I eat 3 meals and 1-2 snacks a day. I try to not have too long breaks between them and rather eat less but often than much seldom. That's why I usually eat breakfast at 7-8am, lunch at 12-1pm, (snack at 3pm), dinner at 5-6pm and evening snack at 9pm.
----So what we need?----
*Proteins are important nutrients that people need to get from their diet to build blocks of cells, to maintain muscle mass and avoid protein-induced deficiency disease. Proteins also help you to recover from your exercise. 1g protein is 4 kcal.
*Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy and we need them too everyday. You shouldn't be too scared to eat them because right sources and right amounts of them won't make you gain weight . 1g carbohydrates is 4 kcal.
*We also need fat, especially unsaturated fat. I take omega-3 fish oil supplements everyday to make sure I get enough these “good fats”. 1g fats is 9 kcal.
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When it comes to your diet I would say the most beneficial thing would be to listen to your body. If you feel like meat, dairy or gluten will give you stomach ache or you will bloat after eating them, then maybe you should consume them a little less in your diet. Just make sure you get all the macros (carbohydrate, protein and fat) and micros (vitamins and minerals) you need.
Also I want to remind you to drink your water. Recommendations are drinking water 1-2 litres a day . I usually drink a bit more, 2,5-3 litres a day, but that's because I also do quite a lot of sports.
----What about counting calories?----
Personally I count my calories. To keep me in track I have downloaded an app called EasyFit Calorie Counter. I think it's great because you can also log your water intake and your exercises there.
How many calories you should eat in a day depends on your activity level and fitness goal. My main goal at the moment is to lose weight so I'm on a calorie deficit (1770 kcal/day). That means I eat less than I consume. This is only a short term solution and I will be increasing my calorie intake soon since I have been more active lately.
If you want to build muscle you need more energy which means you should be on a calorie surplus. That means you can add a few calories to your “normal” calorie intake. There are many free calculators on the internet where you can calculate your how many calories you need in a day. I would still recommend visiting a nutritionist because they have much more knowledge over these things.
Because nutrition is such a huge topic I will be posting another article about this with more details in the future, so be tuned! Aaand thanks for reading!