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Lost about tdee, calories.

Okay, so I recently checked my tdee and it came out at 1904. How many more do I need to eat above that to gain weight or do I need to eat that many calories? Also, I am 5 ft 6 at 100lbs, and it's my goal to get to 120; I plan on maybe working out 4 days a week. I just need advice so I know what to do.

Replies

  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
    Okay, so I recently checked my tdee and it came out at 1904. How many more do I need to eat above that to gain weight or do I need to eat that many calories? Also, I am 5 ft 6 at 100lbs, and it's my goal to get to 120; I plan on maybe working out 4 days a week. I just need advice so I know what to do.

    Ok your TDEE is: 1904
    One pound is approx.: 3500 calories

    To gain a pound a week you need to eat every day:
    1904 + 500

    So 2404 per day will see you gain a pound a week - but obviously that won't be a pound of muscle

    This is providing you have calculated your TDEE pretty accurately, and you don't do any further exercise on top of that. It sounds like your exercise is going to make calculations difficult as you don't know how many calories you are burning

    Are you talking about weight lifting here? It's EXTREMELY difficult to put muscle on; however a little easier if you are just starting out, and much easier for men than it is for women. Loads of factors to consider: What exercise are you doing? How heavy? How many reps? How many sets? Are you getting enough protein? Are you doing cardio work too? There's just a few things to consider from me - a novice! The experts here will add to that list
  • MityMax96
    MityMax96 Posts: 5,778 Member
    Depending on how fast you want to gain weight and what you are doing....

    You can go w/ the +500 calories....

    Or do TDEE + 10% (or + 20%)
    If you do + 10%, you are looking at roughly 200 calories more to eat daily.....
    If I were doing it, I would go this route....just so you can see how your body responds over 1 or 2 weeks.
    And then up the calories again if you need too.

    Again depending on a lot of other factors you have going on.....
    And how quickly you want to gain
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    So you're profile is closed... but it says "her" profile.

    so- just to be clear are you a woman?

    it's typically a 200-400 calorie surplus you're looking at- for women 500 starts to get a big much and you pack on more weight than you want.

    Remember the surplus is a moving target- and not a fixed number. As you start putting weight the number you need to keep putting on weight will need to go up. Tracking by tape/measurement is pretty good- the scale is okay for tracking. (i used it because I'm lazy about taping but I think it hurt myself because of it.)

    what program for working out are you using?

    Also- invest in stretchy pants- lots of stretchy pants. Tell your significant other what you're doing- and you'll need some support and that you may have crazy fat days (it happens).

    I'd also give yourself a window- I went with 4-6 months. My ideal goal was 6 months- I was going to abandon ship at 4 months- but wound up hitting 5 months- but if I had bailed at 3 months I would have been very unhappy with my self- so I suggest a min/max window- so at the very least you can hold fast to the min- you may not have had 100% success but mentally you can know that you successfully hit a minimum goal.
  • Thanks for the replies everyone. :) Well, I wouldn't mind gaining weight pretty fast. I am a ectomorph. Oh and yeah, I'm a woman. How heavy of weights should I start with and do you have to increase calories as you go up in weight? Would 2000 calories be enough? Or a little more?
  • I am going to be using dumbbells since I feel better with those.