2200 Calorie Meal Plan
Fuel for Maintenance & Growth

Yes, 2200 calories is a common maintenance level for moderately active men (150-180 lbs) and very active women. It sits right at the average TDEE for adults who exercise 3-4 times per week and have an otherwise active daily routine. If your weight has been stable at 2200 kcal for several weeks, you've found your maintenance — adjust up or down based on goals from there.

For many average-sized adults, 2200 calories provides a slight surplus that supports lean muscle growth without excessive fat gain. Pair it with 145g+ protein, progressive resistance training, and adequate sleep. If you're gaining more than 0.5-1 lb per week, you're likely in too large a surplus — scale back to 2100. If not gaining at all, bump to 2300.

Target 140-155g of protein on 2200 calories, which is about 25-28% of total intake. This supports muscle protein synthesis, recovery, and satiety. At 2200 kcal, you have plenty of caloric room to reach these protein targets through whole foods alone — chicken, beef, fish, eggs, dairy, and legumes. Spread intake across 3-4 meals for optimal absorption.

A solid macro split for 2200 calories is 30% protein (165g), 40% carbs (220g), 30% fat (73g). However, the ideal ratio depends on your goals: for muscle gain, increase carbs to 45-50%; for fat loss, reduce carbs to 35% and increase protein to 35%. The most important factor is hitting your protein target — then distribute remaining calories between carbs and fats based on preference and activity level.

For simplicity and consistency, keeping 2200 calories on rest days is perfectly fine and often recommended. If you want to optimize, you can reduce by 100-200 kcal on rest days (cutting carbs, not protein) and add those calories to training days. This calorie cycling approach can improve body composition slightly, but the difference is marginal compared to hitting your weekly average consistently.