Should I hit the target calories?

b121111

Hello. I've just started using this site and have a general nutrition question.

I have the body type that doesn't really gain/lose much weight. I can just be a bit more 'fit' at times. So when I put in my goal, I put that I want to gain a few pounds thru exercise and muscle. My exercise habits is a mix of cardio and weights 3 - 5 times a week. My diet is pretty healthy. With my body weight, my target calories per day is 2800. After exercise is taken into consideration I'm around 3400. I never seem to hit that number. My question is should I really look to hit the number and eat much more? Or should I be OK coming in around 2000 after exercise?

EarthMuffin2012

I've been wondering the same thing...thanks for posting the question...It will be interesting to find out the answer.

erickirb

yes eat them all.

invisibubble

If you've entered all your info correctly (age, sex, activity level, weight goals) then yes. You need to hit that goal.

LeenaRuns

What a great problem to have! I could easily eat that many calories...too bad you can't give them to me :grumble:

beccarockslife

Yep muscles need fuel

_Elemenopee_

What a great problem to have! I could easily eat that many calories...too bad you can't give them to me :grumble:

Same here, My husband always has 4-500 calories leftover for the day and I ask if I can have some..lol

Brandongood

If you want to gain muscle then you should try and hit the goal.

BarryB1984

If you want to gain muscle then the extra cals are essential, but you need to work out hard so they don't become fat.

david_swinstead

Well be careful. If you put in your target that you wanted to gain weight, MFP will have given you a surplus of 3500 calories per week (500 per day), for each 1lb you said you wanted to gain.

Just make extra sure you hit the weights really hard, otherwise a lot of those extra calories will turn to fat.

Personally if I was looking purely at building muscle, with no targeted fat loss at all, I would set calories for maintenance, and go heavy on the protein. But that's because I know what works for me.

Give it a go with MFP's numbers and tweak them when you've done it for a month or so, long enough to see what affect it is having.

JBApplebee

I guess I'm in the minority about this. Don't simply eat just to hit your goal, especially at the end of the day. You could adjust your eating & add more protein before you go to the gym or after. If you feel hungry, then eat, but if you aren't hungry, don't. There will be days when you're over your target & there will be days when you're under.

david_swinstead

If you feel hungry, then eat, but if you aren't hungry, don't.

That's how I got fat in the first place!

erickirb

If you want to gain muscle then you should try and hit the goal.

That still wouldn't happen if their goal is a caloric deficit, what it will do is help retain the muscle they already have, instead of losing it.

tzaccario

I guess I'm in the minority about this. Don't simply eat just to hit your goal, especially at the end of the day. You could adjust your eating & add more protein before you go to the gym or after. If you feel hungry, then eat, but if you aren't hungry, don't. There will be days when you're over your target & there will be days when you're under.

I agree with you, I try keep my intake to around 1850 for a semi-active week that I usually have.. On days when I hit the gym or have a hockey game, and burn off a few hundred plus calories its hard to eat them back.. And honestly a lot of times I am not hungry enough to want to just keep eating.

On the weekends I eat at least my goal calories and most of the times well ABOVE them. I just listen to my body, I know when I need fuel vs. when I can go without that extra snack just b/c MFP says so lol