Is Your Diet Suited To Weight Loss Or Muscle Building?

By Russ Howe


Everybody has different goals in the gym, but usually they revolve around learning how to lose weight or build lean muscle mass. If you are to do either, however, you will need to discover how to build your diet plan to suit your individual goal. Diet is the most overlooked part of any workout routine, and overlooking this aspect is a very costly mistake to make.

You needn't worry, though. Learning how to do this is not very complex at all.

Fat loss is a common goal in the gym. However, ninety percent of people who list this as their primary goal have overlooked the one aspect which is going to get them there - their daily calorie intake. The basic science behind fat loss is that if you eat less, you will lose more.

However, it would be quite foolish to set yourself a good calorie target and then neglect to go a little bit further. By learning how to optimize your intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats you will only enhance your results even further. []

Don't worry, though, working out your daily intake of calories is not rocket science - although it is needlessly over complicated by many in the fitness industry. In order to establish not only how many calories you should be eating per day, but also where those calories should be coming from, then try the following equation:

* Daily calorie target = your body weight in pounds multiplied by 15.

If you wanted to bulk up to 180 lbs, for example, you would do the following sum: 180 x 15 = 2700. This now sets you a goal of 2700 calories per day.

* Your protein intake = Total calories x 30%, divided by four.

Getting the right split of the three macronutrients is critical to ensuring your calories are coming from the right places. For protein, we can establish that 30% of 2700 is 810 calories. Now divide this by four and you'll be given a target of 202 grams per day.

* Your daily carbs = 55% of your calories, divided by four.

For our daily intake of carbohydrates, we need to do a similar equation with some slightly larger figures. 55% of 2700 is, of course, 1485. Divide this by four and we get 371 grams of carbohydrates.

* Fats = 15% of our calorie target, divided by 9.

Healthy fats are one of the key strategies behind building a better body in a very short space of time. 15% of our calorie target here would be 405 in total. Divide this by 9, you'll get a fat intake of roughly 45 grams per day.

The difference between bulking up safely and cleanly, as opposed to simply eating everything in sight, is the fine line which separates those who add good size from those who simply add a ton of fat. You don't want to gain size on your arms at the expense of your gut, of course. Learning the science behind how to lose weight and build lean muscle can be a confusing affair, so playing around with the principles is a key factor in striking a balance which suits your individual body.




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