Calories and macro nutrients

NitaGrobler42

I need help with the amount of calories i must eat per day to lose weight and still build muscle. Presently i am on1200 per day and my macros on 4.4.2. I do weight lifting 4 days a week and 35 to 45 min cardio. I struggle with weights and I think it may be that i dont eat enough to build muscle. Pls help.

sjbuescher

It's possible to gain muscle while in a cut, mostly if you're new to weightlifting or extremely overweight - but VERY difficult. Most people while eating at a deficit have the goal to maintain muscle mass while cutting fat.

NitaGrobler42

sjbuescher wrote: »

It's possible to gain muscle while in a cut, mostly if you're new to weightlifting or extremely overweight - but VERY difficult. Most people while eating at a deficit have the goal to maintain muscle mass while cutting fat.

New to weight lifting but not overweight. I just need to know how much calories a day and which percentages for my macro nutrients.

Carlos_421

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

This thread would be valuable to read.

Also, to help you set your goals, we'll need more information. It's the kind of info ladies don't tend to like sharing (age, weight and height) lol.

NitaGrobler42

Carlos_421 wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

This thread would be valuable to read.

Also, to help you set your goals, we'll need more information. It's the kind of info ladies don't tend to like sharing (age, weight and height) lol.

Dont mind. 42 yrs old, 1.72 cm tall, weight 63.2 kg, fat % 23, muscle % 35.

Carlos_421

NitaGrobler42 wrote: »

Carlos_421 wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

This thread would be valuable to read.

Also, to help you set your goals, we'll need more information. It's the kind of info ladies don't tend to like sharing (age, weight and height) lol.

Dont mind. 42 yrs old, 1.72 cm tall, weight 63.2 kg, fat % 23, muscle % 35.

I plugged your stats into the calculator here: http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

I used "lightly active" for you daily activities (as opposed to sedentary or active), put you down for 4 workouts per week at an hour apiece and moderate intensity of your workouts.

Based on that, the calculator estimates your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories you burn just by being alive) to be 1,334 and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the number of total calories you burn by being alive, doing everyday stuff, working out, walking around, doing the dishes...) to be 1,925.

Based on those numbers (the only way to know if they're accurate is trial and error) if you eat 1,925 calories per day you will neither gain nor lose weight. By burning the same number of calories that you eat, you neither burn fat nor add any leftover calories to fat storage.

Since you stated that you're not overweight but new to lifting, I'll assume that your goal is to maintain the same weight while getting stronger and adding muscle. If that's so, then yes, 1200 calories is far too few.
(Also, check out this thread on recomposition: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1 )

As for your macros, the thing to understand is that you need enough protein and enough fat (treat them as minimums) and then you can fill in the rest of your calories with whatever you like (most of those will go to carbs).

For optimum muscle gain, try to shoot for .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (48.7 kg or 107 lbs if your bf % is accurate). So that's 86 to 128 grams of protein.

For heart health, proper hormone function, joint health, vitamin absorption and a host of other things, you need adequate fat intake (the more of that coming from unsaturated fats, the better). You'll want to get .35 to .42 grams of fat per pound of total body fat. So for you that's 49 to 58 grams of fat.

Calories per macro are:
Carbs = 4 cals per gram
Protein = 4 cals per gram
Fat = 9 cals per gram

So as an example, let's use mid-range goals of:
Protein - 100 grams
Fat - 55 grams

100 grams of protein = 400 calories (4x100)
55 grams of fat = 495 calories (9x55)

So that's 895 calories coming from fat and protein, leaving 1,030 to spend on carbs (or partly on extra fats and protein if that's what you want to eat that day).

Clear as mud?

NitaGrobler42

Carlos_421 wrote: »

NitaGrobler42 wrote: »

Carlos_421 wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

This thread would be valuable to read.

Also, to help you set your goals, we'll need more information. It's the kind of info ladies don't tend to like sharing (age, weight and height) lol.

Dont mind. 42 yrs old, 1.72 cm tall, weight 63.2 kg, fat % 23, muscle % 35.

I plugged your stats into the calculator here: http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

I used "lightly active" for you daily activities (as opposed to sedentary or active), put you down for 4 workouts per week at an hour apiece and moderate intensity of your workouts.

Based on that, the calculator estimates your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories you burn just by being alive) to be 1,334 and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the number of total calories you burn by being alive, doing everyday stuff, working out, walking around, doing the dishes...) to be 1,925.

Based on those numbers (the only way to know if they're accurate is trial and error) if you eat 1,925 calories per day you will neither gain nor lose weight. By burning the same number of calories that you eat, you neither burn fat nor add any leftover calories to fat storage.

Since you stated that you're not overweight but new to lifting, I'll assume that your goal is to maintain the same weight while getting stronger and adding muscle. If that's so, then yes, 1200 calories is far too few.
(Also, check out this thread on recomposition: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1 )

As for your macros, the thing to understand is that you need enough protein and enough fat (treat them as minimums) and then you can fill in the rest of your calories with whatever you like (most of those will go to carbs).

For optimum muscle gain, try to shoot for .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (48.7 kg or 107 lbs if your bf % is accurate). So that's 86 to 128 grams of protein.

For heart health, proper hormone function, joint health, vitamin absorption and a host of other things, you need adequate fat intake (the more of that coming from unsaturated fats, the better). You'll want to get .35 to .42 grams of fat per pound of total body fat. So for you that's 49 to 58 grams of fat.

Calories per macro are:
Carbs = 4 cals per gram
Protein = 4 cals per gram
Fat = 9 cals per gram

So as an example, let's use mid-range goals of:
Protein - 100 grams
Fat - 55 grams

100 grams of protein = 400 calories (4x100)
55 grams of fat = 495 calories (9x55)

So that's 895 calories coming from fat and protein, leaving 1,030 to spend on carbs (or partly on extra fats and protein if that's what you want to eat that day).

Clear as mud?

Jeez, more than clear. I have been struggling to get this for 6 weeks now. Tnx so much. This really helps a lot. Can not thank you enough.

Carlos_421

NitaGrobler42 wrote: »

Carlos_421 wrote: »

NitaGrobler42 wrote: »

Carlos_421 wrote: »

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819055/setting-your-calorie-and-macro-targets#latest

This thread would be valuable to read.

Also, to help you set your goals, we'll need more information. It's the kind of info ladies don't tend to like sharing (age, weight and height) lol.

Dont mind. 42 yrs old, 1.72 cm tall, weight 63.2 kg, fat % 23, muscle % 35.

I plugged your stats into the calculator here: http://www.iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

I used "lightly active" for you daily activities (as opposed to sedentary or active), put you down for 4 workouts per week at an hour apiece and moderate intensity of your workouts.

Based on that, the calculator estimates your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate, the number of calories you burn just by being alive) to be 1,334 and your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure, the number of total calories you burn by being alive, doing everyday stuff, working out, walking around, doing the dishes...) to be 1,925.

Based on those numbers (the only way to know if they're accurate is trial and error) if you eat 1,925 calories per day you will neither gain nor lose weight. By burning the same number of calories that you eat, you neither burn fat nor add any leftover calories to fat storage.

Since you stated that you're not overweight but new to lifting, I'll assume that your goal is to maintain the same weight while getting stronger and adding muscle. If that's so, then yes, 1200 calories is far too few.
(Also, check out this thread on recomposition: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10177803/recomposition-maintaining-weight-while-losing-fat/p1 )

As for your macros, the thing to understand is that you need enough protein and enough fat (treat them as minimums) and then you can fill in the rest of your calories with whatever you like (most of those will go to carbs).

For optimum muscle gain, try to shoot for .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (48.7 kg or 107 lbs if your bf % is accurate). So that's 86 to 128 grams of protein.

For heart health, proper hormone function, joint health, vitamin absorption and a host of other things, you need adequate fat intake (the more of that coming from unsaturated fats, the better). You'll want to get .35 to .42 grams of fat per pound of total body fat. So for you that's 49 to 58 grams of fat.

Calories per macro are:
Carbs = 4 cals per gram
Protein = 4 cals per gram
Fat = 9 cals per gram

So as an example, let's use mid-range goals of:
Protein - 100 grams
Fat - 55 grams

100 grams of protein = 400 calories (4x100)
55 grams of fat = 495 calories (9x55)

So that's 895 calories coming from fat and protein, leaving 1,030 to spend on carbs (or partly on extra fats and protein if that's what you want to eat that day).

Clear as mud?

Jeez, more than clear. I have been struggling to get this for 6 weeks now. Tnx so much. This really helps a lot. Can not thank you enough.

No problem!