Several years back we launched a Summer Body Project campaign for MEN’S FITNESS magazine. We collaborated with three HFP contributors: Rob Smith, Jason Martuscello, and Tim McComsey. All three joined us for a conference call to discuss creating a training program that all would agree with. The goal was to design something easy-to-follow and suitable for the following two types: folks on the skinny side trying to gain mass and folks on the heavier side trying to lose fat. Given the two different goals, hence the name, Double-Sided Diet, the nutrition would be slightly different. Tim McComsey, a registered dietician took on the task to creating a blueprint to eating.
If you’re looking to apply this diet to a training plan, the options are endless. If you’re looking to gain we suggest the wildly-popular 4-week Bulk Up, if you’re looking to lose, we suggest the 6-week Trim Up. If you want something in between, check out Redemption, Reconstruction, or Unlabeled. Hell, give us a follow on Instagram for all of our programs in our highlights section @humanfitproject
The Double-Sided Diet is portion control:
We gain or lose weight based on the quantity of food we eat. Eat more (calories) than the body needs, weight is gained. Eat less than the body needs, weight is lost. Whether that weight gain or weight loss is muscle or fat comes down to the quality of food, or the macronutrient breakdown of it. (Protein, carbs, and fats). For a much deeper dive on eating for building muscle and losing fat, we highly suggest you see our piece on intuitive eating. There’s even another sample diet plan is this doesn’t seem like it’s for you.
The Double-Sided Diet meal plan
The following meal plan is based on a male wanting to hit a weight of 175 pounds.
MEAL 1
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 2 whole organic eggs | 1 whole organic egg |
| 1/2 cup egg whites | 2 egg whites |
| 1 cup oats mixed in water | 1/2 cup oats mixed in water |
| 1 large orange, apple or grapefruit | 1/2 cup berries |
MEAL 1 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 600 | CALORIES: 320 |
| Protein: 32 | Protein: 20 |
| Carbs: 80 | Carbs: 37 |
| Fat: 16 | Fat: 8 |
MEAL 2
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 1 cup Greek yogurt (2%) | 3/4 cup Greek yogurt (0%) |
| 1/4 cup walnuts | 1/8 cup almonds or walnuts |
| 1 cup berries |
MEAL 2 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 370 | CALORIES: 145 |
| Protein: 25 | Protein: 17 |
| Carbs: 31 | Carbs: 6 |
| Fat: 17 | Fat: 6 |
MEAL 3
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 6 oz organic chicken breast | 4 oz organic chicken breast |
| 1 cup brown rice | 1/4 cup brown rice |
| 1 tbsp olive oil | 2 tbsp olive oil |
| 1 cup green vegetables | 1 cup green vegetables |
MEAL 3 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 645 | CALORIES: 490 |
| Protein: 58 | Protein: 35 |
| Carbs: 55 | Carbs: 16 |
| Fat: 20 | Fat: 32 |
MEAL 4 (shake)
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 2 scoops whey protein | 1 scoop whey protein |
| 12 oz almond milk | 8 oz almond milk (unsweetened) |
| 3 tbsp organic peanut butter | 2 tbsp almond butter |
| 1/2 cup dry oats | |
| 1 large banana |
MEAL 4 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 815 | CALORIES: 375 |
| Protein: 57 | Protein: 32 |
| Carbs: 63 | Carbs: 8 |
| Fat: 37 | Fat: 24 |
MEAL 5
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 6 oz wild salmon | 4 oz wild salmon |
| 6 oz sweet potato | 2 oz sweet potato |
| 2 cups green vegetables | 1 tsp olive oil |
MEAL 5 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 460 | CALORIES: 250 |
| Protein: 40 | Protein: 25 |
| Carbs: 45 | Carbs: 12 |
| Fat: 14 | Fat: 12 |
MEAL 6 (pre-sleep shake)
| TO GAIN | TO LOSE |
| 2 scoops whey protein | 1 scoop whey protein |
| 12 oz almond milk | 8 oz almond milk (unsweetened) |
| 3 tbsp almond butter | 2 tbsp almond butter |
MEAL 6 approximate breakdowns
| CALORIES: 560 | CALORIES: 365 |
| Protein: 59 | Protein: 32 |
| Carbs: 12 | Carbs: 8 |
| Fat: 32 | Fat: 24 |
APPROXIMATE DAILY MEAL TOTALS: Gain
Calories: 3,450
Protein
Carbs
Fats
APPROXIMATE DAILY MEAL TOTALS: Lose
Calories: 1,945
Protein
Carbs
Fats
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