Diet: Prepare Your Own Food.

Preparing your own meals lets you a) control the portions b) choose the method of preparation c) vary the foods included.

Controlling the portions is essential, but not just for caloric intake. Spacing your meals out into more than 3 meals a day is optimal, so eating normal portions (of a 3 meal per day diet) is to much food. Spread out your consumption by eating 4 to 6 small meals a day. This allows your body to absorb and convert the energy as you are eating, instead of storing excess calories as fat. Eating 4 to 6 small meals a day with increase the nutritional advantages you gain from your food.

Choosing the method of preparation lets you decide things like: the amount of oil or salt you are cooking with, what types of oils (olive, vegetable, peanut, rapeseed, flax, etc), and what herbs or spices to add that increase the flavor without increasing the fat/calories. Restaurants (unless they intentionally regard your health) will cook with and include whatever makes the food taste the best, which is usually fats, sugars, and fast-absorbing carbs. Preparing your own meals lets you choose whether or not to include these.

Varying the foods included is also important. Eating a variety of vegetables that aren't overcooked (vegetables lose nutrients when overcooked) or have too much fat to have nutritional advantages (vegetables prepared with enough fat where its more advantageous for you to avoid eating them) is much easier when you prepare your own food. You choose which meats you eat--you can prepare more lean meats. You can also choose when to eat different types of food, like carb heavier breakfast/lunches/snacks and low carb dinners and late-night snacks.

Diet: Eat a Variety of Foods.

Eat foods like spinach, romaine lettuce, blueberries, strawberries, oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, asparagus, green pepper, cottage cheese, yogurt without excess sugars, carrots, chicken, whole grains, whole oats (not instant, make oatmeal yourself without the added sugar), lean pork, and lean beef.

Drink milk, juices not from concentrate without added sugars, soymilk, and your protein shakes.

There are so many healthy foods that taste great. Be patient and willing to spend the time required to eat healthy. If you "don't have time," change your perspective and make time. What is more important than your health?

Diet is the most important aspect of body building and weight training because without proper diet, your body can't build the muscle you deserve after workouts. And as I've recently posted, supplementing protein powders into your diet is a necessity. For beginning lifters, managing protein intake and proper diet is the best method to success.

Become accustomed to preparing your own meals. Fast food is high in saturated/trans fats with hydrogenated oils and fast absorbing carbs/sugars like high fructose corn syrup. Occasionally enjoying fast food for the convenience is fine, but if your serious about your health, it's important to keep it out of your diet.

Preparing your own meals lets you:
a) control the portions
b) choose the method of preparation
c) vary the foods included.
Controlling the portions is essential, but not just for caloric intake. Spacing your meals out into more than 3 meals a day is optimal, so eating normal portions (of a 3 meal per day diet) is to much food. Spread out your consumption by eating 4 to 6 small meals a day. This allows your body to absorb and convert the energy as you are eating, instead of storing excess calories as fat. Eating 4 to 6 small meals a day with increase the nutritional advantages you gain from eating.

Creatine.

Creatine isn't a vitamin, mineral, or hormone. It is a naturally occurring amino acid that is found in your body (amino acids are the building blocks of proteins). By consuming meats and fish as well as dairy products, egg whites, nuts and seeds we acquire most of the Creatine in our system.

Although the human body stores high amounts of Creatine in the muscles to enhance recovery and power, it's difficult to maintain this level while lifting solely by food intake. Thus Creatine supplements have become a staple in the fitness community.

Supplementing Creatine in your diet will aid your muscle recovery and add power to your workouts. I add 5g of Creatine to my protein shake before every workout.