How do bodybuilders eat 3000-4000 calories a day?

briang1224

There's no need to keep CHO that low or protein that high. You should be sufficient in protein around ~160g or so. Fat intake looks reasonable although you could increase it if you want for personal preference reasons.

There's nothing inherently wrong with keeping protein high and CHO low provided that performance doesn't suffer. If it helps you with satiety go for it but it sounds like the problem is NOT satiety and I would suspect that you'll have a much easier time on your diet if you reduce protein and increase carbohydrate or fat or both. You're ALREADY having an issue consuming food volume (although the necessity to eat "clean" is causing this and that's been addressed).

I would also not make the jump from 1200 calories to 2400 calories in one swoop. I'd make gradual increases, maybe go to 1500 followed by 1800 followed by 2100 (300/week) and I'd stop at 2100 for a good two to three weeks and monitor rate of loss once you hit that point.

At 2100 I'd prefer to see your macros somewhere around the following:
~160p
~80f (you can go higher here if you want)
~rest in CHO to reach 2100. This will vary if you want to eat more fat.

Thank you for this, this is the kind of stuff I need to see. I set my macros as 50P, 30F, 20c. I guess I could do a 40/30/40.
Satiety hasn't been a problem and energy hasn't really been a problem either. It's just calories and what the make up of the calories need to be I guess. I went with higher protein, because with losing weight I wanted to preserve as much
muscle as I can and don't want to cut that short. I guess overdoing it was a safety.

TuDominicano

Never be afraid to eat more, especially if you're working out. Up your calories. 1200 isn't really much. If you want to meet goals, tweak your diet, up your workout routines and you'll see a difference.

On days that you lift, you may want to eat more calories.

dukes418

jvdx

high calorie energy drinks.
lots of meals (7-8-9 meals a day) all filled with meats and pasta and stuff.

Embooya

Dude my morning shake is 1200 calories. You got to eat big to get big. Try two shakes a day Skim Milk, Peanut Butter, Almonds, Banana, Two scoops of Whey Protein maybe even some Steel Oats rolled in there for Carbs. This will give you 2,000-2,500 calories right there. Carry some Beef Jerky with you the lean stuff for quick snacks loaded in protein but low fat. Plan your meals. Chicken, Fish, Brown Rice ect....This sheeyat aint rocket science bro, tear your muscles down, saturate them with some protein, let them heal REPEAT ! Boooo-Yaaaa !

Cr01502

I'm 6'2" and 205 lbs.

I workout 8 hours a week and have a physically demanding job.

How do I eat 4000 calories a day?

Easily. If I didn't I wouldn't be able to do what is required of me.

tripod271

bump

healthyKYgirl

Thanks, I''ve looked at some of your open diaries and it looks like I am really just limiting myself with the amount of carbs I eat.
I really do not feel like I run out of energy throughout the day. In fact some times I wake up way too early and have trouble sleeping.

I understand needing healthy fats. I guess I just needed some diaries to look at and see what I wanted to try to do next.
It's obvious I need to up my calorie intake, I am just scared of upping it with the wrong things and jeopardizing progress I've already made.

Whole grains at dinner actually might help you sleep better at night.. I read something about that, but I am too lazy to find a source right now.

Sarauk2sf

There's no need to keep CHO that low or protein that high. You should be sufficient in protein around ~160g or so. Fat intake looks reasonable although you could increase it if you want for personal preference reasons.

There's nothing inherently wrong with keeping protein high and CHO low provided that performance doesn't suffer. If it helps you with satiety go for it but it sounds like the problem is NOT satiety and I would suspect that you'll have a much easier time on your diet if you reduce protein and increase carbohydrate or fat or both. You're ALREADY having an issue consuming food volume (although the necessity to eat "clean" is causing this and that's been addressed).

I would also not make the jump from 1200 calories to 2400 calories in one swoop. I'd make gradual increases, maybe go to 1500 followed by 1800 followed by 2100 (300/week) and I'd stop at 2100 for a good two to three weeks and monitor rate of loss once you hit that point.

At 2100 I'd prefer to see your macros somewhere around the following:
~160p
~80f (you can go higher here if you want)
~rest in CHO to reach 2100. This will vary if you want to eat more fat.

Thank you for this, this is the kind of stuff I need to see. I set my macros as 50P, 30F, 20c. I guess I could do a 40/30/40.
Satiety hasn't been a problem and energy hasn't really been a problem either. It's just calories and what the make up of the calories need to be I guess. I went with higher protein, because with losing weight I wanted to preserve as much
muscle as I can and don't want to cut that short. I guess overdoing it was a safety.

The above is very very good information. You should look to set your % for your macros as close as possible to this. This would give you a 30% protein, 35% fat and 35% carbs (you can only use 5% increments so these are the nearest).

mmapags

There's no need to keep CHO that low or protein that high. You should be sufficient in protein around ~160g or so. Fat intake looks reasonable although you could increase it if you want for personal preference reasons.

There's nothing inherently wrong with keeping protein high and CHO low provided that performance doesn't suffer. If it helps you with satiety go for it but it sounds like the problem is NOT satiety and I would suspect that you'll have a much easier time on your diet if you reduce protein and increase carbohydrate or fat or both. You're ALREADY having an issue consuming food volume (although the necessity to eat "clean" is causing this and that's been addressed).

I would also not make the jump from 1200 calories to 2400 calories in one swoop. I'd make gradual increases, maybe go to 1500 followed by 1800 followed by 2100 (300/week) and I'd stop at 2100 for a good two to three weeks and monitor rate of loss once you hit that point.

At 2100 I'd prefer to see your macros somewhere around the following:
~160p
~80f (you can go higher here if you want)
~rest in CHO to reach 2100. This will vary if you want to eat more fat.

This says it all. We are similar size, take a look at my diary. It look similar to what Ss laid out above.

claritarejoice

Saving this thread for ideas to help my husband gain weight- thanks!

Tyrone_S

More meals, its uncomfortable for me to eat more than 1000 calories in a single sitting, keep it at 6-800 6 or 7 times a day and you're set.

JenaePavlak

I eat 2500-3000 cals myself. I'm a 130lb female... You may not be eating enough. There are a lot of "techniques" out there, and in my personal experience, if something isn't working, you need to change! The forums are hard to give specific advise, but try looking up competitor diets to get an idea what you may or may not need to change.

JenaePavlak

There's no need to keep CHO that low or protein that high. You should be sufficient in protein around ~160g or so. Fat intake looks reasonable although you could increase it if you want for personal preference reasons.

There's nothing inherently wrong with keeping protein high and CHO low provided that performance doesn't suffer. If it helps you with satiety go for it but it sounds like the problem is NOT satiety and I would suspect that you'll have a much easier time on your diet if you reduce protein and increase carbohydrate or fat or both. You're ALREADY having an issue consuming food volume (although the necessity to eat "clean" is causing this and that's been addressed).

I would also not make the jump from 1200 calories to 2400 calories in one swoop. I'd make gradual increases, maybe go to 1500 followed by 1800 followed by 2100 (300/week) and I'd stop at 2100 for a good two to three weeks and monitor rate of loss once you hit that point.

At 2100 I'd prefer to see your macros somewhere around the following:
~160p
~80f (you can go higher here if you want)
~rest in CHO to reach 2100. This will vary if you want to eat more fat.

This says it all. We are similar size, take a look at my diary. It look similar to what Ss laid out above.

^^^ He's got pretty good advice

Leomeister

Let me start off by saying that my goal is to lose weight and look better. In hopes of that, I usually lift weights 4 times a week and usually do 20-60 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting session.

I eat clean most of the time, lean white meats and fish, veggies like broccoli, try to stay under 20g of sugar each day.

I have a suspicion that I am not eating enough. I feel like I eat all the time (4-5 times a day) and have a hard time getting over 1200 calories a day without milk and protein shakes. I am 5'8 195 lbs. I have decent muscle on my frame and last I had a BF check done I was at 21.6% BF. My goal is to get to 10% by next summer.

For the last 5 months I have fluctuated between 205 and 195 and while my diet isn't 100% clean 100% of the time, I feel like
I put in a clean diet 90% of the time and the times I don't are on the weekends and even then I am not eating that bad.
I may be eating out, but I am eating like steak, grilled shrimp and veggies or a baked potato.

I really need help here trying to figure out what I need to do to get the best results.
I have no problems with energy levels as it is and I have read that you should cut carb intake until you feel a lose of energy.
But I am around 1200 calories a day an my workouts usually burn around 600 calories.
Any help and advice is appreciated, I read a lot of stuff on the internet and am kind of lost on what my next step needs to be.

Eating and exercising like this is a recipe for losing lean muscle mass, which means as you lose weight your BF% may drop slow, or not drop at all. I suggest finding your TDEE and eat 80-90% of that number and get at least 0.8 grams of protein per lb of body weight. I would also suggest doing less or no cardio if you can't eat more than you currently are now

To get more cals you don't have to eat more food, just make different food choices.
Avoid diet and lite foods
eat/drink higher MF% milk products
Each a *kitten* ton of nuts, seeds, nut butter, dehydrated fruit as snacks
Drink more cals, juice, smoothie, shakes by replacing a couple glasses of water with these
add olive oil to soups, sauces and salads
add avocado to salads and sandwiches
etc.

I concur with this recommendation -- I'm trying to convert fat mass into muscle mass while losing a few pounds. Decrease cardio, do the protein math that's recommended above, and balance your carb and good fats. Avoid glutin and sugar -- go for the good carbs like vegetables (not potatoes). Good luck!

baptiste565

Let me start off by saying that my goal is to lose weight and look better. In hopes of that, I usually lift weights 4 times a week and usually do 20-60 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting session.

I eat clean most of the time, lean white meats and fish, veggies like broccoli, try to stay under 20g of sugar each day.

I have a suspicion that I am not eating enough. I feel like I eat all the time (4-5 times a day) and have a hard time getting over 1200 calories a day without milk and protein shakes. I am 5'8 195 lbs. I have decent muscle on my frame and last I had a BF check done I was at 21.6% BF. My goal is to get to 10% by next summer.

For the last 5 months I have fluctuated between 205 and 195 and while my diet isn't 100% clean 100% of the time, I feel like
I put in a clean diet 90% of the time and the times I don't are on the weekends and even then I am not eating that bad.
I may be eating out, but I am eating like steak, grilled shrimp and veggies or a baked potato.

I really need help here trying to figure out what I need to do to get the best results.
I have no problems with energy levels as it is and I have read that you should cut carb intake until you feel a lose of energy.
But I am around 1200 calories a day an my workouts usually burn around 600 calories.
Any help and advice is appreciated, I read a lot of stuff on the internet and am kind of lost on what my next step needs to be.

i dont get it. male, early 30's, 5ft 8, 200lbs eating 1200kcals? and exercising, u should be losing crazy weight. how much have u lost? u r probably wrecking havoc 2 u metabolism and not getting enough nutrition, but u should be losing alot of weight. r u using a food scale?

sgarrard01

Weight lifting... cardio... not always eating healthy... AND struggling to put in over 1200 calories a day?

...

......

....

dis gonna be good.

HA HA HA HA

Hearts_2015

Weight lifting... cardio... not always eating healthy... AND struggling to put in over 1200 calories a day?

...

......

....

dis gonna be good.

I think he's looking for positive and real help... Just a thought Helpful or don't post!:noway:

OP, here's a thread for you to take a look at and see what many are eating, some that are what I'd consider heavy body building. Look at their eats and you'll see that they provide plenty of fuel for their bodies and how they do it! Good luck with your goals!

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/766193-what-do-your-meals-look-like-let-me-see-pics

TavistockToad

I didn't figure I'd get ripped so badly for trying to educate myself. It's obvious I don't know how to eat right or I wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

try and ignore the mean tone that some people have, they mean well and the advice is pretty good!

one thing you will find is that the exercise calories you eat are the ones that taste the best!!!

love4fitnesslove4food_wechange

Let me start off by saying that my goal is to lose weight and look better. In hopes of that, I usually lift weights 4 times a week and usually do 20-60 minutes of cardio after each weight lifting session.

I eat clean most of the time, lean white meats and fish, veggies like broccoli, try to stay under 20g of sugar each day.

I have a suspicion that I am not eating enough. I feel like I eat all the time (4-5 times a day) and have a hard time getting over 1200 calories a day without milk and protein shakes. I am 5'8 195 lbs. I have decent muscle on my frame and last I had a BF check done I was at 21.6% BF. My goal is to get to 10% by next summer.

For the last 5 months I have fluctuated between 205 and 195 and while my diet isn't 100% clean 100% of the time, I feel like
I put in a clean diet 90% of the time and the times I don't are on the weekends and even then I am not eating that bad.
I may be eating out, but I am eating like steak, grilled shrimp and veggies or a baked potato.

I really need help here trying to figure out what I need to do to get the best results.
I have no problems with energy levels as it is and I have read that you should cut carb intake until you feel a lose of energy.
But I am around 1200 calories a day an my workouts usually burn around 600 calories.
Any help and advice is appreciated, I read a lot of stuff on the internet and am kind of lost on what my next step needs to be.

Eating and exercising like this is a recipe for losing lean muscle mass, which means as you lose weight your BF% may drop slow, or not drop at all. I suggest finding your TDEE and eat 80-90% of that number and get at least 0.8 grams of protein per lb of body weight. I would also suggest doing less or no cardio if you can't eat more than you currently are now

To get more cals you don't have to eat more food, just make different food choices.
Avoid diet and lite foods
eat/drink higher MF% milk products
Each a *kitten* ton of nuts, seeds, nut butter, dehydrated fruit as snacks
Drink more cals, juice, smoothie, shakes by replacing a couple glasses of water with these
add olive oil to soups, sauces and salads
add avocado to salads and sandwiches
etc.

I concur with this recommendation -- I'm trying to convert fat mass into muscle mass while losing a few pounds. Decrease cardio, do the protein math that's recommended above, and balance your carb and good fats. Avoid glutin and sugar -- go for the good carbs like vegetables (not potatoes). Good luck!

I know you mean well but you're seriously misinformed. 1) there's nothing wrong with potatoes or gluten (assuming one isn't gluten intolerant) and 2) you don't "convert fat into muscle"--they are two different tissues and you'll never succeed at that goal. Now--you can lose fat but even doing that WHILE building muscle is extremely difficult without advanced knowledge of nutrient timing and training, which it doesn't appear that you have. Best of luck with your goals.