Building lean muscle requires special attention in daily dietary needs. Typical healthy diets cater to the average person without any special attention to any specific goals. Once you have decided to increase your lean muscle mass, you can use the following tips to help get you on the right path to success:
1. Eat more often! Eating only three meals a day does not rev up your metabolism. Eating smaller portioned meals more often fuels your body more efficiently, stabilizes your blood sugar levels, and also helps to speed up your metabolism. The higher you can get your metabolism functioning, the more calories you will burn each day, thus helping you achieve your goals of building lean muscle.
2. Have your macros calculated! Your macros are your calculated macronutrients that your individual body needs to achieve your goals. This includes the number of grams of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that you consume on a daily basis for your caloric count. A sports nutritionist can help you find the perfect numbers for you. This will help you with your meal choices and meal prep too. You will also be able to know exactly what you need to be consuming and eliminate any guess work that may hinder your goals.
3. Increase your grams of protein! Protein is the building blocks of muscle. Protein not only helps to build muscle, but it also aids in the recovery of muscle fibers after your workouts. Most athletes require a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to maintain muscle. For example, if you weigh 130 pounds, it is recommended that you consume 130 grams of protein daily to support muscle and to help build lean muscle. A sports nutritionist can help you make sure you are getting the correct numbers and can also help with meal planning tips and snacks to help make it easy to stay on track.
4. Try to reduce stress in your life. Stress contributes to the decline of health by decreasing the body’s metabolism and energy. The decreased function of your metabolism will cause you to gain weight instead of to lose it.
5. Cut out processed sugars and soft drinks! These are simply empty calories that provide no nutritional benefits. When building lean muscle, you need good quality protein and nutrients to fuel your body and to give you stable energy to achieve your goals. Processed sugars and soft drinks will rob your body of nutrients and leave you with low energy. Swap out those for healthier and more natural substitutions so you don’t sabotage all of your hard work.
Building lean muscle can be achieved by anyone. Remember to eat more often, eat better quality nutrients, and try to reduce stress at home. Healthy habits will lead to success!
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