How many calories should my husband be eating?
_lyndseybrooke_
Posts: 2,561 Member
Gaining weight has never been a problem for me, to say the least, so I have no experience with this. My husband is 24, 5'9", and about 155 lbs. He lifts four days per week; no cardio.
According to my calculations, his BMR is 1685 and his TDEE is 2390. He wants to bulk, so he has upped his calorie intake and protein (1 g per lb of body weight), but he doesn't log. I'm just trying to give him a starting point.
If I add 15%, that's a little under 2800 calories per day. He just doesn't want to put on weight so fast that he just puts on extra fat. Any advice would be awesome.
According to my calculations, his BMR is 1685 and his TDEE is 2390. He wants to bulk, so he has upped his calorie intake and protein (1 g per lb of body weight), but he doesn't log. I'm just trying to give him a starting point.
If I add 15%, that's a little under 2800 calories per day. He just doesn't want to put on weight so fast that he just puts on extra fat. Any advice would be awesome.
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Why isn't he doing this himself?
Aw c'mon now, that's not helpful.0 -
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Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?0 -
2800 is a fine starting point for 5'9 155 and lifting without cardio.0
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2800 is a fine starting point for 5'9 155 and lifting without cardio.
Thank you.0 -
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Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?
How does he know how much he is eating then? Are you measuring out all his portions for all of his meals?0 -
Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?
How does he know how much he is eating then? Are you measuring out all his portions for all of his meals?
He doesn't. That's why I asked this question - to give him a place to start.0 -
Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?
How does he know how much he is eating then? Are you measuring out all his portions for all of his meals?
He doesn't. That's why I asked this question - to give him a place to start.
I think people are asking because generally speaking someone who doesn't have the gumption to figure this stuff out for themselves rarely has the gumption to actually follow through with the actual work. Bulking is no easy task and I think people are just generally wondering what his level of dedication is to the process if his wife is the one figuring out what his intake should be, etc.0 -
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2800 is a fine starting point for 5'9 155 and lifting without cardio.
Thank you.
Just be sure to feed him enough potatoes.0 -
3200+.
His weight gain at 2800 is going to be slow, very slow.0 -
Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?
How does he know how much he is eating then? Are you measuring out all his portions for all of his meals?
He doesn't. That's why I asked this question - to give him a place to start.
um.
not to ask a stupid question- but if he isn't tracking- how is knowing a calorie goal for surplus going to help?
PS- why isn't he doing this himself?0 -
Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...0 -
Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...
Then why does it matter how many calories he should be eating? If he isn't going to track exactly then he doesn't need an exact number. He will just have to do trial and error until he figures it out.0 -
Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...
Then why does it matter how many calories he should be eating? If he isn't going to track exactly then he doesn't need an exact number. He will just have to do trial and error until he figures it out.
Where did I say that he wasn't going to start? The section of my post you bolded certainly doesn't say that. He's planning on starting to count. I'm simply saying it may not stick. But that's his problem, not something for anyone here to worry about.
I'll say it one more time: I'm just getting a number to give him as a starting point. What he does with this information is up to him. No advice necessary unless it's answering my actual question.0 -
Gaining weight has never been a problem for me, to say the least, so I have no experience with this. My husband is 24, 5'9", and about 155 lbs. He lifts four days per week; no cardio.
According to my calculations, his BMR is 1685 and his TDEE is 2390. He wants to bulk, so he has upped his calorie intake and protein (1 g per lb of body weight), but he doesn't log. I'm just trying to give him a starting point.
If I add 15%, that's a little under 2800 calories per day. He just doesn't want to put on weight so fast that he just puts on extra fat. Any advice would be awesome.
What is his BF% Do you know it? I'm calculating his BMR at 1746. I found my TDEE was actually low on the IIFYM website.0 -
People who are looking to get a certain body composition generally have to pay attention to what they are eating, and some have to go through bulk and cut cycles to get there. He may find it difficult without tracking his intake. Macros also become important, not just amount of calories.
It's not ridiculous, just pointing out some different factors here.0 -
Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...
Not that big a deal if he doesn't want to track. I think you've gotten some good numbers already, but I also calculated a little less than 2800. So, he could easily do 2800 and be at a good surplus.
Just curious, what program is he following for this?0 -
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People who are looking to get a certain body composition generally have to pay attention to what they are eating, and some have to go through bulk and cut cycles to get there. He may find it difficult without tracking his intake. Macros also become important, not just amount of calories.
It's not ridiculous, just pointing out some different factors here.
Also this^^^
I can more or less do it in my head now, but that wasn't the case always. Before the internetz I used a note book and pen...so while MFP may not be the be all end all, tracking calories and macros one way or another has been around for a very long time...these calculators just make it easy.0 -
Gaining weight has never been a problem for me, to say the least, so I have no experience with this. My husband is 24, 5'9", and about 155 lbs. He lifts four days per week; no cardio.
According to my calculations, his BMR is 1685 and his TDEE is 2390. He wants to bulk, so he has upped his calorie intake and protein (1 g per lb of body weight), but he doesn't log. I'm just trying to give him a starting point.
If I add 15%, that's a little under 2800 calories per day. He just doesn't want to put on weight so fast that he just puts on extra fat. Any advice would be awesome.
What is his BF% Do you know it? I'm calculating his BMR at 1746. I found my TDEE was actually low on the IIFYM website.
The trainer at the gym checked his BF% a few months ago and it showed up as 4%. I think that sounds really low and I'm not convinced that's accurate, but he hasn't had it checked since. He's naturally slim, but not scrawny or bony by any means. Any number I give would be a guess, so I just won't.0 -
Why isn't he doing this himself?
Because he doesn't have an MFP account? Like I said, he doesn't log yet. What the hell difference does it make in reference to this very simple question?
Because if he isn't logging, what the hell difference does it make what we tell you he should be eating.0 -
He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
sigh- then he has some hard lessons to learn- bulk is a long process- often spanning years- he already figured out that this is harder than when he was 18- well next lesson- this will take several years to build solid muscle- You just cant' do it once you passed the newb gains stage without some time.No advice necessary unless it's answering my actual question.
that's not the way the internet works and you know it.0 -
Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...
Not that big a deal if he doesn't want to track. I think you've gotten some good numbers already, but I also calculated a little less than 2800. So, he could easily do 2800 and be at a good surplus.
Just curious, what program is he following for this?
I don't work out with him, but he's currently revamping his entire workout routine. He's learning a lot about the 5x5 and he has an ex-personal trainer that is creating a new program for him, but I haven't seen it yet. He says it's 5x5-ish, whatever that means. He's currently doing the same stuff he did to get big in high school, but he knows now that it's way to many isolation exercises and not enough compound movements. He's working on it. He's way more concerned about doing his research on workout routines than he is with the nutrition aspect, which is why this is just coming up now. He's calculated his TDEE, but I just wasn't sure if he should add 10, 15, 20, etc. percent in order to help him bulk but not make him gain too fast and just get plump.0 -
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I don't work out with him, but he's currently revamping his entire workout routine. He's learning a lot about the 5x5 and he has an ex-personal trainer that is creating a new program for him, but I haven't seen it yet. He says it's 5x5-ish, whatever that means. He's currently doing the same stuff he did to get big in high school, but he knows now that it's way to many isolation exercises and not enough compound movements. He's working on it. He's way more concerned about doing his research on workout routines than he is with the nutrition aspect, which is why this is just coming up now. He's calculated his TDEE, but I just wasn't sure if he should add 10, 15, 20, etc. percent in order to help him bulk but not make him gain too fast and just get plump.
Ok, that sounds like a good approach to the workouts.
Yes, he'd want to add 20% to the TDEE. He sounds like a hard gainer. So, it may suit him well to be more on the aggressive end.0 -
I don't work out with him, but he's currently revamping his entire workout routine. He's learning a lot about the 5x5 and he has an ex-personal trainer that is creating a new program for him, but I haven't seen it yet. He says it's 5x5-ish, whatever that means. He's currently doing the same stuff he did to get big in high school, but he knows now that it's way to many isolation exercises and not enough compound movements. He's working on it. He's way more concerned about doing his research on workout routines than he is with the nutrition aspect, which is why this is just coming up now. He's calculated his TDEE, but I just wasn't sure if he should add 10, 15, 20, etc. percent in order to help him bulk but not make him gain too fast and just get plump.
Ok, that sounds like a good approach to the workouts.
Yes, he'd want to add 20% to the TDEE. He sounds like a hard gainer. So, it may suit him well to be more on the aggressive end.
Ok, great. Thanks.
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Jesus, people. I came here to ask a simple question about calorie intake for weight gain, not for a lecture. Doesn't everyone start somewhere? He's been doing a lot of research on his own, but I mentioned to him that he needs to start logging his calories so he knows how much he's eating. He asked me how many calories he should be shooting for and, of course, I had no clue. Hence the question. That's it.
He was big in high school (muscular, not fat) and never counted a single calorie. All he did was take a weightlifting class. So now, at 24, he's realizing it's not as easy as it was when he was 16. He's been working out 4 days per week without fail for the past 8 months, so the gumption is there. He's just not used to worrying about how much he's eating. He's gained 10 lbs and everyone tells him he's gotten bigger, but he's impatient and wants results faster than he's getting them.
Also, plenty of people manage to bulk without logging calories. MFP is not the end-all, be-all and it's not for everyone. My husband just isn't the type of person to log on to some app and input all of his food for the day. And he certainly isn't a forum type of person. Counting calories is a habit he simply doesn't have, so it'll take some time for him to be comfortable with it, if he ever does.
This is absolutely ridiculous...
Then why does it matter how many calories he should be eating? If he isn't going to track exactly then he doesn't need an exact number. He will just have to do trial and error until he figures it out.
Where did I say that he wasn't going to start? The section of my post you bolded certainly doesn't say that. He's planning on starting to count. I'm simply saying it may not stick. But that's his problem, not something for anyone here to worry about.
I'll say it one more time: I'm just getting a number to give him as a starting point. What he does with this information is up to him. No advice necessary unless it's answering my actual question.
I was totally against counting calories. I HATED the idea of it. So I lost all my weight without tracking. Then I decided to start a bulk and that's when tracking calories/macros became important. I needed to make sure that if I was putting in all that hard work in the gym that I was also eating enough cals/protein, etc. In other words, I didn't want to waste my time. Now I track every.freaking.thing. Down to the gram. Blah. I still hate it. But I do it anyways.
So good luck to him! Tell him he may not like counting calories/macros, but it's a sure fire way to get him the results he wants.0
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