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Major Muscle Building Diet Blunders

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You've been working out for a while now and any initial muscle gains and improvements in strength seem to have gone by the wayside. You keep workouts reasonably short and intense, change up your workouts from time to time, and even keep a log of your workouts. In fact, things seem to be going in reverse. You seem to be losing muscle and getting weaker. What gives? You may have fallen prey to some common muscle building diet blunders. Let's take a look at some of these classic diet no-no's that need to be avoided when your goal is to build muscle.

                                       

Eating Too Much or Too Little Protein

Protein is the major building block of muscle. In order to build muscle, one should consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight. If you don't get at least this much protein each day, it is likely that your muscle building results will suffer and you'll be frustrated. If you consume too much protein, the excess can end up being stored as fat. The excess protein also makes the kidneys work harder than they should. So managing your protein intake takes a little bit of though and is vital to achieving the results you desire. My recommendation is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight by eating 6 or 7 meals that are spread throughout the day. Typically a meal with protein is eaten every 2 to 3 hours. If you are training with more intensity or find that you aren't recovering fast enough, you can tweak the protein intake by increasing it to 1.1 or 1.2 grams per pound of lean bodyweight.

Overeating Simple Carbohydrates

Too often, people overeat simple carbs (anything with high sugar content and low nutrition) which makes their glycemic index (blood sugar) spike giving you a short burst of energy and then a sudden slump. Simple carbs also put the body in a mode to more readily store fat. Instead, complex carbohydrates, which are digested slowly and released into the bloodstream over time, provide muscles with a steady source of energy. It is important to note that carbohydrates have a significant effect on how the body utilizes protein. Eat enough good (complex) carbohydrates and the protein you consume will go to repairing and building new muscle. If you don't consume enough, the protein can be broken down so that glycogen can be synthesized for energy. This can lead to a slower metabolism and the loss of muscle and strength.

                                       

Avoiding Good Fats

There is a such thing as a good fat. Eating these “good” fats help you gain mass and they are vital to a healthy body. Eating good fats also supports a healthy metabolism. Some examples of healthy fats include fish, nuts, egg yolks, olive and canola oils, and flaxseed oil. Healthy fats like these are made up of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The monounsaturated fats are responsible for lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Polyunsaturated fats lower bad cholesterol and have omega-3 fatty acids which are healthy for the heart and help protect our nervous system and brain.

In terms of muscle building, consuming good fats can enhance testosterone activity in the body, our bodies most important anabolic muscle building hormone. Good fats also elevate the secretion of growth hormone and help the body keep nitrogen longer; two other important factors for building muscle.

So good fats are great for muscle growth with some super side health benefits to boot! Stay away from saturated and trans fats as they are the bad fats. The “bad” fats are found in processed foods, fried foods, and unhealthy foods such as pizza, ice cream, and hamburgers. Fats are high in calories, so they can aid in muscle growth but consuming too much, even good fats, will make you .... fat. Just as with protein, the amount you consume will take some thought and study. Start out with a small amount of good fats in your diet and adjust the amount over time to see what works for you.

Not Staying Properly Hydrated

Water is probably the most important nutrient that our body requires. In fact, every system in our body is made up of water. For instance, our muscles are over 70% water. Every system that functions in our body also utilizes water. Water helps us regulate our body temperature. Water moistens the oxygen we breath. Water even helps convert food into energy, carries nutrients and oxygen to every cell in our body, aids our body in removing toxins and helps protect vital organs. With water, you really can't go wrong. For building muscle, water is vital for protein synthesis. As a rule of thumb, drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water each day.

Overeating

When trying to build muscle, it is best to avoid the “see food” diet where whatever you see you eat. You want to eat a higher number of calories when building muscle but it is best to eat clean foods. You want to avoid stuffing yourself with sugary, high-calorie, low-nutrition foods as all that will do is help make you fat. Again, the best course of action is eat high-nutrition foods such as lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates, and good fats and increase their intake over time. Also keep a log or journal of your calorie consumption. This will help you determine the correct amount of calories needed for building muscle while minimizing an increase in body fat.

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