Despite the popularity of gyms around the world, most people do not know how to lose weight and keep it off. The same goes for building muscle - most people have no idea how to correct their diet in order to maximize lean muscular gains.

You needn't worry, though. Learning how to do this is not very complex at all.

Both weight loss and lean muscle gain can be attributed to one particular aspect of your diet and that is your calorific intake. If you consume less calories, the general rule is that you will lose some pounds. Likewise, those who increase their calorie intake should expect to see an increase when they step on to the scales.

However, when it comes to building lean mass we need to look at something a little bit more in depth. That is because we don't simply want to add some size, we want to ensure it is the right kind of size. In order to do this, we need to see where those calories are actually coming from. []

There is more than enough conflicting information out there to over complicate the process of dieting. That's why so many people at your local gym are completely lost. However, it's not very difficult to set yourself some proven, effective goals.

* Total daily calories = target body weight in pounds x 15.

So for someone who wanted to be 180 lbs, they would multiply 180 x 15. This will give that individual a daily calorie target of 2700.

* Protein = Take 30% of your total calorie intake and divide it by 4.

Getting the right split of the three macronutrients is critical to ensuring your calories are coming from the right places. For protein, we can establish that 30% of 2700 is 810 calories. Now divide this by four and you'll be given a target of 202 grams per day.

* Total daily carbohydrate intake = 55% of overall calories divided by 4.

Carbohydrates are our best friend when trying to add size to our frame. Many people mistakenly believe protein is the key, but it is not. 55% of your calories should arrive from carbohydrates. In the case of our 180 lb male, this would be 1485 calories. Share this by 4 and we get a target of 371 grams.

* Your daily fat intake = Take 15% of your total calorie figure and divide the answer by nine.

To establish the fat intake for our 180 lb male, we would take 15% of our calorie target and divide the figure by 9. So, 15% of 2700 calories is 405. This figure divided by 9 is a total of 45 grams per day in healthy fat sources.

If your goal is to learn how to lose weight or build lean muscle then you need to be able to understand the importance not only in how much food you eat throughout the day, but where those calories are coming from. It's quality, rather than quantity. If you are able to follow the guidelines above then you will be set on the right track to building a leaner, stronger body in no time.