How do bodybuilders eat 3000-4000 calories a day?

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  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
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    I eat 2200 just to LOSE weight.

    I bulked at around 3,000
    will bulk again soon at 3,200

    food is awesome
    not difficult at all
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
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    I mean sure, I can eat crap food and high carbs and hit that, but I don't have issues with energy.
    Maybe its just my thinking but I relate carbs to needing more energy throughout the day.

    There is only so much chicken and broccoli I can physically stuff in my body. I never really feel hungry anymore.

    Of course I've already lost 45 lbs and Ive put on about 15 lbs of muscle from when I was at my worst.
    The last 3-4 months haven't really seen any results though.

    What's your issue with carbs? Clearly, eliminating them isn't working for you. Why not give them a shot? And, you seem to equate crap food and carbs together. I think that may be part of your problem here. Don't be so restrictive. Have some rice, or potatoes, or oatmeal...you don't have to fill your calories with lucky charms and ho-hos (though at this point, I think they may actually help you progress).

    3 or 4 months is a legit plateau. I think you probably need to take a diet break, eat at maintenance for 10-14 days MINIMUM, and let your body recharge, and eat some muthafckin carbs! Anyway, if you're interested I wrote a blog post about diet breaks a month or so ago that might help explain the concept: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MoreBean13
  • briang1224
    briang1224 Posts: 19
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    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.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I mean sure, I can eat crap food and high carbs and hit that, but I don't have issues with energy.
    Maybe its just my thinking but I relate carbs to needing more energy throughout the day.

    There is only so much chicken and broccoli I can physically stuff in my body. I never really feel hungry anymore.

    Of course I've already lost 45 lbs and Ive put on about 15 lbs of muscle from when I was at my worst.
    The last 3-4 months haven't really seen any results though.

    That's your problem. Carbs do not equal a source of energy in response to fatigue/tiredness. You can and should eat carbs. 1200 calories for someone your size is simply not enough--there are a lot of other things I'd like to call it but don't want to offend you.

    Start your day off with 1000 calorie shake and you're already eating nearly as much as you are now...

    2 scoops protein powder (260 calories minimum), 12 oz whole milk (225 calories), 4 tbsp peanut butter (380) and 1 banana (110). If you don't want pb use almond butter, nutella, cashew butter, sunseed butter, or even flaxseed oil.

    = 975 calories

    ADD OLIVE OIL TO EVERYTHING--including your chicken and broccoli--you can easily add 240 calories per meal just like that. Multiply that by 3 and you have 720 calories. With your shake you've already tacked on ~1700 calories to your current 1200...there's your 3000 right there.
  • Zero2hero2013
    Zero2hero2013 Posts: 458
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    i am also on a bulk, not eating quite as high as these guys but after a longer leaner strength oriented bulk. im 6ft 2 198lbsand eating 3000 non exercise 3500 exercise days. please note im a office boy so no major burn in my day except the workouts. a good rule of thumb ive heard is 17-20 x your weight in lbs. but still this is dependant on your activity level. 17 lower activity, 20 higher.
  • FITnFIRM4LIFE
    FITnFIRM4LIFE Posts: 818 Member
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    I'm female and I can't stick to 1,200 cals. Geezus. Lifting makes me feel like I'm starving.

    This*
    My dinner most nights is about that...Lawd...Get your eat on!
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    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.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    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.

    You'll do worse by not increasing your calories. It doesn't matter all that much WHAT you use to increase your calories at this point--you're starving yourself. I know people hate that word and think that if they aren't feeling starved then they're not--this just isn't so. You're eating less than 50% of your caloric needs--that's starvation and more likely to jeopardize progress than filling the void with carbs. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, and quinoa are all very good sources of starchy carbs. It doesn't have to be "dirty" to get the job done.
  • Fat2Fit145
    Fat2Fit145 Posts: 385 Member
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    Ok, I'll just ask it..... How did you ever get overweight then?


    ahahhaa
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I'm female and I can't stick to 1,200 cals. Geezus. Lifting makes me feel like I'm starving.

    This*
    My dinner most nights is about that...Lawd...Get your eat on!

    same here and I'm 4'11...I thought I'd cry when I had to eat 1700 calories. Sheesh.
  • Zero2hero2013
    Zero2hero2013 Posts: 458
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    also the lowest i would eat is 1800 + exercise.your just going to drop alot of muscle and go into starvation mode and retain whatever you can to keep going which will be much harder to shift the fat. eat more to fuel the metabolism correctly. you will feel much better and lose weight steadily. lots of water too!
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    Clearly the pastrami and Swiss sandwiches and loads of sweets I indulge in are keeping me a big fatty pants. That's sarcasm for those who need the hint. :drinker:
  • petiteLady89
    petiteLady89 Posts: 198 Member
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    This doesn't sound right... I am 4'10" female who currently weighs about 100lbs and was eating much more than that as I was losing weight. I'm sure you will get a much more educated and informed answer.
  • ToughTulip
    ToughTulip Posts: 1,118 Member
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    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.

    You'll do worse by not increasing your calories. It doesn't matter all that much WHAT you use to increase your calories at this point--you're starving yourself. I know people hate that word and think that if they aren't feeling starved then they're not--this just isn't so. You're eating less than 50% of your caloric needs--that's starvation and more likely to jeopardize progress than filling the void with carbs. Sweet potatoes, brown rice, oats, and quinoa are all very good sources of starchy carbs. It doesn't have to be "dirty" to get the job done.

    completely agree.

    Plus you have to think of your body composition. Eating that little is going to burn more muscle, and you don't want that!
  • briang1224
    briang1224 Posts: 19
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    [/quote] That's your problem. Carbs do not equal a source of energy in response to fatigue/tiredness. You can and should eat carbs. 1200 calories for someone your size is simply not enough--there are a lot of other things I'd like to call it but don't want to offend you.

    Start your day off with 1000 calorie shake and you're already eating nearly as much as you are now...

    2 scoops protein powder (260 calories minimum), 12 oz whole milk (225 calories), 4 tbsp peanut butter (380) and 1 banana (110). If you don't want pb use almond butter, nutella, cashew butter, sunseed butter, or even flaxseed oil.

    = 975 calories

    ADD OLIVE OIL TO EVERYTHING--including your chicken and broccoli--you can easily add 240 calories per meal just like that. Multiply that by 3 and you have 720 calories. With your shake you've already tacked on ~1700 calories to your current 1200...there's your 3000 right there.
    [/quote]

    This is what I needed I guess, I just needed someone to dumb it down for me
  • girlykate143
    girlykate143 Posts: 220 Member
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    Also, eat more healthy fats. Have some extra virgin olive oil with your broccoli. Have some almonds. Have some sour cream or cream cheese for chris'sakes. You have to eat more than 1200 especially with the amount of cardio you say you are doing. I say, eat an hour before and within an hour after your workout. Eat a ~200 calorie snack, for example.

    Do you consider clean eating to be adding nothing to your veggies? You can have dressings, just look for the ones that are more of a real food and less of the sugars and added strange-oily-kraft-cheese-processed-semi-polyproyltriptamin-something-i-find-in-my-shampoo substances.

    Have a fun food meal once a week!
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
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    Are you watching your sodium intake... Most restaurant food is very high in sodium and an indulgence per week is enough to have you retaining lots of fluid and not seeing the results of your workouts....
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
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    I eat >4000 calories daily when bulking (cutting right now, but still expect to top 3000 almost every day).

    Whole milk and peanut butter, helping skinny kids put muscle mass for decades.

    1200 calories, LOL. Seriously, ditch the clean eating crap if you want to gain muscles.
  • WestCoastPhoenix
    WestCoastPhoenix Posts: 802 Member
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    Are you watching your sodium intake... Most restaurant food is very high in sodium and an indulgence per week is enough to have you retaining lots of fluid and not seeing the results of your workouts....

    lol yeah...of course it's salt...nothing to do with starving yourself....nope.
  • briang1224
    briang1224 Posts: 19
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    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.

    Thanks, this sounds like pretty sound advice.
    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.

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