As they say “Abs are made in the kitchen” and my journey to competing definitely confirms this For part two am going to share with you my experience with the nutrition side, and hopefully you can also take this away with you when it comes to your nutrition.
Macros
I am sure many of you reading this have seen this word branded about on many social media platforms and were wondering what it means. The phrase normally consists of “hitting my macros”; this normally constitutes three main elements; Protein, carbohydrates and fats. During my journey I was asked to come within certain levels of all three, normally in grams (g). There would be high carbs days and low carb days (normally classified as carb cycling). High carbs day would coincide with high volume training days such as the dreaded legs day and low carbs would be on days of low volume or rest days.
I was also asked to obtain a certain amount of protein through my food intake, I personally believe many of us can obtain the right level through food alone, rather than protein supplements we see in stores nowadays. Below is a formula to show you what level of protein you’ll need in regards to your training according to ACSM
1.2-1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day
70kg person would need between 84g-119g of protein per day to maintain muscle mass
Food Prep
This is one aspect that helped me immensely during my journey, I would prepare my meals for the next three days, I became the queen of Tupperware’s but it meant there were no excuses to not getting my food in. If you’re someone who struggles to find time to cook food then food prepping for the next three days could be essential to achieving your goal, I would normally food prep on Sunday evening and a Wednesday night.
Image result for food prep
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you feel you need an individualised nutrition plan in which you can track your progression. This fundamental is the most important aspect of training and it can also be a cost effective alternative for not having a personal trainer on your side pushing you.
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