10 Nutrition Rules from Stronglifts

Originally posted by Mehdi on Stronglifts.com, this is not my work, but I want you to read it.

StrongLifts.com’s 10 Nutrition Rules for Building Muscle, Losing Fat & Getting Stronger

Feb 27th, 2008 by Mehdi Posted in Nutrition

Image credit: vladounet

More strength is more muscle. More muscle is more calories burned, meaning a lower body fat. Strength training will make you build muscle and lose fat. But nutrition is also important.

• Strength & Energy. You need energy – calories from food – for weight lifting and for daily activities.
• Muscle Mass. Protein is necessary to build muscle & for muscle recovery. Nutrition can also minimize muscle breakdown.
• Body Fat. Fat is emergency storage. Your body holds on to fat when you don’t eat enough calories or don’t eat enough fat.
• Health. Testosterone levels, hydration, vitamins, minerals, fiber, … Your nutritional choices reflect your health.

The next 10 nutrition rules will take care of the above.

1. Eat Breakfast. Sleeping gets you in a catabolic state. Eating breakfast stops the muscle breakdown. Eating breakfast also helps fat loss by increasing the amount of calories you burn at rest.

Some breakfast recipes: scrambled eggs with veggies, oats & bananas, protein shakes, smoothies, etc. If you have problems eating breakfast, read the article on how to build the habit of eating breakfast.

2. Eat Pre & Post Workout. Pre workout so you feel full of energy at the gym. Post workout for muscle recovery & to replenish your energy levels.

• Pre Workout. 1 hour before working out. Proteins, carbs, some fat. Meat, rice, veggies for example.
• Post Workout. Directly after working out. Post workout shake of whey & oats. Or whole meal of proteins, carbs & some fats.

You burn more calories post workout so if you want to eat junk food best timing is post exercise (check rule #10).

3. Eat Every 3 Hours. Boosts your metabolism. Prevents cravings by keeping you filled with healthy foods. Provides you with the calories you need for energy and to gain weight. Example meal plan:

• 7am. Eggs with veggies — more breakfast recipes.
• 10am. Quark cheese with fruit.
• 1pm. Tuna, brown rice & pineapple.
• 4pm. Mackerel, brown rice & apple.
• 5pm. Workout.
• 6pm. Post workout protein shake.
• 7pm. Meat or poultry with potatoes & veggies.
• 10pm. Cottage cheese, berries, flax seeds & fish oil.

4. Eat 1g Protein per Pound of Body-weight Daily. You need protein to build muscle & for muscle recovery. Protein also boosts your metabolism: your body burns 25kcal per 100kcal protein ingested, which is more than for carbs or fats.

Get 1g protein per pound of body-weight. That’s 2.2g protein per kilogram of body-weight. Sources of protein:

• Red Meat. Beef, pork, lamb, deer, buffalo, etc.
• Poultry. Chicken, turkey, duck, etc.
• Fish. Tuna, salmon, sardines, mackerel, etc.
• Eggs. Eat the yolk, it’s full of vitamins.
• Dairy. Milk, cheese, cottage cheese, quark, yogurt, etc.
• Whey. Not necessary but great for easy post workout shakes.

If you weigh 150lbs/68kg, 1 can of tuna at lunch, 300g cottage cheese as snack, 300g meat at dinner and 500ml milk through the day gets you 150g protein. Check also these protein sources for vegetarians & vegans.

5. Eat Fats. Your body holds on to fat if you don’t eat fats. Healthy fats improve your health, satiate and are a cheap way to get your daily calories. Get about 30% fat from your diet. Balance your fat intake.

• Saturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels. Dietary cholesterol is not bound to blood cholesterol. Butter, whole eggs, red meat.
• Monounsaturated Fats. Protect against heart diseases and cancers. Olive oil, olives, mixed nuts.
• Polyunsaturated Fats. Increase testosterone levels, promote fat loss, decrease inflammation, … Fish oil, flax seeds, mixed nuts.
• Unhealthy Fats. Avoid margarine’s, artificial trans fats or vegetable oils like corn oil and sunflower oil.

6. Eat Whole Foods. Processed foods contain added sugar, trans fats, nitrates, corn syrup, sodium and more chemicals. Processed foods increase your body fat and are bad for your health. Eat whole foods.

• Whole Foods. Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, veggies, legumes, fruits, rice, oats, quinoa, …
• Processed Foods. Bagels, pizza, cookies, cakes, chips, fruit bars, cereals, hot dogs, bologna, sausages, fish sticks, frozen dinners, …

Breads, fruit juice, yogurts and many more are considered healthy but contain sugars, corn syrup, etc. Frozen veggies are processed but don’t have additives. Avoid what comes out of a box, cook everything yourself & read the labels.

7. Eat Body-weight in lbs x 18kcal Daily. Fat is emergency storage for your body. If you don’t eat enough calories, your body holds fat & burns muscle. You need muscle to increase your metabolism. And you need food for energy.

Eat your body-weight in lbs x 18 kcal daily. BW x 16 if you need to lose fat. BW x 20 if you need to gain weight. Don’t worry, you’re eating healthy foods, not junk food, makes a difference. And you workout, you burn more calories.

8. Eat Veggies and/or Fruits with Every Meal. Necessary for vitamins, fiber, minerals, … Green veggies have zero calories, which helps fat/weight loss. Some Super Foods are spinach, broccoli, pumpkin, berries, apples & tomatoes.

• Keep it Simple. Raw veggies work fine. Chopped chicory with rice. Raw carrots as snacks. Tuna salads.
• Learn to Cook. Check for recipes online. Learn to use spices. Practice, you’ll learn to make veggies taste good.
• Mind over Matter. You’re not a child anymore. Eat your veggies, you need them. Worst case make smoothies.

9. Drink 1 Gallon Water per Day. Strength training causes water loss through sweating. Hydration is important for muscle recovery. It also prevents water retention: your body holds on water if it doesn’t get enough.

Drink 1 US gallon water daily, that’s 4 liter. 2 glasses of water with every meal brings you close to 1 gallon. Drink the rest during your workout. Green tea is also good, but watch out with the caffeine content.

10. Aim for 90% Perfection. 6 meals per day is 42 meals per week. Eat 4 junk meals per week. Same rule for beverages: 90% of the time water, 10% of the time alcohol and soda. This gives you variation & helps fat loss.

What always worked for me is eating the same thing from Monday to Saturday. Friday/Saturday alcohol (social, not to get drunk). Saturday evening dinner out. Sunday afternoon junk food.

When you’ve applied the above 10 rules for at least 6 months, then you can try the Anabolic Diet, the Ultimate Diet, Intermittent Fasting, etc. But first learn the basics – apply these 10 nutrition rules.