright.  I workout 3-4 times a week and I stay within the 2000-2500 calorie range everyday and try to come as close to my macros as possible.  I don't really believe you have to eat chicken/tuna, white rice, and asparagus everyday to stay in shape.  I eat pizza/fast food 2 or 3 times a week and just make sure i am not over doing my calorie intake.  Other meals I eat whatever I have a taste for.  I usually will eat 2 big meals a day with one smaller meal and some snacks in between.

 

You only live one life, I would rather be healthy/somewhat in shape and enjoy the foods I eat, than be ripped eating the same meals everyday.  But that's just my opinion on it.

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Jimihendrixq

Jimihendrixq

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Nah, I try to stick to what has been objectively proven. As far as body composition goes, the food source doesn't matter as much, but I look at it from a long term health standpoint as well. And the meal timing/GI shit is still somewhat in the broscience stage, but I find it works for me.

 

Like the dude above said, you gotta find what makes you happy in life. I just mean this as a general guide, it's up to you what your goals are and how strict you want to be about your diet mane

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Tris

Tris

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I'm a pretty big fan of flexible dieting/IIFYM and I usually recommend it to everyone who asks me about dieting.    I do eat a general basis of the above listed foods but I usually work other food around it if I know I'm going out or want to treat myself to something nice.  There's plenty of pros who endorse flexible dieting and quite a lot of research backing it.  Just look at a few well known athletes or nutritionists who support it.  

 

People however do need to realize that flexible dieting doesn't mean stuff your face with junk to meet your macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients are just as important for not only gains/cutting but for a healthy system too.  Sufficient vegetable/fruit and fiber intake is important. 

 

I agree with most of your logic on refeed days, carb cycling, macro tracking/planning and nutrition intake when timing with exercise.  

 

 

Few things with the list:

 

Alcohol isn't a macro-nutrient, it yields energy though, 7 calories per a gram.  It is however usually mixed with carbohydrates such as beer/wine which is where the carbohydrates lie.   Spirits are the way to go if you want to stay low on the calorie side yet get drunk.  

 

Beef/Pork shouldn't be avoided, most cuts may be less lean than other protein sources but they are still complete protein sources (complete meaning they contain all essential amino acids which the body can only produce from one's diet.)

 

Plant based proteins are mostly incomplete proteins, meaning they don't contain all essential amino acids required by the body.   Just something to keep in mind.  

 

Carbohydrates are just as important pre/post workout in terms of glycogen stores and replenishment. Usually on cut I time my carbohydrate intake around when I gym for this very reason and consume fats/protein for the rest of the day.    There is a bit of research floating about however stating that this isn't needed but then there's also research stating that this is the way to go due to energy system recruitment.

 

I would like to point out though that different things work for different people.  Everyone is different and people will find success with one way while others will find success with another.  This goes with not only dieting but training too.

Edited by Tris
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Jimihendrixq

Jimihendrixq

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I'm a pretty big fan of flexible dieting/IIFYM and I usually recommend it to everyone who asks me about dieting.    I do eat a general basis of the above listed foods but I usually work other food around it if I know I'm going out or want to treat myself to something nice.  There's plenty of pros who endorse flexible dieting and quite a lot of research backing it.  Just look at a few well known athletes or nutritionists who support it.  

 

People however do need to realize that flexible dieting doesn't mean stuff your face with junk to meet your macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients are just as important for not only gains/cutting but for a healthy system too.  Sufficient vegetable/fruit and fiber intake is important. 

 

I agree with most of your logic on refeed days, carb cycling, macro tracking/planning and nutrition intake when timing with exercise.  

 

 

Few things with the list:

 

Alcohol isn't a macro-nutrient, it yields energy though, 7 calories per a gram.  It is however usually mixed with carbohydrates such as beer/wine which is where the carbohydrates lie.   Spirits are the way to go if you want to stay low on the calorie side yet get drunk.  

 

Beef/Pork shouldn't be avoided, most cuts may be less lean than other protein sources but they are still complete protein sources (complete meaning they contain all essential amino acids which the body can only produce from one's diet.)

 

Plant based proteins are mostly incomplete proteins, meaning they don't contain all essential amino acids required by the body.   Just something to keep in mind.  

 

Carbohydrates are just as important pre/post workout in terms of glycogen stores and replenishment. Usually on cut I time my carbohydrate intake around when I gym for this very reason and consume fats/protein for the rest of the day.    There is a bit of research floating about however stating that this isn't needed but then there's also research stating that this is the way to go due to energy system recruitment.

 

I would like to point out though that different things work for different people.  Everyone is different and people will find success with one way while others will find success with another.  This goes with not only dieting but training too.

 

Thanks for the good reply mane. I know alcohol isn't a macro, I just didn't have another place to put it the way I organized the list. The reason I listed pork and beef to be moderated is that the fats they contain are saturated, which have negative impacts on cardiovascular health. The protein in them is high quality though, so maybe the way I have it listed is misleading. You're right about most plants, but the ones I have listed (beans/legumes, whole grains, etc.) are all considered complete protein sources as well as being high in fiber and complex carbs. You definitely have to be careful here, though.

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Tris

Tris

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Saturated fat doesn't have an impact on cardiovascular health, there's a lot of recent studies (http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2010/01/13/ajcn.2009.27725.short) (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267834.php) coming out about how it's more related to sugar and trans fat intake when talking cardiovascular health.  It's also important to note that red meat also plays a huge role in iron intake, having an iron deficiency , depending on the level of deficiency can decrease physical performance as well as have negative effects on cognitive functions if iron levels are low enough.

 

Legumes, grains and vegetables as well as nuts and seeds are incomplete sources of protein, they're far from worthless though, as you stated the fiber content and GI index of them make worth while to include in one's diet.   Generally a vegetarian lets say, would eat two sources of incomplete proteins to make up the nine essential amino acids. http://nutritionbyeve.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/the-incomplete-protein-story/

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Jimihendrixq

Jimihendrixq

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Yup yup. I'm not convinced on the saturated fat, but thanks for providing the links. Nutrition opinions do tend to change pretty regularly in the scientific community so who knows. I rely on spinach, beans, poultry, and a multivitamin for iron. I do enjoy some red meat occasionally, but I try to keep it to once a week at most.

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catman

catman

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i get all my nutrients from icecream and donuts theyre good for carbs and fats and if you eat alot of them like me they stack up to make some sick protein

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Rihana Pm Me

Rihana Pm Me

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Posted

pro tip

 

alcohol is the #1 cutting tool.

 

you just have to drink enough so that you puke out all the food you ate earlier.

 

you may fuck up your stomach, esophagus, and liver but you just have to weigh that against how much you hate being a fat phaggot.

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