Tip How to Stay Lean and Still Build Muscle Search Skip to content Menu Menu follow us Store Articles Community Loyal-T Club Loyal-T Points Rewards Subscribe to Save Search Search The World s Trusted Source & Community for Elite Fitness Diet & Fat LossEating Tip How to Stay Lean and Still Build Muscle Seven simple tips to help you build muscle without packing on the fat by Paul Carter July 4, 2017April 5, 2021 Tags Building Muscle, Diet Strategy, Nutrition & Supplements, Tips You don't have to stay ripped year around, but you absolutely can stay lean and pack on quality muscle by doing the following: Shoot for 1 to 1.25 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. Don't piss me off by asking if that's "grams per pound of lean body mass." No. It's grams per pound of bodyweight. It's unlikely that protein can be turned into fat, and there's never been a single study done that shows that very high protein diets cause any health problems. So, when in doubt, eat more protein. Include most of your daily carb intake in your peri and post-workout feedings. This is when your body will be able to use the incoming nutrients most efficiently for replenishing glycogen and uptake of amino acids into the muscle. It's also when it's less likely to store it as body fat. Get your fat sources from nut butters, nuts, olive oil, and fish. But don't go crazy here. Watch those calories. Eat two pounds of vegetables a day, minimum. I don't need science for this. Just do it and thank me. Veggies will improve your digestion and fulfill your micronutrient needs. Get a lot of different "colors" in there to ensure your bases are covered. Do your best to eliminate processed and fast foods, candy, and soda from your diet. Having them in moderation is fine, but try to meet the 90% rule (eat right 90% of the time) in regards to eating quality protein, good fats, tons of vegetables, and pushing your carbs into peri and post-workout meals. This really uncomplicates things. If you need to gain more weight, eat more carbs during your post-workout meals. Yes, it really can be that simple. Get The T Nation Newsletters Don' t Miss Out Expert Insights To Get Stronger, Gain Muscle Faster, And Take Your Lifting To The Next Level related posts Diet & Fat Loss Man Fuel 1 Despite what you might think from the title of this article "Man Fuel" is NOT the name of a new supplement from TwinLab. Instead, it's the name of a new Question and Answer column from Testosterone contributor Mike Roussell. Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Mike Roussell, PhD April 25 Diet & Fat Loss Protein Will Not Make You Fat Eat as much protein as you want and it won't turn to fat. In fact, a new study shows it almost all turns to muscle. Check it out. Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Dylan Klein September 24 Eating Kill the Dumb Diets What makes you fat? Insulin? The quality of food you eat? Or is it just calories in, calories out? Here's where most so-called diet gurus go wrong. Diet Strategy, Dietary Myth Busting, Feeding the Ideal Body, Nutrition & Supplements Paul Carter April 5 Diet & Fat Loss Pulse Fast For Mass Phases Fasting isn't just for skinny chicks. Build muscle without gaining fat. Here's how. Diet Strategy, Feeding the Ideal Body, Intermittent Fasting, Nutrition & Supplements Lonnie Lowery, PhD December 15