Being a female bodybuilder requires a lot of work. It just so happens that females have a harder time acquiring a muscled body. That doesn’t mean that women are unable to produce muscles, it’s just that they generally have a harder time doing so.
The female body, is obviously, different from that of a male. Strictness and perseverance are key in this diet. Even the most intense of workouts, isn’t going to get you far, you’re going to have to prep your body with the correct nutrients in order for it to be able to produce that aesthetically lean body.
Start with a Plan
This might sound intuitive, but a diet requires a certain degree of planning. For example, it’s easier to stay away from foods that are bad for you when you already have meals prepared in advance. That’s only possible if you know the kind of foods that are good for you.
Most female bodybuilders have extremely strict diets. This is necessary for them to be able to maintain the kind of bodies that they have. It also requires a good amount of knowledge when it comes to the kind of foods that will give them the nutrients that their body needs. Being prepared with all sorts of recipes to keep their meals exciting and delicious is a big part of the process as well.
It’s generally easier when you have some sort of plan to follow – it’s definitely better than just eating what you believe is good for you. Only people who have a background in food and nutrition will be able to intuitively decide what they should eat, and that’s all dependent on the level of knowledge that they have about food.
If you’re struggling with getting started on your own, there are people out there who can help you perfect your female bodybuilder diet. Some require a small subscription fee, but if you can find the right one, they should be able to build up a diet that’s made just for you.
How often should you eat every day?
This really depends on the person and the kind of appetite they find themselves having. There are a lot of celebrity female bodybuilders that use the Three Hour Diet. This requires them to eat every 2-3 hours, which totals up to 5-6 meals per day.
This kind of diet has been theorized to have wonderful effects on a person’s metabolism by stimulating your digestive system more times throughout the day. Unfortunately, this is not something that can be backed with actual science.
Despite that, people still find themselves more comfortable with eating constantly throughout the day. Being a female bodybuilder requires a lot of energy, and the constancy that comes with 5-6 smaller meals is just a lot easier to handle for most people.
To some, planning so many meals a day might seem a little too much. However, many have found the effort to be worth it. Especially because female bodybuilders usually need to pack up on nutrients throughout the day. Whether it be fueling up with some carbs post workout, or consuming protein throughout the day to boost effectiveness.
Eating Clean
This is something a lot of female bodybuilders insist upon. Eating as healthy as you can is best. It’s already hard enough to build up the figure that most female bodybuilders have, eating unhealthy foods too often will make the maintenance of it even more difficult.
That doesn’t mean that all female bodybuilders eat healthy foods 100% of the time. That may be the case if they’re participating in a bodybuilding competition and need to make sure that their diets are as strictly maintained as possible. However, during the off-season, you’ll find that most female bodybuilders allow for some allowance when it comes to their favorite meals – that they can’t help but crave.
Nutritional Elements
Most female bodybuilders find it necessary to track their macros intake for the day – outside of calorie tracking – and they do this with the use of calculators specifically made for calculating how much nutrients a person needs based on their current body constitution. One of the most popularly used macro calculators is called, the IIFYM calculator.
If you’ve never heard about macronutrients – these are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. All of which your body needs desperately – in order to help you not only get stronger but build up lean muscle mass as well. Calorie tracking is important because it keeps you lean, but tracking macros are at a different level advancement. It’s a little complicated, but it is the best way of keeping your diet as straightforward as possible.
Carbohydrates
This is where the importance of eating healthy comes in. There is no doubt that female bodybuilders require a lot more calories than the regular gym goer, and carbohydrates are a key feature in that belief. Carbohydrates are the best source of energy, and you’ll find that most female bodybuilder diets incorporate large amounts of carbs.
In fact, it’s larger than any other nutrient. However, just because your body needs a lot of carbs, doesn’t mean that you can stuff yourself full with just about any of them out in the market. You’re going to have to be careful – as there are different kinds of carbs used for different reasons and at different times.
The one most people are probably familiar with, are called simple carbohydrates. These are starchy in form, making them a lot easier to digest. This quick source of energy is best consumed early in the morning or post-workout so that you know that your body will be using the energy that comes along with it – rather than storing it up as fat. Try to stay away from eating too many simple carbohydrates, as the quick-digestive quality of it can induce cravings.
Complex carbohydrates are a more popular option. These are often higher in fiber content, which makes them a tad harder to digest. This is not a bad thing, the fact that they take so long to break down means that you’ll feel fuller for longer periods of times. Which is the opposite of what happens when you consume simple carbohydrates.
You do have to be careful about the number of carbohydrates you eat, which is why calculating macros is so important. As eating too much of it, or eating the wrong kinds can lead to fat buildup, which is not good if you want to keep yourself lean. This is why a certain amount of cardio is often paired with strength training – you can burn a lot more calories with cardio which is important when you have such a high-calorie diet.
Here are some common complex carbohydrates:
- Black Beans (1 cup = 116 grams)
- Kidney Beans (1 cup = 110 grams)
- Brown Rice (1 cup cooked = 45 grams)
- Quinoa (1 cup cooked = 40 grams)
- Red Skin potatoes (medium potato = 34 grams)
- Oatmeal (1 cup cooked = 27 grams)
- Sweet Potatoes (1 cup cubes = 27 grams)
- Low fat yogurt made with Skim milk (8 ounces = 17 grams)
Protein
Of course, we can’t forget to mention the importance of protein for a female bodybuilder. This is not something that you can skimp out on, especially if you want to be able to sculpt your body. Protein is not only important for muscle production but is also necessary for the maintenance and recovery of said muscles.
It can be a bit of a struggle to get the necessary amount of protein per day. This is dependent on your height and weight, with varying degrees of effectiveness around 1.0 – 1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. The best source of protein is lean proteins, these are proteins that are generally lower in fats – unlike most meats which are highly saturated with fats that are unhealthy for regular use.
Supplementing protein is also something that many female bodybuilders tend to do. As mentioned, it can be a bit of a struggle to get the required amount of protein every day, especially if you’re trying to keep your calorie count low. The best way for you to fulfill what you can’t get through food is through the use of protein supplements like shakes, powders, BCAAs, etc.
Here are some common Lean Proteins:
- Egg Whites (1 large egg = 3.6 grams)
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (4 ounces = 36 grams)
- Sirloin Steak (3 ounces boiled = 23 grams)
- Filet Mignon (1 steak = 28 grams)
- Flat Iron Steak (252 gram steak =51 grams)
- Wild Caught Salmon Sockeye (3.5 ounces = 27 grams)
- Shrimp (100 grams cooked = 24 grams)
- Tofu (½ cup = 10 grams)
- Cottage Cheese (1 cup creamed = 25 grams)
Female Bodybuilder Diet
Although it might seem like a lot of effort, you won’t be able to achieve the results you want from just regular strength training alone. Not getting the nutrients that your body needs, or getting too much of one thing is a lot more likely to set you back rather than actually help you push forward with your aesthetic goals.
Resources:
- Marianne Wait The Three-hour Diet https://www.webmd.com/diet/a-z/3-hour-diet
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