If only we could hire referees to sit with you at your breakfast nook, your dinner table and your favorite lunch spot. If only someone with a discerning nutritional eye could look over your shoulder as you fix your pre- and postworkout shakes and cry “foul” when your protein-to-carb ratios didn’t add up or you used only one scoop of protein rather than two. Because here’s the deal: too many bodybuilders make too many dieting mistakes.

Whether it’s a lack of protein, an overabundance of simple carbs, or a faulty bedtime snack, such shortcomings are holding back loads of people from achieving their bodybuilding goals. So here, we break down a handful of the most egregious diet fouls we come across. If you can just fix these, you’ll be in good shape.