Should I be eating more in order to gain muscle?

jmath0303

See the image below. I am a long time Dieter (almost three years, down 150 lbs). I have a hard time giving up my walking everyday (I average 20-30k steps a day). However, now I would like to start bulking up and adding muscle. Do I need to eat all of the calories in the below picture? I also started the M&S full body dumbbell routine today to help with bulking up a little bit.

RMaxwell90

Hi there! Congrats on losing all that weight!

Side note: how do you get that many steps in a day? Genuinely curious, as a desk bound employee I find it hard to reach 10k per day so good for you!

Yes you have to eat more to build muscle and follow some progressively overloaded resistance training program to grow muscle. Basically, eat a calorie surplus and try to increase the weight or reps at the same weight each training session. It sounds like you have that covered though.

I tend to be leery of MFPs exercise calorie estimations, so I'd start with half of those exercise calories and see how your bodyweight responds. So, from the above example I'd eat 2280+(1725/2) = 3142 ish calories a day for at least 3 to 4 weeks and see how your weight responds.

Ideally in this time frame you'd like your weight to go up by 2-4 lbs depending on how fast you want to gain (I tend to prefer the .5 lbs per week). If your weight didn't increase at all or not enough, add an extra 200 ish calories per day, if it moved too much, subtract 200 calories per day. Continue to monitor your weight and rinse/repeat ad nauseum until swole af.

AnvilHead

Excellent read here which will help you to understand it: https://bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/muscle-gain-math.html/

jmath0303

RMaxwell90 wrote: »

Hi there! Congrats on losing all that weight!

Side note: how do you get that many steps in a day? Genuinely curious, as a desk bound employee I find it hard to reach 10k per day so good for you!

Yes you have to eat more to build muscle and follow some progressively overloaded resistance training program to grow muscle. Basically, eat a calorie surplus and try to increase the weight or reps at the same weight each training session. It sounds like you have that covered though.

I tend to be leery of MFPs exercise calorie estimations, so I'd start with half of those exercise calories and see how your bodyweight responds. So, from the above example I'd eat 2280+(1725/2) = 3142 ish calories a day for at least 3 to 4 weeks and see how your weight responds.

Ideally in this time frame you'd like your weight to go up by 2-4 lbs depending on how fast you want to gain (I tend to prefer the .5 lbs per week). If your weight didn't increase at all or not enough, add an extra 200 ish calories per day, if it moved too much, subtract 200 calories per day. Continue to monitor your weight and rinse/repeat ad nauseum until swole af.

Thanks for the response! I like to go on walks in the morning and at night. I also have a desk job but always try to get up once an hour and walk. As for calories burned, I do have a Fitbit linked to my account. Does that make it more accurate?

TavistockToad

jmath0303 wrote: »

See the image below. I am a long time Dieter (almost three years, down 150 lbs). I have a hard time giving up my walking everyday (I average 20-30k steps a day). However, now I would like to start bulking up and adding muscle. Do I need to eat all of the calories in the below picture? I also started the M&S full body dumbbell routine today to help with bulking up a little bit.

Yes, if your exercise cals are accurate

mmapags

jmath0303 wrote: »

RMaxwell90 wrote: »

Hi there! Congrats on losing all that weight!

Side note: how do you get that many steps in a day? Genuinely curious, as a desk bound employee I find it hard to reach 10k per day so good for you!

Yes you have to eat more to build muscle and follow some progressively overloaded resistance training program to grow muscle. Basically, eat a calorie surplus and try to increase the weight or reps at the same weight each training session. It sounds like you have that covered though.

I tend to be leery of MFPs exercise calorie estimations, so I'd start with half of those exercise calories and see how your bodyweight responds. So, from the above example I'd eat 2280+(1725/2) = 3142 ish calories a day for at least 3 to 4 weeks and see how your weight responds.

Ideally in this time frame you'd like your weight to go up by 2-4 lbs depending on how fast you want to gain (I tend to prefer the .5 lbs per week). If your weight didn't increase at all or not enough, add an extra 200 ish calories per day, if it moved too much, subtract 200 calories per day. Continue to monitor your weight and rinse/repeat ad nauseum until swole af.

Thanks for the response! I like to go on walks in the morning and at night. I also have a desk job but always try to get up once an hour and walk. As for calories burned, I do have a Fitbit linked to my account. Does that make it more accurate?

Fitbits are notorious for overestimating calories burns

jmath0303

mmapags wrote: »

jmath0303 wrote: »

RMaxwell90 wrote: »

Hi there! Congrats on losing all that weight!

Side note: how do you get that many steps in a day? Genuinely curious, as a desk bound employee I find it hard to reach 10k per day so good for you!

Yes you have to eat more to build muscle and follow some progressively overloaded resistance training program to grow muscle. Basically, eat a calorie surplus and try to increase the weight or reps at the same weight each training session. It sounds like you have that covered though.

I tend to be leery of MFPs exercise calorie estimations, so I'd start with half of those exercise calories and see how your bodyweight responds. So, from the above example I'd eat 2280+(1725/2) = 3142 ish calories a day for at least 3 to 4 weeks and see how your weight responds.

Ideally in this time frame you'd like your weight to go up by 2-4 lbs depending on how fast you want to gain (I tend to prefer the .5 lbs per week). If your weight didn't increase at all or not enough, add an extra 200 ish calories per day, if it moved too much, subtract 200 calories per day. Continue to monitor your weight and rinse/repeat ad nauseum until swole af.

Thanks for the response! I like to go on walks in the morning and at night. I also have a desk job but always try to get up once an hour and walk. As for calories burned, I do have a Fitbit linked to my account. Does that make it more accurate?

Fitbits are notorious for overestimating calories burns

So what would you recommend starting at half of those?

Davidsdottir

OP, for reference, I'm a 5'5" women, started at 126 lbs, and at the end of my bulk I was eating 3k cals. I average 15-20k steps a day, so you definitely should be eating more than me.

mmapags

jmath0303 wrote: »

mmapags wrote: »

jmath0303 wrote: »

RMaxwell90 wrote: »

Hi there! Congrats on losing all that weight!

Side note: how do you get that many steps in a day? Genuinely curious, as a desk bound employee I find it hard to reach 10k per day so good for you!

Yes you have to eat more to build muscle and follow some progressively overloaded resistance training program to grow muscle. Basically, eat a calorie surplus and try to increase the weight or reps at the same weight each training session. It sounds like you have that covered though.

I tend to be leery of MFPs exercise calorie estimations, so I'd start with half of those exercise calories and see how your bodyweight responds. So, from the above example I'd eat 2280+(1725/2) = 3142 ish calories a day for at least 3 to 4 weeks and see how your weight responds.

Ideally in this time frame you'd like your weight to go up by 2-4 lbs depending on how fast you want to gain (I tend to prefer the .5 lbs per week). If your weight didn't increase at all or not enough, add an extra 200 ish calories per day, if it moved too much, subtract 200 calories per day. Continue to monitor your weight and rinse/repeat ad nauseum until swole af.

Thanks for the response! I like to go on walks in the morning and at night. I also have a desk job but always try to get up once an hour and walk. As for calories burned, I do have a Fitbit linked to my account. Does that make it more accurate?

Fitbits are notorious for overestimating calories burns

So what would you recommend starting at half of those?

They don't seem to be that far off. I'd say 75% of the burn estimate.

jmath0303

Davidsdottir wrote: »

OP, for reference, I'm a 5'5" women, started at 126 lbs, and at the end of my bulk I was eating 3k cals. I average 15-20k steps a day, so you definitely should be eating more than me.

I understand. It's difficult to change my mindset after 3 years of constant calorie deficit

Davidsdottir

jmath0303 wrote: »

Davidsdottir wrote: »

OP, for reference, I'm a 5'5" women, started at 126 lbs, and at the end of my bulk I was eating 3k cals. I average 15-20k steps a day, so you definitely should be eating more than me.

I understand. It's difficult to change my mindset after 3 years of constant calorie deficit

Totally get it, but you're going to keep losing especially in that steep of a deficit.

heybales

Since a Fitbit may be all or some of those "Exercise" calories (though it could be no exercise but merely more daily activity) - have you ever calibrated your stride length to your avg daily pace to confirm distance is right?

Do you manually log weight lifting on preferably Fitbit's site, since HR-based calorie estimate is inflated?
Now, if only 5-10 min a day, don't bother with it, not enough difference.

But that will help accuracy. And if it is, that idea of 50% of database calories doesn't apply, because that's not what the adjustment is about.
It's about MFP correcting your estimate activity level to more reality.

moogie_fit

Keep adding in calories to your diet until you see your weight loss stop and weight go up (if that's what you want) . I would say something like a reverse diet. Like 100 Cal's a week until you notice that you are gaining too much or feel unhappy with your composition. Good luck.

lachelreynolds

I’m having similar question. I’ve lost about 70 pounds in calorie deficit- typically 25% carb, 40%protien, 35%fat, and probably equal portions of cardio and moderate to heavy weight training and I can definitely see a difference, but I want to still lose about 10 pounds of fat, currently 23%body fat, and have more defined muscles, particularly glutes, back and arms. I’m 5’5, 165 endomorph and eat just under/at my BMR, but work out 3x cardio, 3x strength (heavy). I’m always hungry but fearful to eat more than 1600 calories a day.

CowboySar

lachelreynolds wrote: »

I’m having similar question. I’ve lost about 70 pounds in calorie deficit- typically 25% carb, 40%protien, 35%fat, and probably equal portions of cardio and moderate to heavy weight training and I can definitely see a difference, but I want to still lose about 10 pounds of fat, currently 23%body fat, and have more defined muscles, particularly glutes, back and arms. I’m 5’5, 165 endomorph and eat just under/at my BMR, but work out 3x cardio, 3x strength (heavy). I’m always hungry but fearful to eat more than 1600 calories a day.

I hear you on the fear of eating extra calories. I went from 320lbs to 185 this past week. A solid mix of cardio and weight training eating at the beginning 1300 cals, then upped to 1800 to the 185lb mark. I am now trying to bulk as much as I can and put on the muscle as clean as I can. I am now eating 3300 cals a day and getting that clean and from real food not shakes is a struggle to say the least. I am nervous about the amount of cals as I have been low cal for so long I am afraid that the weight I put on will be fat weight. I am trusting in the logic that heavy lifting and eating 3300 clean it will be the lean weight I put on, feels like blind faith lol

pinggolfer96

CowboySar wrote: »

lachelreynolds wrote: »

I’m having similar question. I’ve lost about 70 pounds in calorie deficit- typically 25% carb, 40%protien, 35%fat, and probably equal portions of cardio and moderate to heavy weight training and I can definitely see a difference, but I want to still lose about 10 pounds of fat, currently 23%body fat, and have more defined muscles, particularly glutes, back and arms. I’m 5’5, 165 endomorph and eat just under/at my BMR, but work out 3x cardio, 3x strength (heavy). I’m always hungry but fearful to eat more than 1600 calories a day.

I hear you on the fear of eating extra calories. I went from 320lbs to 185 this past week. A solid mix of cardio and weight training eating at the beginning 1300 cals, then upped to 1800 to the 185lb mark. I am now trying to bulk as much as I can and put on the muscle as clean as I can. I am now eating 3300 cals a day and getting that clean and from real food not shakes is a struggle to say the least. I am nervous about the amount of cals as I have been low cal for so long I am afraid that the weight I put on will be fat weight. I am trusting in the logic that heavy lifting and eating 3300 clean it will be the lean weight I put on, feels like blind faith lol

It’s good you’re eating “clean” Whole Foods, but there’s nothing that makes certain foods clean or dirty. Try not to label foods especially if it helps you reach your goals. A shake is food as well.

CharlieBeansmomTracey

lachelreynolds wrote: »

I’m having similar question. I’ve lost about 70 pounds in calorie deficit- typically 25% carb, 40%protien, 35%fat, and probably equal portions of cardio and moderate to heavy weight training and I can definitely see a difference, but I want to still lose about 10 pounds of fat, currently 23%body fat, and have more defined muscles, particularly glutes, back and arms. I’m 5’5, 165 endomorph and eat just under/at my BMR, but work out 3x cardio, 3x strength (heavy). I’m always hungry but fearful to eat more than 1600 calories a day.

somotypes such as endomorph has been debunked it really has nothing to do with body type. someone just took the study of personalities in body types and applied it to exercise,workouts and so on. one suggestion though is
could you maybe post a thread of your own so more people can help you one on one instead of clogging the original posters thread?(not trying to offend just asking/suggesting)

rybo

CowboySar wrote: »

lachelreynolds wrote: »

I’m having similar question. I’ve lost about 70 pounds in calorie deficit- typically 25% carb, 40%protien, 35%fat, and probably equal portions of cardio and moderate to heavy weight training and I can definitely see a difference, but I want to still lose about 10 pounds of fat, currently 23%body fat, and have more defined muscles, particularly glutes, back and arms. I’m 5’5, 165 endomorph and eat just under/at my BMR, but work out 3x cardio, 3x strength (heavy). I’m always hungry but fearful to eat more than 1600 calories a day.

I hear you on the fear of eating extra calories. I went from 320lbs to 185 this past week. A solid mix of cardio and weight training eating at the beginning 1300 cals, then upped to 1800 to the 185lb mark. I am now trying to bulk as much as I can and put on the muscle as clean as I can. I am now eating 3300 cals a day and getting that clean and from real food not shakes is a struggle to say the least. I am nervous about the amount of cals as I have been low cal for so long I am afraid that the weight I put on will be fat weight. I am trusting in the logic that heavy lifting and eating 3300 clean it will be the lean weight I put on, feels like blind faith lol

The amount over your maintenance and your lifting program are going to determine how much of the weight is muscle vs fat, not the source of those calories. The higher above maintenance you are, even if eating "clean" calories, you'll still gain more fat.