Hi I want to start getting toned/ripped with p90x3 classic, but not sure about my calorie intake?

joelguerra93

Hi I want to start getting toned/ripped with p90x3 classic, but im not sure how many calories i should have a day.

Im 22 years old, I weigh 217 and I work a moderate/intense job 10 hours a day 6 days a week. I'm looking to get toned/ripped but not too big. If anybody could help, it is greatly appreciated because I am so confused with what diet I should have when doing these workouts. Thanks!

Liftng4Lis

Welcome to MFP. Enter all of your stats and goals in and it will give you the number you're looking for. Follow that and lift heavy. With the exception of newbie gains, you won't gain much muscle in a deficit, but you will lose fat and your muscles will begin to show.
As far as diet, eat what you normally do, only less. You want to make sure you're getting plenty of protein.

trigden1991

You won't get big if you're in a calorie deficit as it is physically impossible to build muscle. You need to decide what your goal is and go from there. You can't do both (bulk & cut) at the same time!

terbusha

If you're looking to focus more on the muscle building aspect, then I would be more apt to do the mass schedule. There's just a bigger focus on resistance training with that.

As for calories, the best way to find out what your ideal calorie level is is by trial and error. Calculators can be a good place to start, but they make assumptions that may not be right for you. What I do and what I recommend to people is to eat at a calorie level that allows you to make good progress towards your goal. If you are trying to lose weight, eat so you drop 1-2 lbs/week. This assumes an average calorie burn from you getting in all of your workouts. This will be different for everyone, so you'll have to do some trial and error to figure it out. I'd start ~2400 cal/day. Hit this goal, along with your macros and getting in your workouts, for 2 weeks. If you lose 1-2 lbs/week, you're good to go. If you lose too much, increase your intake and repeat. If you don't lose enough, reduce your intake a bit and repeat. After a few cycles, you'll figure out what works for you in your situation.