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The rules of bodybuilding are broken every day - here are the eight biggest dieting offences and how to fix them!

The rules of bodybuilding are broken every day - here are the eight biggest dieting offences and how to fix them!

DIET BREAK #1 – SKIMPING AT BREAKFAST.

THE FACTS
When it comes to breakfast eating too little can put your body in a muscle wasting state, muscle tissue is broken down, your metabolism slows down and so prevents fat from burning.

THE FIX
Eat more carbs at breakfast to sustain blood sugar levels which helps stop using up protein thus preventing muscle mass. When you sleep your body is in fasting mode and it turns to your muscles for fuel. Begin your day with 80-100g of carbs such as porridge with sugar, as the fast carbs from the sugar will get to your liver quickly and stop muscle breaking down, while the slow carbs from the oats will give you enough energy for the day. Take with 30-50g of protein.

DIET BREAK #2 – GOING TOO LOW ON PROTEIN.

THE FACTS
Dieticians would recommend 200g of protein a day but this is not enough if you are training most days of the week. Protein is needed for muscle repair as well as building muscle so protein levels need to be higher.

THE FIX
Your protein intake needs to be at a minimum of 1g/1lb of bodyweight every day. For hard gainers, this may need to be as high as 1.5g/1lb. getting this amount of protein through whole foods is tough, that’s why most bodybuilders ingest a couple of protein shakes daily, if not more.

DIET BREAK #3 – GRAZING ON SIMPLE CARBS.

THE FACTS
If you are gaining a lot of muscle but a lot of fat too, your choice of carbs might be a problem. You might be eating too many simple carbs. It may be best to stick with slower digesting carbs like yams, sweet potatoes, porridge and wholemeal bread as they tend not be stored as fat as much as refined and other  types of carbs.

THE FIX
If you want to pack on a lot of mass, eat all the porridge, sweet potato and whole grains you can but keep simple carbs such as white bread, cakes and other types of sugars to a minimum. This is true except for after workouts, where it is recommended to consume 40-100g of fast absorbing carbs to begin the muscle recovery process as soon as possible.

DIET BREAK #4 –EATING UNBALANCED MEALS

THE FACTS
Try and have a balance of protein and carbs at every meal. Eating a meal too high in carbs compared to protein will result in an increase in blood sugar levels which may be followed by a blood sugar crash. This should be avoided as it leads to a decrease in energy and limits fat burning. However when protein is present in large amounts eg. When drinking a whey protein shake and nothing else post workout, the amino acids aren’t being absorbed as effectively into the muscles because of the lack of insulin in the blood.

THE FIX
Try and keep meals fixed to a ratio of 1:1 protein to carbs with a moderate amount of fat mixed in. Up the carbs if you have a fast metabolism.

DIET BREAK #5 – GOING FAT FREE

THE FACTS
Eating fat can make you fat but so can carbs and protein if eaten in excessive amounts. If the goal is to get lean or to build mass, then fried foods are out. Healthy fats such as whole eggs, salmon, lean red meat and olive oil provide the building blocks for hormones that regulate both growth and fat burning.

THE FIX
This does not mean you need to eat red meat at every meal, but try and eat 1-3  egg yolks a day; eat lean beef regularly as the saturated fat in beef will raise testosterone levels; cook with or use olive oil on salads and snack on plain nuts such as almonds, walnuts, peanuts or peanut butter. 15-30% of your daily nutrient intake should come from healthy fats.

DIET BREAK #6 – INCONSISTENCY

THE FACTS
Remain focussed, in bodybuilding you have to be consistent and eat the right way every day. Nobody gets their physique over-night, so if you want to add quality mass and burn away body fat remember it does take time, but you will eventually reach your goal.

THE FIX
Do not follow a good days eating with a bad one or a good breakfast, good lunch, good snacks with a glutinous dinner. If you need to give yourself a cheat day once week to keep yourself sain then do so, but try and stay focussed until that day.

DIET BREAK #7 – EATING TOO MUCH BEFOR BEDTIME

THE FACTS
Your metabolism slows down at night compared to earlier in the day when you are more active so calories consumed later in the day are likely to be stored as body fat. This is especially true when eating carbs late at night.

THE FIX
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat before going to bed – just steer clear of carbs. Before bedtime consume 20-40g of slow digesting casein protein (in powder form mixed with water) this will provide your muscles with a steady flow of amino acids while you sleep to help keep you anabolic and not catabolic.

DIET BREAK #8 – NOT HAVING A DEFINED GOAL

THE FACTS
You need a set goal. It needs to be tangible, specific and clear. Simply saying you want to be bigger and leaner isn’t enough. Maximising needs a different nutritional approach, that’s why bodybuilders follow different diets off season and pre-contest.

THE FACTS
Set a goal for yourself. Whether it be 10lb of 20lb - once you reach that goal set yourself another one. If gaining that weight was easy then set a goal on the heels of that to gain 10lb or (20lb) more. Have an appropriate action plan; Make sure you’re eating sufficient protein and doing the other things needed to gain mass, including taking in the right amount of carbs and fats, as well as muscle-building supplements.