oxygenmagAU Jan/Feb 2018 73
L
isten up, ladies! It’s time to get
over the 'low-cal is best' attitude
toward eating. Sure, it makes
sense — to lose weight we need to
create a caloric deficit. But if you’re looking
to stack on some lean mass and ramp up
your strength goals, you’ll have to bump
up your food intake on a daily basis. Don’t
let this scare you — when done right, you
can maintain the lean look you worked
all summer for while building muscle and
eating more than you ever imagined.
So why is the thought of adding calories to
your diet so cringeworthy? Because calories
in versus calories out has been ingrained in
us since the dawn of time. This has made us
fear eating too much in an effort to avoid
unwanted weight gain. The reality is, to
build muscle, we need calories. You heard
that right. Eat more to reach your fitness
goals faster. Skimp out and you’ll end up
burning the candle at both ends, leaving you
with a sluggish metabolism and at risk for
overtraining. But we’re not talking any kind
of calories. We’re talking lots of lean protein,
moderate complex carbs (yes, carbs!) and
a moderate amount of healthy fats. Throw
in some fruits, veggies and a few delicious
recipes and we have a meal plan!
Here’s how it works: pair this four-week
meal plan with your fave mass-building
workout program. If there’s a protein
you’re not fond of or if you want to take the
vegetarian route, simply swap it for the same
portion size of something you do like; the
same goes for carbs and healthy fats. Stick
with lean protein sources and high-fibre
complex carbs rather than high-sugar, simple
carb sources.
Plug your post-workout shake in wherever
it belongs. Whether you’re an early riser or
evening warrior, your post-workout shake
is meant to be guzzled immediately after a
tough sweat session no matter what time of
day it is. If it’s an off day, drink your protein
shake before bed or skip it altogether — your
choice.
Feel free to enjoy a flex day. Take this
opportunity to enjoy a dinner out, weekend
brunch or holiday treat by swapping out up
to two meals per week for an off-plan meal
of your choice. Just remember, it’s a treat
meal, not a treat day. The rest of the day you
should follow the meal plan as is. And don’t
go overboard with whatever you do choose
to treat yourself with. After all, it’s not a free-
for-all.Build muscle and stay lean
with our four-week meal plan.
By Shoshana Pritzker, RD, CDN, CSSD, CISSN