Eat, Eat, Eat for Muscle Growth.
This has almost never been a problem for me--I've always had to focus on losing fat--but people who tend to think in terms of gaining weight rather than losing weight need to focus really hard on eating enough to support their lifting. It’s not uncommon for me to hear folks--mostly skinny folks--say they feel like they’re already eating enough to choke a horse, but that they’re still not gaining any muscle or getting stronger. I hate to say it, but they’re probably not eating enough calories, or getting enough protein.Precisely how many calories, you say? You want the exact number of grams of protein you need, perhaps? You might try this calculator. Just remember, you might need to make adjustments to what it tells you after you’ve tried it for a while. For hypertrophy (muscle growth), I have heard guidelines that range from 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight all the way up to a rather extreme 3.0 grams per pound. The calculator at the link above uses a safe, generic guideline of 1.0 g of protein per pound of body weight, which might be perfect for you.
The problem with any one-size-fits-all number is that different bodies process nutrients differently. On top of that, a marathon runner has very different needs from a powerlifter. For that matter, you may hear larger numbers thrown around that are intended for someone on steroids.
A more personalized method is to write down every single thing you eat or drink for a week and track your protein, carbs, and fat. Then, increase your protein intake until you start to see satisfactory progress. This cautious approach will also let you avoid gaining fat as much as possible, since you’re not making big, abrupt changes to your diet.
If you’re trying to gain muscle, don’t severely restrict your intake of carbohydrates. Protein helps build muscle, but carbs are the fuel for those muscles. Carbs also physically add fullness to your muscles. People on low-carb diets often report that their muscles appear “flatter”.
Try to eat more often, if you can. Many people find it’s easier to eat 6 moderate meals a day than 3 huge ones. But if that’s not going to fly, don’t stress about it. 3 or 4 meals a day is fine, if that’s all you can manage. Just make sure those meals have plenty of protein, and are accompanied by nice, big glasses of water. Try to get at least some protein every time you eat something, even if it’s just a snack.
Having trouble squeezing in enough protein? Protein shakes are a godsend for many people in your situation. Choking down enough chicken breasts or fish steaks to get all the protein you need can be very unappetizing; sipping on a protein shake is often much more palatable. If you’re really desperate to get more calories, throw your protein powder in a blender and add in almond milk or whole milk, peanut butter, raw pasteurized eggs, or other nutritious, high-calorie foods. I find protein shakes give me gas, so my wife threatens divorce if I don’t add two fast-acting lactase tablets to each shake (the best-known brand is Lactaid but I get Costco’s Kirkland brand).
Eat Carefully for Fat Loss. Just Don’t Starve Yourself.
(If I lose you at some point here, be sure to check out the end of my article, where the formulas are easier to read.)If you’re looking to lose fat, good news: there’s more agreement about guidelines for how much to eat, but there’s still variation. A common formula for how to balance your macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) is to take in 40% of your calories from protein, 40% from carbs, and 20% from fat. Notice that I said calories and not grams. That is an important distinction.
As far as actual raw numbers, I regularly hear people suggest you eat 0.5 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean bodyweight in your body. If you’re over about 20% bodyfat, you should find out as accurately as possible what your bodyfat percent is; 100 minus that number is a good estimate of your lean bodyweight percent. Multiply your bodyweight times your lean percentage and that’s the bodyweight you should plug into the eating formula. If I just lost you, look at the end of this article for a chart that might be easier to understand.
Once you know how many grams of protein you’re going to need, you’ll know to take in an equal amount of carbs. For fat intake, you’ll need to do some math. Multiply your grams of protein by 4 to get the number of calories of protein. Cut that number in half, and that’s how many calories you need from fat. Divide that number by 9 to find out how many grams of fat that is. Sorry, it’s not going to be much.
But pay attention to what I’m about to say: THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES. Starting points. You are going to have to do some balancing and adjusting and experimentation to find out what works for you. When I work on losing fat, I am most successful with a caloric balance of 45% protein, 35% carbs, and 20% fat. I’m not saying you should follow my example, I’m saying you shouldn’t take anyone’s example and stick to it slavishly. You’re going to need to do some tweaking to find what works best for you.
Even If You're Not Interested in Losing Fat, Don't Go Crazy...
There is a diet philosophy among some powerlifters and strength builders that you just need to eat as much as you want of whatever you want, whenever you want. These are often men and women who aren’t that concerned with seeing their abs, but who are always chasing after a new personal strength record. And although I behold powerlifters and strength athletes with a considerable amount of awe in my heart, I also worry about the condition of theirs if all they’re consuming is triple bacon cheeseburgers with chili fries and a shake.
No matter what, it’s good advice to emphasize lean protein and vegetables, to drink lots of water, and to cut out as much sugar from your diet as you can.
What About Timing of Meals?
Most expert advice I’ve read agrees that right after your muscles have worked very hard, they are eager to soak up all the carbohydrates they possibly can. What this means for you, is that the meal right after you come from the gym should have at least some carbs. Also, if you are going to splurge on something maybe a little sugary today, the best time would be right after your workout. That doesn’t mean you can eat a dozen donuts without consequences, though.There is a widely-quoted theory that you have to consume some protein within 30 minutes of exercise, or your body will start to break down muscle tissue, rather than build it up. There’s an increasing amount of research coming out lately that disagrees and says that the timing isn’t nearly as critical. And I believe that research. Yet, I still make sure I have a protein shake in my locker for immediately after my workout. Old habits die hard, I guess.
There is also a popular theory that your body can only absorb a limited amount of protein at once. I frequently hear 30 grams quoted as a maximum. There is evidence that disputes this notion, but the notion has been around a long time, and has a lot of support out there. I’m just going to say that, based on my personal experience and what I’ve read, I’m skeptical that such a maximum exists, or if it does, that the max is 30 grams. Do some internet research if you want. I’ll just wait here and drink that protein shake from my locker.
Speaking of timing, you may want to look into intermittent fasting as an option for fat loss. That’s where you only eat for a specific portion of the day, and fast (don’t eat) the rest of the day. I have read a lot of convincing evidence that it can work for many people, but I haven’t tried it and don’t know much about it. Personally, I can’t bear the idea of not eating for significant chunks of the day. I think I would cry a lot. But if that sounds like something you could handle, I encourage you to do some research.
For a Lot of Calculations, You Need to Know Your Lean Body Weight
Step 1: Find out what your body fat percentage is, meaning how much of your body weight is from fat. Getting a perfectly precise number is almost impossible, so try for the closest percentage you can reasonably get. You could buy a bathroom scale that measures your body fat based on sending a minuscule electric current through your body (you won’t even feel it). It’s not super accurate, but is probably fine. Or you could get a professional to measure you with calipers. Or you could go to a really fancy place and get scanned or dunked in a pool.Step 2: It’s time for some math:
100 - body fat percentage = lean percentage (how much of your body isn’t fat)
total body weight x lean percentage = lean body weight
What Balance of Macronutrients Should I Eat for Fat Loss?
THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES! Try using the numbers you get from these formulas, but be willing to nudge them around if they don’t seem to be working for you.lean body weight x 1.2 = protein grams to eat
lean body weight x 1.2 = carbohydrate grams to eat
lean body weight x .27 = fat grams to eat
Another Method
THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES! Try using the numbers you get from these formulas, but be willing to nudge them around if they don’t seem to be working for you.This link takes you to a calculator to estimate how many calories you should have as a target:
“/” means “divided by”
Target calories x .4 = calories from protein protein calories / 4 = protein grams
Target calories x .4 = calories from carbs carb calories / 4 = carb grams
Target calories x .2 = calories from fat fat calories / 9 = fat grams
I know I've thrown a lot of math at you, but remember, it's worth the trouble! If you can lift heavy stuff, you can do this too!
The Friendly Lifter
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