Spinach salad with canned tuna, corn, low-fat shredded cheese, tomato, dried cranberries, olive oil, and balsamic Plain Greek yogurt topped with strawberries and sunflower seeds

“Making extra and having leftovers will spare you extra time so you can dedicate that to a few extra muscle-building sets at the gym.” Since everybody's calorie needs will be different, adjust portions and serving sizes based on what works best for you. “Hitting the gym, and keeping up with a diet is time consuming enough,” says Cohn. Want to set yourself up for a week of success? With this plan, you’ll get to repeat meals and use leftovers-you won't be meal prepping non-stop. RELATED: 5 Protein Mistakes You've Been Making “The protein that we consume breaks down and is recycled to build actual muscle tissue, but the fuel that actually gets us there is carbohydrates.”įueling before and after your workout is also key, says Cohn, which means you may have to do some planning to be sure you aren’t working out on a totally empty stomach in the morning, or going too long before eating after a workout. Our muscles prefer to use energy from complex carbs to build muscle,” she says. “In terms of the breakdown of protein, fats, and carbs, there’s no research that shows you need more than 20 to 30 percent protein. You’ll also need to be sure you’re eating the right proportion of macronutrients, with about 50 percent of your calories coming from carbohydrates, 30 percent from protein, and 20 percent from fat, says Cohn. That's why Cohn recommends aiming for between 2,000 to 2,200 calories per day, depending on your age, height, and weight. (Post-sesh, your body is working hard to repair and rebuild the muscle fibers broken down during your lifts, says Cohn.) In order for your body to recover, build muscle, and power through future workouts (and, you know, your work day) you'll need plenty of fuel. When you strength train, you're burning cals during and after your workout. Rule number one: Don't skimp on calories. RELATED: 7 Foods with More Protein Than a Chicken Breast That's why we asked Marjorie Nolan Cohn, R.D.N., a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, to create a meal plan that'll help you see real progress in the gym. That being said, eating your way to lean, sexy muscles is easier said than done. Got your heart set on sculpting six-pack abs (or, really, any abs)? Wish your legs looked like Jessica Simpson's? It's time for a truth bomb: You can lift weights 'til the cows come home, but if you're not paying attention to what you're eating, you probably won't see optimum results.

Kiwi magazine digital media kit 2016