Basic Diet Guide for Adding Muscle

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For this basic diet, I recommend that you try to consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass on a daily basis.  Now this is contrary to what most dieticians will say, but for athletes, I feel those that do this get the best results.   Always consult your doctor before starting a fitness regimen and diet.     You can Google ways to figure out your lean body mass or contact me.   Protein provides the amino acids that are used as the building blocks of muscle protein.   Although the recommended daily allowance for protein is set at less than half a gram per pound of bodyweight for the typical person, research shows that athletes, especially those concerned with muscle mass and strength, need roughly double that amount.

Your protein choices should come mainly from lean animal proteins such as chicken, turkey, beef, fish, eggs and dairy.   These are the most complete protein sources, meaning they provide your body with every essential amino acid that your body cannot manufacture on its own.   I also recommend that you add in at least one protein drink a day.   You can either do a powder that you mix, or the pre-mixed ones that you can find almost anywhere.   Shoot for one that provides 25-30 grams of protein per shake.

As to Carbs, eat about 2-3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of lean body weight each day. Protein is the most critical macronutrient for muscle growth, with carbohydrates a close second.   Carbs are stored in your muscles as glycogen and both keep your muscles full and large and are the fuel for your workouts.

So Carb timing is something most trainers don’t discuss, but it can be beneficial.  Eat a slow digesting Carb 30 minutes before your workout and mainly fast digesting carbs after you workout.   You should select slower-burning carbs for most meals, including before you train. Research shows that when athletes eat slower-digesting Carbs, they not only have more energy and less fatigue during exercise but they burn more fat while training, and experience less hunger throughout the day.    Good slow burning Carbs include fruits, whole-grain bread and oatmeal.

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After your workouts, choose a faster-digesting Carb, such as white bread, a plain bagel or baked potato or a sports drink. This will spike the levels the hormone insulin which is highly anabolic, and drives the Carbs you eat into your muscle cells, where they’ll be stored as glycogen to be used for your next workout.   Insulin also helps amino acids get into the muscle cells to build muscle protein. It’s critical to delivering creatine to the muscles increasing muscle protein synthesis, one of the major processes by which muscle fibers grow.  Creatine is a naturally occurring substance in the body.   Normally, you want to keep insulin levels in check for a general health, but immediately following a hard training session is one time when an insulin spike is desirable.   In fact, I tell my people that if you like candy, THAT would be the time to have it.   Right after your workout!   Still limit it to avoid putting on excess fat!   A piece of chocolate after a hard workout would be perfect.

For most meals, stick with slow-digesting carb sources such as whole grains, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, beans, fruit and vegetables.

Regarding fats, About 20%-30% of your total daily calories should come from fat. And unlike the sedentary general population who are advised to eliminate their saturated fat intake, 5%-10% of your fat calories should be saturated because higher-fat diets (particularly those higher in monounsaturated and saturated fats) appear to maintain testosterone levels better than low-fat diets. Maintaining optimal levels of testosterone, is paramount for building muscles and strength and for avoiding fat gain.   Now, if you have high cholesterol let me know and we can make adjustments.   I always say…”all things in moderation.”

Choose red meats such as steak and ground beef for your saturated fats (these also provide quality proteins); avocados, mixed nuts, olive oil, olives and peanut butter for monounsaturated fats; and fatty fish (salmon, trout, catfish), flaxseed oil and walnuts as good sources of essential, omega-3 polyunsaturated fats.

To build muscle, consume 20 calories per pound of lean bodyweight per day. We may have to adjust this over time.   You must stay in a positive calorie balance (taking in more calories than you burn) to gain quality mass, but that is a fine line we must walk.   If you burn more calories than you consume (a negative balance), your body will go into survival mode fearing the next ice age, and won’t support new muscle growth.   There are 9 calories per gram of fat and only four for proteins and Carbs so if we don’t eat enough Carbs, our metabolism will slow.   We don’t want that.

Now, for our first phase of training I suggest focusing on building your base of more muscle.   You will probably put on a little extra fat, but don’t worry.   Once we build that base, we can go into a cutting phase and while losing some of that hard gained muscle, you will still be losing more fat and get leaner.   It is a tight rope to walk, but I can get you through it.

Eat a meal that contains quality protein and carbs every 2-3 hours to ensure a steady supply of energy and amino acids for muscle growth all day long, helping you gain mass and stay lean. The key is to keep every meal approximately the same size.    If you pig out with a 1,200-calorie lunch, you’ll be less likely to eat 2-3 hours later and liable to gain the wrong kind of weight, since calories in excess of what the body can process at a given time are often stored as body fat.   Aim for at least five or six meals per day spread out over the time you get up, and go to sleep.   I don’t actually like to use the word meal, but instead like the term feeding.  Now, while that is our goal, I don’t expect you to go from eating 2 meals a day to 6.   Your body simply won’t adjust.   So, if you currently eat 2 meals a day, add a third.   Once your body adjusts to that, add a 4th and so on.   Changing lifestyle habits take time.

Your Meal does not have to be a full meal, but can be something simple like a protein source and some side like a vegetable or fruit.   For instance, it could be a half a chicken breast and perhaps some baby carrots and a small amount of ranch dressing.   Don’t try to over think this in the beginning as over time, you can make minor adjustments depending upon your progress.   I do not expect you to be super-athlete in one day.

Before going to bed every night, consume 30-40 grams of a micellar casein protein shake or 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese, as well as 2-3 tablespoons of flaxseed oil, 2 ounces of mixed nuts or 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter. When you sleep, you essentially fast for 7-9 hours (or for however long you sleep). With no food available, the body goes to your muscle fibers for amino acids to fuel your brain. For the individual looking to get bigger and leaner, this is not a good thing. The answer isn’t to get less sleep but rather to eat the proper foods immediately before bedtime. Slow-digesting proteins and healthy fats are your best bet.   These foods help slow digestion and provide a steady supply of amino acids for fuel, thereby minimizing the body’s tendency to use muscle as a source of fuel.    Casein, the major protein in milk, is a good option – either from a protein shake or 1 cup of low-fat cottage cheese.   GNC has a relatively cheap casein protein you can mix as your bed time snack.   I use it myself.   I look at Whey protein as something that gets into the bloodstream quickly while the casein proteins have a kind of trickle affect slowly feeding the body.

This will hopefully give you a guide as to how to change your diet.   Now, this is simply a guide from my own experiences.   I am NOT a dietician, so if you have questions and concerns, seek a dietician out to help you with those questions.

If you are in Northeast Ohio, or the Kent, Stow, Brimfield or Akron Ohio Region, or want to train online contact me at scottgaran@gmail.com, or scottgaran@garanfitnessconsulting.com    I Can get you the progress you are seeking.   With over 26 years helping others I am the real deal.

Scott