Weight Loss Muscle Building Diet

Gaining lean muscle while maintaining or lowering fat levels is difficult. There are many scientific and anecdotal studies that come to conflicting conclusions. But there are some common points that most fitness and nutrition experts seem to agree on. Getting the best results requires dedication and diet discipline.

Protein

Of all the information available on diet and lean muscle mass, one fact sticks out: you must consume lean protein to build and maintain muscle mass. Good sources of lean protein are egg whites, lean cuts of poultry and fish, whey protein supplements and legumes.
Other sources of protein that aren't as lean but are still good to occasionally include in a lean-muscle-building diet are whole eggs, red meat, pork and dairy products.

Ratios

To gain lean muscle mass without gaining weight you must consume the correct ratios of nutrients. There are lots of differing views on the exact proportions you should follow, but here are some general guidelines and why you should pick one over the other.
If you are very active and you do strength training at least three times a week, you should eat a higher ratio of protein. To cut down on gaining weight from added fat, you should keep your carbohydrates at a lower level than fats. This may seem counterintuitive, but when your body adjusts to a high-protein, moderate-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, it becomes efficient at burning extra stored fat as energy once the carbohydrates have been depleted. So for active people a ratio of 50 percent protein, 30 percent fat, and 20 percent carbohydrates is a good choice.
For moderately active people, who may do one to two days strength training a week and primarily cardiovascular workouts, a less-protein-heavy diet is a better choice. Eating 40 percent protein, 30 percent fat, and 30 percent carbohydrates will work well.
For sedentary people who want to increase lean muscle mass, a higher protein diet is a good choice. Having more abundant amounts of protein available for use encourages the body to build lean muscle. Eating 45 to 50 percent protein, 20 to 25 percent fat, and 30 percent carbohydrates is a good range for this group.
The ratios above aren't representative of extremely low-carbohydrate diets. They include more carbs than Atkins and ketogenic diet guidelines.

Calories

Unless you're planning on competing in a body-building competition, overall calorie intake doesn't necessarily have to be the primary concern as long as you keep your ratios the same. A good rule of thumb for people trying to gain lean muscle mass is to eat 10 to 15 calories per pound of body weight. If you're already fairly lean or have a high metabolism you should stick to the higher end of the calorie range to make sure your body doesn't break down muscle for nutrients.
If you're overweight or have a slower metabolism stick to the lower end of the calorie range.
For example, if you're an active 150 pound man with high metabolism you should eat roughly 2,250 calories a day. If you're a sedentary man with a slower metabolism you should eat around 1,500-1,700 calories a day. As you become leaner you can actually increase your caloric intake because muscle burns more calories at rest than fat.
There are certain people who should only eat moderate to high levels of protein under the supervision of their doctor. If you're diabetic or have kidney disease it can be dangerous to eat a high-protein diet due to the strain it puts on your kidneys.
All people on a high protein diet need to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. Pure water helps flush the waste created when the body digests protein and burns fat.