Maintaining or increasing your overall muscle mass all starts with a healthy diet. The key is to eat nutritionally dense foods while eliminating those containing empty calories, such as sugary drinks and snacks. The health and fitness experts at MuscleandStrength have put together a solid base muscle-building diet plan for maximizing your muscle tone.
The Facts
The muscle-building/maintenance plan is based on a 3,000 calorie-a-day diet plan, which is ideal for someone in the 160 lb. range, according to MuscleandStrength. Your exact calorie intake may be higher or lower depending upon your body weight and specific dietary needs. Consult your doctor to get a more accurate picture of your ideal daily calorie intake range. The focus of this diet plan is eating enough high-quality protein, which is essential for building muscle.
Function
The function of this diet is to help you burn fat and build muscle. You are required to lift weights or engage in some sort of resistance training on a regular basis -- ideally, three to five times per week. This diet plan is flexible in that you can eat a variety of foods as long as they fall within the similar food group, and you can adjust your overall calorie intake based on whether you want to increase your muscle mass or simply burn fat and tone your body.
Time Frame
It takes time to build muscle through eating a healthy diet, but you can expect to see results within four to six weeks in most cases. The key is to get enough rest between workouts. Muscle tissue rebuilds itself after each workout, and that's how it grows in size. By getting enough rest in between workouts -- usually one day is adequate -- and feeding your body the right nutrition, you can expect noticeable results within a month.
Features
This diet features a seven-meal-a-day plan that will have you eating every 2 to 3 hours. It also requires that you supplement whey protein in order to include high-quality protein in your diet. Each protein shake is between 30 and 40 g of protein. Although whey protein is generally recognized as safe, it's best to consult your doctor before using this supplementing. Vegetarians can swap whey protein with a soy protein product. The total protein intake of this plan is about 280 g per day, which is between 30 and 60 g per meal.
Meals
Breakfast starts off with a protein shake followed by an egg omelet and two pieces of toast. The second meal consists of another protein shake and a banana. Next, eat ground beef chili with brown rice. A couple hours later, have a weight gainer or protein shake. After a weightlifting session, your post-workout meal includes a protein shake and optional creatine, L-glutamine and dextrose -- ask your doctor about these supplements first. Your sixth meal of the day includes a chicken breast, green vegetables and baked potato. Before bedtime, you can drink one more protein shakes mixed with water.
Warning
Eating too much protein can result in adverse effects, including kidney problems and weight gain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that the average adult women consume 46 g of protein per day while men should eat 52 g daily. Talk to your doctor before exceeding those recommendations. Many athletes and bodybuilders consume far more than the recommended levels of protein, but it is not safe for some people.
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