How to Program Your Meals Around Workouts

Oxygen Challenge coach Erin Stern shares three key steps to create an effective, customized eating plan for maximum results.

Standard meal plans come as “one size fits most.” The average person can rarely enjoy one of these plans without having to make some adjustments. But in three easy steps, you can modify any meal plan to fit your goals and caloric needs.

Meal planning tends to be a blend of science and art. The science dictates that we need a minimum amount of calories to survive and that we need macronutrients and micronutrients to thrive. The art comes in when figuring out your specific metabolic rate — which can be faster or slower, depending on age, body type, genetics, activity level and amount of muscle you carry.

It’s smart to keep track of what you eat during the first few weeks of a new plan because you can track your food with your progress. If you’re gaining mass in the wrong areas, your meal plan should be adjusted.

Let’s take a look at these three key steps and how you can implement them.

The Erin Stern Challenge offers three different meal plans over 90 days. You’ll learn how to eat for maintenance, building and shredding. The meals are easy to shuffle, in case your schedule changes from day to day. Check it out and join the community!