So there is so much research out there of what foods to eat, when to eat, how much to eat and frequency of eating, that its very hard to decipher what is the best course of action or plan you should follow. I am gonna give you some basics concepts and principles to help you with some common sense find something to fit your needs and goals..
1) Simplest concept of losing weight is expending more than what you put in. You eat 2500 a day you need to be burning 2700 calories… pretty simple right? Well the concept is simple but the practice take s a little set up time and dedication and organization on your part. One you need to figure out what your current BMR is now there are calculators but these are only guestimates you need to go to a facility such as endurance rehab and have it tested and get an accurate reading. My BMR according to the calculators says I burn 2008 calories a day just being live but its probably closer to 2500 so you can see how this is important to be more accurate. Once you have figured this out you need to keep track of what you eat and how many calories you are taking in so you can adjust your intake accordingly to meet your goals
2) Which brings us to the next concept of metabolism; how can we get our metabolism or at least trick it to burn more calories while at rest..  get that BMR up… Active rest days between workout days keep the furnace going. Drinking a full glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning gets the engine running, eating smaller more frequent meals keeps a steady more even RMR   thus leading to more prolonged energy consumption. Making your workout the first thing you do in the morning can also set the tone for your metabolism throughout the day. Also eating protein before bedtime is a good way to keep your metabolism up while you are sleeping protein take more energy to break down by the body so it will be working harder through the night and often you will wake up supper hungry the next morning
3) Food pairing has a huge impact on what the body does with the energy you are consuming: For instance carbs are not bad if they are eaten alone and before a bout of energy expenditure. Protein is king….but only if its eaten by itself away from high glycemic foods and lower fats. Fats…. “good fats” and especially “bad fats” should never be eaten with carbs. Have I confused you more? Basically eat your carbs early in the day and before workouts, eat protein with small amounts of good fats…
So now that you have some concepts behind building a meal plan how do we Eat to Gain lean Muscle? I personally.. when I looked my best and felt the best I woke up in morning slammed 120z of water, ate a high fiber small carb meal for first breakfast, then I would hit the gym and eat a high protein 2n breakfast. at lunch I would eat high protein and good fats, have a afternoon snack usually an apple or similar then I would eat protein and leafy greens for dinner  and of course I consumed less calories then I was expending.
Here is a sample of 1 day meal:
1st breakfast:hot buckwheat cereal with raisins apples and walnuts
2nd breakfast: egg white omelets with spinach mushrooms and tomatoes
lunch: 2 chicken breast with chipotle rub and side of arugula and avocados (lemon and safflower oil dressing)
snack: apple
Diner: tilapia with lemon and capers side of broccoli
Night snack: 1/2 a chicken or turkey breast with a dry rub no crabs at all not even veggies
here are some other meal plans to follow and a list of food s to help you reduce your gut…..
