Meal Plan for a 225 pound male Your daily calorie intake should be approximately 2300 kcal using the Harris-Benedict formula. You will need around 220 grams of protein, 220 grams of carbohydrates, and 80 grams of fat a day. Choose lean meats and fish low in saturated fats. And avoid trans fat by limiting your intake of foods that contain it or have it as an ingredient. You’re also encouraged to consume your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables every day.
The Man’s Meal Plan For Getting Lean
Creating a meal plan for men starts with a solid foundation of healthy eating.
Creating a meal plan for men begins with healthy eating behaviors. By including sufficient protein, vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and fats in a diet, a man can meet his nutritional requirements while still enjoying tasty foods. By reducing portion sizes, weight loss is also achievable.
Men’s Daily Recommended Food Intake
Finding a man’s ideal daily food intake is difficult, as there are numerous variables in play and changing any of them can affect the final outcome. There’s no foolproof way to accomplish your goal.
If you’re an average-height 25-year-old man who works out several times every week, with a vigorous physical activity level that has helped you to maintain a normal weight, your daily calorie needs won’t be the same as those for a sedentary 55-year-old man with 40 extra pounds on his compact frame. Your weight-maintenance diet will also differ considerably from that of a man who wants to drop some extra pounds.
As a guideline, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion recommends that adult men should consume 2,000 to 3,000 calories daily. Sedentary men fall into the lower end of the range, while active men occupy the higher end of the spectrum.
Keep in mind that older men will also have a reduction in their basal metabolic rates, says the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In turn, this should dictate a corresponding decrease in daily calorie consumption.
Regular Meal Plan for Men
If you’re a man without dietary restrictions and you’re not trying to lose weight, consider using the meal plan for men from the Idaho Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics as a daily food planning template. This inclusive plan details the total daily food group amounts for 2,000-calorie diets. You may want to increase the daily quantities of certain foods based on your nutritional needs and physical activity level.
In the meal plan for men protein category, you should eat a total of 5 1/2 ounces of meat daily. Examples of foods to include are 1 ounce of cooked lean poultry, meat or fish. Vegetarian sources, such as cooked beans, peanut butter and tofu, may also be feasible protein options.
Add 2 1/2 cups of vegetables (especially dark green, orange and red varieties) and 2 cups of fresh or canned fruit. Six ounces of grains (half of which are whole grains), 3 cups of milk products and small amounts of fats a day complete this well-balanced meal plan.
Different Weight-Loss Options
If you’ve decided to drop some weight, your best bet is a balanced diet that provides good nutrition while including foods you actually want to eat. The Cleveland Clinic notes that there isn’t a “one size fits all” diet that works for everyone and recommends three science-backed weight-loss plans, each with a different focus.
The Moderate Protein Plan recommends that protein sources compose 30 percent of your daily calorie intake. Carbohydrates should make up 40 percent of your daily diet, while 30 percent of your calories should come from fat. This higher-protein plan can help to reduce hunger, making it easier to follow the diet’s guidelines. You can also track your food consumption via a convenient mobile app.
If tracking calories doesn’t hold much appeal and you’d rather structure your meals around the well-known food groups, try the DASH diet, recommends the Cleveland Clinic. Short for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, this well-regarded meal plan was originally designed to reduce high blood pressure. You’ll also likely see lower cholesterol readings as a result of following it.
The increasingly popular Mediterranean diet is more of a lifestyle modification than a formal eating plan, explains the Cleveland Clinic. By choosing this option, you can enjoy large portions of vegetables and legumes while replacing meat entrees with fish and seafood twice weekly. Fruit, nuts and olive oil are also prominent plan components. This eating plan has been shown to produce weight loss while also reducing your stroke and heart attack risks.
Correct Portion Sizes for Men
Adopting the correct portion sizes for men is the key to keeping your weight-loss program on track. It’s worth noting that a serving and a portion size aren’t the same thing. A serving is a pre-measured amount of food, while a portion relates to the quantity of food that makes it on to your plate.
To determine what the correct portion sizes for men are, the Mayo Clinic recommends you equate common everyday objects with the portion sizes of specific foods. By skipping that exercise, you’ll be tempted to eat larger portions.
For example, an average apple is the size of a tennis ball. A medium green pepper or 1 cup of cooked carrots resembles a baseball in size. The correct portion size for a piece of skinless cooked chicken should resemble a deck of cards, while a small bowl of macaroni and cheese equates in size to a hockey puck.
Men’s Muscle-Building Meal Plan
If you’re focused on building (or maintaining) your body’s muscle mass, you may be interested in using resistance-training workouts to head off the effects of age-related muscle loss. Supplement these muscle-strengthening exercises with a balanced muscle-building meal plan, recommends the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
When you’re engaged in muscle-building exercises, give your body the protein it needs for those vigorous workouts. Each day, protein should make up 10 to 35 percent of your total calorie consumption. Eating more protein won’t help you, and it could even have harmful effects.
In contrast, maintaining your existing muscle mass requires less protein. For example, the recommended adult protein allowance is 0.37 grams for each pound of body weight. For a 150-pound man, that means consuming about 56 grams of total protein a day.
Carbohydrates are also an integral part of your muscle-building meal plan. In fact, carbs can help to fuel your workouts through their partial conversion to glycogen. If you’re involved in a vigorous strength-training program at least twice weekly, carbs should compose at least half of your daily calories.
In addition to whole-grain cereals and bread, consider adding low-fat yogurt, vegetables and fruits to your meal plan. Avoid consuming high-fiber foods just before or during a workout.
Your muscle-building meal plan should also include heart-healthy fats that supply your muscles with much-needed energy. Fat should comprise between 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories, states the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Beneficial fat sources include salmon and other fatty fish, along with extra-virgin olive oil, almonds and avocados. Because fat packs twice the calories of protein and carbs, be sure to watch your serving sizes so you don’t overindulge.
Setting a four-week weight-loss goal is a good place to start. However, instead of focusing constantly on the scales, ensure that your body is getting the proper amounts of nutrients it needs. Add regular physical activity to the equation, and you’ve got a good blueprint for success.
THE ‘SHOW TIME’ DIET
Diet is half the battle when it comes to getting those “show time” muscles to pop. A four-week meal plan to get you ripped.
To get you ripped and ready in four short weeks, this diet has to be intense. Each week schedules a carb and calorie slash, but protein will stay steady so you don’t risk sacrificing muscle.
Begin the first week with a daily intake of 16 calories per pound of bodyweight. Carbs and protein should both be 1.5 grams per pound. Your total fat intake should be just under 0.5 gram per pound of bodyweight.
Each week you’ll drop 2 calories per pound of bodyweight by cutting carbs by 0.5 gram per pound. So for Week 2, calories drop to 14 per pound of bodyweight and carbs equal 1 gram per pound. In Week 3, calories drop to 12 per pound of bodyweight as carbs are cut to 0.5 gram per pound. In the final week, you’ll drop calories to just under 10 per pound of bodyweight by further cutting carbs to about 0.25 gram per pound. It’s impossible to drop all carbs from your diet, so you’ll have to also cut back on fat intake this week, to about 0.25 gram per pound of bodyweight.
Although our sample diets are based on the average 180-pound M&F reader, they work well for anyone in the 160-200-pound range. If you weigh more or less, adjust your calories and macros accordingly to the relative numbers we provided. Since you’re working out six days per week, these menus provide a pre- and postworkout meal. On your one day off from the gym each week, simply drop those meals.
These diets are samples, so feel free to replace the foods listed with others that provide similar macronutrients. There are certain foods you should stick with, however, as they’ll aid fat loss and muscle gain. Eggs, for example, have been shown to not only enhance fat loss in clinical studies but also boost muscle growth and strength gains.8-11 In addition, consuming whey protein around workouts is critical for enhancing muscle growth due to its fast digestion and rich supply of branched-chain amino acids. Do yourself a favor and have a whey shake pre- and postworkout; a whole-food meal won’t be as effective at promoting muscle growth. Whey protein also makes a great between-meals snack: Research shows it significantly reduces hunger due to its ability to boost levels of hunger-blunting hormones.
Before bed, have a casein shake. This is a very slow-digesting protein that’ll help curtail the muscle breakdown that occurs during the night. A whole-food substitute is cottage cheese, which has a high casein content. Otherwise, stick with slow-digesting carb sources for most meals when carbs are allowed. These include fruit; whole grains such as oatmeal, whole-wheat bread and brown rice; and sweet potatoes. Research shows these carbs enhance fat-burning throughout the day. The exception to this rule is your postworkout meal, when you want a fast-digesting carb such as a sports drink or gummi bears to boost insulin levels and further enhance muscle recovery and growth.
This meal plan will get you ripped and ready in four short weeks. To boost fat loss further, we suggest using a fat-burning supplement.
Meal Plan
WEEK 1
Breakfast
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup Kashi Go Lean Cereal
1 cup low-fat milk
Late-morning snack
1 scoop whey protein
1 medium banana
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
Lunch
1 can white tuna
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
Midday snack
10 oz. fresh spinach
1/4 cup oatmeal
3 hard-boiled eggs
2 Tbsp. olive oil/vinegar dressing
Pre-workout snack
1 scoop whey protein
1 large apple
Post-workout snack
2 scoops whey protein
12 oz. Gatorade
20 Gummi Bears (Haribo)
Dinner
9 oz. tilapia
1 cup brown rice
10 oz. green beans
Nighttime snack
1 scoop casein protein
Totals: 2,938 calories, 299 g protein, 277 g carbs, 75 g fat
WEEK 2
Breakfast
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup strawberries
Late-morning snack
1 scoop whey protein
1 oz. mixed nuts
Lunch
6 oz. turkey deli meat
2 slices whole-wheat bread
1 Tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise or mustard
Midday snack
1 can sardines in oil, drained
6 whole-wheat crackers
Pre-workout snack
1 scoop whey protein
1 large orange
Post-workout snack
2 scoops whey protein
20 oz. Gatorade
Dinner
8 oz. top sirloin steak
1 cup broccoli
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp. olive oil/vinegar dressing
Nighttime snack
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 scoop casein protein
Totals: 2,537 calories, 268 g protein, 179 g carbs, 82 g fat
WEEK 3
Breakfast
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup oatmeal
Late-morning snack
1 scoop whey protein
Lunch
10 oz. fresh spinach
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 large hard-boiled egg
6 oz. shrimp
2 Tbsp. olive oil/vinegar dressing
Midday snack
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. salsa
Pre-workout snack
1 scoop whey protein
Post-workout snack
2 scoops whey protein
12 oz. Gatorade
Dinner
9 oz. farmed Atlantic salmon
2 cups mixed green salad
1 Tbsp. olive oil/vinegar dressing
Nighttime snack
1 scoop casein protein
Totals: 2,244 calories, 271 g protein, 94 g carbs, 81 g fat
WEEK 4
Breakfast
3 whole eggs
3 egg whites
Late-morning snack
1 scoop whey protein
1Tbsp. peanut butter
Lunch
1 can white tuna
2 cups mixed green salad
2 Tbsp. low-fat balsamic vinaigrette
Midday snack
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. salsa
Pre-workout snack
1 scoop whey protein
Post-workout snack
2 scoops whey protein
Dinner
8 oz. chicken breast
1 cup broccoli
Nighttime snack
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
Totals: 1,712 calories, 275 g protein, 45 g carbs, 45 g fat
How a 200-pound Man Should Eat to Get Lean
YOUR FAT-LOSS MENU
BREAKFAST
8 oz black coffee
3 eggs made into omelet w/ peppers and onions
LUNCH
9 oz boiled shrimp
9 oz boiled or steamed asparagus w/lemon juice
2 cups sweet potato (cooked)
POST-WORKOUT
1 banana
50 g whey protein
DINNER
12 oz grass-fed sirloin steak
2 cups white rice (cooked)
Spinach salad w/ 2 tbsp olive oil and red wine vinegar
DESSERT
2 tbsp almond butter
How To Plan Your Muscle Building Diet
This article shows you how to easily plan your diet and work out how much protein, carbs and fats you need based on your bodyweight.
Diet is the single most important part of muscle building. Yes, there are many other important factors to consider but none of them are as important at the correct diet and nutrition plan. Your training may be perfect, but without the correct fuel to feed your muscles to grow you will have little progress.
Most people that are new to weight training and bulking up get very confused when confronted with all the information that’s available in magazines, at the gym and online. In this article I am really going to simplify things for you. A good nutrition and diet plan for muscle building is not rocket science and it definitely does not have to be complicated.
3 Main Macronutrients That Make Up Your Diet:
Ok, so I’ll get started by showing you the 3 main components of a good muscle building diet and what role they play in helping you bulk up.
1. Protein
Ah protein, what would we do without it? We wouldn’t grow that’s for sure! Apart from water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. Protein is responsible for building, repairing and maintaining muscle tissue. Protein is also the body’s second resource for energy after carbohydrates. Put simply, without protein we would wither away to skin and bone. When it comes to muscle building, your body requires an increased about of protein to repair the muscle your break down at the gym.
2. Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body’s primary source of energy. There are two types of carbohydrates, simple and complex. Simple carbs are found in foods like sugar and fruit and will give you a quick burst of energy by raising blood sugar levels. Complex carbs are found in whole grains like brown bread, rice and potatoes. Complex carbs are important because they provide the long lasting fuel you need to train hard. If you don’t eat enough complex carbs in your muscle building diet your body will turn to its next source of energy, protein (which you don’t want!).
3. Fats
Fats are also a vital part of your diet, but must be consumed in the correct amounts. The most important fact you need to know about fats is there are two types. First, there are “good fats”. These fats are found in foods like olive oil, fish and nuts. Second, there are “bad fats”. These fats are saturated fats and trans fats. These fats are mainly from foods like meat, eggs and vegetable oil. You should aim to cut down bad fats in your diet and focus on eating the right amount of good fats.
So now you know the 3 main components that your muscle building diet will comprise of, now we need to look at how much you need to get on a daily basis for optimum muscle growth. A couple of points that need to be noted before we continue.
First, the best way to calculate the amount of protein, carbs and fat you need in your diet is to use your body weight. For the purpose of this article I am going to use a 200 pound man. Second, these figures are only a guide and intended to be used if muscle building is your goal. Like I say in all my articles, you will get the best results from experimenting with what works for you and your body type.
Daily Macronutrient Requirements
Like many aspects of training to build muscle, these figures are arguable. Some may agree, other may disagree, but these figures are good for a guide and have worked for me. So here is a basic guide on what you should be aiming for on a daily basis:
- Protein: 1 – 1.6 grams per pound of bodyweight
- Carbs: 2.5 grams per pound of bodyweight
- Fats: 0.25 grams per pound of bodyweight
So let’s take my example of a 200 pound man looking to build muscle. Using the figures above, he would have to eat 200-300 grams of protein, 500 grams of carbohydrates and 50 grams of fat per day.
Macronutrient Calories
Here are the conversions of grams to calories for protein, carbs and fats.
- Protein – 4 calories per gram
- Carbohydrates – 4 calories per gram
- Fat – 9 calories per gram
So back to my 200 pound man, he would have a daily intake of 3650 calories. This figure is just about spot on for a man of this size looking to bulk up.
Meal Timing
When you eat is as important as what you eat. It’s important to get out of the “3 meals per day” mentality. Preferably you would eat 5-8 meals per day at 2 to 3 hour intervals. I know this is not possible for most people because of work, school etc but you should try to eat as many small meals as possible. If bodybuilding king Ronnie Coleman can work a full time job and eat a good muscle building diet then so can you!
Ideally, every one of your small meals should contain the right amount of protein, carbs and fat. It’s easy to work out how much you need from each meal. Just work out the totals and divide it by the number of meals you eat per day. So let’s say my 200 pound man has time in the day for 6 meals. Each meal would need to contain about 33-50 grams of protein, 80-85 grams of carbs and 8 grams of fat.
You should try to eat 1 meal about 1 hour prior to training (energy for your workout) and 1 meal after training (nutrients for muscle repair).
For Hardgainers
If you’ve got a naturally thin build and fast metabolism I would advise you to add more carbohydrates to your diet for extra calories. I am naturally a true ectomorph with a thin build and rocketing metabolism. While this has its good points (like burning fat), it means I have to eat more calories in build muscle. If you have this body type you should literally eat as much carbs as you can.
Conclusion
So that’s basically it. That is how you plan your muscle building diet, the simple way. There are also other aspects of diet and nutrition that I didn’t touch on in this article (like supplements), but the aim was to keep it simple.