Meal Plan To Lose Weight And Keep Muscle

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. 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.

Many weight-loss plans target water mass over fat mass, because it produces a bigger shift on the scales. After a week spent starving, you might be lighter, but only because you have expelled water. Not quite the kind of weight loss you were after. This is why creating your own meal plan for muscle gain and fat loss with the correct calorie and macronutrient amounts for your body is so important.

The 4 Week Muscle Up Meal Plan

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.

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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 in your meal plan for muscle gain and fat loss. (Don’t worry, we’ll translate the science into delicious meals later.)

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.

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.

Body Recomposition Calculator: Build Muscle And Lose Fat

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.

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.

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.

How To Eat For Muscle Gain

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.

There are a few fundamental pieces of kit that will make the process of designing a meal plan a whole lot more efficient. Check them out:

Now you know how to structure your nutrition, here are 5 recipe ideas varying in calories to help you fit your macro and calorie goals to build muscle and burn fat.

Best Diets For Weight Loss 2024

1 lb skinless chicken breast tenders (or breast cut into strips). Marinade: 1 1/2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons stoneground or Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon onion, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil

2 cups lettuce, chopped, 1 1/2 cups purple cabbage, shredded, 1 cup raw broccoli florets, chopped. 1/2 cucumber, chopped, 4 tablespoons sliced almonds, 4 tablespoons low mein noodles, 8 tablespoons low-calorie (no oil) balsamic dressing

Roasted Veggies: 2 medium zucchini, chopped, 1 medium red onion chopped, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, Pinch of sea salt & pepper, 1 tablespoon butter. Eggs (lightly beaten): 6 whole eggs, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder. Pinch of sea salt & pepper. 6 tablespoons reduced fat cheddar (optional). Garnish: green onion.

Meal Plan For Weight Loss: A 7 Day Kickstart

1/2 lb dry red kidney beans, 1/2 lb dry white (cannellini) beans, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, 1 yellow onion diced, 2 celery stalks diced, 1 poblano pepper (or green bell pepper) diced, 3 cloves garlic minced. Seasonings: 1 1/2 tablespoons The Fit Cook Cajun seasoning (or low sodium cajun seasoning of your choice), 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, pinch of sea salt & fresh cracked pepper, 8 cups (2 quarts) low sodium vegetable broth, 2 bay leaves. 4 cups cooked brown rice, sea salt & pepper to taste. Garnish: fresh green onion.

1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil, 1 bell pepper, sliced, 1/2 medium onion sliced. Shrimp: 1 1/2 lb raw jumbo shrimp, 1 tablespoon chilli powder, pinch of sea salt & pepper, 1 1/2 cups (frozen) brown rice cooked, 1 cup no salt added black beans, 2 teaspoons cumin (optional), Juice from 1 lime, 1/2 cup frozen corn (optional), 1/2 cup red enchilada sauce.

2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 medium onion diced, 3 garlic cloves, 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 carrot chopped, 1 yellow/orange bell pepper chopped, 1 medium zucchini chopped, 1 can (14.5oz) diced (fire roasted) tomatoes, 4oz – 6oz water, 5 tablespoons tomato paste, Sea salt & pepper to taste. Garnish: 8 tablespoons parmesan, shredded (2 tablespoons per serving), freshly torn basil (optional).

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Diet & Weight Loss