Most ambitious bodybuilders and weight trainers will learn
everything there is to know about weight lifting and do
whatever it takes in the gym for results. They will work
their butts off pumping iron and endure pain that the
common man would coward from. However, one of the major
causes of failure for even these overzealous trainees is
not having a proper diet plan for building muscle mass.
They might intend to eat correctly, but they just can't get
around keeping it consistent. I know because this is
something that I battled with myself for a long time. When
I finally sat down and got serious, I finally got to the
core of why most weight trainers fail in this department:
improper planning. Most of us can decide to start eating
right, and some of us are even good at righting down goals
and how we need to achieve them. But, if we don't construct
a diet plan for building muscle mass on a day to day basis,
this can be a plan for disaster for most of us.
The reason why we need to plan our meals before each day is
because this is the best way to battle any of the major
obstacles that keep us from being consistent. Obstacles
such as hunger, finding yourself in a situation where you
don't have any food prepared for several hours, such as
school, work, a long car ride, temptations to eat fast
food, and many others.
The reason why these obstacles are so hard to combat is
because of the very nature of hunger. Along with sleep and
water, eating is an absolute vital necessity for survival.
And since our bodies are designed to alert us when one of
these are lacking, it does so very intensely.
That is why when we are extremely tired we MUST sleep, or
when we are extremely thirsty we MUST drink, and when we
are extremely hungry we MUST eat. The pains from lack of
these are too intense to bear for too long. So if we don't
properly plan beforehand our meals each day, then the urge
to just eat whatever is most tempting or convenient will
easily overcome our goals for gaining mass.
On top of that our bodies are also designed for one single
purpose: survival. Your body doesn't give a flip if you
want to gain muscle mass, it's designed solely on keeping
you alive. That is why it is important that you have a
proper diet plan for building muscle mass and that you plan
your meals on a day to day basis.
The better planned and prepared you are, the easier it will
be to stay consistent with your diet. Then, on a positive
note, since we are creatures of habit, once you stick to a
diet schedule for about 21 to 30 days, it will become a
habit and the process will be much easier!
Here are some tips on how to plan your meals: First, plan
on paper! Get a day planner if you don't already have one
and plan your eating schedule around your other daily
activities. Next, prepare your meals the night before and
store them in separate plastic containers if possible so
when your meal time comes it will be ready to go.
When you go grocery shopping go with a specific intent for
your meals so you can plan out your week in advance, and I
suggest you invest in some meal replacement shakes in case
you have a busy schedule and are rarely at home - never
leave home without a meal handy just in case! A simple and
final tip to help your planning is to list out your ten
favorite and simplest meals according to your diet so that
you can rotate through them to avoid boredom and keep it
interesting.
Remember, if you fail to plan then you can plan to fail.
Don't make the mistake of so many people by working out
hard and consistently, only to cheat yourself and your
results by improper planning of your diet. It still takes
some brains if you want to build the brawn!
----------------------------------------------------
Derek Manuel is the author of the best-selling, "How to
Gain Weight and Build Muscle for Hardgainers". If you want
to learn how you too can gain 20 to 30 pounds of solid
muscle in as short as 8 weeks, or if you just want more
quality information on how to gain weight and build muscle,
please visit http://www.hardgainers-weight-tips.com
