Is 2300 Calories (40, 30, 30 Macro split) Good or Too Much?

ZionB2002

Hi. I (19 year old female. 123 Pounds. 5’7.) Am a recovering anorexic. It’s important to note here I never was underweight. I’m pretty far in my recovery and have been working with a personal trainer to do I guess a body recomposition. Though he says based on my body scan I have a low body fat percentage so don’t need to necessarily worry about losing fat. I don’t need to gain any either though. I want to build lean muscle and start toning my body and seeing some definition. Toned limbs, flat toned stomach sort of deal. My exercise plan is lifting 6x a week and a 15 minute 4.0 mph power walk at a 2.0% incline (my PT said I didn’t have to do this but I like getting my heart rate up). Now I guess where my question lies is my nutrition. My PT and my old dietitian recommended eating 2300 calories (40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat). I’m struggling to get the food in. I started tracking again this week once I realized a positive trend in my recovery only to realize I was underestimating how much I was eating. I’ve gotten the intake to about 1800 calories with those macros but it feels like I’m eating a lot. I’m scared of getting fat rather than the lean muscle we’re trying to get to. Do these nutrition guidelines seem right? Do I just need to trust the process? I understand I’m coming from a previously disordered place and I guess as long as it all sounds good I’ll keep up with trying to get my intake up but I just really don’t want to get unnecessary fat instead of muscle.

Lietchi

No one can tell you the right number, the best thing is to try it out and adjust if necessary based on how your weight evolves: our metabolisms don't always conform to population averages. 2300 calories certainly sounds reasonable to me. If you're having trouble eating that much, it might be because you're eating very filling foods? Changing your food choices could help. Or adding a few snack times with low volume higher calorie foods?

PS your protein goal is 30%? 172 grams a day? That seems really excessive, and protein can be very filling for many people.

AnnPT77

What lietchi said: Run the experiment for a month or two. You won't gain any huge amount in that time. Compare your weight at the same relative point in at least two different menstrual cycles, assuming you have those, to reduce distortion from hormonal variation - I'm talking like first day of the period, last day of the period, something like that.

I don't think your 2300 number is unreasonable, as a starting point. That's close to what I maintain weight at, and I'm female, active, only a few pounds heavier, a little shorter (5'5") and much, much older (66). You're getting expert personalized advice, confirmed by more than one reasonable source. I'd go with that as a starting point, with no hesitation.

drtradecraft

Others addressed calories so let me address the weight training. Lifting 6 days a week can be a challenge in more ways than one. I assume your trainer has you on a bro split which means you are working one or two muscle groups each day, giving each muscle group one workout per week. There are pros and cons to a bro split. By only working one or two areas per day, you are forced into working out 6 days per week. An alternative would be a total body workout which means you are working more muscle groups per day with some overlap during the week. This approach might look like this: Monday upper body push; Tuesday conditioning for quick feet; Wednesday lower body /core; Thursday conditioning sprint intervals; Friday upper body pull / core. Saturday and Sunday rest. By adopting the total body process, you get your conditioning programs in between weight training . Also, if done properly, weighting training will get your heart rate up...lift to failure. Good luck.

JBanx256

I also generally lift 6x per week (sometimes it's 5x, because my work schedule is...uhm..."special").

I'm currently set to maintenance at 3427 cal/day.

As both @Lietchi & @AnnPT77 said, give it a try and see what happens. The absolute worst thing that can possibly happen is you'll gain a miniscule amount of bodyfat, but you know you can "fix" that if needed.

And I'll also echo what Lietchi said about your protein - you absolutely do not need < 170 gr/day, and forcing yourself to eat that much can definitely contribute to you feeling too full etc. TBH that macro split is just some generic thing your PT gave you; there's nothing magical about it and there's no reason for you to stick to it if it's not to your preference/needs.

dsplace2010

My wife almost died from the same disorder... With that said, if you feel hungry, eat, I wouldn't worry too much about the calories as long as your exercise plan is constant. 2300 cal sounds good to me. At 6'4 and 413 lbs my calories to maintain my weight is around 3000 cal. with no exercise. Remember the more you exercise the more calories your body will require. Keep in close contact with your Doctor, and talk with them about this. Stay safe.

springlering62

It depends on your level of activity. At 60, I maintain at 3200, but am highly active.

I also go very very high protein. I’ve been purposely trying to bring my fat and carb macros up, but feel ill and rundown when my protein macros aren’t as high, so I’m going back to what made me successful.

It’s all a great individual experiment. You are your own Guinea pig and you have to listen to what your body is trying to tell you.

@Lietchi is 100% correct when she says No one can tell you the right number, the best thing is to try it out and adjust if necessary based on how your weight evolves: our metabolisms don't always conform to population averages.

It may take you a minute to figure out the perfect levels to keep you where you want to be. And you’ll have to stay on your toes and reevaluate frequently if you increase or decrease activity, or even simply change the type of activity.