Bodybuilders have different nutritional requirements than endurance athletes or weekend warriors. Because the focus is squarely on building muscle mass and reducing body fat, the diet must deliver enough protein to build and repair muscles along with the precise number of calories that will encourage fat loss but not muscle loss.
Calories
In "Natural Bodybuilding," author and bodybuilder John Hansen claims calories are the most important part of a muscle-building weight-loss bodybuilding strategy. Eating too few calories will cause your body to burn muscle instead of fat; eating too many calories can prevent you from increasing muscle definition. The solution, he says, is noting how many calories you eat to maintain your weight during the off-season and dropping that caloric intake by 300 to 500 calories per day, or 10 to 15 percent, when training for an event. Hanson, for example, can consistently lose fat and build muscle mass while ingesting between 2,800 and 3,000 calories per day.
Protein
Bodybuilders plan their protein intake based on a certain number of grams per pound. There is no universally accepted amount; the right amount of protein depends on how hard you're working out as well as your bodybuilding goals. According to "The Official Gold's Gym Guide to Getting Started in Bodybuilding," beginners should start by doubling the recommended daily protein intake, boosting it from 0.36g per pound to about 0.72g per pound. However, Hansen notes that bodybuilders undergoing intense training will eat between 1.25 and 1.5g of protein per pound.
Protein Sources
Hansen suggests you get your protein from diverse sources -- eating chicken at every meal can get boring. In addition, eating multiple types of protein gives you a better range of amino acids because even complete proteins contain different ratios of all the essential amino acids. Good protein sources include egg whites, lean turkey, flank steak, salmon, albacore tuna and supplementary protein powder.
Suggested Meals
In his book "Men's Body Sculpting," Nick Evans, M.D., suggests eating three meals per day with three protein-rich snacks. You might start with five scrambled egg whites, a piece of whole-wheat toast and black coffee. Lunch might consist of a can of tuna and brown rice. Dinner should consist of protein-rich meat such as chicken, grilled and served with steamed brown rice and a vegetable such as broccoli or spinach. For snacks, Evans suggests you try low-carb protein bars, meal replacement drinks and protein powder blended with fruit and nonfat milk.
Tips
To avoid unnecessary calories, Evans suggests you eschew alcohol, non-black coffee, butter and salad dressing. Instead, drink black coffee or water and rely on spices to flavor your food. He recommends garlic, which increases testosterone production, ginger, cinnamon and cayenne pepper, which can boost your metabolism and reduce appetite.
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