4 Diet Mistakes for Building Muscle
4 Worst Diet Mistakes for Building Muscle
In order to build muscle, we need to lift weights. Most people know the importance of this. However, what we eat is just as important (if not more-so). If you aren’t fueling your body correctly for training and recovery, you simply will not make the muscle gains you desire.
In my experience, I have found 4 very common mistakes when it comes to people’s diets as they attempt to gain muscle. They are listed below.
- Not eating enough calories
To gain muscle mass, you need to be in what’s called a caloric surplus. This means you need to eat MORE calories than your BMR (basal metabolic rate). Your BMR is the amount of calories your body needs a day in order to maintain its current size – to neither gain weight, or lose it. Find your BMR here.After finding your BMR, I would recommend you eat 250 to 300 calories above this number.. assuming your goal is to gain muscle. Your body needs the extra calories in order to pack on muscle to your frame. But, of course, add these additional calories by eating whole, healthy foods (not sugar junk food). (Learn how to eat according to your MACROS here) - Not eating whole/ quality foods
While it it possible to get the necessary amounts of carbs, protein, and fats from junky/ processed food to reach your muscle building goals, it is not advisable for many reasons. If you are not eating healthy, whole foods, you are missing a TON of vitamins and minerals. These vitamins are essential for nutrition absorption and hormone regulation throughout your body.Processed, “junk” foods also often contain an excess of processed sugar. Processed sugar is quickly metabolized by your body. Therefore, anything over a small amount of processed sugar, is processed by your body into stored fat – body fat. So while this will cause you to put on size, this will be body fat size – not muscles size.. which is the opposite of what your want. - Not eating enough protein
Protein is arguably the most important nutrient required to build muscle. I recommend you eat from 1 gram to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight (ex: If you weigh 180 lbs – eat from 180 – 270 grams of protein daily).Protein is essential for any muscle growth. It is very important for you to know how many grams of protein you eat daily. If you do not hit your required numbers, you will NOT see the muscle growth you should be seeing! Make a food journal for a couple of days, add up the protein grams at the end of each day. Then, add more protein in your diet if you need to. This is a where a supplement like whey protein can become very helpful. (check out Ripped Fitness approved whey protein HERE). - Relying on supplements before having a solid meal plan.
Over the years, I have notice a big problem when it comes to supplements. People take them without having any idea what they do (or if they even need them). Supplements are just that: SUPPLEMENTS. It is VERY IMPORTANT to have a healthy, thought-out meal plan first.If you do not have a meal plan yet, read the follwing article to get an idea of eating according to your fitness goal: “Determining your Daily Macros/Caloric Intake“. Once you have figured out your specific meal plan, only then should you “fill in the gaps” with supplements. For example, if your meal plan contains 120 grams of protein, but you need 150 grams in order to gain muscle – get some whey protein powder to help you reach that protein level goal.
As mentioned above, diet is EXTREMELY important when it comes to building muscle and being healthy overall. If you are serious about staying in shape, having a low body-fat percentage, and gaining muscle, you must have a structured, informed meal plan.
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