As you set your sights on building more muscle mass, it’s going to be very important that you make sure you’re eating the right foods at the right times. Here’s how to stay on your muscle building diet plan.

Nutrition is 80% of the results you see, so if it’s falling short, so will your progress.  For many people on a bodybuilding program, sticking with their muscle building diet plan day after day can be the hardest challenge.

Unlike those who are looking for easy weight loss and may be focusing primarily on avoiding hunger, reducing their calories, and eating to preserve muscle, your struggles are feeling stuffed, cooking sufficient food, and taking the time out to eat all the food you need to get down.

Fortunately, with the right tips, you can stay on top of your muscle building diet plan without a problem.

Your Tips For Your Muscle Building Diet Plan

#1 Use Your Freezer

First, the best tip that you can use to help better stay on top of your diet is to use your freezer. Rather than preparing each day’s meals in advance, which many people do and can work, take it one step further.

On Sunday’s and Wednesday’s (or a day of your choosing), prepare a large quantity of meals – enough to last 3-4 days.

Then, place them in the freezer. Now you are all set to go throughout the week. You can just pull them out and eat as you need.  Take the day’s meals out the night before, pack them with you and you’ll actually cook less than the average person.

Maximize the time that you do spend cooking so that you can get back to your busy daily schedule.

#2 Keep Trail Mix On Hand At All Times

For those times when hunger hits and you don’t have a regular meal on hand, it’s a smart move to always keep some homemade trail mix on hand. This way, your body won’t go hungry.

The worst thing you could do at this point is let your body start dipping into muscle mass tissue for fuel, so giving it something to feed on until you get to your next meal can prevent muscle mass loss.

Prepare your own trail mix with some whole wheat squares, dry fruit, nuts, and even a small dose of dark chocolate. It’ll contain healthy fats for keeping your testosterone higher and also provide a good dose of antioxidants as well.

Alternatively, you can also make high protein ‘bites’, by combining together a quarter cup of protein powder, a half cup of oats, a quarter cup of peanut butter, and a touch of honey for sweetness and to get everything to stick. Form into bite sized balls and you’ll have a very energy dense snack that you can pull out whenever needed.

#3 Create A Weight Gainer Shake

If you just can’t seem to get your 5-6 meals down per day due to feeling so full, a shake is your solution.  Since liquids don’t take up as much room in the stomach as solids do, it’s easier to down a shake between those meals so you aren’t left feeling bloated.

Create your own smoothie using Protein Build protein powder, two frozen bananas, two tablespoons of peanut butter, a cup and a half of skim milk, and 2-3 ice cubes to make it frothy.  If you really want to increase the texture, try adding in ½ tsp. xanthan gum as well.  It’s the one ingredient that can transform a regular protein shake into a delicious milkshake in a hurry.

This shake will provide over 600 calories, and a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and dietary fats.

#4 Buy In Bulk

Grocery shopping is a time investment as well. If you’re hitting the grocery store 2-3 times per week right now, you need to wise up in your strategy for your clean eating grocery list.

Instead, go to the store and buy as much in bulk as possible. The non-refrigerated items you can easily buy 2-3 weeks worth and store it at home.  This will shorten down the total grocery visits to just a few minutes to pop in and grab some fresh produce and possibly some fresh protein if you prefer.

Buying in bulk can also help save you money as well, so it’s a great strategy for those who feel the burden of trying to build muscle fast on their budget.

#5 Invest In A Good Cooler

One must-have piece of equipment that every man involved in bodybuilding must own is a good cooler.  This will help you keep your meals tasting fresh and with you throughout the day.

Along with that cooler, also, get some good Tupperware containers that can easily work in the fridge, freezer, dishwasher, and microwave.  This way you have no limitations with what you can do with those meals.

Being prepared with the proper tools is half the battle, so really pay attention to this factor to ensure you are on the path to success.

While you’re at it, you might want to invest in a slow cooker as well. Slow cooking is an excellent way to prepare meals in bulk that are delicious, tender, and nutritious.

#6 Bump Your Fat Intake Up

Of the three macronutrients, fat is the one that will best help you get those calories in. Of course, you do need good balance in your high-fat diet as each nutrient is going to play  a key role in helping you gain that muscle mass you desire, but that said, if you aren’t eating all that much fat right now, this could be why you are feeling bloated and stuffed.

Fat is so calorie dense that you’ll hardly notice it in your stomach, but it will provide slow digesting energy to help fuel your activity and the process to build muscle.

Aim for at least 25% of your total calorie intake coming from healthy fats, if not slightly higher up to 30-35%.

The best sources of healthy fats to consume include avocado, fatty fish, grass-fed beef, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and coconut.

For more meal ideas you can follow me on Instagram:

#7 Learn To Order Healthy

There will always be those times that you’re out without food and need to pick up a meal on the go. For those times, make sure that you learn how to order healthy and learn how to get lean.

.In nearly every restaurant, there will be something that you can order that will keep you on track with your diet and getting the nutrients you need in. You may need to make some modifications to the meal, but you can certainly get some lean protein, brown rice, and a few veggies in any sit-down restaurant you venture to.

By knowing what to order a head of time, you can feel confident that wherever you are, you’ll be staying on track.

So there you have some of the top ways to stick with a muscle build diet plan. If you are struggling to see results and it seems like you’re doing everything right on the workout front, the chance is good that it’s a diet problem.

Conclusion

Take a good look at your approach on your muscle building diet plan and make sure that you aren’t missing out on any one of these elements. Incorporating them in will help you move ahead in your bodybuilding ventures.

-Terry Asher