Daily Checklist

Complete this checklist daily to ensure you are achieving optimal nutrition _______ I ate a breakfast with fat, protein, and carbs

_______ I ate 3-4 balanced meals

_______ I ate 2-3 nutritious snacks

_______ I ate 2 pieces of fruit

_______ I ate 3-5 servings of vegetables

_______ I ate a source of protein in each meal

_______ I drank water regularly throughout the day

_______ I refueled within 60 minutes after workouts (real food or shake)

Principles of successful nutrition

1. Eat. Real. Food. • If you can’t kill it, pick it, grow it, or ferment/culture it you shouldn’t eat it. • It is wasn’t food 200 years ago, it’s not food today • If it comes in a box or a plastic wrapper it isn’t food; it’s a food product

2. Full-fat versions are ok

• Full-fat versions of foods have the greatest profile and allow for maximum absorption of the nutrients

• Try to avoid non-fat, low-fat, reduced fat, light, etc

3. Eat based on your goal • If your goal is to gain weight, eat quickly and until full • If your goal is to lose weight, eat slowly and until satisfied

4. Eat protein with every meal and most snacks

• Protein builds muscle and aids recovery • Sufficient protein intake is proven to be essential in both gaining and losing weight

5. Eat at least one serving of fruits and/or vegetables every time you eat

6. Eat fats from good sources with most meals

• Good sources: eggs, beef, milk, avocado, fish, nuts, seeds • Bad sources: Donuts, candy, fast food, processed foods

7. Eat quality carbohydrates with most meals • Natural fruits & vegetables

8. Drink beverages with few calories and ingredients

• Water

9. Utilize supplements when appropriate • These supplement, they NEVER replace • Protein Powder • Fish Oil • Multivitamin • Creatine? • Pre-Workout

10. Live a little

• If you break the rules once in a while, that’s ok. Just know what rules you’re breaking. • If you break the rules often, you will not develop and your stack will not grow

BIG AIN’T STRONG. STRONG IS STRONG.

PROTEIN

• Optimal protein intake for the average person is 20-30 grams, 6 times a day (every 3 hours). This can be done in meals with whole foods or with protein supplements (usually shakes).

• Protein within 30-60 minutes after a workout is optimal for protein synthesis; but getting the proper

protein throughout the day is most important.

• Eating adequate protein amounts is as important on non-lifting days as it is on lifting days.

• Strength training athletes need roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day depending on your goal.

o If you’re trying to gain or lose, eat the amount of protein for your desired body weight o Gaining:

§ If your goal is to go from 160 to 185, you should eat 185 grams of protein per day § If your goal is to go from 190 to 210, you should eat 210 grams of protein per day

o Trimming: § If your goal is to go from 230 to 210, you should eat 210 grams of protein per day

o Maintaining: § If your goal is to stay at your current bodyweight, you should eat the same grams of

protein per day as your weight o Don’t overthink it! Focus on getting enough protein, not exactly a perfect amount.

• Types of protein:

o Whey protein is the best protein to use after workouts and for most protein needs because if is digested the fastest.

o Blends with whey and casein protein are good for recovery and a steady feed of protein for the body because they provide the body with both fast digesting protein (whey) and slower digesting protein (casein).

o 20 grams of casein protein is best before bed because it digests slower and can provide protein to your body while you sleep

o Gainer protein is designed to have more calories to help those trying to gain weight

• Fast digesting carbs are also important after workouts to replenish glycogen levels. o Examples: Bananas, grapes, watermelon, rice, potatoes, bread

WEAK THINGS BREAK

BIG AIN’T STRONG. STRONG IS STRONG.

SAMPLE DAILY MEAL PLAN with morning workout Daily total: 3,269 calories 185g protein

WEAK THINGS BREak

Breakfast 4 large eggs (320 cal / 28g protein) 1 cup oatmeal (not instant) (300 cal / 54g carbs) 4 slices bacon (170 cal / 12g protein) 1 orange (86 cal / 22g carbs) Total: 876 calories / 40g protein

Post-Workout Whey protein shake (200 cal / 20g to 30g protein)

Lunch 10 oz. chicken breast (326 cal / 36g protein) 2 cups lettuce (20 calories) 2 oz ranch dressing (60 calories) 2 oz tortilla chips (320 calories) ½ avocado (115 calories / 1g protein / 10g fat) Total: 841 calories / 37g protein

After-School Snack Turkey sandwich w/cheese (340 cal / 16g protein) 1 Apple (95 cal) Total: 340 calories / 16g protein

Dinner 8 oz. steak/ground beef (362 cal / 40g protein) 1 potato (280 cal /4 g protein / 37g carbs) 1 cup broccoli (30 calories / 2g protein) Total: 672 calories / 46g protein

Before bed Handful of almonds (160 cal / 6g protein) Casein protein shake (180 cal / 20g protein) Total: 340 calories / 26 g protein

Food choices Great Choices Good Choices Bad Choices

PROTEINS Steak Ground Beef Elk Buffalo Venison Whole Milk Full fat Greek yogurt Chicken Ham Turkey Pork Eggs Any and all seafood & shellfish Beans Protein powder

Bacon Canadian Bacon Sausage Beef Jerky Whole Chocolate Milk

Bologna Hot Dogs Pepperoni Slim Jims & other highly processed jerky

FATS Avocado/Guacamole Coconut Coconut Oil Dark Chocolate Fish Oil Olive Oil (extra virgin)

Nuts & Nut Butters: Almonds & Almond Butter Peanuts & Peanut Butter Cashews & Cashew Butter Pecans Walnuts Pistachios

Seeds: Flax Seeds Pumpkin Seeds Sunflower Seeds

Protein Sources: Beef/Pork Fish Dairy Eggs

Olive Oil (light) Butter Ghee Butter Animal Fat Olive Oil Mayonnaise Canola Oil (pressed)

Hydrogenated Oils Margarine Regular mayonnaise

Seed Oils: Corn Oil Cottonseed Oil Safflower Oil Sunflower Oil Vegetable Oil Soybean Oil Shortening (Crisco) Trans Fats

CARBOHYDRATES All vegetables All fruit Beans Corn Old Fashioned/Steel Cut Oats Potatoes Sweet Potatoes Quinoa Whole Grain Brown Rice Wild Rice

Basmati Rice Whole Grain Couscous

Whole Grain: Bread Bagels Pastas Waffles Tortillas

Candy Cereal bars (Nutri-grain) Pop Tarts Donuts Fruit Juice Muffins Pancakes Pastries Waffles Soda Sugar

White: Bread Bagels English Muffins Pastas Rice Wraps

OTHER Water Spices Herbs Salsa Tea (Black, Green, etc) Coffee (black)

Almond or Coconut Milk 100% natural fruit juice in moderation

Soda Energy Drinks Gatorade, Powerade, etc (except during physical activity) Fruit Juice Kool-Aid Artificial Sweeteners Diet Soda Soy Milk Sweetened Teas

MEAL tips

1. Prep food and pre-cook large amounts on weekends for use during the week (example: rice & ground beef; eggs & sausage)

2. Pack your lunch the night before

3. Pre-chop fruits & vegetables and put in plastic bags for grab n go

4. Utilize the microwaves in coaches classrooms or commons

5. Know and utilize the common “gainz snacks”

• PB&J • Whey or gainer protein shakes • Protein bars • Almonds/cashews/peanuts • Sunflower seeds • Beef jerky • Milk & chocolate milk • Fruit • Yogurt • Cheese • Cottage Cheese

Weight Gain Plan In order to gain quality weight, you have to: 1) Eat several meals per day instead of 2 or 3 large ones. 2) Focus on quality nutrition with some calorie dense foods (meats, eggs, dairy, peanut butter, etc). Weight Gain Rule #1: Increase your protein intake to 1 gram of protein per pound bodyweight. Therefore, if you weigh 200-lbs, you need to eat around 200 grams of protein per day. Eating more than 40 grams of protein in one sitting can make you feel lethargic and you can have issues digesting the food and utilizing the protein. Therefore, keep your protein serving sizes to 30-40 grams. So for a 250 pound player, this would equal out to 5-7 meals spaced out. Protein sources should come from lean low fat sources like chicken, turkey, lean red meats, top sirloin steak, tuna, egg whites, shrimp, tilapia, mackarel, and salmon (really any fish). Weight Gain Rule #2: Increase your carbohydrate intake to between 1.5-3 grams of carbs per pound of bodyweight. In order to gain muscle, a carbohydrate increase will be required to keep your energy levels high, and thus fuel your workouts, and in order to help shuttle the amino acids from your proteins into the muscle tissue (since carbohydrates increase insulin levels and insulin is necessary for the transport of the aminos into the muscle). Good carbs can come in the form of rice (white or brown), pasta, oatmeal, potatoes, cream of rice, rice cakes, whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables. Bad carbs come from candy, cookies, chips, crackers, white bread, donuts, etc. Finally, make sure that you have around 15 grams of fibrous carbohydrates, such as green beans or broccoli, at lunchtime and 15 grams more at dinnertime as these will help to keep your digestive tract clean and ready to accept new nutrients, thus maximizing nutrient utilization. Weight Gain Rule #3: Increase your intake of good fats. Fats are necessary to ensure good hormonal production and thus muscle growth. If you eliminate all fats you will see your testosterone levels take a dive. The body needs fats like the Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids in order to ensure proper hormonal production and brain function. These oils are essential

because the body cannot manufacture them and they help with many things like enhanced recovery due to reduced inflammation, enhanced nutrient partitioning due to their ability to neutralize enzymes necessary for fat storage (so this means more calories go toward muscle production and less to fat) and even help with enhancing your mood. In order to get your good fats include essential fats in the form of peanut butter, flax seed oil, fish oils or extra virgin olive oil. Weight Gain Rule #4: Carry convenient foods with you. In order to gain weight, you need to eat several times a day. Therefore, you should never allow more than 3 hours to go by without food. Some convenient foods that you can carry with you are: a. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches: Use natural peanut butter as this one does not contain any transfats which are bad for you. Also, whole grain bread is a better choice than white bread. b. Protein Bars: There are numerous great protein bars on the market today. Make sure to get bars that have enough calories and protein for you. “Powerbars” or “Clif” bars probably won’t work – you need protein bars that have at least 300 calories and at least 20 grams of protein. c. Weight Gainers: Weight gain powders like the can be a very convenient way to get your calories and protein in without having to eat another meal. Simply mix with milk or water and you’ll have around 600 calories of mass building nutrition that can take the place of one of your 5-7 meals. It’s pretty common for guys trying to gain mass to consume 2-3 protein shakes per day. Usual times are morning, post-workout, and before bed. Morning and post workout shakes are usually whey protein because it is digested quicker by the body. Before bed casein protein is preferred because it digests slower and feeds your body longer while you sleep. e. Fruits: Fruits like bananas, apples, blueberries, and oranges are a very easy way to carry around some carbohydrates. Make sure that you consume them with some protein. f. Nuts: Nuts like almonds, walnuts, peanuts, and cashews are an easy way to get calories from good fats into your diet. g. Yogurt: Yogurt is a nice way to get your carbohydrates in as well as some protein too. You can eat it either by itself or with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or protein bar in order to increase the protein content of that meal. h. Low Fat Cottage Cheese: This is another food that is great to carry around in a cooler as it contains both carbohydrates and high quality protein that you can ingest at any time of the day. You can consume it by

itself or add some fruits to it. Sample Weight Gain Diet Meal 1 (7:00 am) Bowl of oatmeal Apple Whey protein shake (gainer) -or- 6 eggs 4 slices bacon 2 slices whole wheat toast Blueberries and banana Meal 2 (9:30 am) 2 Peanut Butter/Jelly Sandwiches or 1 PBJ + Protein Bar and piece of fruit Meal 3 (12:30 pm) Mashed Potatoes 2 cups broccoli 8 ounces of any lean protein like chicken, steak, fish, tuna, turkey, etc -or- Big tuna sandwich (2 cans tuna) on whole wheat bread 1 cup carrot sticks 1 cup brown rice Applesauce Meal 4 (3:00 pm) Yogurt or cottage cheese and nuts Meal 5 (4:30pm) – Post-Workout Meal Whey protein shake Fruit Meal 6 (7:00 pm) – Dinner Spaghetti with meatballs and zucchini

-or- 8 oz tri tip 1 cup beans 1 cup corn Small ice cream Meal 7 (10:00 pm) Casein protein shake or yogurt and nuts