Muscle Builders question from a girl :)

ThaRealNicki

Im trying to help my fiance' learn how to build muscle. The weight training part is easy and we both understand it very well. Im trying to lose weight so I dont know much about what kind of diet he should have to build up size. So basically I need to know a few essentials....

What should his diet mainly consist of?

How often should he eat? Even before and after workouts?

How many calories should he be eating? What is the macro percentages he should be aiming for?

MORE INFO: He's 5'7, 151lbs (with a small belly)

THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE INFORMATION IM ABOUT TO RECIEVE, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT

amnsetie

Make an account for him here to find out how much he should eat.
I know he should eat a fair bit of protein

really posting to bump this for you though

Firefox7275

He needs to eat more than his TDEE which depends on his overall activity levels as well as weight - workouts, activities of daily living including employment. Most men find it easiest to split the calories up over four to six meals, eating 3000 or more calories in two to three meals is tough.

Eating before workouts is relatively personal because some people find they get sick with very intense activity, others find they 'hit the wall' if they train on an empty stomach but ideally yes some protein and carbs. Afterwards the body can certainly (and does) refuel and repair with nutrients taken at a later point, but many find recovery is faster and even DOMS (soreness) is reduced if they eat consume some protein and carbs within an hour. This is particularly valuable for those who are hoping to train intensively the following day. For those who are eating six reasonably evenly spaced meals/ snacks per day they won't ever be eating too long before or too long after a workout anyway so may well not need to do anything 'special'.

Recommended macro splits vary, protein can be calculated on total body weight or on lean body weight, I have hypertrophy clients take up to a maximum of 2g per kilo of bodyweight initially. If you take too much you can end up with the excess converting to pricey carbs in the body, struggling to eat enough from other food groups so not getting all the nutrients the body needs.

Diet should be relatively standard healthy diet because you want overall optimal function including digestion, energy production, muscle, tendon and ligament repair - loads of fruit and vegetables, dairy products, protein at every meal and snack, oily fish daily or a high strength supplement, plenty of other healthy fats such as nuts and seeds, whole carbs such as beans and lentils.

Protein tends to be overly focussed upon, too many fail to consider the importance of minerals and fats, a moderate amount of saturated animal fats is as essential as omega-3s (and vitamin D) from oily fish. Calcium is key for strong bones, muscle contraction, reduced body fat, magnesium also supports bone health, is key in muscle relaxation and certain hormonal pathways, these are just examples there are many other minerals and many other key functions. Basically micronutrients are as important as macronutrients.