In the first part of this installment we examined how to build a road map to get to your destination. We talk about training the nervous system, innervation of specific parts of the body for symmetry and training in advanced stages.
In Part II we are going to examine the most common challenge bodybuilders face, which is nutrition. Unfortunately, there is so much confusion about what to eat, when to eat, how much to eat, etc., that it is almost impossible to decide what to do. Also, eating to grow is very different from eating to shred, so the key point to remember is that your diet should evolve with your physique.
Consistency and self-discipline in your eating are two important keys to long-term success in any eating program you are following. Successful bodybuilders always plan ahead and prepare meals well in advance. If you don’t plan your meals and have them with you at all times, you will invariably fail to make the best possible gains. Expecting restaurants, friends or relatives to serve “bodybuilding food” is unrealistic and leads to frustration and progress.
Almost everyone I’ve met who couldn’t gain or lose weight simply because they didn’t prepare their food ahead of time. It sounds simple, and it is, but few miss this critical point. Don’t be one of those people who doesn’t prepare their meals ahead of time. In the Freaky Big Naturally training course there is an entire section on food preparation to keep you on your eating schedule. I learned these food preparation and avoidance skills through years of trial and error. Many people think that it is a matter of will or not, but in reality it is a simple prior preparation.
Here are some simple rules to remember”
1. Always take 1 or 2 more meals with you than you think you will need. This way, any delay in your schedule will not prevent you from eating.
2. Always eat before going shopping, to the movies, or other social occasions where non-nutritious foods are served to reduce cravings for junk food.
3. Prepare bulk foods and use Tupperware containers so you can grab quick meals anytime. You’ll also find that it takes very little extra time to prepare 10 meals as it does a single meal. This time savings will actually make your life much more efficient and your eating plan easier to stick to as well.
4. Get rid of all artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners cause sugar cravings, alter metabolism and brain function, and can have negative effects on overall health. Eliminate them from your diet immediately and switch to Stevia or Raw Honey to sweeten. NO diet sodas.
5. Drink plenty of water every day. Very often, dehydration is misinterpreted as hunger. Drink a liter of water 30 minutes before eating or when you’re hungry and you’ll see how it significantly curbs your appetite.
6. Put nutritious snacks in your car, on your office desk at home, basically everywhere you spend a significant amount of time. You will quickly develop the habit of eating healthy and junk food will quickly lose its appeal.
7. Schedule a regular junk meal once a week. This is a powerful lesson that begins to build the will to understand delayed gratification. Anytime you get a craving for junk food, just put it down and schedule a day to eat it. At the end of the week, you can review the list and go eat those foods guilt-free. A lot of times by junk food day you won’t want the food or it won’t taste as good as you hoped. Over time you will develop more control over your cravings and reduce negative guilt associations with food.
This list is not the end and end of the meal, but it does give you a starting point to work from.
Keep in mind that your feeding program must evolve over time. Your body will naturally adapt to craving different types of food depending on a variety of factors such as the season, nutrient levels, the body’s PH balance, training demands, and conditioning levels to name a few.
Recording how food affects you as biofeedback is critical to understanding the powerful effects of food on your mood and performance. Review your eating journal regularly so that you become aware of your eating patterns and develop an awareness of how each food affects your body. Clients are always amazed at how much they can learn about food just by charting their eating patterns over a few months.
One final note is to remember that you must first master eating and training before supplements can be effective. Many people try the other way around and end up frustrated. No supplement can make up for poor diet or poor training, so commit to mastering these two facets first before spending money on supplements. Once you master your diet, the right supplement at the right time can do wonders for performance enhancement, but rarely does the supplement work when diet is poor.
In the third part of this installment we will see how to have a great reason. The key to developing your full physical potential.