How to start a real bodybuilding diet and still maintain a normal lifestyle? Sticking to a good bodybuilding diet plan can be very difficult if you do not manage to maintain your normal lifestyle.

We all have different duties during the day, whether it is work, studies or something else, so you should try to base and fit in your diet according to those or else you will quickly give up on it.

However, you need to realize that most of us don’t do bodybuilding for a living as bodybuilders do, so in most cases, we can’t use their diet plans at all.

Bodybuilders just workout and eat, which is their job, so they are completely devoted to that. We, mere mortals, have to adjust the diet plan to ourselves, which is not an easy thing to do.

Once you decide to start with a bodybuilding diet, you better focus on gaining muscle mass without gaining too much body fat.

This kind of goal will give you so much more freedom in the choice of food you can eat, which is very important for the beginning.

If your goal was only to lose weight and get rid of fat? The limited intake of calories with the limited choice of food you consume would very quickly make you give up. That’s the reason why you should focus on gaining muscle mass.

plate with coked chicken breast and vegetables

Things To Consider When Making A Diet Plan

When making a bodybuilding diet plan, you should consider two main factors: time and money. It is totally unreasonable expecting that a beginner should spend a lot of money on expensive supplements.

Also, you have to keep in mind that people, in general, do not have time to prepare five meals a day. Of course, it would be foolish to think that bodybuilders won’t demand a certain amount of effort.

First Bodybuilding Diet

The first bodybuilding diet should have two principles. The first is to raise the number of meals you consume daily, and the second one is to raise the number of calories in general and calories that come from proteins.

A diet as “loose” as this one should be giving you what you need for muscle growth and still shouldn’t interfere with your private and social life.

No matter how hard you workout, you won’t gain any muscle mass unless you are consuming more calories than you are burning during the day.

Do not drastically increase the intake of calories since that will result in piling up the fat. Instead of that increase it by 15-20%. These calories should mainly be from proteins and food rich in proteins.

You should consume eggs, meat, cheese, or artificial proteins if that is easier for you. You need to have at least 2.5 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight daily.

Also, you need to pay attention to complex carbs such as rice, potatoes, and whole-grain bread. They will provide you with the energy you need for your workouts.

fish, nuts and vegetables on a wooden table

How Many Meals A Day

When it comes to the frequency of the meals, everything gets a bit more complicated. The more meals you have, the better. However, not everyone has the time or the opportunity to eat six to seven times a day.

Nevertheless, it would be best if you tried to eat at least five times a day for many reasons. The first reason and one of the most important is that if you are eating five times instead of three, you will consume more calories, which is your goal.

The second reason is very obvious, and it concerns the intake of protein. If you have only three meals a day, your body will not have a constant flow of amino acids, and without amino acids, there are no muscles.

When you are eating five to six times a day, this flow will be balanced; no need to say you will differentially consume more proteins. The third reason is that more meals mean faster metabolism, and faster metabolism means more muscles.

How this all should look like we will show you at the end of this text with an example of an ideal bodybuilding diet. Since this example is ideal, you do not have to follow it completely. If you, for example, prefer eating whole grain bread instead of rice, eat bread instead.

Maybe it will be easier for you to take a tuna sandwich to work instead of chicken breast and rice. If you do not have time to prepare meals, protein bars can be a good substitute.

You have to learn to improvise, or else you will never be able to consume all the calories you have planned to consume. In case you have fast food, go for a grilled chicken sandwich and salad.

If you are in a restaurant, simply order some grilled meat with salad and rice or potatoes. Also, it would help if you didn’t become a slave to preparing food. Prepare larger amounts of food and put it in the fridge, and when you plan to eat it, simply heat it up.

When you are making sandwiches, make several at once.

We need to say something about cheating when you are on a diet. Everyone, and especially professionals, cheat when they are on a diet.

However, this is not a bad thing when you are trying to gain mass, and a few hundred calories from chocolate or a cupcake from time to time won’t do you any harm. For those who are trying to gain mass, these extra calories can actually help. So if you really think you must have that cupcake go for it. Just do not overdo it.

Bodybuilders Diet Plan

As we said, here is an example of the diet plan for bodybuilders.

  • Breakfast: – 100gr of cereal, – 3dl of milk, – 3 whole eggs + 4 egg whites
  • Snack: – a banana or an apple, – 30gr of almonds or hazelnuts, – protein powder mixed with low-fat milk
  • Lunch: – 250-300gr of chicken breast, – 1 larger potato, salad with olive oil
  • Snack after the workout: – protein shake
  • Dinner: 250-300gr of mackerel or steak, – 50-70gr of rice, salad
  • Snack before bed: -200gr of low-fat cheese, – 3 egg whites, – 30gr of almonds or hazelnuts

Conclusion

These were just a few tips that you could follow to gain mass and reach your goal. It is up to you to adjust the diet plan to your daily needs and obligations.

What you have to keep in mind that it takes time to see results, but if you stick to your diet plan and your workouts, results will surely come.