One: Calculate how much energy (calories) you need every day
Whether you are building muscle or losing weight, the following is the most important principle:
Calorie intake > Calorie consumption =Weight gain
Calorie intake < Calorie consumption = Weight loss
Therefore, the first step in formulating a meal menu is to know the body's "Total Daily Energy Expenditure" TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure), and then make decisions based on personal needs. How many calories should you eat:
Build muscle: Take in calories from TDEE x (100%+10%)
Fat loss: Eat TDEE x (100%-10%) calories
TDEE calculated through a formula is just an estimate. Unless you are willing to pay a heavy price to go to an exercise laboratory to do a series of assessments, there is no set of formulas that can absolutely accurately calculate your energy consumption.
TDEE can only give you a reference range to test how much food your body really needs:
Suppose you want to gain muscle and your TDEE is 2,000 calories, then you should eat 2,200 calories to gain muscle. However, if there is no change in your body shape after eating this amount for a month, and you may even lose weight, then you need to increase your calorie intake to 2,400 calories and observe for a while, and so on.
Two: The proportion of three major nutrients
The following weight units are involved: 1 pound = 0.9 catties
Protein (click to view protein food ingredients)
Everyone knows that whether you are building muscle or losing fat, protein plays a very important role in the diet. Protein intake has always been controversial. There are two main schools - the empirical school and the scientific school:
Experience school: 1 pound of body weight consumes 1 gram of protein, so 180 pounds of body weight requires 180 grams of protein
Scientific school: 1 pound of body weight consumes 0.6-0.8 grams of protein, so if you weigh 180 pounds, you need to consume 108-144 grams of protein
Since everyone’s physique and absorption capacity are different, you can tailor your protein intake according to your own needs:
Those who are lean or have a heavy training volume: You can take in more protein – 0.8-1g of protein for 1 pound of body weight
For those who are overweight or have a small amount of training: you can consume less protein – 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight
Then use time to observe changes in your body and find the protein intake that best suits you. Please don't be afraid of trouble, all bodybuilders use the Trial and Error method to formulate their protein intake!
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the main source of energy for the body, so whether you are building muscle or losing fat, you should not give up carbohydrates. The simplest serving size is:
2 grams of carbohydrates per pound of body weight
Fat
The proportion of fat should account for 25-30% of the daily calorie intake, but you don’t need to spend too much time calculating it. As long as you eat low-fat natural foods and try to avoid heavy frying in cooking methods, fat intake should not be a problem. .
Three: Food selection and cooking methods
We should choose natural ingredients and try not to eat processed foods such as sausages, ham, canned food, instant noodles, etc. You can consider the following ingredients:
Protein:
Egg (about 6 grams of protein per egg)
Chicken tenders (about 8-10 grams of protein per piece)
Chicken breast (the volume of a beer pie is about 20 grams of protein)
Salmon (the volume of a pie is about 18 grams of protein)
Steak (the volume of a beer pie is about 23 grams of protein)
Tofu (the volume of a piece of beer pie is about 16 grams of protein)
Carbohydrates:
White rice (a bowl of about 50-55 grams of carbohydrates)
Rice noodles (about 42-45 grams of carbohydrates per bowl)
Potatoes (approximately 31 grams of carbohydrates per bowl)
Sweet potatoes (approximately 36 grams of carbohydrates per bowl).
Cooking method:
Whether you are dining out or cooking at home, try to avoid deep-frying, using sauces and juices, and use less sugar and less seasoning. Even in a restaurant, there is always aMake healthier choices. What you have to do is suppress your inner demons and don't let yourself choose delicious food! Here are the types of foods you shouldn’t eat or eat as little as possible.
