Meal Plan for Weight Loss + Muscle Gain for Men

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Written by Megan Ayala. Last Updated: May 6, 2022

Nutrition can be confusing.

It’s a challenging task to figure out what food/ meal is the healthiest to consume and when is the ideal time to eat it.

But you must be wondering how can the food you eat help you to lose fat and build muscle? That’s right! You can do both. It’s a phenomenon known as Body Recomposition. So, what is this?

Let’s dig into this a bit deeper.

If you’re trying to lose weight, you’ll need to burn more calories than you’re consuming. But this calorie deficit is only a crucial thing when you are looking to lose weight. But if you want to lose fat, and still gain muscle, you’ll have to take a different approach.

It’s worth noting that losing fat doesn’t have to do with losing weight. Essentially, the process requires you to eliminate fat and put lean muscle in its place.

Once you reduce calories, your system utilizes energy stores to function correctly. Although it leads to a loss of fat and overall weight, there is also a loss of muscle mass. And this is why it is essential to eat healthy foods such as protein, good-for-you fats, fiber, and carbohydrates so that you may continue to gain muscle mass.

In short, you must intake nutrients that help you to build lean muscle.

Your primary objective here is to focus on losing fat, and at the same time, gain muscle. Fortunately, a men’s muscle gain and weight loss diet has been put together to guide you in this endeavor.

Key Features of this Meal Plan for Men

a man celebrates reaching a weight loss milestone while on the scale

You must use up more calories than you eat to lose weight. Once you minimize your calorie intake, your system relies on stored energy to work effectively. For this reason, weight and fat are lost. However, muscular mass is lost as well.

That’s why it’s essential to eat nutritious foods such as protein, healthy fats, fiber, and carbs to maintain muscle mass. And this is why the full-fat dairy (Greek yogurt), fish (tuna, salmon), eggs, whey protein, meats (chicken breast and lean beef), apple cider vinegar, beans, legumes, and nuts in this meal plan are useful.

For those who live a rather active lifestyle, this is the best diet. It’s prudent that you consult with your doctor to make sure that the diet meets your specific nutritional needs. But, how does this diet help?

Benefits of the Diet

In general, this meal plan offers numerous benefits since it consists of nutritional foods and assists to remove processed meals. In turn, this enables you to consume healthier food naturally. And, because it is highly rich in protein, it has helped many men lose weight while also building muscle.

Furthermore, the plan is quite adjustable because you can modify it to your particular keto dietary needs. This alternative is feasible by reducing carbohydrate content while boosting protein and healthy fats.

You could also use this meal plan to stick to a vegetarian diet. Its contents are mostly fresh and natural by default. These properties are also known for inhibiting the ingestion of harmful nutrients into our bodies. You can always incorporate your vegan dish into the meal, which provides you with much flexibility.

Research has also proven that consuming a low-carb, high-protein diet assists you to lose weight and build muscle. Ever heard of the Atkin diet? It’s also one of these diets, and when you follow it, the meal plan will assist you to remain on track. Proteins, healthy fats, beans, and lentils abound in this meal plan.

It’s worth mentioning that this diet is an excellent option for weight loss and muscle growth and for men who are yearning to live a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, it’s an effective way to regulate blood sugar in people with diabetes because it never causes a surge in blood sugar.

Sample Muscle Building and Weight Loss Meal Plan for Men

several meals from our sample meal plan for each day of the week

Day 1

Breakfast

Oatmeal
Stir-fried veggies
Scrambled eggs

Snack

Whey protein shake

Lunch

Baked sweet potato
Mixed greens
Grilled chicken breast

Snack

Carrot sticks
Hard-boiled egg(s)

Dinner

Brown rice
Green beans
Broiled fish

Day 2

Breakfast

Fresh berries
Protein pancakes

Snack

Almonds
Apple slices

Lunch

Green beans
Onion
Tomato
Lettuce
Lean ground beef burger

Snack

Protein shake

Dinner

Spinach
Brown rice
Bell pepper
Shrimp stir-fried

Day 3

Breakfast

Fresh berries
Whole-grain granola
Walnuts
Greek yogurt

Snack

Protein shake

Lunch

Broccoli
Spinach salad
Grilled fish

Snack

Mushrooms
Bell peppers
Egg white omelet

Dinner

Side salad
Sweet potato
Fresh salsa
Chicken breast

Day 4

Breakfast

Scrambled egg whites
Berries
Oatmeal

Snack

Celery
Carrots
Turkey breast

Lunch

Mushrooms
Broccoli
Sirloin steak

Snack

Natural nut butter
Apples

Dinner

Mixed green salad
Brown rice
Broiled fish

Day 5

Breakfast

Oatmeal
Protein shake

Snack

Cucumbers
Hard-boiled egg whites
Sliced peppers

Lunch

Tomato salad
Grilled chicken
White bean

Snack

Nuts
Greek yogurt
Berries

Dinner

Green beans
Grilled fish
Quinoa

Day 6

Breakfast

Ezekiel bread
Scrambled egg whites
Cheese
Peppers
Herbs

Snack

Protein shake

Lunch

Romaine lettuce
Grilled chicken breast
Bell peppers
Black beans
Onions

Snack

Almonds
Apple

Dinner

Asparagus
Sirloin steak
Sweet potato

Day 7

Breakfast

Berries
Greek yogurt
Whole-grain granola

Snack

Celery sticks
Turkey breast
Carrots

Lunch

Almonds
Grilled chicken breast
Spinach
Sliced strawberries

Snack

Protein shake

Dinner

Broccoli
Brown rice
Shrimp stir-fried
Peppers
Onions

Here are some extra tips you should combine with this meal plan to lose fat and gain muscle.

Extra Tips for Weight Loss and Muscle Building Success

a couple going for a run together

1. Protein Can Help

Protein is a vital thing to both fat loss and gaining muscle. For fat loss, incorporate protein in all meals to have an enhanced thermic effect. You should note that protein-rich foods aid to enhance your metabolism because your system needs more energy to digest them.

So which foods increase the fat burning process, or thermogenesis?

Sardines, tuna, salmon
Chicken & turkey
Cottage cheese & full-fat yogurt
Red meat such as beef and pork
Eggs

2. Consider Full-Fat Dairy In Your Diet

Adding full-fat dairy to your meal provides you with many benefits. For starters, dairy products are very rich in protein content. The combination of slow- and fast-digesting proteins is believed to play a significant role in lean muscle mass growth.

Full-fat dairy also helps you feel fuller for relatively longer. Naturally, since you won’t be reaching for snacks, your calorie consumption will be much lower. Research also illustrates that fat-producing cells are prevented by enzymes in milk proteins.

Most people opt for low-fat types of dairy products, without knowing that the fat is usually replaced with sugar and many other unhealthy ingredients. Alternatively, better options are full-fat yogurt, butter, and cheese.

3. Eat Veggies With Each Meal

Veggies offer the fiber required to ensure that the digestive system is constantly functioning and processing the food you’re eating. Focus on filling half of your plate with nutrient-rich vegetables to achieve optimal digestive health.

If you also add the following veggies to your plate, you’ll have a power-packed boost.

Kale
Spinach
Broccoli
Squash
Sweet potatoes
Brussel sprouts
Peas
Carrots
Collard greens

4. Healthy Fats Are Great For You!

Some people are simply afraid of the word fat. And you shouldn’t be! Most people, especially when they are working on trimming off excess fat, think that eliminating fat from their diet is a must-do. But the reality is that this is not true.

Fat usually supplies energy to your muscles when you’re going about the day, particularly when you’re working out. What fats should you incorporate into your meals? Fatty fish like salmon, extra virgin olive oil, almonds, and avocados are all good choices.

5. Stay Away From Processed Foods!

Do you know that processed foods are just a lot of empty calories that don’t offer nutrition at all? Now you know! Although they might fill you up and satisfy your hunger for that moment, they do absolutely nothing for your body.

One of the reasons to avoid processed foods is to identify exactly what you’re putting in your body whenever you eat. Think of it this way, the most effective way to manage what’s in the calories you take in is to consume food in its natural state.

An apple is an apple, plain and simple. Healthy, wholesome foods that offer you natural benefits should be your diet’s mainstay.

Foods that consist of unhealthy fats, hidden sugars, and ingredients you cannot pronounce or even try to understand shouldn’t be in your grocery cart. You can also find a variety of fake healthy foods on today’s market that trick you into thinking you’re eating very well when in reality, you aren’t at all.

That said, there are a few things you need to remember when avoiding processed foods:

Typically, fat-free items are fat-reduced but sugar-increased.
Foods that often claim to be sugar-free or low sugar will have ingredients such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin.
There are numerous names for hidden sugar, such as barley malt, maltodextrin, sucralose, corn syrup solids, and glucose-fructose.
Rather than refined white flour when baking, opt for cassava flour, whole wheat flour, almond meal, or chickpea flour.
Gluten-free items can consist of a lot of salt, sugar, and fat. So ensure that you read the labels carefully!

6. Eat Only Unprocessed Carbs

Did you know that packaged foods consist of processed carbs that won’t benefit you in any way? And that’s why your carb count should be from unprocessed foods. Avoid filling up on carbs unnecessarily. Opt for healthy proteins and fiber-rich veggies as your primary food items, and include some good carbs to complete the meal.

Although carbs primarily fuel your muscles, you’ve got to pick your carbs wisely. These may include brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole-grain bread.

7. Exercising is Essential

One of the best things about working out is that most of the exercises will not only burn fat but will also help you to build muscle. It’s neat, as well– a kind of bonus, really– that as you gain muscle mass, your system burns more energy. The best part is that this effect also works when we’re at rest.

Think of it as an incentive to progress as much as possible. It’s an excellent reason to exercise with intensity to achieve full benefits. So, the next time when you exercise, try using some weights. You’ll soon realize that there’s just something that comes with pushing yourself to the limit. Another fascinating thing is that lifting weights may boost your metabolism.

Several studies have shown that hours after you’ve completed a strength training workout, your resting metabolic rate is usually still elevated. That means the intense weight lifting session that you powered through is still providing you with calorie-busting advantages.

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Perhaps you’re a person who enjoys a cardio workout but desires the lean muscle mass-building effect that comes with weight training? Well, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) may be the best choice for you. Short bursts of exercise, such as sprinting and jumping rope, may help to burn calories in quick workout intervals. Such bursts can be carried out throughout the day, which frees up time to focus on your strength training sessions.

Any type of exercise that gets you moving is the right kind. Avoid being sedentary. Just move your body and then combine that movement with weight training to ultimately lose fat and gain lean muscle mass.

That’s right! It is about losing fat and not losing weight. You’re keen! Weight training isn’t known for helping to lose weight. With strength training, change occurs in your body composition, and your fat is replaced by muscle. That means although the scale isn’t changing, your favorite attire will fit differently. You’re on the road to a fitter and healthier you.

It’s recommended that you lift weights at least twice weekly, or if possible, participate in a strength training workout daily.

Choosing the Right Diet

some foods from a sample diet plan

Realistically speaking, the best diet is one that you can strictly follow.

You won’t get results on any given diet plan unless you can strictly follow it. It’s only consistency over time that can help you attain your goals – and not perfect eating or several weeks of perfect eating.

In simple words, if you can remain on track the majority of the time and exercise patience, you’ll soon get there, and have a high chance of staying there.

Although a little sacrifice is required, losing weight, getting healthy, etc. does not have to be painful. You shouldn’t also feel forced to consume foods you don’t enjoy. How specific foods make you feel and your food preferences are crucial considerations before trying any new eating plan.

In case your food is making you feel bloated, tired, or simply plain awful, this might be an indication this diet isn’t a good fit.

In a nutshell, if you’re having a difficult time trying to figure out what meal plan suits you best, below are several key things to bear in mind:

Go for a diet that makes you feel great, both physically and mentally.
Pick a diet that consists of foods you enjoy eating.
Be consistent and be patient, regardless of what diet you choose.
Pick the diet you can maintain for the long term.

What Is Meal Prep? Is It Something You Should Consider?

Are you a picky eater? Perhaps you simply want control over your particular meal plan?

Meal prepping simply involves the preparation of some or all of your meals ahead to guarantee you’re consuming your favorite foods and achieving your nutrition goals daily.

But the catch is that it requires some culinary expertise and some more work than taking on a set meal plan.

Quite frankly, if you’re already cooking all of your meals, it might be a more strategic approach that ultimately saves you money and time in the long term.

Of course, there are some useful tips to keep in mind when you’re meal prepping:

You’ll have to understand your specific calorie goals and macros, including how to count macros, how to count Keto Macros, and how to count Vegan Macros.
You’ll need to plan a menu with recipes and, of course, shop for all of your food ahead.
You may have to consume the same thing for most days or become creative with seasonings and toppings.

Choosing a meal prep delivery option is an excellent method of cutting down on cooking. Note that pre-made proteins, grains, and veggies can be hand-selected, properly portioned out, and even seasoned to your preference.

Conclusion

Weight loss for men is similar to weight loss for women. You’ll have to take in fewer calories than your system requires to maintain its present weight. Ultimately, there are only two factors you must consider.

First, you need to figure out how many calories you ingest in a certain period. Second, you need to establish how many calories you burn in a certain period.

The weight loss and muscle growth meal plan is a great approach for men to be physically fit. The meal plan also offers a wide range of benefits, e.g., the ability to personalize it and encourage good physical fitness.

If you think this meal plan will improve your health, don’t hesitate to give it a try!

Meal Plan for Weight Loss + Muscle Gain for Men

Key Features of this Meal Plan for Men

Benefits of the Diet