Meal Plans (Part 2)

Continued from 'Meal Plans: Part 1"...

LEVEL I

BREAKFAST

2 eggs, preferably poached, but any style ok

114g (1/4 lb) meat, fish, or fowl

227g (8 oz) whole milk

1 slice whole grain toast with butter

(protein = approx. 52g)

LUNCH

114g (1/4 lb) meat, fish, fowl or cheese

1 or 2 slices whole grain bread

227g (8 oz) whole milk or fresh juice)

(protein = approx. 43g)

DINNER

227g (1/2 lb) meat, fish or fowl

Baked potato with butter or sour cream

Large raw salad

227g (8 oz) whole milk

(protein = approx. 48g)

Total protein from food: 143g

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LEVEL II

BREAKFAST

3 eggs, poached or any style

114g (1/4 lb) meat, fish, fowl or cheese

227g (8 oz) whole milk

1 or 2 slices whole grain toast with butter

(protein approx. = 61g)

LUNCH

227g (1/2 lb) meat, fish, fowl or cheese (or any combination)

2 slices whole grain bread with butter or mayonnaise

227g (8 oz) whole milk

1 piece fresh fruit

(protein approx. = 71g)

DINNER

227g (1/2 lb) meat, fish, fowl or cheese (or any combination)

Baked or boiled white or sweet potato

Large raw salad

(protein approx. = 59g)

Total protein from food: 191g

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LEVEL III

BREAKFAST

4 eggs, poached or any style

227g (8 oz) whole milk

1 or 2 slices whole grain bread with butter

1 piece fresh fruit

You may substitute hot oatmeal, bran cereal, or other cooked cereal for the fruit and bread, but sweeten only with fructose. Use cream if higher caloric intake is desired)

(protein = approx. 72g)

LUNCH

227g (1/2 lb) meat, fish, fowl or cheese

1 or 2 slices whole-grain bread with butter or mayonnaise

227g - 454g (8 - 16 oz) whole milk

1 piece fresh fruit (with cottage cheese if desired)

protein approx. = 74g)

DINNER

227g - 454g (1/2 - 1 lb) meat, fish, fowl (or any combination)

Baked or steamed potato, or baked and boiled beans

Lightly steamed fresh vegetable

Large raw salad

1 piece fresh fruit

227g (8 oz) whole milk

(protein = approx. 112g)

Total protein from food = 258g

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For those of you who may not be big-eaters in the morning, or are finding making the time to prepare your breakfast too consuming, MRP's (Meal Replacement Products) are a practical and acceptable substitute. They provide the much needed proportions and nutritional content needed to kick-start your day in a convenient to drink shake, such as Sci-Mx's Ultimate Breakfast Shake. For a more comprehensive listing of Explosive Nutrition's Meal Replacement Products, Click here.

Personally, one thing which I wish I had done during my wrestling career, was to use a Casein based protein shake before I went to bed. I was taking my regular whey-protein shake instead, and although not the end of the world, the slow-released amino-acid property of Casein proteins are always favourable to use pre-bedtime. In fact, I would recommend supplementing your diet with a casein-based protein shake before bed as a matter of course, regardless if you are on a light training regime or a far more intense weight-lifting regime. Why? Because when you sleep, you're basically fasting your body for 7-8 hours. You're body's optimum time for recovery and muscle-building is during this rest phase, not during your training. It therefore makes sense to provide a slow and steady trickle or amino-acids to your muscles during this crucial period.

I take Optimum Nutrition's 100% Casein. The vanilla taste is delicious, and more importantly, it is one of the most consistently highest-rated supplements on the market today. Of course, many other Casein-based proteins are perfectly acceptable, such as the Reflex brand Micellar Casein (although to be perfectly honest, I found the taste quite unpleasant compared to ON's).