How much calories should I be taking in?

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dreightone10
dreightone10 Posts: 4
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I'm 6'0 and 140 pounds.. My bf % is arowyo 10% also. I calculated how much I should be eating in myfitness pal but it seemed way off at 3214 calories. Is it ok to start at 2800-3000 or can someone caculate it for me?

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  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    go to IIFYM.com and use their calculator- figure out what maintenance is.

    Start tracking make sure you're REALLY actually eating that.

    Then add 2-300 calories on top of that. In order to be gaining you probably do need to be eating over 3K.

    Also- if you really are an 18 year old male- you best be lifting and eating all the things- you're in the prime of your life to put muscle on- take advantage so you don't have to fight to do it later.
  • JeffseekingV
    JeffseekingV Posts: 3,165 Member
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    If the calculations give you 3214, why are you eating under that? Does that number include the calories you want to gain? Since you are in the Gaining weight section?
  • dreightone10
    dreightone10 Posts: 4
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    JeffseekingV wrote: »
    If the calculations give you 3214, why are you eating under that? Does that number include the calories you want to gain? Since you are in the Gaining weight section?

    Yes it does. But I've been bulking for awhile now and Ive been gaining around a pound a week on only 2800-3000.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    well what's "a while" and secondly if you're gaining- then you're in surplus. so- you're fine.
  • idcue
    idcue Posts: 1
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    dreightone10 wrote: »
    JeffseekingV wrote: »
    If the calculations give you 3214, why are you eating under that? Does that number include the calories you want to gain? Since you are in the Gaining weight section?

    Yes it does. But I've been bulking for awhile now and Ive been gaining around a pound a week on only 2800-3000.

    If it's working why change it?
  • LolBroScience
    LolBroScience Posts: 4,537 Member
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    well what's "a while" and secondly if you're gaining- then you're in surplus. so- you're fine.

    This. Stick with the calorie amount until the scale stops moving upward.
  • dreightone10
    dreightone10 Posts: 4
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    JoRocka wrote: »
    well what's "a while" and secondly if you're gaining- then you're in surplus. so- you're fine.

    About a month. I've been moving up in my gains with starting strength so I guess I'm eating decently. I just stopped logging my caloric intake by hand so the few marginal errors Ive had with caculating accurately and Consistently have pretty much been fixed with My fitness pal. My worst fear is overeating rather than under eating because even with around 2800 calories I've been putting on about a pound a week . Also, would it be a good investment to buy one of those body fat readers? (Don't know exactly what you call them)
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    You were going to move up anyway on the weights anyway- you just started.

    Honestly I seriously doubt you're actually putting on a pound a week after only being in a surplus a month- typically you see a 5-8 pound jump the first two weeks and then it plateaus or goes into a standard gain (which by the way isn't linear) and also why you should make adjustments about every 3-4 weeks rather than every week. Anda gain- for a young male- 2800 isn't that much. But if you are continuing to gain- stay with those numbers. For me a pound a week is to much- but I'm a girl- I'm prone to carrying fat- and muscle is so much harder- so a half pound is safer for me. I'd be more concerned with you making sure you REALLY are gaining- not just spiked from water weight and glycogen.

    No- not really. A tape measure and a scale are more than enough to track your gain.

    Secondly at your height weight and age- you should be eating ALL the things- you could easily put on 30 pounds and be fine.

    I'm 5'8" and 165 pounds- and solid fabulousness.

    You need more muscle.

    Eat all the things
    lift all the things
    rest.

    lather.
    rinse
    repeat.
  • dreightone10
    dreightone10 Posts: 4
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    The amount of water weight I gained were IMMENSE the first couple weeks. I went up about 10 lbs and its slowed down ever since then. But the last two I've been fluctuating up and down (I measure daily) but going up in weight in a consistent basis. I've truly have been going up about a pound a week the past two weeks. But thanks :). I won't be too worried about overeating now
  • Nightcometh
    Nightcometh Posts: 67 Member
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    *many
  • iheartinsanity
    iheartinsanity Posts: 205 Member
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    I'd get a calorie tracker. I use bodymedia fit and my lazy, do nothing lounge around home I burn about 1800-2000. I would NOT rely on mfp to do the calculations for you. IIFYM is a good place to start, but I'd go with something a little more accurate and so far, it hasn't let me down and my numbers are always on point.
  • estherdfoster
    estherdfoster Posts: 127 Member
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    this is the site i use to look at how many calories i need for either maintaining, losing or gaining, and it shows per amount each week you prefer to lose or gain.
    http://www.calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html

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