51 AVOID JUNK FOODS AND PROCESSED FOODS
The temptations are everywhere -- soft drinks, fast food, Cheetos on the table at a friend's house. You must learn to cut out these sugary and fatty foes (even when you're hungry). Empty calories of all kinds dominate the American palate, especially in social situations, but successful bodybuilders know how to chew the fat without eating it. White-flour products (doughnuts, white bread, etc.) are particularly bad for your physique. Even lemonade may be more sugar than real lemon. Processed cold cuts, with their nitrates and preservatives, are far from true lean meat. Learn the difference.
52 USE CHEAT FOODS AS PART OF YOUR DIET STRATEGY
On the surface, this may seem to contradict the previous point, but when implemented properly, it doesn't. The mindless consumption of junk and processed foods destroys bodybuilding progress faster than almost anything else does. Judicious selection of cheat foods, however, can help keep you sane and help ensure your adherence to your overall diet strategy. Cut out junk food that you don't crave. If you have a craving, feed the beast, but keep it moderate. If doughnuts are your thing, allow yourself that Sunday morning Krispy Kreme. Have a slice of pizza occasionally. Just set limits and adhere to them.
53 SCHEDULE CHEAT DAYS
Cheat days aren't just for mental health. They're important for your physiological system, as well. The human body is an efficient machine that has evolved over eons. It has an internal register that strives for homeostasis, the balance of all internal systems. You need to jack things up and slow things down occasionally to keep the pump primed, and that's when cheat days come in. Schedule them to suit your needs, whether that means once a week or once a month. Let the mirror - and your sanity - be your guide.
54 CYCLE BETWEEN HIGH- AND LOW-CARB DAYS
One excellent way to keep your metabolic rate up and your body burning fat is to change the amount of carbohydrates you eat on a daily basis. Eating high carbs all the time allows your body to readily store them as bodyfat. Eating low carbs all the time encourages your body to tear down muscle tissue for energy. To get the best of both worlds -- keeping your muscle while avoiding bodyfat -- schedule a higher-carb day after every three to five low-carb days.
55 USE REST DAYS AS NUTRITION DAYS
Often, bodybuilders think of a rest day as time away from bodybuilding. Nothing could be further from the truth. You don't grow when you train; you grow from your training while you're recovering. Your body can effectively recover when it's not under assault by weights. A nontraining day is also an ideal opportunity for you to load up on bodybuilding foods, but be vigilant with your diet. Don't take in more calories than you need. Focus on lean protein and quality complex carbs, and give yourself a huge edge in building muscle mass.
56 PLAN AHEAD
Sometimes work hours, school schedules or travel can disrupt your diet. Eliminate nutritional backsliding by planning ahead. Preparing meals the night before, utilizing Tupperware and carrying meal-replacement powders or protein bars with you are just a few simple tricks to help you fulfill your nutritional requirements no matter what your situation demands. Some experienced bodybuilders cook a week's worth of meals in one night, so that they'll be ready to rock 'n' roll when time gets tight. Freezers, canned foods,microwaves, plastic storage bags, ready-to-mix supplements -- these are all valuable tools for when you're on the go.
57 FOCUS ON DIET EVEN MORE THAN ON TRAINING
In two very distinct bodybuilding populations -- competitors and hardgainers -- nutrition is more critical than training. Pros understand this, and they devote far more time each day to their nutrition than they do to their training. Hardgainers, unfortunately, have trouble learning this lesson. If you want to add muscle mass, you have to give your body the nutrients and calories it needs for growth. Chances are you already train like a best. You can stimulate your muscle mass all you want, but it won't grow if you aren't giving it the necessary raw materials. Make nutrition priority one if you're a hardgainer.
58 DON'T THINK IN ABSOLUTES
Because bodybuilding is an extreme sport, its practitioners tend to be extreme thinkers. When it comes to training and nutrition, many bodybuilders adopt an all-or-nothing philosophy. Often, this can run counter to long-term goals. If you're on a diet and you're effectively stripping bodyfat, don't try to rush the process by cutting calories or carbohydrates down to nothing. When you're in a mass-building phase, you must force-feed your body to a certain extent, but adding thousands of calories more than you need for maintenance will only overstuff you and encourage bodyfat storage. Finally, if life events force you to miss a meal or two, don't beat yourself up about it. The negative hormone response you generate from stressing is far more harmful to your overall goals than a lost opportunity to take in 500 calories.
59 INCREASE CALORIES GRADUALLY WHEN ENTERING A MASS-BUILDING PHASE
One mistake many bodybuilders make when they enter a mass-building phase is to add too many calories too quickly. If you're eating 3,000 calories a day for bodyweight maintenance, and you want to increase your calorie consumption to 4,000 to add more muscle mass, the most effective strategy is to do so in increments of 300-500 calories. Allow your body to adapt to this new caloric level for seven to 10 days before bumping up calories a second time. This slow approach to increasing calories allows your body to more effectively use this additional energy rather than storing it as bodyfat.
60 LISTEN TO YOUR BODY
We're not all alike. Individual bodies handle nutrients differently. For instance, some people are lactose intolerant (can't digest milk properly), and others could drink a dairy's worth of milk without discomfort. If a particular food or supplement doesn't agree with your body, back off and try something similar that's compatible. Find what works best for your body and stick with it. Learn to trust yourself.
61 CHOOSE PROTEIN SOURCES THAT WORK BEST FOR YOU
Learn what protein foods give you the best results. Some bodybuilders swear by red meat, saying they feel stronger and look fuller when they eat it, perhaps because of the iron, zinc, creatine, etc., it contains. Others prefer fish or chicken, saying they have trouble digesting red meat. Choose the protein sources that work best for you, and use the same logic in making your other nutritional choices, as well.
62 LEARN TO READ LABELS ACCURATELY
Learn to watch for deceptive practices (sometimes "low fat" and "low in sugar" don't mean what you think they do) by reading the fine print closely. Know the differences between the types of carbohydrates listed on panels, and keep in mind that not every calorie is created equal. And do the math. Pay attention to the number of servings per package and how the nutritional information adds up. Get the label lingo down. It should help your bodybuilding efforts immensely.
63 DON'T USE BODYWEIGHT AS YOUR PRIMARY GUIDE
Unless you're angling to make a certain weight class for competition, don't put too much stock in bodyweight to gauge progress. Goals are important, and sometimes it you aim to lose or gain a specific number of pounds, bodyweight can provide some clear-cut guidance. Ultimately, however, bodybuilders are concerned with body composition and appearance more than with what the scale tells them. We advise you do the same. Use a mirror or bodyfat measurements (although these can be misleading sometimes, too) to judge your progress. That's how the big boys do it. Also, ask for help, but only trust the eyes of a friend who will tell you the truth, not one who will tell you what you want to hear.
64 BE SKEPTICAL OF FADS
It's not just the Oprah crowd that falls for the diet of the month; many bodybuilders fall into the trap of blindly accepting the latest hype as the real deal. We all get a laugh when some poor misguided soul says he's on a "fruit cup" regimen or something just as silly, but some muscleheads would get on their hands and knees and chomp grass in the yard if some "guru" told them to. Use common sense, employ methods from trusted sources only and stick to supplements from established manufacturers. The latest craze is probably just that--crazed. But some "fads" do have their merits. Look for FLEX's examination of the most popular diets in an upcoming issue.
65 REDUCE UNWANTED FAT DURING COOKING
Besides careful food selection, the best way to control the amount of fat you're taking in is through careful preparation. Of course, you must avoid adding unwanted fats to the foods you're preparing. (Do you really need to put that pat of butter on top of that lean cut of filet mignon?) Also, trim off all visible fat and blot off grease and oils from cooked foods. Grilling is a better option than frying, as the fat drips off.
66 KEEP IT CLEAN
Food poisoning is one of the quickest ways to undo weeks of bodybuilding gains. Make certain that the food you're taking in is the best quality. Check expiration dates on everything that you buy. Thoroughly cook all meats so that harmful bacteria are destroyed. Thoroughly wash surfaces with bleach or other cleaning solutions so that you don't contaminate cooked or ready-to-eat foods.
67 SUBSTITUTE SALT
Bodybuilders should keep their sodium intake moderate to low. To reduce yours, try a salt substitute. Many stores carry salt replacement products, which are a mix of regular table salt (sodium chloride) and potassium chloride (which tastes the same). Unlike table salt, potassium chloride doesn't cause bloating, and it boosts muscle cell volume, lowers blood pressure and brings your diet closer to the one on which humanity evolved (the hunter-gatherer diet was low in sodium and high in potassium).
68 USE CONDIMENTS WISELY
Choose your condiments with care. Some, such as mayonnaise, are loaded with saturated fats and are best skipped entirely. Nonfat mayonnaise, on the other hand, can make a sandwich more palatable. Condiments can make bland food tastier, and they may encourage you to eat a greater quantity of quality calories. Some condiments, such as mustard, are generally low in calories and high in flavor, making them ideal for cooking or enhancing taste.
69 AVOID SHORTCUTS
It would be nice to take a magic potion that does the work of a three-week diet or to down a miracle supplement so that you can meet your physique goals. If you think that's possible, you've been sold a bill of goods that you'll regret buying for the rest of your life. A bodybuilding lifestyle gives you tools and teaches you habits that will last a lifetime. A bodybuilding diet can help you feel and look better not just when you're young, but all the rest of your days. Sacrifice your health and your freedom for a quick fix and you can end up ruining your life. Don't listen to the lazy court jesters of the sport who prey on the uneducated and young. There are no shortcuts.
70 ORDER INTELLIGENTLY IN RESTAURANTS
Eating in restaurants doesn't need to be the downfall of a bodybuilding diet. If you have discipline and communication skills, you can generally find a reasonable, if not ideal, bodybuilding meal on almost any menu. Rule one is stick to basics: Order baked or broiled meat dishes, without breading or sauces. Order vegetables as simply prepared as possible. Ask about food prep: Are the mashed potatoes made with heavy cream? If so, choose a plain baked potato instead. Stay with vinegar-and-oil salad dressing, and when in doubt, ask for it on the side.
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