How to Eat For Size

Many trainees blame their workout program or their genes for not making any progress in the gym. But in most cases the main problem is their diet, they simply don’t eat enough for size.

And when I say that they don’t eat enough to put on size I’m not pointing just the protein consumption. I’m referring to protein, carbs, healthy fats, supplements – in other words the total amount of calories consumed during the day.

The total calorie intake is the amount of energy that you consume from macro nutrients like protein, fats and carbohydrates. The main thing you need to remember here is that if you want to build muscle, the total amount of calories you consume in a day should be higher than the amount you spend during the day. In other words, you need to create a certain  caloric surplus.

A good rule of a thumb is to start eating about 16-18 calories per pound a day to create a normal surplus. So a physically active person will need to eat 16-18 calories for every pound of their bodyweight (depending on their metabolism) to start building muscle. As an example a 160 lb person would need around 2560-2880 calories a day.

You probably heard the saying: “What you eat is what you are”. Eating for size is not about eating everything you’ll find in your path. A good diet should be constructed around consuming precise amounts of protein, carbs, and fats.

Protein

That said, I recommend consuming about 1 grams/lb of protein from lean meats, eggs, fish and protein shakes. So if you weigh 160 lbs that’s about 160 grams of protein and around 650 calories from protein a day.

Fats

Next on the list are the fats. They should cover around 25% of your calorie intake and should come from healthy fat sources like fish oil, olive oil, nuts, almonds, peanut butter and omega 3 supplements. That is around 640-720 calories from HEALTHY fats.

Carbohydrates

The last but not least on the list are the carbohydrates that should cover the other calorie needs. Carbohydrates are the energy that will fuel your workouts and activities, so the more intense your workouts the more calories from carbohydrates you’ll need. Tend to eat low glycemic carbohydrates (except right after your workout) and plenty of fiber. This way you can control your blood sugar and insulin secretion.

Eating for size Example meal plan:

meal 1

6 eggs 
2 cups of cooked wheat
1 piece of season fruit
1 Spoon of Fish oil

meal 2

170-180 g of tuna
1 cup of rice
1 spoon of flax seed oil

meal 3

200g of lean beef
2 cups of pasta
1 salad with 1 spoon of olive oil

meal 4 (pre -workout)

1 protein shake (50g of protein)
1 banana

meal 5 (post – workout)

protein shake (50g of protein)
banana

meal 6

200 g of chicken
1 cup of rice
1 salad with 1 spoon of olive oil