So you have decided to toss the junk food and want to pack on some lean mass and eat like a bodybuilder? Sounds good. You've done your research, stocked the fridge and pantry and are ready to channel your inner Arnold Schwarzenegger. A few days i...
So you have decided to toss the junk food and want to pack on some lean mass and eat like a bodybuilder? Sounds good. You've done your research, stocked the fridge and pantry and are ready to channel your inner Arnold Schwarzenegger. A few days in, you're finding it difficult to stay on task and start reverting back to your old ways - damn it! Below are a few common bodybuilding diet mistakes we've all made and how to avoid the common pitfalls.
Mistake #1: Too Much Change Too Fast If you were a 2-3 meal per day person and all of a sudden try jump to 6-7 meals per day you may get overwhelmed with the change. From physical changes (time in the bathroom) to time in the kitchen, it is a difficult switch. And once you stumble and miss a meal, the psychological torture kicks-in and you don't know if you have it in you to continue.
The Fix: Gradually move from 4 meals/day up to 5,6 and maybe 7. Get used to your new shopping list, meal prep and get into a routine. Have a backup plan (protein bar in the bag) for those times when you don't have a meal ready.
Mistake #2: Spending too much time prepping your meals Sure it is kind of fun the first week or two, but eventually spending hours and hours in the kitchen prepping meals will get old and when things get old and boring you stop doing them.
The Fix: Plan ahead and prep meals for the entire week in one day. Feel free to eat the same thing all week, but ensure the second week you change your meal so you don't get bored with the food and fizzle out. If you are eating chicken and brown rice one week, boil up the rice all at once and keep it in a big container in your fridge. Grill the chicken breasts all at once and jam them in the fridge as well.
If you have time to prep a fancier meal, go for it, but at least you'll have your staple items ready and waiting when you need them.
Mistake #3: Replacing too many meals with supplements When starting out, most newbies believe they NEED supplements if they are going to lift weights when the truth is that supplements cost quite a bit of money and whole foods are the better option. If you are eating 6-7 meals per day, no more than 3 of those meals should be supplements (protein powder, protein bar, etc).
Mistake #4: No Variety This is a tough one. Eating the same thing every day does get boring, however prepping different meals for the entire week is very time consuming. To overcome this, I typically have 4-5 different meals that I will eat and cycle them weekly. So for me, I am fine eating the same meal every day for a week knowing that the next week I"ll get a new meal to throw down the hatch.
