2800 Calorie Diet Plan

Eat a protein- and carbohydrate-rich 2,800 calorie diet to maintain muscle health and activity levels. Active men benefit from increasing their calorie intake to 2,800 calories a day to add lean muscle. Be sure your diet is balanced between carbohydrates, fats and protein. The National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine recommends your calories be 45 percent to 65 percent from carbohydrates, 20 percent to 35 percent from fats and 10 percent to 35 percent from protein.

What to Eat

Eating 2,800 calories means a lot of food, but that doesn't mean loading up on sugar, salt and grease. To gain muscle and not fat, select whole natural proteins such as skinless chicken, turkey, fish, very lean meats, beans, tofu, low-fat dairy products and eggs. These are broken down into amino acids for tissue repair, maintenance and muscle growth. Protein is extremely important to include in nearly every meal, especially if you are weight training.

Carbohydrate-laden foods are also important for building muscle, because they keep you active and give you energy for perform rigorous workouts. High-carbohydrate eating also helps maintain lean body mass. Not all carbs are alike. Select nutrient-rich foods such as 100 percent whole-wheat bread and cereal, brown rice, pasta, beans, starchy vegetables and fruit.

Eating the right fats is another vital part to building a hot body. Eating fat does not make you fat, but eating foods full of trans-fats or saturated fat will help add a few unwanted pounds. Instead of heading for the Snickers aisle select natural peanut butter, olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts and seeds.

When to Eat

When you eat, and how much you eat at one time, can make or break your 2,800-calorie regimen. Eating too much immediately before your workout can make feeling sluggish and make it difficult to achieve muscle fatigue; not eating enough beforehand won't give you enough energy to work out. You also want to eat several small meals throughout the day instead of three large ones. Maintain even glucose levels by feeding your body adequate nutrition all day long so you don't have heavy dips or spikes in sugar levels, which could lower your energy.

Aim to eat approximately 200 to 300 calories every few hours throughout your day. After a heavy meal, wait three to four hours before working out; after a light meal, wait two to three hours. Eat 12 to 15 grams of protein before working out, to keep muscle healthy. You also should eat within 30 minutes of completing a heavy workout. Consume 12 to 15 grams of protein and at least 35 grams of carbohydrates after resistance training.