Eat Healthy

Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean you should stop trying to get shredded.

There’s plenty of information out there on working out in order to build muscle and lose fat, but the real kicker is that not everyone knows what and how much to eat without sacrificing your lifestyle.

In this article, you will not only learn the best foods to eat in order to get jacked, but you’ll also learn how much protein, carbs, and fats to eat, as well as when you can indulge in your favorite cheat foods.

The Jacked Foods List

Here’s the deal, in order to have a fantastic physique, you should be eating the following foods 80% of the time:

Proteins

  • Meats and poultry
  • Wild game/meat (including fowl and poultry)
  • Fish and seafood
  • Eggs
  • Protein powders with no fillers
  • Cottage cheese (plain)
  • Greek yogurt (plain)

Fats

  • Fish oil
  • Organic unrefined coconut oil
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Avocados
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Butter from grass fed cows
  • Meat fat

Carbohydrates

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet potatoes
  • White Rice
  • Ripe Bananas
  • Pumpkin
  • Ezekiel bread
  • Quinoa
  • Wild Rice
  • All Fruits
  • Other grains
  • Beans

Vegetables

  • Any vegetable that is not in the carbohydrate list. Leafy greens are more important than other vegetables.
  • Even though tomatoes are fruits, I will include them as a vegetable.

Muscular Man

The 6 Commandments of Getting Jacked

Everyone needs to have their own commandments, even people looking to get jacked.  Luckily, I’ve created 6 simple rules in order to get jacked with food.

  1. Eat from the Jacked Foods List at least 80% of the time.
  2. Every meal should include Protein.
  3. Every meal should include Vegetables.
  4. Every meal before 5pm should include a Fat, unless the meat you are eating is fatty.
  5. Every meal after 5pm should include a Carbohydrate.
  6. If you are planning to eat junk food, eat it after 5pm.

The Macronutrients

After mastering the 6 Commandments, it is time for you to graduate to tracking your macros.  There are literally thousands of formulas, and 99% of them work.  The following is a simple formula if your goal is to build muscle and lose fat at the same time. You will have two different meal plans: one for workout days, and one for non-workout days.

Jacked

Workout Days

 

Protein (g)

Fats (g)

Carbs (g)

Formula

Bodyweight (lbs) x 1.05

Bodyweight (lbs) x 0.533

Bodyweight (lbs) x 1.2

Example for a 180 lb. Male

180 x 1.05 =
189g

180 x 0.533 =
96g

180 x 1.2 =
216g

Non-Workout Days

 

Protein (g)

Fats (g)

Carbs (g)

Formula

Bodyweight (lbs) x 1.05

Bodyweight (lbs) x 0.533

Bodyweight (lbs) x 0.3

Example for a 180lb Male

180 x 1.05 =
189g

180 x 0.533 =
96g

180 x 0.3 =
54g

Wrap Up

You want to be jacked for the summer, and this nutrition plan will get you there.  All you need to do is:

  • Eat from the Jacked Foods List 80% of the time.
  • Follow the 6 Commandments of Getting Jacked.
  • Track your macros for Workout and Non-Workout days.

Do this, and veins will pop and waistlines will shrink.  Enjoy the sun with confidence.

Jason Maxwell, BEng, CPT is an Aerospace Engineering Graduate turned Fitness Professional from Toronto, Canada. For more awesome fitness information, sign up for his newsletter at JMaxFitness.com