Nutritionists recommend a 2,300-calories diet on a daily basis, depending on body weight. When it comes to men, an average male weighs some 200 lbs. With this diet plan, if a 200-pound man works out three to four times a week, he should be dropping 1 lb per week and achieving a staggering muscle gain. However, a 220-pound man can lose some 5 lbs. What matters is to be consistent and avoid worrying about numbers and statistics. The program itself is bound to provide great results, only if you are willing to put in lots of effort. In order to be successful, you are advised to organize your meals as follows:
1st Meal Option – BREAKFAST
At 8 a.m., boil 2 eggs or prepare ½ cup of oatmeal with ½ cup of berries, either fresh or frozen, and drink 1 cup of fat-free or low-fat milk.
In addition, you can prepare a multivitamin complex supplement to keep you going through your busy day. Make sure that your supplement contains 100% of all essential daily nutrients.
The reason why this meal is so optimal is that eggs and dairy products contain great quality protein which is practical and affordable to almost everyone. On the other hand, oatmeal belongs to a group of slow-burning carbohydrates that will remain in your body for hours to come and fuel it with the necessary energy. Furthermore, you can find soluble fiber in oatmeal, an outstanding natural heart protection. Also, berries are rich in antioxidants, crucial for solving issues such as stress.
If, for some reason, you cannot prepare this meal, an orange and some cereal with raisins will achieve a similar effect. In lieu of eggs, what you can do is eat some cheese, preferably cottage cheese, or low-fat sausages.
In between breakfast and lunch, you can treat yourself with a light salad, but make sure to take in lots of water. Muscles are formed from 75% of pure water, thus you cannot let your body dehydrate. It will only reduce the level of your workout performance.
2nd Meal Option – LUNCH
At 2 p.m., for lunch, you should prepare a sandwich containing a sliced turkey or chicken breast. Place the meat in between two slices of whole-grain bread and spread 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise. Be careful with mayonnaise as it can be high in fat, so do not put more than suggested. To make the sandwich even better, add lettuce, onions, tomatoes or peppers to your liking. Finally, imbibe a glass of water after lunch.
The reason why this meal is ideal is that deli meat is high protein, similar to the eggs described in the breakfast section. The bread, which is whole-grain, is another slow-burning carb and will retain the feeling of fullness for quite some time. Mayonnaise bears no relevance nutrition-wise, it merely gives the sandwich some flavor. If you are not a fan of mayonnaise at all, you may remove it from your meal plan.
In case you want to create a variety in your meals, replace the sandwich with an occasional can of soup, minestrone soup, for instance. When making the soup, add 3 oz of chicken or turkey to raise the amount of protein in your meal.
According to some studies, the period around 5:30 p.m., after lunch and before dinner, is a good time for a gym workout.
3rd Meal Option – DINNER
Instead of a real, abundant meal, your dinner in accordance with this plan should consist of a shake or a smoothie, whatever you feel like at a certain moment. After tiring exercises, the best choice for your body is to prepare 1 ½ scoops of whey protein powder and 1 cup of some fruit juice, for example orange.