Eating excess fat while bulking

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whyme33
whyme33 Posts: 1 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I was just wondering if anyone knew if eating a high percentage of fat while trying to gain muscle mass would cause someone to put on more body fat?
I know eating fat does not cause fat. However while eating a caloric surplus (about 200-400 calories extra a day) would a high percentage of dietary fat increase fat storage as opposed to muscle repair? If the amount of protein I ate was to stay relatively high?
I eat all healthy fats. Mostly nuts, seeds, avocados and vegetable oil.
I find my body just has more energy when I am eating more fats, and I am hungry less but eat the same amount of calories (which I like).
Thank you for all advise and input!!

Replies

  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    fat does not make you fat. what makes you fat is calorie consumption.

    If you are concerned about fat gain then shoot for a .5 pound per week gain = 250 calorie surplus.

    you should be getting about .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body mass; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight, and then fill in rest with carbs.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    fat does not make you fat. what makes you fat is calorie consumption.

    If you are concerned about fat gain then shoot for a .5 pound per week gain = 250 calorie surplus.

    you should be getting about .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body mass; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight, and then fill in rest with carbs.

    I agree with your % recommendations, but would add that the fat and protein should be minimums, the rest of the cals can be all carbs, or more fat, more protein, and carbs. Following this advice, filling in the rest of the cals with carbs, the Carb amount should s a maximum, not a goal
  • richln
    richln Posts: 809 Member
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    Small caloric surplus will always lead to the lowest fat gains, regardless of your macro split. Assuming you have already worked out your fixed number of calories to achieve your desired surplus, optimal dietary fat intake can be a pretty large window.

    The recommendation I see most often for dietary fat during a bulk is 0.4-0.5 g/lb:
    http://bodytransformationfitness.com/bulking-macronutrient-ratios-guide/
    The science behind this is somewhat unclear though, with even top bodybuilding nutrition experts often disagreeing about the specific numbers. The very low end seems to be around 0.3 g/lb, due to testosterone synthesis and the requirement for fat as an essential macronutrient for hormone production, skin, hair, etc.:
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/layne23.htm
    The reason for an upper limit on dietary fat is primarily due to excessive fat intake crowding out calories available from carbs and protein, which are both very important during a bulk:
    http://strengthunbound.com/bulking-complete-guide-for-beginners/
    http://suppversity.blogspot.com/2012/03/if-you-go-high-carb-you-better-go.html
    Another fear with high dietary fat during caloric surplus is that dietary fat is the macro most easily stored as bodyfat. The metabolic pathway from carb or protein to bodyfat is less efficient, and therefore theoretically excess fat could lead to bodyfat more readily than excess carb or protein would. However, as Lyle McDonald points out, in practice this actually varies significantly based on training volume, personal metabolism and insulin resistance, with Lyle recommending dietary fat intake of 0.45-1 g/lb based on individual response.

    Ultimately, the ideal fat intake is a balance between what you enjoy eating, what keeps you feeling good and performing well in the gym, and what allows you to hit your calorie, macro and micro goals.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
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    When I was bulking I was around 0.8-1g/lb fat and it worked for me, however I was at a pretty high caloric intake so it did not affect my protein or carbs (my carbs were at 400g)
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,139 Member
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    erickirb wrote: »
    ndj1979 wrote: »
    fat does not make you fat. what makes you fat is calorie consumption.

    If you are concerned about fat gain then shoot for a .5 pound per week gain = 250 calorie surplus.

    you should be getting about .6 to .85 grams of protein per pound of body mass; .45 grams of fat per pound of body weight, and then fill in rest with carbs.

    I agree with your % recommendations, but would add that the fat and protein should be minimums, the rest of the cals can be all carbs, or more fat, more protein, and carbs. Following this advice, filling in the rest of the cals with carbs, the Carb amount should s a maximum, not a goal

    yes, I forgot to add the minimum part..thanks :)
  • elite_nal
    elite_nal Posts: 127 Member
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    whyme33 wrote: »
    I was just wondering if anyone knew if eating a high percentage of fat while trying to gain muscle mass would cause someone to put on more body fat?
    I know eating fat does not cause fat. However while eating a caloric surplus (about 200-400 calories extra a day) would a high percentage of dietary fat increase fat storage as opposed to muscle repair? If the amount of protein I ate was to stay relatively high?
    I eat all healthy fats. Mostly nuts, seeds, avocados and vegetable oil.
    I find my body just has more energy when I am eating more fats, and I am hungry less but eat the same amount of calories (which I like).
    Thank you for all advise and input!!

    I would suggest Coconut Oil (Extra Virgin/Cold Pressed/Unrefined). It has MCT which is used by the body as energy and is not stored as fat. So many health benefits. Another huge benefit of coconut oil is it doesn't get oxidated in higher heat. It's perfect to use in high heat. Another suggestion is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but use it in it's raw form (eg. As a salad dressing). Do not use this in heat. That high heat processed can actually really deteriorate the fatty acids and make it oxidated in the body. Both have great health benefits if used correctly :)

  • holm6677
    holm6677 Posts: 9 Member
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    jay_upi wrote: »
    whyme33 wrote: »
    I was just wondering if anyone knew if eating a high percentage of fat while trying to gain muscle mass would cause someone to put on more body fat?
    I know eating fat does not cause fat. However while eating a caloric surplus (about 200-400 calories extra a day) would a high percentage of dietary fat increase fat storage as opposed to muscle repair? If the amount of protein I ate was to stay relatively high?
    I eat all healthy fats. Mostly nuts, seeds, avocados and vegetable oil.
    I find my body just has more energy when I am eating more fats, and I am hungry less but eat the same amount of calories (which I like).
    Thank you for all advise and input!!

    I would suggest Coconut Oil (Extra Virgin/Cold Pressed/Unrefined). It has MCT which is used by the body as energy and is not stored as fat. So many health benefits. Another huge benefit of coconut oil is it doesn't get oxidated in higher heat. It's perfect to use in high heat. Another suggestion is Extra Virgin Olive Oil, but use it in it's raw form (eg. As a salad dressing). Do not use this in heat. That high heat processed can actually really deteriorate the fatty acids and make it oxidated in the body. Both have great health benefits if used correctly :)

    Grape seed oil is also a great source of polyunsaturated fat.

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