Calories, net calories, lifting,cardio??

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popem1982
popem1982 Posts: 4 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi, was wondering if you could help me? I've just started stronglifts 5x5, I start week 2 tomorrow, I'm loving it, I'm at my ideal weight, so don't need to lose, however want to gain lean mass, so should I be eating at maintenance? Also at the moment I do 2 Zumba classes a week and 5 x 30 mins of fasted cardio a week on top of stronglifts!! Do I eat back my cardio calories?? Should my bet calories be my maintenance of 1710??
As you can see I'm a real newbie to lifting so struggling with this??
Thank you

Replies

  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    You need to find maintenance calories first, which could take several weeks or so to figure out, which is higher then 1710, mine is around 2100-2200 calories and I am older then you. Then you need to eat in surplus around 250 calories to gain muscles and will be slow process as women take longer.
  • popem1982
    popem1982 Posts: 4 Member
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    You need to find maintenance calories first, which could take several weeks or so to figure out, which is higher then 1710, mine is around 2100-2200 calories and I am older then you. Then you need to eat in surplus around 250 calories to gain muscles and will be slow process as women take longer.


    Thankyou, mfp has it set at 1710 to maintain, but I set my routine as light activity, with 5 x 30 exercise?? As I use a fit bit too...I just get worried about eating too much and gaining?? X
  • Stella_Mayfair
    Stella_Mayfair Posts: 226 Member
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    You need to find maintenance calories first, which could take several weeks or so to figure out, which is higher then 1710, mine is around 2100-2200 calories and I am older then you. Then you need to eat in surplus around 250 calories to gain muscles and will be slow process as women take longer.


    Thankyou, mfp has it set at 1710 to maintain, but I set my routine as light activity, with 5 x 30 exercise?? As I use a fit bit too...I just get worried about eating too much and gaining?? X


    Not at my goal weight yet, but a fitbit is quiet accurate, I have noticed with mine. When I am in your position I will trust my fitbit to MFP any day. So allow the neg cal adjustment and wit it out. I am no pro, Serah maybe the correct one here. Just my thoughts. Congrats to you both on hitting ur gw!!!
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
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    You can either add the 250 calories to your mainetnance or stop the 5x 30 min cardio, it would equal out to about the same.
  • popem1982
    popem1982 Posts: 4 Member
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    Thankyou, therefore if I'm having 1710 and to add slowly I will take it to 1850 for now and see how I get on?? Also is this 1850 after exercise (which is quite accurate for me as I use a hrm) or 1850 and then don't eat exercise calories??

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