Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

Meal plans are extremely important when it comes to weight loss. When I started my weight loss journey, meal plans played a big role in helping me. The reason I say this is because they’re effective in making you eat the right foods, while making healthy food choices.

Most diets create a huge calorie deficit and aim at burning your fat as fast as possible. On the other hand, I wanted to gain mass and lean muscles without getting fat. Because of this I continued reading and researching about effective diet plans that could help me achieve my goals. After a while, I created my own diet plan which allowed me to reach a healthy body weight while gaining muscles and improving health parameters. After all, if you want to take control of your weight, then this is the way to go. Here is why: I’m going to talk about Meal Plan For Weight Loss And Muscle Gain Male pdf, make sure you read this article.

Meal Plan For Weight Loss And Muscle Gain Male pdf

Your bodyweight is important, sure – but energy, immunity and muscle mass (not to mention your sanity) can too often fall by the wayside. Now, perhaps more than ever, hanging on to your strength is crucial. That’s why our four-step eating plan is different. It’s designed to trim what you don’t want while fortifying what you do – no obscure superfoods, expensive supplements or grass-fed unicorn required

Here’s the thing: there’s a reason why diets are synonymous with deprivation. When weight loss is the foremost goal – as it often is – we tend to fixate on what we can’t have and less so on what we need more of to ensure that our bodies are able to function at their best.

As a goal, “weight loss” alone is fairly meaningless. Take boxer Anthony Joshua. At 110kg and 6ft 6in, his body-mass index makes him technically “overweight”. That’s plainly ridiculous. But it illustrates a point: if you’re only focusing on eating less and dropping kilos, you’re not truly working on achieving the powerful body you want.

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You’ve heard that muscle weighs more than fat. Many weight-loss plans target dense muscle over fat mass, because it produces a bigger shift on the scales. After a week spent starving, you might be lighter, but only because your fat-to-muscle ratio has tipped the wrong way. So, for men who are serious about getting in shape, there are plenty of reasons to eat smarter: raising your immune system, elevating your energy, boosting endurance and getting stronger – particularly if recent events have necessitated a gym hiatus.

“Diet is a key piece of rebuilding strength,” says Brian St Pierre of Precision Nutrition. “Without sufficient macronutrients and micronutrients, you won’t be able to recover adequately or perform at your peak.”

And that kind of strength will benefit not just your workouts, but your focus on work, your mental resilience and everything in between. Will you lose fat on this programme? Absolutely. But far more importantly, you will do so without weakening your body in the process.

Step 1: Diversify Your Fuel

Some crash diets slash entire food groups as a way to shock your system into weight loss. But the big surprise is how quickly it piles back on again. To strengthen your entire body and support lasting change, you need to eat a range of nutrients, says St Pierre. Here’s exactly why each is important. (Don’t worry, we’ll translate the science into delicious meals later.)

ENHANCES YOUR STRENGTH BY REPAIRING AND GROWING YOUR MUSCLE TISSUE

Protein

Nutrients that occur only in animal foods, such as creatine, will further stoke muscle power and strength. Red meat is the best source, but vegans can find it in supplement form. Other examples include carnosine, linked to muscle function and reduced fatigue.

SUPPLY THE FUEL TO WORK OUT LONGER AND HARDER AND KEEP HORMONES IN BALANCE

Slow-Burn Carbs

These occur only in plant foods, with distinct colours signifying different types. Phytonutrients reduce training-induced inflammation and boost your all-round health. Examples you’ve heard of include carotenoids, flavonoids and resveratrol. Found only in mushrooms and other fungi, myconutrients will help you avoid deficiencies that might be sapping your strength.

TRAINER HARDER AND FOR LONGER, FOR LIFE

Healthy Fats

We don’t just mean those derived from plants like avocado and nuts, or from oily fish, but also those found in less obvious suspects such as egg yolks, grass-fed beef, pork and organ meats. Unprocessed fats from whole foods lower inflammation, protect hormone balance, support joint health and improve immunity, so you’ll never have to miss a workout.

Step 2: Calculate Your Portions

This involves a little bit of maths for a whole lot of progress. You don’t need to follow this to the letter to see results, but adjusting your intake of proteins, fats and carbs will reap rewards when you’re back in the gym, no gains lost. Use this guide to ensure that the fuel you fill up on is fit for purpose.

• Set Your Calories If you want to maintain your current bodyweight but add strength and muscle mass, your total daily caloric goal should be about 15 times your bodyweight in pounds. So, if you weigh 160lb, that’s 2,400kcal per day.
• Prioritise Protein You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: spreading your protein intake evenly throughout the day is crucial for maintaining muscle mass. The oft-cited target of 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight is the gold standard. So if you weigh 160lb that’s 160g of protein, or 40g per meal with two 20g snacks.
• Fill in Your Fats You need to derive at least 20% of your calories from fats in order to maintain your hormone levels, says St Pierre. That might equate to roughly 500kcal, depending on your size. (We’ll do the maths for you later on.)
• Pile on the Carbs Start with a base of 20% – if that sounds low, there’s space to build on it. St Pierre recommends diversifying the carbs you eat, making sure to include phytonutrients and myconutrients. You can tinker with this percentage as you adapt the diet to suit your tastes and specific needs.
• Start Experimenting! You might notice you have some calories left over: about 750kcal. How you allocate them is up to you. St Pierre advises trialling a few different systems, adding more fat or more carbs until you find a balance that satisfies your stomach and your taste buds. If you’re not sure where to start, split the remaining calories equally into carbs and fat and see how that feels.

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Step 3: Turn Maths into Meals

All this talk of measurements and macros, but what does that look like on a plate? Take the numbers you calculated in Step 2 and turn them into a plan for creating easy daily meals. Because you have enough to think about.

Step 4: Now Build Your Meal Plan

How you choose to enjoy the Strong Man Plan is up to you. Once you have your portions sorted, you’re free to mix and match at will. Click through the gallery below to see what a typical day’s eating might look like for our 68kg man.

Breakfast: Savoury Oat Bowl

Ingredients:
Oats, 30g, cooked with water; spinach, a bag, sautéed; cremini mushrooms, 4, quartered and grilled; prosciutto, 2 slices, torn and grilled; eggs, 2, soft-boiled 

Method:
Top your oats with the spinach, mushrooms – a powerful virus-fighter – prosciutto pieces and eggs. A source of healthy fats and vitamin D, the yolks support testosterone production. Drizzle with oil, crack over some freshly ground black pepper and tuck in. Simple as that.

449kcal, 30g protein, 38g carbs, 21g fat

10 BEST FOODS TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

What are the best foods to lose fat and build muscle? Remember, it’s essential to exercise in combination with eating well to reach your goals. Foods that can help you get in the shape you want are listed below: 

1. FULL-FAT DAIRY

You know me, I can never say enough good things about Greek yogurt. On the fat loss side, Greek yogurt contains conjugated linoleic acid, known to burn fat and promote weight loss. As for muscle building, slow-digesting dairy proteins contribute to muscle gain. Cottage cheese is another protein-filled snack that helps to fill you up.  

2. EGGS

Eggs stay with you and help promote fullness. Additionally, the protein in eggs can increase your metabolic weight for several hours after you eat them. The amino acids in this ultra-nutritional food increase muscle gain. So, eggs are one of the best foods to lose fat and gain muscle.

3. FISH LIKE SALMON, TUNA AND TILAPIA

The mega-3 fatty acids in fish like salmon not only reduce inflammation but are also one of the best foods to help you lose fat. How? Fish helps lessen the production of cortisol ( a stress hormone that can lead to increased fat storage). It’s good for both heart and muscular health.

4. WHEY PROTEIN

Whey protein is thought to protect and conserve muscle in the body when losing weight. That’s a pretty impressive characteristic of this food. Whey protein is easily added to smoothies and other nutritional drinks. It can keep you full and promotes fat burning, too.

5. APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is one of my go-to hunger reducers. Now that I follow an intermittent fasting eating regimen, I drink a lot of water (one of the must-do’s!). I add apple cider vinegar, and doing so helps stave off hunger.

As well, the acetic acid in the vinegar is thought to lessen the accumulation of fat in the stomach and increase the body’s ability to lose fat. To learn more about the weight loss benefits of ACV, watch my video about it.

6. MEATS (LIKE LEAN BEEF AND CHICKEN BREAST)

Vitamins, like B6, in particular, are known to give you the stamina you need during exercise. Lean beef, turkey, and chicken are considered essentials for gaining muscle. These proteins boost the body without a heavy calorie load, and that’s why they are so beneficial. 

7. QUINOA

Quinoa is a carbohydrate that provides the nourishment required to keep your energy up when exercising and throughout the day, in general. Athletes who are ready to run a marathon, for example, will fuel their body with a meal that includes carbs as a way to maintain stamina.

8. BROWN RICE

Brown rice has a bit of protein but, more importantly, is another useful source of carbs. Considered almost as good as whey for muscle building, brown rice is gluten-free, It contains vitamins and minerals key to providing energy when you need it.

9. NUTS LIKE ALMONDS AND PEANUTS

Nuts have a fair amount of calories but also have components like phosphorus, which helps the body build protein and use carbs for energy. Magnesium is found in nuts, too. It regulates muscle function and builds protein.

10. BEANS AND LEGUMES

Chickpeas, edamame, and kidney beans are all excellent ways to add protein to the diet. Edamame, in particular, contains the all-important folate that helps with muscle strength. Beans, like black or kidney beans, are packed with iron and phosphorus (aids in protein building.)

AVOID PROCESSED FOODS TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Processed foods are really a lot of empty calories that do not provide nutrition at all. Sure, they fill you up and satisfy hunger for the moment, but they do nothing for your body.

The simplest reason for avoiding processed foods is to know exactly what you are putting in your body every time you eat. Look at it this way, the best way to have control over what’s in the calories you eat is to eat food in its natural state.

An orange is an orange, plain and simple and a chicken breast, is well, chicken. Healthy, wholesome foods that are naturally good for you should be the mainstay of your diet.

Foods that have hidden sugars, unhealthy fats, and ingredients you can’t pronounce or even attempt to understand should not be in your grocery cart. There are also a lot of fake healthy foods out there that trick you into thinking you are eating well, when in fact, you aren’t at all.

Remember these tips when avoiding processed foods:

• Foods that claim to be low sugar or sugar-free will have ingredients like aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose
• Fat-free items are typically fat-reduced but sugar-increased
• There are lots of names for hidden sugar, like maltodextrin, barley malt, sucralose, glucose-fructose, and corn syrup solids
• Gluten-free items can contain a lot of sugar, salt, and fat, so read the labels carefully
• Instead of refined white flour when baking, look to whole wheat flour, cassava flour, chickpea flour, or almond meal

Just don’t eat from a package! It’s as simple as it sounds. To easily stay on track with healthy eating, take a look at my meal prep video, and start making healthy meals ahead of time.

EAT PROTEIN EVERY DAY TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Protein is essential to both fat loss and muscle gain. For fat loss, include protein in every meal to have an increased thermic effect. You see, protein-rich foods help to increase your metabolism because your body requires more energy to digest them.

Which foods increase the thermogenesis, or fat burning process?

• Chicken and turkey
• Sardines, salmon, tuna
• Cottage cheese and full-fat yogurt
• Eggs
• Red meat like pork and beef

EAT FULL-FAT DAIRY TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Including full-fat dairy in your meal offers many benefits. For one, dairy products are high in protein. The combination of fast- and slow-digesting proteins are thought to contribute to lean muscle mass growth. 

As well, full-fat dairy helps you feel fuller for longer. Naturally, because you won’t be reaching for snacks as a result, your calorie intake will be lower. Studies also show that fat-producing cells are inhibited by enzymes in milk proteins.

People often go for the low-fat versions of dairy products, not realizing that the fat is replaced with sugar and other unhealthy ingredients. Instead, better choices are full-fat yogurt, cheese, and butter.

EAT VEGGIES WITH EVERY MEAL TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Veggies provide the fiber needed to keep the digestive system working and processing the food you are eating. Aim to fill half of your plate with nutrient-dense vegetables for optimum digestive health.

These veggies add a power-packed boost to your plate:

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

HEALTHY FATS ARE GOOD FOR YOU

Don’t be afraid of the word fat. A lot of people, especially when they want to lose fat, think that cutting fat out of the diet is a must-do. In fact, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Fat supplies energy to the muscles when you are going about your day, and especially when you are exercising. What fats should you include in your meals? Almonds, avocados, fatty fish like salmon, and extra virgin olive oil are all good choices. 

EAT ONLY UNPROCESSED CARBS TO LOSE FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE

Packaged foods contain processed carbs that are not going to benefit you in any way. Get your carb count from unprocessed foods, and don’t fill up on carbs unnecessarily. Look to fiber-filled veggies and healthy proteins as your primary food items, and add in some good carbs to round out the meal. 

Carbs do fuel your muscles, but you’ve got to choose your carbs wisely.

• Brown rice
• Whole grain bread
• Oatmeal
• Quinoa

EXERCISING BUILDS MUSCLE MASS AND HELPS YOU LOSE FAT

The great thing about exercising is that a lot of exercises will burn fat and build muscle, both at the same time. It’s neat, too – a kind of bonus, actually – that as you build muscle mass, your body burns more energy. This effect even works when we are at rest.

So, to me, that is an incentive to move as much as you can. It’s a great reason to work out with intensity to get full benefits.

That’s why when I exercise, I like to use weights. To me, there’s just something about pushing myself to the limit. And to boot, lifting weights can boost your metabolism. 

It’s been proven that hours after you have completed a strength training exercise, your resting metabolic rate is still elevated. So, the intense weight lifting session you powered through is continuing to give you calorie-busting benefits. 

If you are someone who loves a cardio workout but wants the lean muscle mass building effect of weight training, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) may be for you. How does it work? Short bursts of exercise, like jumping rope and sprinting, can help to burn calories in quick exercise intervals. These bursts can be done throughout the day, freeing up time to concentrate on your strength training sessions.

Whichever type of exercise gets you moving is the best kind. Don’t be sedentary. Move your body and combine that movement with strength training to lose fat and build lean muscle mass.

Notice that I did not say lose weight. Weight training is not known for helping people to lose weight. More importantly, through strength training, your body composition changes, and the fat is replaced by muscle. So, even though the scale isn’t changing, your clothes will fit differently. You are on the way to a healthier and more fit you.

Lift weights at least twice a week, or if you can, take part in a strength training workout at least every other day.