Nutrition basics for gym beginners

Nutrition basics are simpler than they first seem: you need to know what you eat, when you eat and why it supports your training. This 8-week plan helps you get your menu in order step by step, without having to switch overnight to eating nothing but egg whites and chicken breast.

Why do nutrition basics matter at all?

Your training in the gym can be solid, but if your meals are random, progress often stalls. If you eat right, you can reach your goals faster, because your body then has energy, protein, carbohydrates, fats and water available.

The first thing to aim for isn’t a perfect diet. Here’s the simple truth: before you change anything, you need to know what is happening right now. Start by keeping a nutrition diary for three full days. Write down what time you eat, what you eat, how much you eat and how hungry you are before a meal.

In the fourth week, keep following what you learned in weeks 1, 2 and 3. By the eighth week, you may already have the basics of sports nutrition in hand, because small habits start working together.

Nutrition basics: an 8-week plan

WEEK 1: assess yourself

Day 4 is the time to make your first summary. Write down three goals for yourself. Do you have a bad habit you want to break? Do you sometimes go eight hours without eating? Is there any fresh vegetable at all in your three-day diary?

On day 5, write out your pluses, minuses and obstacles. Be honest. Is money a limit? Time? Does your social life throw your diet off track? Think ahead about what you will do when an obstacle shows up. One simple backup plan is better than ten nice promises.

WEEK 2: eat more often

Don’t think only “breakfast, lunch and dinner”. Think: meal 1, meal 2, meal 3, meal 4 and, if your day allows, meal 5. If you eat only every 5-7 hours, it’s easy to get too hungry and overeat later.

Depending on your goal, your meals can fall between 400-700 calories, but at first don’t get hung up on the numbers. Practice eating every 3-4 hours. This creates a rhythm.

• Canned tuna in water
• Dried turkey or beef
• Quark (curd cheese)
• Instant oat flakes, to which you add water or fat-free milk
• Protein drinks
• Fresh fruit, carrots, etc.
• Light popcorn
• Yogurt or cottage cheese
• Boiled eggs

WEEK 3: increase your protein intake

Without protein, building muscle is hard. If you train intensively most days of the week, aim for 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, or about 1.7g per kg of body weight. If you weigh 70kg, you need about 120g of protein a day.

Some people round this up to 1g per pound of body weight. That’s convenient, but 0.8 grams generally covers the needs related to training. You can look up the protein content of foods in the Amazon.ee calorie calculator.

• Meal 1: 2 eggs/2 egg whites = 20g
• Meal 2: protein shake = 22g
• Meal 3: tuna = 26g
• Meal 4: cottage cheese = 16g
• Meal 5: chicken or beans = 35g

That adds up to 119g of protein. Don’t panic-count every tiny gram from your oatmeal. Keep the main sources in place and split your protein more or less equally between meals.

Nutrition basics for choosing carbohydrates and fats

WEEK 4: change your carbohydrates

The best carbohydrate choice is usually the one closest to its original form. When it comes to wheat, choose whole-wheat bread, rolls, crackers or pasta more often. OK choices are white bread, regular pasta, salted crackers or plain bread rolls. Processed options are croutons, cheese crackers and bread chips.

With potatoes, a low-fat potato salad or low-fat mashed potatoes with cream is better. An OK choice is air-fried French fries. Processed options are potato chips and instant mashed potatoes in a packet. With rice, favor brown rice; white rice is OK. With oats, choose old-fashioned oatmeal; instant oatmeal in a packet is OK, and oat cookies fall on the processed side. With apples, good choices are an apple, unsweetened applesauce and dried apple; orange juice is OK, and apple butter is already a processed option.

• Reduce sugars and eat less food with preservatives.
• Reduce calories and saturated fats.
• Reduce sodium.
• Add more dietary fiber and water.

If you want to calculate your calories, use a simple rule of thumb: to gain mass, your weight in pounds x18; to maintain weight, your weight in pounds x15; to lose weight, your weight in pounds x12. For example, a 170-pound person who wants to lose weight could eat about 2000 calories a day. This is a general guideline. Another method is to keep a three-day food diary, work out your average calorie intake and, when losing weight, cut your intake by 300-500 calories a day, or take half of that out of your food and burn the other half with cardio.

Week 6: limit saturated fats

You don’t have to cut fat down to zero. Some fats are simply better than others in your everyday menu. Good sources are nuts, olive oil, avocado and walnut butter. Use butter, sour cream, margarine and spreads, coconut oil, dairy products and cheese in moderation. Every gram of fat provides 9 calories, while protein and carbohydrate provide 4g.

Practical nutrition basics for a workout day

Week 7: drink like a fish

More than half of your body is made up of good old H2O. Water helps your cells work, regulates body temperature and affects your training performance. The simplest check is the color and amount of your urine. Pale and plentiful is good. Dark and scant means you should drink more.

For optimal recovery and body function, drink 2 cups of water before, during and after your workout. It doesn’t have to be a complicated ritual. Keep a bottle within arm’s reach and it works.

Week 8: eat quality food

Fitness competitors and bodybuilders often talk about “eating clean.” That means food that provides the nutrients needed for building muscle without excess refined sugar, sodium and added fats. Honestly, clean eating doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy.

• Egg whites/eggs
• Lean meat//chicken breast/turkey
• Tuna or other fish/salmon
• Potato/sweet potato
• Whole-grain bread, pasta, oat flakes
• Low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese
• Fresh and frozen vegetables and fruit
• High-fiber cereals, bran flakes
• Some nuts

FAQ: nutrition basics

Do I have to overhaul my whole menu right away?

No. Start with a food diary, a meal rhythm and one or two better choices. Your chances of success are higher when your goals are realistic.

Is counting calories mandatory?

Not at the beginning. If your weight isn’t moving in the direction you want, a three-day diary and calculating your average calorie intake will help. Then you can make a small change rather than a panicked one.

What is the most important habit?

Consistency. If you eat roughly every 3-4 hours, get enough protein and more often choose simpler, less processed food, your foundation is already strong.

Author: joker, M&F Total Nutrion

Source: WHO – physical activity.

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