Q: How many calories should I be eating daily if I plan on bodybuilding?

A: The number of calories you should be eating varies by body size. As a general rule of thumb, when you're just starting out, you should eat somewhere between 2,500 to 3,000 calories daily. Make sure that your eating plan includes protein, fat, carbohydrates and plenty of water.

Q: How much protein should be included in a bodybuilding eating plan?

A: Multiply your total body weight by 1.2 to get the total grams of protein you need to eat in a day. You should divide this amount equally between your meals and snacks throughout the day. Protein sources should include lean meats (such as chicken and turkey) and white fish. Post protein workout shakes should be the only liquid sources of protein throughout the day. If you do choose to include protein supplements no more than half of your daily protein should come from supplemental sources.

Q: When I am bodybuilding how much carbohydrate do I need to include in my eating plan?

A: Multiply your lean body mass (your fat free body weight, not your total body weight) by 0.8 to get the amount of carbohydrates you should be eating in a day. These should be divided between your major meals. Carbohydrates should also be included post workout.

Q: How much fat (and what types of fats) should I plan on eating when I am bodybuilding?

A: About 25% of your calories should come from fat. This isn't to say you should increase the amounts of harmful fats in your diet. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are needed when your bodybuilding. These include omega three and omega six. A good way to make sure you get your EFAs is to include flax seeds, flax oil, are flax meal in your diet. Another good source of EFAs is fish. Fish oil supplements can be taken to increase your EFAs.

Q: Should soy be a part of my bodybuilding eating plan?

A: No. Women often include soy in their diet to raise their body's estrogen levels naturally. When estrogen levels rise, testosterone levels decrease. Since testosterone is a body builders best friend, it's in your best interest to reduce your soy intake as much as possible while you're trying to increase your muscle mass.

Q: How large of meals and snacks should I be eating when I plan to concentrate on bodybuilding?

A: You should eat something every 2 to 3 hours while you are awake. Instead of trying to eat 3 and meals a day it's important to bring that up to between 5 to 7 smaller daily meals. This gets your body's metabolism up and feeds your muscles so there able to continually repair themselves.

Q: Do I have to avoid alcohol when I'm bodybuilding?

A: Yes. When you are bodybuilding it's important to decrease the amounts of alcohol you consume, if not completely cut it out of your diet. Alcohol can negatively affect your testosterone levels.

Q: When considering my bodybuilding eating plan what types of carbohydrates should I include?

A: Nutrient dense whole grains fruits and vegetables should be a part of your healthy eating plan when you are bodybuilding. Candy bars, soda pop, and other empty calories should not be a part of your eating plan.

Q: Why should I eat cruciferous vegetables when I'm bodybuilding?

A: Cruciferous vegetables have many important health benefits. One of the benefits of cruciferous vegetables is they suppress the amounts of estrogen in your system. Suppressing the amount of the estrogen in your system increases the amount of testosterone in your system. Testosterone is a natural bodybuilding enhancer.

Q: What should my post workout snack include?

A: Post workout snacks need to include protein and a high glycemic carbohydrate. The reason you include a high glycemic carbohydrate is to get the protein into your system as quickly as possible. Do not include fats in your post workout snack. Fats will slow the absorption of protein and carbohydrates.

By following the above guidelines for your bodybuilding eating plan, you will maximize your results with minimum effort and time. Good luck!