I thought I would share some random stuff with you guys. Most of it a lot of you guys know already, but maybe it'll help someone who's just lost :D
Metabolic Rate Expenditure
Obviously you know that you need a certain amount of calories a day for your body to function correctly. But did you ever know how much? The Metabolic Rate Expenditure (or BMR) is the required amount of calories a day. It's also called the Harris-Benedict formula? It calculates how many you need, although it's only a starting point and other variables (such as physical activity, medical conditions, blahh) can affect it:
Men: 66 + (6.3 x weight in pounds) + (12.9 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years) = ?
Women: 655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
I'm 5'10 inches and 175 pounds (DDDD: ) and am 18 years old, so my BMR is 1149.1
Carbohydrates
You need them for energy. Not having enough carbs can severely limit the amount of insulin your body releases into your system and depletes glycogen levels. Without enough enough carbs to use for energy, your body cannibalizes muscle tissue to use it as the tissue it needs if your working. Yep, the muscles your trying to build are being used as backup energy. Obviously too many carbs can build up into fat, but you NEED them to work.
Protein
Your muscles use protein to repair and maintain themselves. The average person needs to consume one gram of protein for every 2.2 pounds of body weight to maintain muscle. Working out or exercising greatly increases your need for it. Serious muscle building may need 1 gram per pound. It's those huge supplement jugs you see in the vitamin section or store that hardcore bodybuilders use.
Water
Holy crap. Self explanatory.
Before Working Out
Try eating something with protein or carbs, or even both. Carbs absorb faster into the bloodstream when eaten in smaller doses. For carbs, try mixing grains with fruit: slice of whole wheat bread with an apple; a small bowl of oatmeal and raisins. Protein/carb snacks: include a tuna sandwich (you guys already know that), a chicken salad, or a glass of milk with fruit. Don't like any of that, google protein or carbs and find something you like that's healthy. Whatever you eat, keep your portions smaller the closer you are to working out.
After Working Out
Eat something small, but something. When your done working out the body's main priority is refilling the glycogen that you just exhausted. If there's no food in your body then, you guessed it, your body goes after muscle tissue again. (You didn't think it was coincidence that athletic coaches tried to have the period before of after lunch in school?) Eating after a workout also helps you refuel for the next workout because the body converts glycogen (fuel you just used up from exercising) at twice it's typical speed within the first 15-30 minutes after exercising. If you can't snack immediately then eat as soon as you can.
Sleep
"Nike, DUH. We know." Your body needs it to rest. But sadly, a lot of people still stay up late, wake up early, and stretch the soreness off so that they can run or lift. You need time between workouts, usually 48 -72 hours.
Variety
The body is very adaptive. When you try a new workout, at first it's a challenge and your body tries to work very hard. You feel it the next morning. But after the next few times you do it, your muscles come to know what to expect and learn easier ways to get their jobs done using less effort and burning fewer calories and, by default, achieving fewer new results. After a few weeks your exercises are very easy because your muscles want to do their job with as little effort as possible. You reach a plateau. That's not necessarily a bad thing since it shows that your doing good :D
The body learns to adapt by 6-8 weeks. To keep getting results, you have to "confuse" your muscles by changing your routine every 3-4 weeks. Find a different way to work that muscle or area of the body. It's not difficult. Google and youtube whatever muscle your working on and there's bound to be endless different ways to use it. Try looking at how someone else worked that muscle on this thread. Find one you like and use it for another 3-4 weeks. Then go to something else and the whole process starts again. Again, it's making sure that your body doesn't get used to it.
I know that most of this is common sense, but hopefully somebody got something out it :D
