The Role of Nutrition in Glute Growth

To understand how nutrition can contribute to glute growth, it’s important to recognize the two main components of the buttocks: the gluteal muscles and the fat layer. Building a bigger butt involves increasing the size of the glute muscles and adding a layer of fat to enhance its roundness and shape. This can be achieved by consuming a protein-rich diet that supports muscle growth and incorporating foods that provide the necessary energy for effective workouts.

Protein-Packed Foods for Glute Growth

Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Including protein-rich foods in your diet can help you build lean muscle mass in your glutes. Let’s explore some of the best protein-packed foods for glute growth:

1. Salmon

Salmon is not only a delicious fish but also an excellent source of protein. It contains essential amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which aid in muscle growth and reduce inflammation. Incorporating salmon into your diet, ideally once or twice a week, can contribute to building lean muscle mass in your glutes.

2. Eggs

Eggs are a versatile and affordable protein source. They contain essential amino acids and provide vitamin B12, which helps convert food into energy. Including eggs in your diet can support muscle synthesis and provide the necessary energy for your workouts.

3. Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is a lean protein source that is low in cholesterol and high in protein. With its high protein content, chicken breast aids in muscle growth and repair. Incorporate chicken breast into your meals to support glute development.

4. Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt is a protein-rich food that provides both slow and fast-digesting protein. It also contains calcium, vitamin B12, and phosphorus, which are essential for optimal muscle function. Make Greek yogurt a part of your diet to support your glute growth journey.

5. Tofu and Soy Chunks

Tofu and soy chunks are excellent plant-based protein sources. They provide a good amount of protein and can be incorporated into various dishes, such as salads, sandwiches, and curries. Including tofu and soy chunks in your diet can contribute to glute muscle development.

Complex Carbohydrates for Energy

In addition to protein, complex carbohydrates play a crucial role in providing energy for your workouts. Let’s explore some of the best complex carbohydrate sources for optimal glute growth:

1. Quinoa

Quinoa is a pseudocereal that is packed with protein and complex carbohydrates. It also contains all the essential amino acids, making it a complete protein source. Including quinoa in your diet can provide the necessary energy for your glute-focused workouts.

2. Brown Rice

Brown rice is a nutritious whole grain that contains complex carbohydrates and branched-chain amino acids. These amino acids are directly broken down into your muscles, providing a quick supply of energy. Consuming brown rice before your glute workouts can enhance your gains.

Nutrient-Dense Foods for Glute Growth

In addition to protein and complex carbohydrates, incorporating nutrient-dense foods into your diet can support glute growth. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that promote overall muscle health. Let’s explore some of these nutrient-dense foods:

1. Spinach

Spinach is a nutrient powerhouse that contains iron, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory minerals. These properties help reduce muscle wear and tear, increase endurance levels, and promote overall muscle health. Including spinach in your diet can support your glute growth journey.

2. Avocados

Avocados are rich in vitamins E, A, B6, and C, as well as healthy fats. The healthy fats in avocados help reduce inflammation and support muscle growth. Incorporate avocados into your meals to promote glute development and maintain a healthy weight.

3. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are packed with protein, healthy fats, fiber, and essential nutrients. They provide a good amount of protein and can be easily added to smoothies, pancakes, and juices. Including chia seeds in your diet can provide the necessary nutrients for glute growth.

4. Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a tasty and nutritious addition to your diet. They contain protein, healthy fats, fiber, and important minerals like magnesium and iron. These seeds support muscle function and provide essential nutrients for glute growth.

How To Build A Bigger Booty

Building a bigger and stronger butt requires a combination of exercise and nutrition. By incorporating protein-rich foods, complex carbohydrates, and nutrient-dense options into your diet, you can support optimal glute growth. Remember to combine your dietary choices with targeted glute-focused workouts for the best results. With the right nutrition and exercise routine, you can achieve your desired glute goals and enhance your overall physique.

For too long, diet has been overlooked, with many placing the focus on workouts instead.

Don’t get us wrong, it’s important to get a strong workout routine in place. But ultimately, the progress you make will also be dependant on your diet.

Why? Well, eat too many calories and you might add some extra inches to your waistline, and eat too little and you won’t gain any lean muscles.

For this reason, we’re giving you the complete guide for the best lean muscle diet for females.

How Many Calories To Consume

If you haven’t been counting your calories before, then you’ve been making a huge mistake while dieting.

Listen, we hate crunching numbers as much as the next girl, but knowing how many calories you intake can make the difference between success and failure.

But don’t worry, we don’t expect you to sit there with your calculator looking at different formula’s for this.

Instead, we found a quick and easy-to-use calorie calculator to get the job done here: https://www.instantknockout.com/ik/how-many-calories-fat-loss/ 

Remember your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate)

Once you’ve figured out your BMR from the link above, it’s important you remember it, it’s the foundation of a get lean diet for females.

If you eat more calories than than your BMR, then you will gain either lean mass or body fat (depending on how much you eat over by).

However, if you eat under your BMR, you’ll lose weight. So make sure to adjust your diet accordingly.

As most females want to tone up, we recommend eating 20% under your BMR; this will result in you gaining definition around your arms, legs, glutes and waist.

You can build lean muscle in a calorie deficit

That’s right girl, you can add lean muscle to your butt and legs, while trimming body fat.

You might have been told this is impossible to do, but it’s been well documented in many studies, and the official name for it is body recomposition.

Now, we’re not saying you’ll go from a size 18 to a size 8 while gaining muscle mass. But you might just drop an inch or 2 to your waist while adding a bit of shape to that booty!

We’ve already recommended that you aim for 20% under your BMR; this has proven to be the ‘sweet spot’ to succeed at body recomposition in studies.

Don’t forget your ‘NEAT’ expenditure

This is a very common mistake to make.

Most of you won’t have even heard about ‘NEAT’ before. But it’s your ‘non-exercise activity thermogenesis’ expenditure, from things such as walking, fidgeting and even typing on your keyboard.

While it’s not going to ‘make or break’ your goals, it’s always good to know you might be burning more calories than you think.

But the problem is, as you reduce your calories, you naturally become lazier. So you’ll reduce your walking and grab a taxi instead. Or you might just unconsciously stop fidgeting.

So if you keep up your NEAT, then you’ll reach your ideal size and weight quicker too!

[Related Article: Best Fat Burners for Women] 

Foods To Avoid

There aren’t exactly any specific foods to avoid but every successful lean diet for women is based around healthy choices over junk food. Although 80/20 is usually a good rule when it comes to treating yourself occasionally.

For example, a large portion of fries will be around the same amount of calories as a decent portion of chicken breast, rice and brocolli.

As a result, you’ll find that you avoid these ‘calorie dense’ foods, so you’re more satisfied throughout the day. But more importantly, by consuming nutritionally better foods, you’ll find yourself reaching your daily macros – to help you achieve your dream figure quicker.

Calorie dense foods you might want to avoid:

1) Pasta

This is one of our guilty pleasures, and we try to avoid it simply because we can’t control our portions of pasta. It’s easy to go overboard on calories with it, especially when you’re treating yourself to a spaghetti bolognese.

If you like massive bowls of the good stuff too, then we recommend limiting days you eat pasta, even saving them for your ‘cheat meals’.

2) Anything Deep Fried

You probably already know that deep-fried foods aren’t good for you. This cooking process seriously increases the calories of foods, which doesn’t help your fitness goals.

For example, 100g of baked potato is under 100kcal (around 93kcal), while the same quantity of fries is around 319kcal.

Not only that, by staying away from deep-fried goodies, you’ll significantly reduce your ‘bad’ fat intake, which will ultimately improve your general health too.

3) Sugary Treats (eg. Candy & Chocolate)

You’re going to hate us for this, but you’re going to have to try and stay away from big quantities of chocolate.

Why? Because sugary treats are almost always calorie dense.

For example, 100g of milk chocolate is around 536 calories, loaded with sugar and hardly any useful nutrients.

However, 100g chicken breast is around 200kcal, offering over 10g protein – see the difference?

But that doesn’t mean you can’t treat yourself now-and-then.

We recommend either allowing yourself very small quantities of chocolate more frequently, while still ensuring you don’t eat over your calorie limit, or saving it for a ‘cheat meal’ once a week.

4) Any other calorie dense foods 

We’ve given you examples of foods that we have to stay away from while cutting body fat.

But you might have other guilty pleasures, so just try to reduce your sugar intake and stay away from fast food – this should lead you on the right path to success.

Ultimately, you can enjoy anything you like, as long as you reach your macros (protein intake etc) and don’t overeat your BMR. So if you have serious self control and are able to really limit your portions of treats, then you’ll still realize your fitness goals.

[Related Article: How to Meal Prep for Weight Loss]

Best Lean Muscle Diet Foods For Females

We’ve given you the the foods you should avoid while aiming to succeed at body recomposition.

So now, we’ll show you the foods that you should be planning your meals around:

1) Lean Protein

This should be the first thing on your plate at every meal. Protein is important, and studies have even shown increasing your protein intake is enough to boost your metabolism and help you burn more calories.

Why? Because your body has to work harder (in a good way) to digest protein sources.

Chicken breast is most people’s ‘go-to’ protein source, because it’s extremely lean and low calorie, while very high in protein.

Ultimately, whether you’re trying to lose body fat to tone-up or gain lean muscle mass, consuming a high protein diet remains very important.

Here’s the best lean protein sources:

• Chicken or Turkey Breast
• White Fish
• Lean Red Meat
• Tofu (Vegetarian option)
• Mycoprotein (Vegetarian option)

2) Green Vegetables

You’ve probably been told all your life that green vegetables are healthy. Well, honey, your parents weren’t wrong.

Very low calorie

If you have a big appetite, then you could literally eat all the green vegetables you want and still not touch your calorie limit.

For example, 1kg of brocolli only adds up to around 340kcal, which is less than a large portion of fries.

Packed with micronutrients 

When dieting, one big mistake is to forget about your micronutrient intake. If you only focus on calories, then you could become deficient in vitamins or minerals.

Fortunately, you won’t have this problem when consuming green vegetables with every meal; green veg are packed with vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as B complex vitamins.

These help your body perform at its best at all times, even when you’re restricting your calorie intake in order to lose weight.

High Chromium Content

This is one of the main reasons bodybuilding and athletes include green vegetables such as broccoli in their diet.

What is chromium? Well, it’s an essential trace mineral that’s able to help your body make use of carbs better, which also helps you avoid the dreaded ‘insulin spike’ after consuming simple carbohydrates such as white bread.

So by consuming more broccoli in your diet, you’ll be increasing your chromium intake too.

3) Complex Carbohydrates

We just mentioned that chromium helps your body deal with carbs better. Well, this is part of the reason why there’s no need to cut carbs from your diet.

You’ve no doubt seen ‘low carb’ extreme diets that claim to help you lose fat faster. But this is simply because carbs are usually calorie dense, so cutting them out almost always leads to a serious reduction in calorie intake.

Remember girl, carbs are your friend. They can power your workouts and help protein move to your muscles more efficiently. Every good get lean diet for females uses carbohydrates in a smart way.

Try to stick with complex carbs

While you shouldn’t cut carbs from your diet completely, we do recommend sticking with complex carbohydrates; your body digests complex carbs slower, which also reduces your chances of suffering from insulin spikes.

What are insulin spikes bad? Well, they’re good when you need a quick rush of energy, but if you’re sat at you desk, you’ll just be left feeling more tired than you were (leading to you lowering your NEAT and overall calorie expenditure.

But again, the most important thing remains your calorie intake, so try and measure your portions of carbs correctly!

Conclusion

We’ve given you A LOT of information in this article. So don’t worry if you didn’t remember everything, because we’re about to give you a quick summary of key things…

Watch your calorie intake 

Remember that you don’t make any changes to your body if you don’t keep an eye on your calorie intake.

You can work as hard as you want, but if you eat more calories than you burn off…well honey, you won’t be going down dress sizes.

In order to trim fat while adding curves in the right places, eat 20% under your BMR; studies have shown that this is the ‘sweet spot’ for body recomposition.

Follow a clean diet plan

Listen, you can eat junk food and still lose weight. But this will mean you’ll be satisfied for a few hours, and be left with no-more calories for the rest of your day.

Ultimately, you’ll be left hangry and no-one’s going to thank you for that, girl.

As a result, we recommend filling yourself up with lean proteins, green vegetables and sensible portions of carbs.

Why? Because let’s be honest, no-one’s ever become overweight by eating too much brocoll (and they provide you with numerous beneficial micronutrients too).

Thermogenic foods

We mentioned that thermogenic foods are proven to boost your metabolism, which directly helps you shred body fat.

Well, we don’t really like adding chilli to every meal and drinking 8 cups of green tea per day. So instead, we find consuming an effective fat burner containing these nutrients to be easier and more beneficial.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to fat burners, why not check out our top fat-burning supplements?

Good luck with your lean muscle journey, and let us know how you get on in the comments sections!

#ketodiet is usually followed by images of famous celebs looking slim and trim, having dropped pounds faster than you can drop into a squat.

We’ve seen all the pictures and it’s clear this diet is doing something – that rate of fat loss can’t be ignored.

But how does it work and should you be checking out the keto diet for shredding season?

Us lifting girls take this seriously. We don’t just jump on board with a new fad diet unless it’s got some serious benefits. So far the details have been a little hazy, so at SMG, we’ve delved into all things keto to find out if it’s the right nutrition plan for you.

Article preview:

• What is the keto diet?
• Macros on the keto diet
• What happens when you’re on keto?
• The keto diet for lifters and bodybuilders
• Where does the keto diet come from?
• Can you lose weight on the keto diet?
• The Round-Up

What is the keto diet?

Whether it’s a celeb or a random gym bro in the weights room, it feels like the world is talking about the keto diet. Having said that, we haven’t heard a lot about the science behind the diet.

Keto stands for the ketogenic diet. It’s based around eating a lot of fat and cutting back carbs almost completely, in order to alter your metabolic state. We know we’re just scraping the surface here, but we have to say – a diet where bacon is recommended doesn’t sound so bad.

When your calories are low and you have such a tiny amount of carbohydrates in your diet, your body turns to fat as a source of energy. This is an altered metabolic state called ketosis, and that’s where the rapid weight loss comes from.

Your body starts to create ketones from fat, which is used as a source of energy. It takes a little time to adjust, but when you’re in this state you’ll be using fat as energy instead of carbohydrates.

Macros on the keto diet

A very high proportion of the calories you eat on keto comes from fats. It usually consists of around 70-80 percent fat, 20-25 percent protein and carbs take up the small amount that’s left, usually 5-10 percent

You might be able to play around with the percentages slightly, however, if you up your carbs or protein even just a little it can throw you right out of the ketosis phase. It’s a delicate balance girls.

For us lifters, protein is the game changer. We’ve been taught from day one that, in order to build muscle you need a high protein diet.

But that won’t do on the keto diet. Protein can also get also create an insulin response, so anything above 0.8g per pound of bodyweight will knock you out of ketosis – probably the reason most lifters find it difficult to maintain.

A keto diet is a balancing act. And a very strict one at that. It takes a lot of discipline, planning, and control. So if you know you’re gonna give in to a delicious brownie or need a bowl of pasta before you hit the gym, maybe check out IIFYM, cos keto isn’t for you.

What happens when you’re on keto?

During the first few days of the diet, you’ll start to feel washed out and maybe even a little ill. This usually happens as your body begins to adjust and burns the glycogen reserves you have stored in your muscles.

After about a week of adjusting, your body will settle into ketosis. You’ll start to see the pounds drop off the scales and you might notice another, slightly gross, side effect. A side product of ketone is acetone, which presents itself as a sickly-sweet smell on your breath. Not cute girls.

On top of that, it’s important to remember that your body usually only produces ketones when it’s in a state of starvation. That’s not ideal for muscle growth – we get hangry enough without existing in starvation mode. Also not cute.

Ketosis kicks off some pretty strange chemical reactions in your body, some of which don’t always feel healthy. As girls who lift, we’ve got more to think about than just losing weight. Read on to find out what it does to lifters and bodybuilders.

The keto diet for lifters and bodybuilders

We know what you’re thinking. Diet is the cornerstone of lifting weights. We really need those energy-producing carbs, and how are you going to build muscle with so little protein? Lifters and bodybuilders everywhere depend on these essential macros to max out at the gym and create that beach-ready physique.

When we’re lifting weights, it puts your body under intense pressure. In these high-intensity moments, your body usually turns to your glycogen reserves. However, to achieve ketosis your body burns through the energy-providing sugars that sit in your muscles, making it harder to max out in the gym.

When we get down to the detail, it becomes clear that the ketogenic diet isn’t a good idea in the long-term. There’s no literature at all to back up the idea that keto will support or promote the growth of muscle mass and just looking at the macronutrients, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

If you’re a regular lifting girl with a gorgeous, athletic physique, you won’t have gotten this far without knowing a thing or two about building muscle. You know training and diet are intrinsically linked and you’re clued up on what you should and shouldn’t be eating to achieve your goals.

We’re pretty sure from one glance you can tell that the macro compositions of a keto diet may make you lose weight, but it isn’t the most effective balance for muscle growth. You’re essentially working without the key ingredients.

Where does the keto diet come from?

Initially, the ketogenic diet wasn’t used for weight loss at all. It was first suggested as a form of therapy for people who suffer from seizures. Towards the end of the 20^th century, it was being used regularly for patients who suffer from epilepsy. Studies have shown that a ketogenic diet can help to reduce the number of seizures they experience by up to 50 percent.

Although developed to provide therapeutic benefits, it has been picked up by the fitness crowd due to fat burning results.

Can you lose weight on a keto diet?

The short answer is yes. Just like any other calorie-controlled diet, you can lose weight on keto. However girls, there is a catch – there aren’t yet any long-term studies out there to say definitively whether it’s healthy or a good plan for weightlifters.

The Round-Up

Ok girls, let’s break it down. Here’s what we know about the keto diet:

Pros:

• It will make you lose weight – if the calories are low, this diet will definitely make you lose weight. But then again, so will most other low cal options.
• It works quickly – the keto diet focusses right in on fat cells for fast weight loss results.

Cons:

• It might not support muscle growth – with that amount of protein?! Doesn’t seem likely girls.
• It’s not a good idea for the long-term – ketosis is quite an extreme metabolic state for your body to be in, and the rapid fat loss isn’t a good idea for the long term.
• It doesn’t help you reach your full capacity – With the right source of energy, your body won’t do well in high-intensity workouts aka. Lifting for volume.
• The initial phase – as your body adjusts you can feel very ill and lack energy. This isn’t ideal if you’re on a strict workout plan.
• It makes your breath smell – Ewww

We’ve all had it drilled into us, from the moment we first started lifting weights. Protein and carbohydrates are what builds the muscle and gives you the energy to perform at your best. They’re like the nutritional cornerstone of the sport. Without these key ingredients, it just doesn’t feel like a diet that will support the bar bending workouts and hard-earned gains we’ve been working on.

The truth is, the keto diet is still in its early days and there aren’t loads of studies about the keto diet for weightlifters. However, this diet is pretty extreme and the low carb intake, the changed metabolic state, and the reduced glycogen levels might not be the best long-term solution.

However, it might work for you. If you’re looking for quick results, maybe check out the keto diet, see how it goes for you and let us know at SMG how you got on.

Find out more about nutrition and lifting weights with more articles from your favorite girls at SMG:

• Best Pre-Workout Meals for Muscle Gain
• Fat vs. Muscle Weight: Can You turn Fat to Muscle
• Using the Mediterranean Diet for Bodybuilding

It doesn’t matter how many times you hit the gym, what your total weekly volume is, or how many times you reached muscle failure on leg day.

If the diet isn’t on point, your progress won’t be either.

Without a strategic eating plan that optimizes nutrient intake you just won’t take that figure to the next level.

Many top female bodybuilders use the Mediterranean diet. But what is it about this colorful, lean and healthy diet that helps to get you jacked and strips away excess body fat?

SpotMeGirl takes a look…

What Is The Mediterranean Diet?

Walk into any bookstore and you’ll find what looks like a million diet books. Whether it’s the Paleo diet, Atkins, keto, zone or South Beach; American women love to try out different diets.

Very few work though.

The Mediterranean diet is different. It doesn’t rely on eliminating food groups or super hypo-calorie meals to strip away body fat. It isn’t about skipping meals or ditching carbs.

Instead, it focuses on simple and effective dietary changes to optimize health and give your body all of the building blocks it needs to build muscle and improve physical performance. 

Originating in Mediterranean countries including Spain, Greece, and Portugal, the Mediterranean diet is based on foods that people from these countries would traditionally eat.

It emphasizes:

• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts
• Flavoring foods with spices and salt
• Replacing butter with olive oil
• Limiting red meat and obtaining protein from leaner white meats and seafood
• Avoiding refined grains, sugary foods, added sweeteners and processed oils

Building the bulk of your diet around low-calorie, lean and nutritious foods isn’t a bad thing. And with so much variety, you won’t feel restricted or limited in which foods you’re ‘allowed’ to eat on the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding.

• Fruits – peaches, figs, melon, apples, bananas, grapes, pears, oranges, dates, tomatoes etc.
• Vegetables – root veg (carrots, beetroot), potatoes, brassica (broccoli, kale), onions, cucumber, scallions, mushrooms, spinach
• Nuts and seeds – pumpkin seeds, Macadamias, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds
• Legumes – beans, lentils, pulses, chickpeas/hummus
• Meat and seafood – chicken, duck, turkey, salmon, mackerel, tuna, shrimp, oysters, crab, mussels
• Grains – oats, brown rice, wholewheat pasta, whole grain bread
• Eggs and dairy – Greek yogurt, cheese, chicken/quail/duck eggs

Oh, and red wine too!

Here’s a special mention to the very thing that keeps us going some days…

You’ll also be pleased to know that as well as water and the occasional fruit juice; red wine is a part of the Mediterranean diet too.

Or it is if you want it to be anyway.

One glass of a good red per day is said to boost heart health, improve insulin sensitivity and promote overall wellness. It can even improve testosterone too, which is important if you’re following the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding benefits.

Red wine contains the active compound resveratrol.

And it’s this bioflavonoid that’s said to provide so many health benefits.

Unfortunately, more isn’t better though so make sure you keep it to just the one (moderate sized) glass ladies.

Using the Mediterranean Diet to Improve Health

Using the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding is a surefire way to elevate muscle mass, ditch excess flab and take your figure to center stage.

But more importantly, it’s a great way to improve health, longevity, and wellness. This makes it one of the most versatile, beneficial diets any health-conscious SpotMeGirl reader could wish for.

Here’s why the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding is also damn healthy…

Heart health

The high-fiber, nutrient dense basis of the Mediterranean diet helps to reduce your risk of heart disease and other vascular illness.

A huge study of nearly 7,500 people in 2013 found that those following a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil or nuts were 30% less likely to die from vascular events such a heart disease and neurological disease such as stroke.

In fact, the results of the study were so significant that the research became a landmark selling point for health benefits associated with the diet.

The Mediterranean diet lowers your risk of life-threatening vascular illness such as heart disease and stroke.

Promotes fat loss

The only way you’ll lose fat is by achieving a calorie deficit. It’s impossible by the laws of thermogenics to eat more than you burn off each day and use excess fat as fuel.

But if you eat less, the pounds will drip from your body.

The Mediterranean diet doesn’t provide some secret formula or biohack that melts fat. It’s simply that it’s easier to achieve an energy deficit while following it.

Foods such as vegetables, grains, and lean meats provide a lot of food bulk and nutrients in relatively little calories. This means you’ll feel fuller (both faster and for longer) with a lower energy intake – making that all-important deficit much easier to cruise into.

The Mediterranean diet is high in nutrients and low in calories, helping you achieve your energy for fat loss

Low in sugar and anti-inflammatory

Sugar in moderation isn’t bad for you. After all, carbohydrates are important for bodybuilding and performance sports as they give you the energy to compete and train hard.

But excess sugar can cause disorders such as diabetes, as regular sugar consumption elevates inflammation, reduces insulin sensitivity, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

The Mediterranean diet provides nutrients that are anti-inflammatory due to its low sugar foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and soluble fiber.

There’s a clear link between the Mediterranean diet and lower levels of diabetes.

Promotes healthy aging

As a young go-getter and bodybuilder, you might not be too concerned about what’ll happen when you begin to age.

But one thing’s for sure – a Mediterranean diet adds life to your years and years to your life. 

Not only is it significantly associated with off-setting cognitive decline and protecting you against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, it’s also correlated with longer lifespans and better functional aging too.

With such high levels of vitamins, mineral, and nutrients, the Mediterranean diet helps to keep your body functioning as well as it can, your muscles and bones strong, and protects against frailty and loss of fitness too.

The Mediterranean diet protects against neurodegenerative diseases and promotes healthy aging.

Enhances your mood

Living in a hot, sunny climate is sure to leave you with a smile on your face. But the second best way to show off that smile is to follow a diet high in Mediterranean diet foods.

One research study found that out of 6 different dietary patterns, the Mediterranean diet came out on top for decreasing symptoms of low mood and protecting against depression.

The authors of the project concluded their report with “consumption of a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern by mid-aged women may have a protective influence against the onset of depressive symptoms”.

The Mediterranean diet protects against symptoms of depression and low mood.

Using the Mediterranean Diet for Bodybuilding – Is It Any Good?

Following a healthy lifestyle means leading a happy and productive life.

It means having the energy to play with the kids, the motivation to do what you want to do, and the get-up-and-go to follow your dreams.

And while the Mediterranean Diet is popular because of its positive effects on health, it’s also really useful for bodybuilders wanting to optimize their physiques and look the best they can on stage.

Muscle building benefits

One of the greatest benefits of the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding is its ability to ramp up muscle building.

If you take actual gym training out of the equation, the key to developing lean tissue is to obtain sufficient protein in the diet.

Because the Mediterranean diet focuses on lots of lean meats, seafood, and beans, you’re guaranteed to reach your 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight threshold to maximize muscle growth.

A study based on active women in Europe found that those who ate sufficient protein were stronger, more powerful and also much leaner too.

Elevates testosterone levels

Okay, so before we move onto this particular benefit, don’t be alarmed by the word testosterone. 

Gone are the days when scientists referred to testosterone as the ‘male’ hormone. In the right amounts, it benefits you as a health-conscious bodybuilder in multiple ways:

• Enhanced performance
• Reduced belly fat
• Stronger bones and better muscle growth
• Higher libido and increased chance of orgasm
• Better endurance, stamina, and fitness
• Reduced risk of depression, cognitive decline, stress and anxiety

Unless you’re taking steroids or have an underlying medical condition, optimizing testosterone levels in women doesn’t lead to a deep voice. a square jaw or a beard.

Bottom line – testosterone helps you carve out an athletic, lean and feminine figure. Why not check out top T-boosters guide?

High in vitamin D

Known as the ‘sunshine vitamin’, Using the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding is a great idea as it optimizes vitamin D intake.

Why’s this important?

Well, with as many as 56% of competitive athletes being deficient in this important physical performance nutrient, chances are unless you live in a hot, sunny climate you just aren’t getting enough vitamin D. 

The main source of your body’s vitamin D is sunlight. Without that, you’re either relying on foods that are high in the nutrient, or a premium vitamin D supplement.

Vitamin D boosts testosterone levels, helping you build more muscle while keeping fat at bay.

But it also helps to reduce soreness from tough and regular strength workouts, enhances motivation and cognition, boosts your immune system (which takes a hammer during intense workout phases) and finally accelerates endurance and stamina.

Foods such as eggs, tuna, mackerel, cheese, and salmon are all high in vitamin D… and also part of the Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding.

Sample Mediterranean Diet for Bodybuilding

If you want to give yourself the best opportunity yet to develop a lean bodybuilder physique you need a bulletproof eating plan.

Based on an average but active woman, this Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding will give you the energy, nutrition and building blocks to build muscle and burn fat.

Breakfast

• Greek yogurt with granola, pumpkin seeds and a tablespoon of honey

Morning snack

• Apple and carrot slices with hummus and olive oil. 2 boiled eggs

Lunch

• Chicken breast with mixed salad (spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes, olives) feta cheese and baked potato

Afternoon snack

• A handful of berries (blueberries, strawberries) and nuts

Evening meal

• White fish cooked in olive oil, lemon, and dill. Wholewheat pasta cooked in tomato, herb and garlic sauce with grilled mixed root vegetables

Summary – Using the Mediterranean Diet for Bodybuilding and Health

Following a Mediterranean diet for bodybuilding that’s high in fruit, vegetables, lean meats and other nutritious foods is a clear winner.

As a hard-working athlete that needs to blast through workouts, build muscle, but watch those calories, the Mediterranean diet ticks all the boxes.

Where next?

Here are some article we think you might like:

• Lean muscle diets for female athletes
• Daily exercise isn’t needed if you want to be healthy

Or discover our list of top T-boosters to see how they could help you build muscle and maintain the best body composition.

What makes it all that bit more impressive? She couldn’t even complete a pull up before she started. Time to find out how she did it…

Tomb raiders must be able to embark on a journey into the deepest, darkest depths of the jungle, and bottomless oceans at any given moment. They are fearless, elite problem solvers and complete experts in survival.

If you’ve ever come across Lara Croft before, you’ll know she’s one of the toughest heroines on the planet. She can climb at lightning speed, abseil almost anything, take down henchmen twice her size and leap with explosive power.

So, how did an actress and former ballerina who’s never been known for her action roles become such a badass?

Channel Your Inner Lara Croft

In this feature you’ll find everything needed to become the most badass action heroine out there. Our team of researchers here at SpotMeGirl have bravely delved deep into the unknown and discovered exactly:

• How Alicia Vikander’s added 12 lb of lean muscle to her ex-ballerina physique
• The bespoke workouts star trainer Magnus Lygdback created to get her there
• What diet she used to sculpt her overpoweringly strong frame and shredded look
• How you can can do it to…

So, what’re we waiting for? Let’s dive right in…

The Magnus Method

In order to transform her former frame into that of an unstoppable explorer, Alicia did exactly what most of us would do. Nope, she didn’t whip out her credit card to buy a bunch of in-game upgrades. She hired a trainer full of passion, knowledge and experience.

Her choice was fellow a fellow Swede who’s been sculpting everyone from rock stars to other actors over 18 years, Magnus Lygdback. A man who would outline every tasty piece of food Alicia would eat, and oversee all her workouts for months.

Now, we totally understand everyone isn’t going to be able to just give Magnus a call and fly out to workout with him. Also, we can’t see him answering our FaceTime requests each time we cook up a meal prep for the coming week.

On his website, Lygdback says his style is a “philosophy that embraces the ethos of an athlete”. That’s why our team has taken Magnus’ methods, and studied them so you too can build a lean athletic body like Alicia’s.

From Actress To Athlete

In order to take her slender frame and become a big screen action hero, Alicia had to fully embrace an athletic lifestyle. For four months straight, she trained an hour a day, six days a week.

The workouts were challenging, intense and straight to the point. As Magnus loves to say, “what doesn’t happen in the first hour, will not happen in the second.”

So, to put it simply, everything Alicia did was all about quality not quantity.

She would often wake up at 5am just to fit her workout of the day into a hectic Hollywood schedule. And alongside training to become an upgraded strong as hell version of herself, she also had to learn how to fight.

To make each combat scene as hard hitting and ultra-realistic as possible, Alicia had to hit the mats. Quite literally…

Becoming Lara Croft

According to the actress she that action movies had filled her excitement as a young girl.

So in true Lara Croft style, Alicia practiced the essential strikes, throws and joint locks with top MMA experts enthusiastically without question.

Without throwing a spoiler into the mix, the opening scenes of the movie show Lara sparring some pretty ferocious fighters.

As a woman accustomed to battling rivals almost twice her size, Lara Croft is no stranger to kicking serious ass. When it comes to hand to hand combat she’s a real hungry lioness.

Here’s where the pressure mounted for Alicia to make every blow look for real. But, as a result of her dedicated study with the pros, she executes her attacks almost effortlessly. If you didn’t know better, you’d think she’d been training to be a ninja since birth.

Apparently, she even made a huge evil henchman tap-out live on set. How awesome and empowering is that? Maybe when she’s given up taking out bad guys we’ll see her in the UFC one day…

Training Like A Tomb Raider

A tomb raider must be able to explosively clear ravines and take out bad guys like nobody else. Also, anybody who has ever seen Lara in action knows she has unfaltering upper body strength. She can hang from almost anything with iron-like grip, grit and determination.

Magnus decided the best approach was to take inspiration from classic strength training, aesthetic boosting bodybuilding and functional fitness. Lara is an inspiration ally strong woman in every sense, so Alicia’s training had to reflect this too.

According to her coach, Alicia’s workouts were focused towards building strength throughout her whole body. That meant plenty of variation in her sessions to really challenge every single muscle group.

Alicia’s workout week was split, so that her and Magnus could focus solely on specific muscle groups with laser focus. This style of training is super common, and many professional coaches swears by it.

It leaves plenty of time for areas to recover, so athletes can go in hard. For example, Monday could be all about building a back and sounders that can handle the rigors of hanging from a skyscraper. However, Tuesday might be reserved for working Alicia’s legs.

The Alicia Vikander Tomb Raider Workout

By studying the specific movements selected my Magnus, we’ve created the ultimate Tomb Raider building workout. All that you’ll need to complete this program is a go-getting attitude and a standard gym pass.

You may even notice we’ve included almost all strength building exercises. There’s more to this choice than just wanting to make you a physically stronger woman. In fact, it’s all about empowerment.

In interviews Alicia has told reporters that she loved the strength building aspect of getting into action heroine shape. She said she found lifting weights very empowering, and still felt feminine even whilst building lean muscle.

We’ve also divided our workout weak into days dedicated to different muscle groups. This way you will be able to put your absolute everything into one area, safe in the knowledge it can have six days rest until next time.

Legs Day

Chest & Shoulders Day

Back & Shoulders Day

Arms Day

Core Day

Rest Day

Chill, relax and re-energise, girl. You’ve worked hard to deserve it!

Eat Like A Tomb Raider

It should come as no surprise that a huge part in the sculpting of the latest Lara Croft was diet related. As Magnus says, his method is all about embracing an athlete’s ethos. So, this meant eating like one too.

For this specific role the actress ate a very strict ketogenic diet. The ketogenic diet, keto for short, relies solely on fats and proteins as fuel. Carbohydrates are severely restricted, forcing the body to burn fat first and then proteins to create energy.

Fortunately for Alicia Vikander, her trainer took it upon himself to ban all sugary sweet stuff and carb heavy candy on set. For real – the whole place was a strictly no tasty temptation zone.

The way he saw it, if Alicia couldn’t indulge, nobody should put her through the torture of witnessing a whole Hershey bar being devoured. When dieting it can be tough to say no to poor food choices – just remember to be tough and proud of your lifestyle choice.

The actress inevitably suffered the keto-blues for the first few days. But, once her body became adjusted to her new-found way of eating, she quickly adjusted. Apparently, she never complained though, not even once.

Keeping Keto – The Alicia Vikander Tomb Raider Diet

As mentioned, in order to keep her body in ketosis Alicia could only snack on certain types of foods.

Her go-to protein sources were fish and other sea food, but she’s not shied away from expressing her love of chicken skewers on set.

If you’re wanting to eat like Alicia, consider these lean protein sources:

• Salmon
• Tuna
• White Fish
• Shrimp
• Chicken Breast
• Turkey Breast
• Lean Beef
• Eggs
• Tofu/Tempeh
• Beans/Lentils

When training hard it’s seriously important to tap into the vitamins and minerals found in veggies. Knowing this, Magnus had the Swedish film star tucking into plenty of them (making sure not to go over 25 g of carbs per day).

Okay, we’re going to get real for a minute. What shocks most people when they learn about a keto diet is the amount of fat these girls eat.

Just remember that fat isn’t the enemy, bad food choices are what contribute to unwanted weight gain.

Here’s a list of healthy ketogenic approved fat sources:

• MCT Oil
• Avocado
• Coconut Oil
• Olive Oil
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Nut Butters (Peanut, Almond, Cashew, etc.)

So, as you now understand, the whole idea is to cut out carbs throughout the whole day. That means a typical day of eating keto might look a little something like this:

Summary

If you didn’t understand how Alicia was able to make such an unbelievable change you sure as hell do now. Let’s face it – she’s a total animal. On the outside she might look sweet, but on the inside the has the athletic fire that allowed her to work so damn hard.

So, if you want to pack on the pounds in all the right places too, there can’t be any room for cutting corners. Eat right, train hard, and believe in yourself. Oh, and don’t forget to fully embrace the female empowerment of weight training.

We’re stronger than ever right now. That’s why we’re fearlessly running through wild places in the search of hidden treasures and taking out henchmen with a single blow.

Now go channel your inner Lara Croft and build that ultimate tomb raider body. We’ve given you all the secrets – you just need to put in the hard work.

If you need a little boost to reach your fitness targets, a weight loss supplement could help.

Hey, if you liked what you’ve just read. Maybe take a look at these:

• MMA Workout Routine for Female Beginners
• Paige Hathaway Workout and Diet
• Scarlett Johansson Workout and Diet Plan

Her current following on Instagram is an amazing four million strong. The key to success Paige says, is by setting weekly goals. That and taking the time to appreciate the other wonderful improvements fitness brings into our lives.

Her journey is a true rags to riches success story. Having risen from the humblest of beginnings and surviving a particularly rocky childhood to get to her star status today.

The 26 year old says she never planned for a career in fitness. Well, not strategically anyway. It was only after deciding she wanted to transform her skinny body seven years ago she first hired a personal trainer.

This decision would change her entire future. As not long afterwards, she decided to completely take a wild jump out of her comfort zone and enter a bikini competition.

At this point Paige had decided she wanted to be a “strong fit woman”. Something she also empowers women all over the world to become today.

Train Like Paige

Here’s a workout inspired by the way Paige trains. As she undeniably a fan of advanced systems, we’ve included super sets, trisets and drop sets to get the most from every muscle.

For Superset 1, complete exercise 1a. and immediately follow it with 1b. with minimal rest. Then, once you have completed each set, rest for 60 seconds. Perform the triset in the same way, resting fully only after smashing set 2c.

When you’re ready to hit the drop set load the bar with a weight that challenges you for 12 clean reps. By the end of the third set, you should reach exhaustion.

At this point strip away small increments of weight (5-20%) and force out the last remaining reps. This gets every last ounce of work out of the muscle by offering a weight it can move but is still effective.

She Never Skips Leg Day

If you’re a fan of the cover model you’ll know her favorite workout is always legs. She’s not afraid of the day after DOMs and has the great shape to prove it.

So, in true Paige Hathaway fashion, we’ve put together a routine to specifically target the glutes, hamstrings, quads and lower legs. Here goes:

Warm Up

Full Lower Body Workout

Active Recovery

F45 Workouts

Paige likes to include F45 training into her program three days a week.Typically with a day or two between each session.

F45 is a global fitness craze that has seen a massive growth since its creation back in 2012. The idea was to create a group training environment that borrowed from the most effective and dynamic styles around.

Once you understands the name, it kind of gives the whole thing away. The ‘F’ stands for functional, whilst the 45 stands for the total time of each class. In minutes that is, not hours thankfully.

Each workout is created by the F45 Athletics and Peak Performance Department. There is typically a brand new workout for every day of the week, creatively put together from a database of over 3000 exercises.

No two F45 workouts are ever the same and every single session is designed to develop functional fitness. Therefore, the exercises chosen specifically mimic or recreate movements we encounter in real life.

Functional fitness is one of the hottest topics right now, as more people are realizing the restrictions of traditional bodybuilding style training. One of the leading figures in the surge is the phenomenon of CrossFit and the rising popularity of kettlebell training.

 Weight Training

When Paige said she wanted to become strong, she didn’t just mean in character. This girl seriously isn’t afraid to hit the weight room.

The social media star likes to get into the gym around five days per week. When she gets there, she likes to lift heavy.

Some of her PB’s include:

• 270lb Deadlift
• 150lb Leg Extension
• 45lb Dumbbell Rows
• 50lb Bicep Curls (2x25lb)

Paige is also a fan of advanced training techniques. Out there on the gym floor she can be spotted pairing exercises together into super sets, or pushing hard through a tough drop set.

This style of training can be super taxing on the body and definitely isn’t for the faint hearted. However, it can bring about amazing results and can add a whole new creative challenge for more experienced athletes.

Plyometrics, Boxing and Cardio

As if all of the above wasn’t enough, the successful personal trainer also likes to include plyometrics into the mix. A style of jump training which requires muscles to exhert a maximum amount of force over a short interval of time.

Plyometrics are usually used as a way to increase athletic performance; but they’re far from one dimensional.

They’re actually super effective at fighting fat, increasing strength and raising the bar of any athletes endurance.

To keep things interesting Paige will also lace up the gloves once or twice a week for a boxing session. Boxing is a great way to improve cardio, get creative and to learn new skills. Plus, just as importantly, it’s a lot of fun too.

Once a week the cover model will also perform some kind of fasted cardio. This is a great method to train both the body and the mind. Doing a light workout on an empty stomach ensures the body uses up any left over fuel that if left hanging around may turn to fat.

Eat Like Paige

She’s a Pescatarian

Paige has been pescatarian for just under twelve months. So, whilst she doesn’t eat any meat, she gets all her essential fats and proteins from fish instead.

Her reasoning behind saying no to red meat especially was because she had faced dietary issues in the past. She says that once she cut out red meat entirely, these problems were quick to vanish.

As a pescatarian, her go to protein sources are eggs, beans, white fish and salmon. She will also enjoy a plant based protein shake as a snack throughout the day.

Whole Foods

To stay in such amazing shape Paige centres a varied diet around wholefoods such as:

• Quinoa
• Sweet Potatoes
• Beans
• Fresh Vegetables
• Healthy fat sources like nuts.

Whole foods are essentially foods that haven’t been broken down and refined into other products. They are as nature intended and are great for our overall health.

These foods are nutrient dense, meaning that they’re especially important for anybody who works out. Also, by switching to a whole food diet it’s easier to cut out any excess calories that creep in from junk food.

So, not only does eating whole foods help to keep Paige in the best of health, they keep her lean too.

80/20 Split

Another factor of Paige’s success has been the way she makes the most of the 80/20 split. Meaning she eats super clean and healthy 80% of the time, and lets loose a little 20% of the time.

Eating is a great way to help yourself stay on track. Both physically and mentally, as not having a break from routine quickly becomes boring.

Not only that, but it gives the mind a break. Constantly having to tell yourself no to a cookie can be exhausting and will only be effective for so long. Allowing one treat every once in a while will do far less damage than breaking into a binge.

Some people could every one day in five as their 20%. Others just use a little rationale and honesty to track it through the day. However you do it, the key is to be consistent and not to overstep the boundaries. After all, even the best laid plans are floored if not executed right.

Paige says that healthy eating should become your lifestyle. If you want to transform your body or be the best you can be that is.

Seeing diet as an overall lifestyle can make food decisions a whole lot easier to make, simply by saying to yourself “I am” rather than “I should”.

Supplements

As an athlete it’s crucial that Paige feed her body all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals it needs to recover from an intense F45. Meaning supplements are a key component in her optimized diet plan.

Supplements should never be used as a replacement for a varied diet rich of goodness. Paige knows this, and uses only the essentials to ensure she has all bases covered and keep herself bringing her A game.

In order to ensure she is giving her muscles the complete amino acid profile they deserve she takes a BCAA supplement. Branch chain amino acids are an important part of any athletes diet, as they’re the primary building blocks for lean growth.

She also takes a healthy dose of creatine daily to help optimize her recovery and energy output in the gym. As a pescatarian, Paige may not necessarily get the same amount of natural creatine as a meat eater. So, she makes the smart choice to supplement.

Creatine is one of the most effective supplements on the planet. Out of all the products on the market today, none has been as rigorously tested as this one. Some of creatine’s benefits include:

• Better energy production in muscle cells
• Accelerates muscle growth
• Improves high intensity exercise performance
• May lower blood sugar and help fight disease

Lifestyle

If we can learn anything from Paige’s rapid rise to fame it’s to embrace fitness as a lifestyle. Not just something we feel we must do or should do to make us happy.

The only sustainable path to a true transformation is to set goals, to strive for them and to work hard each day. We should appreciate every little step we make, as it’s another achievement taking us one step closer to our dream physique.

Paige also stays grounded despite her superstar social media status. So, if we progress and the Instagram follow count shoots up, we should use our platform to inspire other women.

Finally, we should give our hard working bodies the proper nutrition they deserve. Although we can let ourselves enjoy a tasty pizza slice as part of our 20%.

In this article we take a look at the science behind this approach to fat loss and break down the science on how it might help you burn more fat and build your best body yet.

As a new take on the intermittent restriction diet, the MATADOR diet combines the necessary calorie-restriction with the flexibility of regular diet breaks.

If you want to slash through body fat and carve out a shapely, fat free physique you need to give this a read…

What Is the MATADOR Diet?

When you think of a matador you might conjure up images of a tanned, hunky and muscular bullfighter, his sweat glistening in the Spanish sun as he expertly battles the aggressive advances of an angry bull.

It does for us anyway.

But the MATADOR diet is actually a real thing. And it’s been shown to result in significant fat loss, without muscle loss.

It stands for Minimizing Adaptive Thermogenesis And Deactivating Obesity Rebound). Okay, that’s a big mouthful, so what does it mean?

How do you follow the MATADOR diet?

The MATADOR diet is a fresh take on intermittent energy restriction. To follow the plan you need to break up your normal restricted way of eating with periods of ‘diet breaks’.

In simple terms, you follow a normal diet for 2 weeks making sure that you achieve a calorie deficit of around 30% (give or take 500-600 calories for a woman of average weight woman).

You then break from your deficit and eat normally for 2 weeks (by normally we mean at maintenance, not just everything and anything).

What are the benefits?

In 2017, a clinical diet trial was published in the pretty prestigious International Journal of Obesity.

In the study, a group of 47 volunteers were asked to follow a set protocol for 16 weeks. Some were given a general calorie deficit plan and others were asked to follow the MATADOR diet.

What did they find?

• Higher levels of fat and weight loss compared to the general diet
• Both groups lost similar amounts of muscle mass
• Resting energy expenditure (metabolism) was the same in both groups. Although it was slightly lower in the intermittent fasting group once body composition was factored in.

Key Point: The MATADOR diet is a form of intermittent energy restrictive eating where you achieve a 30% calorie deficit for 2 week blocks, broken up with 2 weeks of maintenance diet break.

Is The MATADOR Diet The Best Diet Ever?

In reality there is no magic bullet or cure for fat loss without managing your calorie intake.

You can’t liberate stored fat and use it for energy without forcing it to. And the only way you’ll do that is by giving your body less energy than it needs to get through each day.

It doesn’t matter whether you follow a restricted diet, IIFYM, keto or any other specific way of eating.

These diets only work because they put you in a deficit.

Once you’ve achieved your deficit of course, you can begin to look at specialized foods and nutrients to help speed up fat loss.

These don’t replace your deficit, but do help to get faster results.

And finally, throwing in some exercise too is a great way of burning calories to help you achieve your energy deficit.

The research looks pretty promising… kind of

One thing we pride ourselves on at SpotMeGirl is the ability to really understand the research.

We’ve learned all too well that ‘pioneering’ studies are often just that little bit too good to be true.

If you take a look at the research we broke down earlier, it actually showed a pretty significant difference in weight loss over the research period – around 4 kg on average.

There wasn’t any real difference in weight loss between either group, with 0.3 kg separating the general diet group from the intermittent energy restriction group.

But either way, MATADOR is still a respectable diet that works for fat loss.

Restrictive dieting might cause side effects that slow down weight loss

One thing we hear a lot is that dieting ‘damages your metabolism’.

To clarify, your metabolism doesn’t get ‘damaged’ when you’re in a long-term calorie deficit. It doesn’t need ‘kick starting’ either.

That’s just a myth.

But when you are in a deficit for extended periods of time you might find that some hormonal changes take place… and these could really put the breaks on your progress.

It’s not that your body is damaged. It’s just more than your metabolism is adapting to low food intake.

For example, research has shown that the hormones that regulate hunger can begin to down-regulate when you diet for long periods of time.

This can lead to either a big blow out binge where you just plain destroy food for a day or two (and obviously ruin your deficit) or your body fights back by forcing you to move less to even out the lack of food.

The MATADOR diet helps to maintain metabolic rate, keeps your hormones on your side and gives you the drive to keep active.

A good diet is one you can follow and adhere to

Many people become disciples of a particular dietary approach.

For example CrossFitters absolutely love Paleo. Some people swear by the Atkins diet. And slimming group members will preach about their traffic light diet with the same enthusiasm as the Evangelistic priest at a cult meeting.

Again, you will only lose weight if you achieve a deficit. What works for on person won’t necessarily work another.

And that’s a good thing if anything, because you can trial different diets until you find that one that works best for YOU.

Regular diet breaks help with motivation

The thought of restricting calories day in day out isn’t the most motivating concept.

But giving yourself timelines where you can see a break is a great way of boosting morale and drive.

The good thing about the MATADOR diet is that it gives you small diet breaks to help you stick to the plan. This more cyclic approach will definitely help some people – particularly those that hate the thought of a long-term diet.

Summary – The MATADOR Diet

Ultimately, the MATADOR diet is just another way of achieving a deficit.

It’s not special.

But it works.

There’s nothing particularly groundbreaking about it when it comes to fat loss, although the one study that is available shows some impressive results when it comes to reducing fat mass.

The real benefit here though is that as an intermittent energy restriction diet, it might help to boost adherence.

Giving yourself mini diet breaks every couple of weeks might help to keep you on track. A lift full of constant restriction isn’t a great prospect.

And even if you’re motivated as hell to begin with, your willpower will eventually begin to drop off. That’s where a fat burner can come in to help – check out our top products here:

But being able to have small gaps from intense dieting might well make this one of the easier diets to follow. Why not give the matador diet a go today?

Throughout the week you’re the perfect example of health and wellness. You control your calories and you’re hitting the gym on the regular.

But as soon as that weekend kicks in it’s like you’re a different person. Whether it’s too much alcohol or one too many cakes and deserts whispering sweet temptations in your ear; a weekend can make or break a diet.

If you want to make your eating plan ‘weekend proof’, give these hints and tips a read and speed up fat loss today…

Why sticking to a diet at the weekend is key for fat loss

“I do so well during the week, but when the weekend comes I struggle to keep on plan”.

Does this sound like you?

If it does, you’re among the many other women who struggle to keep their diet consistent from Monday right through to Sunday.

No matter how hard you try during the week, a weekend of binge eating and over-enjoyment can destroy your progress faster than you’d like to think.

Whether that’s temptation from alcohol, eating and socializing with friends, or the feeling that you just ‘deserve’ to break from your diet at the weekend. It can all take it’s toll on fat loss.

But why can just two days of diet break ruin your progress?

It all comes down to those little creatures that live in your food called calories…

The basics of fat loss: calorie balance

In order to lose fat you have to be in a calorie deficit.

This is where you consume fewer calories than you burn off each day, triggering the release of excess fat to make up the difference.

No deficit, no fat loss

Where many women go wrong in their dieting is that they achieve a deficit Monday to Friday, working hard to be active and make intelligent decisions about what they eat.

But as soon as Friday ushers in, the plan goes out the window.

Take a look at the chart below.

You can see from the example that our dieting woman will lose fat as long as she takes in less than 2,300 calories per day.

She does this Monday to Thursday no problem.

And at 1,750 per day that’s enough to drop weight and excess body fat reasonable quickly (a 550 calorie deficit).

From Monday to Thursday, our female creates a deficit of 2,200 calories (550 multiplied by 4 days).

But when the weekend comes, things change altogether.

Our dieter falls into a calorie surplus of 3,500 between Friday and Sunday (a total of 1,200 per day), effectively cancelling out the 2,200 deficit from the previous few days.

You can see when all of the calories are added up across the 7 days, our unfortunate woman falls into a small surplus. This makes it impossible to lose fat as she just wont trigger fat cell energy release.

Even though she tried hard during the week, she’ll gain weight, not lose fat. 

How to Stick to a Diet on the Weekend: Keeping on Track

Everyone has a reason why they struggle to keep the diet going when the weekend comes along.

And those individual reasons will to some degree effect the tools you use to stay on track.

But there are a few general rules you integrate into your diet to boost the chances of success, no matter what your own demons are.

These are the real secrets of fat loss.

#1. Prepare your meals in advance

This may seem like an obvious one, but many women don’t ‘meal prep’ for the weekend – only mid-week.

Preparing healthy, calorie-controlled meals isn’t just a Monday to Friday job. You’re not only preparing meals to see you through your working week.

It’s about planning whats happening at the weekend too.

If you take the time to organize your weekend meals, you’re much more likely to stay on plan. Even with temptation, healthy meals can form the bulk of your daily calorie intake.

Think of meal prep as damage control.

Even with the odd little treat over the weekend, you can still achieve a deficit. But if you’ve nothing prepared and temptation gets the better of you, you’re much more likely to make bad food decisions.

#2. Control your mindset and make dieting sustainable

The issue with week-long calorie control is that you might think there’s no ‘end point’. That you’ll need to restrict food intake for ever and ever.

That’s not exactly motivating is it?

But think of it like this.

A week long deficit is a huge stimulus for fat loss. And a month long deficit is such a long time frame that the fat will just fall off you.

To begin, with aim for a 2-week deficit with one binge day. See how that works. Then try a 3-week deficit. And then 4.

Aim to build a slow and sustainable approach and control your mindset, rather than letting feelings of guilt creep in once you do decide to have a surplus day.

#3. Try a flexible approach to eating

If the thought of a life without pizza, alcohol or sweet treats seems unbearable, make it part of your diet.

Wait, what!

Junk food on a fat loss diet?

Flexible dieters tend to be more successful when it comes to reaching their target weight. And the reason for this is because they allow themselves occasional high- calorie snacks which boosts adherence and motivation.

Employ the 80-20 rule on a daily basis.

80% of the calories you consume should come from healthy foods such as lean meat, vegetables and grains.

But if you’ve got calories to spare, let the remaining 20% come from chocolate, sugary snacks, burgers or fries.

Just make sure you don’t go over your daily calorie count and you’ll still lose fat!

#4. Try and avoid eating out so often

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with eating out. After all, what’s the point in being lean if you never show off your body in public.

But if you eat out too often you might be taking in too many calories without even knowing it.

It’s pretty much impossible to know the whole list of ingredients in your restaurant meals – and therefore the total calorie count.

Sticking to homemade meals allows you to note calorie intake without guessing.

And that makes your deficit so much easier to stick to.

#5. Make smart decisions if you do eat out

But what about when you do actually eat out?

Well it’s all about food choices.

Opting for lean meats is a good start. Limit dressings and cream sauces, and instead opt for tomato-based sauces in your food.

Make vegetables a big part of each meal too as they give you the most food bulk in the fewest calories – and contain massive amounts of nutrients too.

Conclusion

You’re the boss of your own lifestyle.

If fat loss has stalled, it’s only you that can take control and get back on track.

When it comes to the real secrets of fat loss, sticking to a diet on the weekend can make or break a successful weight cut.

If you struggle to stay on plan Friday through Sunday, try these hints and tips, and take your fat loss and fitness to the next level.

And who wouldn’t want to look like a superhero?!

For this reason, we’ve gone through the trouble of researching Scarlett’s workout routine and diet plan – so you can work towards sculpting a similar figure.

Check it out:

Scarlett Johanson Workout

Warm Up

Everyone should know the importance of warming up. Either that, or you’ve pulled a muscle after not warming up before.

Anyway, warming up not only reduces the risk of cramping during your workout – it also activates your muscles so you perform at your best.

For this reason, we recommend spending 2-3 minutes on the rowing machine or jogging on the treadmill.

What to do: 

• 2-3 mins – Rowing Machine
• 2-3 mins – Treadmill
• And 2 sets of 10 pull ups

1. Box Jumps

As Scarlett Johansson performed a lot of cardio extensive exercises – you’ll be starting with box jumps.

This will get your blood pumping and further ensure your muscles are fully activated. You can perform this on a high stool, bench, or a plyometric foam box.

If you don’t have any equipment available, then simply perform some jump squats instead.

What to do: 

• 4 sets of 20 reps – Box Jumps
• Alternatively, perform 4 sets of 20 – Jump Squats
• 1 minute rest between sets

2. Clean and Jerks

Excellent clean & jerk form

You should be fully warmed up now. So you’ll be heading into a compound lift here – clean and jerks.

Look at the picture if you’re unsure what to do. But start with a low weight, to avoid injury (if you’re new to weight-lifting).

What to do: 

• 4 sets of 10 – Clean and Jerks
• 1 minute rest between sets

3. Walking Lunges

The focus is back to your lower body with walking lunges. You’ll be able to see what this is from the picture above.

If you’ve been training for a while; hold some dumbbells while performing this exercise.

What to do: 

• 4 sets of 30 meters – Walking Lunges

4. Bicep Curl & Push Ups (Superset)

You can’t be a female superhero without having toned arms. So you’ll be performing a superset of bicep curls and push-ups for this reason.

What are supersets? Basically, after you perform your bicep curls, you’ll move straight into the push ups without any rest – when you’re done, that’s 1 set done.

What to do: 

• 4 sets of 10 bicep curls and 10 press ups (supersets)

5. Sprints

Scarlett Johansson mentioned sprints are her favorite exercise; so we saved the best till last here…

After these sprints, you shouldn’t have any energy left in the tank. But the good news is you can go home when you’re finished.

You can either perform this outside, on a treadmill, or in a sports hall.

What to do: 

• 5 mins – 10 second sprints
• 1 minute rest between sets

Cool Down

Congratulations. If you’re not throwing up in a bin.

5 minutes of sprinting is hard, but you’ll be on your way to sculping a Black Widow Scarlett Johansson figure.

But it’s still important you cool down – even if it’s just walking back to your house.

Why? Answer: to ensure you don’t cramp up later in the evening (during important activities).

What to do: 

• 2-3 mins walk (on the treadmill or outside)
• 2-3 slow cycle – Cycling Machine

Scarlett Johansson Diet Plan

We have a confession; Scarlett Johansson didn’t follow a specific diet plan. But this is actually a good thing.

We’re sick of hearing about celebrities endorsing some ineffective diet plans. So it’s actually refreshing to hear Scarlett telling the truth.

Calories in V Calories out 

Ultimately, losing body fat and weight is a matter of eating less calories than your body uses to maintain itself.

We found a pretty useful article explaining this (which also includes a calorie calculator, so you can see how many calories you need to eat to lose fat) – you can see this here.

The picture below might help you understand this logic:

But don’t eat too much junk food 

Yes, we said ‘not too much’ instead of ‘not at all’. It’s true, that you can have some junk food – as long as you keep track of your diet.

As we mentioned seconds ago; if you stay under your maintanence calorie limit, there’s no way you won’t lose body fat and weight.

However, you’ll notice that junk food is high in calories. For example, one junk food meal might be the same calories as 5-6 servings of healthier foods (such as salads or chicken breast with green vegetables).

For this reason, you’ll naturally eat less junk food. But everyone needs a treat now-and-then.

Summary

Now you know how Scarlett Johnsson become the Black Widow. And everyone can realize their fitness goals – it just takes hardwork.

Scarlett even stated this herself in an interview: “Anyone can lose weight by making the same commitment any celebrity would make to improve their career. No secret workout or diet plans, just hard consistent work.”

So no more excuses – get off that couch and into the gym!

If you want to lose weight, and build solid muscle in all the right areas, your diet must be on-point!

Lucky for you, you’ve stumbled on the best diet, and nutrition guidelines that’s been designed for female bodybuilders.

But first, let’s look into macros, counting calories, and meal prep. So without delay, let’s get into it!

MACROS

Proteins

It’s one of the most important macros when it comes to building muscle – protein, the ‘no 1’ macro for female bodybuilders.

Protein helps to rebuild damaged muscles, balances blood sugar levels, improves cognitive function, and provides essential amino acids for health and vitality.

You could say it’s a miracle macro!

Amino Acids In Protein

In protein, there’s what’s known as ‘amino acids.’ It’s these amino acids that make up complete proteins.

A complete protein contains all 9 essential amino acids. These amino acids are called:

Essential Amino Acids

Now that we know what amino acids are, let’s look into what foods contain all of these amino acids.

By knowing which foods contain all of the essential amino acids, you’ll be sure you’re feeding your muscles in the most optimum way.

Proteins That Contain All Amino Acids

• Meat
• Fish
• Dairy products (milk, yogurt, whey)
• Eggs
• Quinoa
• Buckwheat
• Hemp and chia seed
• Spirulina

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Carbs

If you’re looking to build extra muscle, or you need fuel for your workouts, either way, you will benefit form adding carbs into your diet.

The best choices of carbohydrates and from whole foods, more specifically, from complex carbohydrates.

The best sources of complex carbohydrates

• Sweet potato
• Whole meal bread
• Whole meal pasta
• Brown rice
• Oatmeal
• Butternut squash
• Multi grain cereals
• Quinoa
• Couscous
• Pumpkin

Simple Carbohydrates

It’s also worth mentioning simple, and more easily digested carbohydrates. Such as fruit, white rice, white pasta, and white potatoes.

The simple sugars in some of these foods can cause weight gain if not eaten correctly.

Overall, they should be limited around your workouts, as they’ll supply the body with a quick fuel source to boost you through your sessions, and replenish muscles.

Having simple sugars/carbs around your workouts, will also help you to avoid any unwanted fat gain.

Simple Carbohydrate choices

• Fruit
• White rice
• White pasta
• White potatoes
• Fruit juices
• Sports drinks

Fats

Fats have gotten a bad rep in recent years, but people are now starting to recognize the overall benefits of this essential macro.

Fats regulate hormones, repair muscles, provide energy to the brain, lowers the risks of heart desease, and much more.

However, not all fats are created equal, let’s run through the different types of fats…

Saturated fat

Saturated fat, is mostly solid at room temperature. It mainly comes from animal sources such as cheese, steak, and eggs etc.

On the other hand, unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature. Most unsaturated fats come form plant sources such as nuts, seeds, and vegetables etc.

• Monounsaturated fat: You’ll find this fat in nuts, and vegetable oils, such as avocado, olives, and peanut oils.
• Polyunsaturated fat: This type of fat comes from vegetables such as, sunflower, sesame, soybean etc.

Polyunsaturated fats are also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

This is a fat that you must have in limited amounts, as it has been through a process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation increases the shelf life of fats. This makes the fat harder at room temperature, and also, more difficult to digest.

The best choices of fats

• Nuts
• Seeds
• Salmon
• Small amounts of red meat
• Olives / Olive oils
• Avocados

Counting Calories

Okay, so now you know what the best type of macros you should be looking into. Let’s now run through how you can easily count your calories, for the best bodybuilding diet for women.

Counting calories doesn’t have to be a huge chore, it can be a simple task.

BMR: This is known as your BMR (basil metabolic rate) the rate at which you burn calories while at rest.

As everyone is unique, with different lifestyles, and training goals, we can’t give you an exact number – this is something you’ll have to work out yourself.

However, we can give you the tools to work it out. Follow the simple calculation below to calculate your calories.

TIP! This is just a rough guide, you’ll need to figure out how many calories you burn each day, in order to adequately give your body the right amount of calories to support new muscle growth and repair. 

How To Count Calories:

This calculation is supplied by the ‘World Health Organization‘ (WHO). They developed an equation for estimating energy needs in the 1980’s.

Results are based on a woman weighing 156 lbs.

• Age 18 to 29 years = 14.7 x (Weight in lbs 156 ) + 496 = 2,789 calories
• Age 30 to 60 years = 8.7 x (Weight in lbs 156 ) + 829 = 2,186 calories
• Age over 60 years = 10.5 x (Weight in lbs 156 ) + 596 = 2,234 calories

Meal Prep

Now you know how many calories you need, and what foods you should be eating, we can move onto meal prep!

An easy way to meal prep is by having multiple containers the same size. You’ll then cook your food in bulk, weight out each ingredient, then add it to your food containers.

If you have cooked too much, then don’t worry, you can always freeze it for later in the week.

How To Meal Prep:

• Use multiple containers
• Bulk cook food
• Freeze for convenience

Bodybuilding Meal Plan For Women

Now, the moment you’ve been waiting for, a full eating plan for female bodybuilders:

You can adapt this program as you wish, but, to make things easier for everyone, we’ve used the most common foods that all bodybuilder use to build, and maintain lean muscle.

Meal 1 – Breakfast 

• Oats
• Fruit
• Nuts

Meal 2 – Mid Morning Snack 

• Whole egg
• Banana

Meal 3 – Lunch 

• Whole wheat chicken sandwich
• Fruit
• Salad

Meal 4 – Pre Workout 

• Dates
• Seeds

Meal 5 – Post Workout 

• Brown rice
• Chicken/fish/beef
• Green vegetables

Meal 6 – Post Bed Snack 

• Yogurt/Cottage cheese
• Fruit

Conclusion

There you have it ladies, a comprehensive look at the best bodybuilding diet for women. If you stick as close to this as you possibly can, you will reach your goals in no time!

Bear in mind, this is just a rough guide, you can choose whichever foods you like the most on this plan, and remove those ones you don’t.

However, keep in mind everything we’ve discussed here, and try to follow these tried and tested rules on bodybuilding nutrition.

With all said and done, the only thing to do now is go out there and get prepping!

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Well, thanks to Gal Gadot and the recent Wonder Woman film, we now have the secret to sculpting the dream superhero figure.

Take a look:

Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman Workout

There’s many different workouts out there, all claiming to be the ‘Wonder Woman Workout’ that Gal Gadot used to sculpt her amazing figure. For this reason, we’ve had a look around and put together the most realistic training plan that’ll be sure to get that booty poppin’.

Warmup – Rowing Machine

This is important ladies. You don’t want to pull any muscles during your gym session, so don’t skip this bit.

Gal performed 5 minutes on the rowing machine at a slow pace, in order to get her muscles activated and ready for her workout.

• 5 mins slow pace (Rowing Machine)

1. Rowing Machine HIIT

The first workout on the list. Gal’s trainer stated that this was one of the key exercises that helped Wonder Woman achieve that lean figure.

What to do

HIIT is great for getting your workout finished quickly; effective enough, so you can get home and catch up on the latest Pretty Little Liars episode…

Gal performed 2 minute sprints on the rowing machine for 3 rounds (going at an easy pace for 2 minutes between the rounds).

• 3 sets of 2 minute sprints, with 2 minutes slow pace between rounds

2. Bear Crawl

This is a tough one. This doesn’t require any weights, but it’ll get you sweating in the gym.

To perform a bear crawl, use your hands and toes to crawl forward – making sure to keep your knees and elbows from touching the floor.

What to do 

• Perform bear crawls for 30 meters, then walk back and head straight into the next exercise (without resting)

3. Backward Bear Crawl

As you’ve probably guessed, this is the same as the bear crawl…but going backwards.

What to do 

• Backward bear crawl for 30 meters, then walk back and head straight into the next exercise (without resting)

4. Burpee Broad Jump

To perform this exercise, use your legs to power and propel yourself forward. Once you land, get straight down for a burpee and then repeat.

What to do 

• Burpee broad jump for 30 meters, then walk back and head straight into the next exercise (without resting)

5. Crab Walk

You’re probably imagining yourself walking sideways in a crouched position…but that isn’t the crab walk you’ll be doing here.

To perform a crab walk, start by sitting on the floor with your hands behind your back and legs bent in front. Then raise your hips so that only your hands and feet are touching the floor and use them to move forward.

What to do 

•  Crab walk for 30 meters, then walk back and head straight into the next exercise (without resting)

6. Burpee Broad Jump

The same as before, you know what to do.

What to do 

• Burpee broad jump for 30 meters, then walk back and head straight into the next exercise (without resting)

7. Pull Ups

At this point, you’ll be feeling pretty sore, ladies. But push through and you’ll look like Wonder Woman in no-time…

What to do 

• 7 sets of 3 reps (rest for 1 minute between sets)

8. Ring Pullups

These are simply pull ups performed on gym rings (check the picture above if you’re still unsure).

What to do

• 5 sets of 3 reps (rest for 1 minute between sets)

9. Barbell Finisher

After that full body workout, you’ll definitely be feeling sore. But this is where you show your superhero strength, ladies – so get motivated for one last section.

Gal performed 4 weighted exercises as part of her workout: 

• Romanian Deadlift – 5 reps of 1 set
• Bent-over Row – 4 reps of 1 set
• Reverse Curl – 5 reps of 4 sets
• Squat – 5 reps of 4 sets

Cooldown

If you’ve been following this workout routine and made it to the end, then get your sword and shield ready – you’ve officially killed a superhero workout!

Now, the cooldown is just as important as the warm-up; it’ll help your muscles relax after this crazy workout, and stop you from cramping up later.

What to do 

• Light medicine ball throw for 5 minutes

Wonder Woman Diet

We’ll take a shot from the Lasso of Truth here and make a confession…We couldn’t actually find Gal Gadot’s exact diet plan.

But that doesn’t mean we’ll make one up like other websites have done. Instead, we’ve managed to get our hands on Gal’s co-star, Jenny Pacey’s diet plan.

You’ll be glad to hear that Jenny is a former Olympian and fitness expert; so this will definitely help you get toned!

Diet Plan

• Pre Training Breakfast – 2 egg yolks and 5 egg whites (scrambled with coconut oil)
• Post Training Breakfast – Oats with berries and nuts
• Snack – Protein shake with nut butter, banana, blueberries and almond milk
• Lunch – Oats, fruits or veg, with grilled turkey, avocado, hummus, oatcake and sweet potato
• Snack – Protein bar with apple or pear
• Dinner – Small portion of lean protein (chicken, tuna or salmon) with green vegetables
• Snack – Protein shake with coconut milk and brazil nuts.

While this is a very calorie-restricted diet, this diet plays on your metabolism and is designed to actually give you results that stick afterwards. You have to follow this diet for the whole 13 days and you could lose anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds.

This diet can be harsh on your body. It is lacking in the dairy, whole grains, and fruits that are vital to a healthy body, but don’t fret. A simple multivitamin will help you stay healthy.

There are a few rules you must stick to if you want this to work, so let’s check those out first.

13-Day Diet Rules

• No beer, wine, sweets, chewing gum, or extra food – Your body’s chemistry changes during the diet, don’t screw it up by eating any of this.
• Do not use salt – You can use garlic, oregano, Ms Dash, or pepper.
• Supplement beef, lamb, or salmon with 250g of chicken breast, if desired.
• Use this time to take off from the gym. Your calorie intake is very low, so refrain from I physical activity.
• If you break this diet or successfully run it, do not follow this diet again for another two years. You could cause damage to your metabolic system.
• After you complete the diet, you can eat regularly again… just be sensible.

13-Day Diet Menu

You really need to follow this diet exactly. Adding in something that “shouldn’t hurt anything” can mess with your hormones, so please try to stick to the diet exactly.

Day 1

• Breakfast
  • (1) large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
• Lunch
  • (1) hard boiled egg
  • (1) pack frozen spinach (200g) boiled in water
  • (1) tomato
• Dinner
  • 100g grilled beef – no extra butter or fat
  • Lettuce with lemon dressing

Day 2

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
• Lunch
  • 150g ham
  • (1) natural fat-free yogurt
• Dinner
  • 100g grilled beef – no extra butter or fat
  • Lettuce with lemon dressing
  • (1) piece of fruit

Day 3

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • (2) hard boiled eggs
  • (1) slice of ham
  • spinach and tomato
• Dinner
  • Boiled celery – can make a soup
  • (1) piece of fruit

Day 4

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • 200mL orange juice, or (1) apple
  • (1) natural fat-free yogurt
• Dinner
  • (1) hard boiled egg
  • 1 large grated carrot
  • 100mL cottage cheese

Day 5

• Breakfast
  • No tea or coffee
• Lunch
  • 150g salmon with lemon – can add up to 1tbsp butter to cook in
• Dinner
  • 100g grilled beef
  • lettuce with celery

Day 6

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • (1) hard boiled egg
  • (1) grated carrot
• Dinner
  • 150g grilled breast – grilled or boiled
  • lettuce with lemon dressing

Day 7

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee – no sugar
• Lunch
  • Nothing – Drink plenty of water
• Dinner
  • 200g grilled lamb cutlets
  • (1) apple

Day 8

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
• Lunch
  • (2) hard boiled eggs
  • 200g frozen spinach boiled in water
  • (1) tomato
• Dinner
  • 200g grilled beef
  • lettuce with lemon dressing

Day 9

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
• Lunch
  • (1) slice of ham
  • (1) natural fat-free yogurt
• Dinner
  • 200g grilled beef
  • lettuce with lemon dressing

Day 10

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • (2) hard boiled eggs
  • (1) slice of ham
  • lettuce with lemon dressing
• Dinner
  • Boiled celery – can make a soup
  • (1) tomato
  • (1) piece of fruit

Day 11

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • 200mL orange juice or (1) apple
  • (1) natural fat-free yogurt
• Dinner
  • 200g grilled beef
  • lettuce and celery – no dressing

Day 12

• Breakfast
  • No tea or coffee
  • (1) grated carrot with lemon
• Lunch
  • 200g salmon – boiled with lemon or grilled with 1 tbsp butter
• Dinner
  • 200g grilled beef
  • lettuce and celery – no dressing

Day 13

• Breakfast
  • (1) Large cup black tea or coffee
  • (1) spoonful sugar
  • (1) slice dry toast
• Lunch
  • (2) hard boiled eggs
  • 1 grated carrot with lemon
• Dinner
  • 250g chicken breast – grilled or boiled
  • lettuce with lemon dressing

Tips To Get The Most From This Diet

• This diet will work and it can really jump-start your fitness goals if followed properly. This diet is not considered a crash diet, although you are going to be working on low calories.
• No cheating – Please stick to the diet if you want to try it, otherwise don’t risk metabolism damage.
• Use this time for reflection – There will be days you question why you’re doing this. The decreased calories will allow your chemistry to change and start really burning fat.
• Eat sensibly after the diet – Eating sensibly and making better nutritional choices post-diet will allow you to keep losing weight and get healthier.
• Curb your appetite with water – You need to stay hydrated so drink plenty of water. Drink extra water when your belly feels empty to help curb appetite.

You could also add a fat burner in the mix to help with appetite suppression, increased calorie burn and better energy levels.

Wrapping It Up

This diet is pretty intense, but it is guaranteed to make you drop some weight if you stick to it. There’s no magical formula to becoming fit overnight, but there are some tricks you can use to get you there quicker.