Calorie goal seems absurdly high

azrielda
azrielda Posts: 13 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Recently, I have been trying to put on more muscle mass to help with sport/general health as I am a little underweight (50kg at 165cm; 110lb at 5"5'). I have an active lifestyle (I honestly can't remember the last time I had a day without exercising) but apparently my resting calorie need is around 2300, so when I factor in my olympic lifting and cycling it can sometimes be has high as 3200! This seems ridiculous, I can just about manage to reach 2000 let alone 3000! Do I really need to eat this much?

Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    probably.

    I ate 2700 yesterday fairly easily... add some ice cream and milk and it bumps you right back up.
  • suremeansyes
    suremeansyes Posts: 962 Member
    You're trying to put on mass AND are active, so it makes sense. Just eat more calorie dense stuff.

    After you hit your protein macro, if you need some fats, unrefined coconut oil is sooo good. Peanut butter. Any kind of nuts or nut butter. Avocados.

    And then there are the delicious, delicious carbs. Anyone here who can't eat 500 calories of bread? I doubt it.
  • sarahstrezo
    sarahstrezo Posts: 568 Member
    Not that ridiculous to me.
    I'm 5'5" and 133-134 today. When I was intentionally bulking last fall/winter…I had to continually eat close to 3000 calories a day just to maintain a .5 lb gain per week.
    And…I do no cardio. I lift heavy 4 days a week and walk my dogs regularly…but that's it.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    It sounds about right.

    If 2000 Cals per day is difficult, then it also sounds like ice cream just became your new best friend.
  • azrielda
    azrielda Posts: 13 Member
    And then there are the delicious, delicious carbs. Anyone here who can't eat 500 calories of bread? I doubt it.

    I can't as I'm ceolic ;P
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Peanut butter....
  • suremeansyes
    suremeansyes Posts: 962 Member
    And then there are the delicious, delicious carbs. Anyone here who can't eat 500 calories of bread? I doubt it.

    I can't as I'm ceolic ;P

    BOOOOO!!! jk, kind of. ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,029 Member
    Recently, I have been trying to put on more muscle mass to help with sport/general health as I am a little underweight (50kg at 165cm; 110lb at 5"5'). I have an active lifestyle (I honestly can't remember the last time I had a day without exercising) but apparently my resting calorie need is around 2300, so when I factor in my olympic lifting and cycling it can sometimes be has high as 3200! This seems ridiculous, I can just about manage to reach 2000 let alone 3000! Do I really need to eat this much?
    Putting on muscle means adding mass. Adding mass has to come from somewhere. It just doesn't magically appear when one works out.
    You should be happy. You get to eat more food.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • michellekicks
    michellekicks Posts: 3,624 Member
    I could do 3000 a day. I have to restrain myself to stick to 2300.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
    My currently weight loss caloric intake is 2500ish calories, and it's going to increase as I get more active over the summer.

    Eating 3000+ to put on mass? That sounds about right.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
    Nutella!
  • MBrothers22
    MBrothers22 Posts: 323 Member
    My goal weight maintenance is going to be around 2800 calories so yours isn't surprising at all.
    My goal is 6'2 200 pounds and lightly active.
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
    I'm 48 years young and maintain pretty-well at anywhere from 2,800 to 3,200. I lose weight around 2,500. But I need to eat about 4,000 daily for about 3+ months to add any muscle on my frame - it's really annoying.

    So yeah, I can believe it *seems* absurdly high, but it's likely not as absurd as you think.
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    I don't question this. I've had the goal number on biking days come up past 2800... -after- taking out for intended weight loss. This is what happens when you rack up a lot of exercise, and if you're ramping up the workouts on top of it the numbers will only get crazier. Yes, eat them all.
  • FatFreeFrolicking
    FatFreeFrolicking Posts: 4,252 Member
    Load up on peanut butter, nuts, avocados, and Quest bars. You will reach 3000 easily.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    at 110lbs there is no way your resting calories are 2300. I weigh 145 and my maintenance without exercise in he the 2000 cal range, I thing the 2300 is either a surplus, or includes your exercise.

    go to goal, look at calories burned from normal daily activity. that is maintenance with no exercise, so you would have to eat more than that plus exercise calories to gain weight.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    It really depends on you activity...the more active you are, the more calories are going to be required to maintain...thus the more calories that would be required to gain mass.
  • tibby531
    tibby531 Posts: 717 Member
    that's a lot of chicken and rice. :)
    << jealous! ;)
  • lrmall01
    lrmall01 Posts: 377 Member
    at 110lbs there is no way your resting calories are 2300. I weigh 145 and my maintenance without exercise in he the 2000 cal range, I thing the 2300 is either a surplus, or includes your exercise.

    I think he is on to something.

    Looks to me like your BMR is around 1270 (note, I used the BMR calculator on this site and used 5ft 5 in, female, 20 y/o, 110lbs). So a very active TDEE modifier would be something like 1.75, which puts you at 2222. You could start with a 10% surplus, which puts you at 2444 calories per day. About the highest you would likely be able to go would be a 500 calorie surplus, or 2722.

    At any rate, I'd be curious to see how you actually calculated that you need 3200 calories? Did you use Scooby's or the IIFYM calculator?
  • presbyreformed
    presbyreformed Posts: 36 Member
    Recently, I have been trying to put on more muscle mass to help with sport/general health as I am a little underweight (50kg at 165cm; 110lb at 5"5'). I have an active lifestyle (I honestly can't remember the last time I had a day without exercising) but apparently my resting calorie need is around 2300, so when I factor in my olympic lifting and cycling it can sometimes be has high as 3200! This seems ridiculous, I can just about manage to reach 2000 let alone 3000! Do I really need to eat this much?

    Don't rely on MFP's calculations for this stuff as they are generally geared in the national generic public range of these things and is not reflective in my experience of people who are very active.
    What you need to do is get someone to measure your fat percentage using calipers or some other physical method; your gym should have suggestions; (not online tools that are more worthless than farting in the wind) and that together with your weight, I can accurately calculate your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate - the calories you would burn if you laid in bed all day). This is your starting point for weight loss/maintenance/gain.

    The more you workout each day, the more calories you burn on top of your BMR. PM me if you want some help on figuring out your BMR and how much you should eat to gain.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    that's a lot of chicken and rice. :)
    << jealous! ;)

    gurl please- you can only eat so much chicken and veggies- then I dive headfirst into the oreos and ice cream!!!!
  • arl1286
    arl1286 Posts: 276 Member
    The only way to know for sure is to give it a try. MFP originally told me maintenance was somewhere around 2300 a day. I'm tall (5'10 female) and very active (runner, lifter, casual soccer player), but this amount would have caused my weight to skyrocket. There's no way a computer can know your metabolism exactly as it is.
  • ashenriver
    ashenriver Posts: 498 Member
    Nachos, so delicious but can be so high in calorie

    oh and beer, add a couple pints a night and you are well on your way.

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