Nutrition for weightlifting is an individual pursuit; Yes, you burn a lot of calories when lifting weights, but the number of calories and replacement levels depend on your specific metabolism and goals. For the best results, you should start with a specific program and then modify your daily caloric intake based on your results.
- Define your overall goal:
Why are you lifting weights? Are you trying to lose weight? Are you trying to build muscle? Just looking to improve your overall fitness? Each of these goals requires a different daily calorie intake, so it’s important to know what your goal is before you begin. - Start a food diary:
If you’re like most people, you only have a vague idea, at best, of how many calories you are currently consuming. ¿Why is it so important? Because what you are currently eating has led to your current weight and current body composition. You have been giving your body the correct amount of calories for the muscle you carry and for the level of body fat you currently have, assuming your weight has been fairly stable lately. - Learn about the different dietary macronutrients:
You don’t need to become a nutritionist, but you DO need to know the difference between carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. While all three are important to your daily diet, they are not the same. For example, carbohydrates and protein have 4 calories per gram, while fat has 9 calories per gram. Part of determining the correct number of calories for your daily intake will involve knowing what proportion of macronutrients to eat. One useful tool is a food counting book; There are numerous, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding a good one at your local bookstore or online.
For the sake of simplicity, let’s start with your current daily calorie intake. Since you already know the results for that level, you can start making your adjustments from there. Protein level is the first step as it is mandatory to build muscle and it must be high enough to protect your muscle level when you are also trying to lose body fat. The most commonly cited target level for daily protein intake is 8 to 1.2 grams per pound of body weight.
Obviously, if you are looking to lose weight, aim for the lower end of that range and the upper end of the range if you are looking to build muscle. If you’ve been lazy in tracking your calorie intake up to this point, chances are you’re not getting enough protein every day, so that’s the first thing to fix. There are easy ways to add more protein: eggs instead of cereal for breakfast, tuna or salmon instead of peanut butter and jelly for sandwiches, and always eating meat, chicken, or chicken for dinner each night. Protein shakes and supplements also help, but remember they are called ‘supplements’ for a reason – they are to add to protein in food, not to replace it.
Building muscle mass
Once you’re sure you’re getting enough protein every day, you can start modifying your total daily calorie intake based on your goals. If you’re looking to build muscle, add enough protein every day to get to 1.2 grams per pound of your body weight, and give your body a week or two to get used to that calorie level. To grow from there, every two weeks add another 200-300 calories a day by increasing your complex carbohydrates: sweet potato or yam, brown, red or black rice, cut oatmeal, broccoli or Brussels sprouts, etc. At first this is easy: just add a meal with protein and the new carbs an hour before you start lifting weights and / or an hour after your gym session. Keep an eye on your stomach: You can keep increasing your carbs a little every two weeks or so until you start to see a little increase in belly fat. Once that happens, cut back on carbs that last 200 or 300 calories per day – you’ve found your current effective daily calorie intake. Remember though, as you continue to lift weights and eat well, you will add new muscle mass, so each month add only enough protein and carbohydrates to match your current body weight.
Lose body fat
If you are lifting weights to burn body fat, there are two things you MUST remember up front. First, your goal is NOT to lose weight, it is to lose fat. Strictly restricting calories from the start will cause you to lose weight, but a good proportion of that weight loss will be muscle loss, and that’s not your goal. Many people are very surprised when they begin to lift weights and find that their clothing becomes loose, their waistline shrinks, but their weight increases. This is because muscle is much denser than fat and therefore heavier for the same size. Don’t let that bother you: focus on how your clothes fit or have your doctor or a certified personal trainer measure your body fat percentage.
Second, understand that the calories you eat and the source of those calories will determine whether or not you are losing fat. Yes, you are burning extra calories when lifting weights. Yes, you are building muscle and more muscle burns more calories 24/7, even while you sleep. But these will NOT be enough extra calories burned to make a big difference, especially compared to the difference your nutritional choices can make.
As with those trying to build lean mass, start by getting your protein intake within range. If that means you’re getting more calories from protein each day, cut down on the same amount of carbohydrates that you eat each day. You’ve found out how many calories you’re already eating each day, and 20% of those calories should come from healthy fats, especially omega-3s. Once that 20% is subtracted, plus the calories you are going to eat from protein, the rest comes from carbohydrates. Every 2 or more, reduce your daily carbohydrate intake by 200 to 300 calories. This won’t cause sudden fat loss, but it will slowly force your body to start burning stored energy (body fat) to fuel your daily activities and weight lifting sessions. Larger or more sudden calorie reductions can cause your body to slow down its metabolism, and that’s not what you want, so stick with the slower reduction. Remember NOT to use the scale to judge your progress; base it on your body fat measurements or how your clothes fit around your waist.
You can achieve your goals, whether it’s reducing body fat or bigger muscles, as long as you use proper weight lifting nutrition and keep your daily calorie intake in line with your current body composition, activity levels, and goals. And with improved health, a stronger system, and a better-looking body as secondary benefits, it’s certainly worth the effort you’re putting in – see you at the gym!