Maintaining at 3,000 calories

BackTatJIM
BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am sure there are plenty of people on here who have to eat a lot just to stay the same weight. Where are you at? I lift 4-5 days a week and if I do any cardio its maybe 20 minutes once a week. I work a full time job on my feet but its not very hard work. I am currently eating about 3,250 calories to try to gain slowly. Where are all of you big eaters at? And is it crazy that I am still always hungry?
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Replies

  • Phrakman
    Phrakman Posts: 113
    cutting on 3200-3500
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    cutting on 3200-3500
    dayum
  • markaconklin
    markaconklin Posts: 37 Member
    4,000 Feels great...(Slow Gain). 4,500 Feels like King Kong.
  • UncleRiotous
    UncleRiotous Posts: 69
    I'm not trying to build particularly but on days when I cycle (probably 5 out of 7) I'm hitting about 3200-3500. It's really weird after 5 months of trying to net 1200 and then a month of trying to net 1600.
  • Cr01502
    Cr01502 Posts: 3,614 Member
    Lifting 3 days a week

    Kickboxing twice a week

    Physical job

    Maintaining at 4000-4200
  • Wade406
    Wade406 Posts: 269 Member
    I'm losing a pound a week eating 2,500/day.
    I lift 3 days/week.
    I ski mountaineer or bike ride 1 or 2 days/week. (big calorie burns).
    My net is usually 1,900/day.
  • icandowhateveriputmymindto
    icandowhateveriputmymindto Posts: 602 Member
    No it's not crazy at all. Sounds like you have a fast metabolism.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Still trying to narrow in on a slow bulk. Around 3000 daily right now.
  • woodsygirl
    woodsygirl Posts: 354 Member
    I eat around 2,500 a day to maintain and I'm just a 5'3 woman ;)
  • chicbuc
    chicbuc Posts: 616 Member
    5'4" woman losing with 1950 per day. Not losing a ton of weight, but the inches are melting off which is what I want.
  • notworthstalking
    notworthstalking Posts: 531 Member
    I am about 5 10 , and 1780 net should have me losing slowly. I aim to eat 2000 plus a day. For a young guy working hard, your calories sound normal if not low. Boys and girls got to eat.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    i am at 2000 cals but trying to get to 10% bf by beach season..once that happens I will be trying to pack on a nice layer of muscle to that ....

    lift four times a week..mon/tues wens off thurs/friday ..doing upper/lower split..just started that routine this week..

    I feel ya on always hungry thing..with my IF/lean gains I have biggest meal post work out ..sometimes 1200 cals and then hungry again in hour...scary! But I could always eat a crap ton of food in one sitting...
  • pinkpumpedupkickz
    pinkpumpedupkickz Posts: 77 Member
    OMG guys! Tell me how you eat/how you workout!! Please! I just went to my gym to meet with a trainer.. he wanted to put me on a "fitness model" training program.. and gave me a super strict diet..I came back to MFP and tallied up the calories... 800. Total. NOT net... I'm a girl who likes to eat. But, how the h-e-double hockeysticks do you get away with it and still lose?! Can somebody let me in on the secret??
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    I just finished a 1 lb. per week bulk averaging 3,000-3,200 calories. I'm now 180 lbs. Desk job by day. I lift 4 days per week and I do 1 day of cardio. I just started this week on maintenance at approx. 2,700 calories on workout days (3,000 on cardio day). My bulk was pretty clean and I found it hard to eat that much food....but I got used to it and now cutting back is leaving me a bit hungry. In another 2 weeks, I'm planning to start a cut and will drop another few hundred calories.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    Still trying to narrow in on a slow bulk. Around 3000 daily right now.

    I have been attempting a slow bulk myself, but seem to stall out every few weeks, I need to remember t keep adding a few more calories every week I guess
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    If we are talking gross calories, I maintain at about 3600/day (2750/day net).

    I bulk at 3200 net. Keeps me gaining at about 0.8-1.0 lb/wk. On lifting days that has me eating over 4K cals.
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    OMG guys! Tell me how you eat/how you workout!! Please! I just went to my gym to meet with a trainer.. he wanted to put me on a "fitness model" training program.. and gave me a super strict diet..I came back to MFP and tallied up the calories... 800. Total. NOT net... I'm a girl who likes to eat. But, how the h-e-double hockeysticks do you get away with it and still lose?! Can somebody let me in on the secret??

    Strength training. Lots of it.

    The idea that strength training doesn't burn many calories is a load of horse dung.
  • Phrakman
    Phrakman Posts: 113
    The secret is, move around a lot. People who burn a lot of calories never sit still, fidget, talk with their hands, walk everywhere, workout a lot.
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    The secret is, move around a lot. People who burn a lot of calories never sit still, fidget, talk with their hands, walk everywhere, workout a lot.

    Yep I sleep about 7 hrs sit around about 3 and am on the move for the other 14 hrs everyday. Lift heavy and keep busy and you can eat ALOT!
  • BackTatJIM
    BackTatJIM Posts: 1,140 Member
    OMG guys! Tell me how you eat/how you workout!! Please! I just went to my gym to meet with a trainer.. he wanted to put me on a "fitness model" training program.. and gave me a super strict diet..I came back to MFP and tallied up the calories... 800. Total. NOT net... I'm a girl who likes to eat. But, how the h-e-double hockeysticks do you get away with it and still lose?! Can somebody let me in on the secret??
    For most people tying to lose weight it is just a mental thing and they believe that MFP activity levels and goals are 100% accurate. So they end up eating 1,200-1,600 a day and wonder why people eat so much more then them and still lose weight.
  • K_Serz
    K_Serz Posts: 1,299 Member
    Still trying to narrow in on a slow bulk. Around 3000 daily right now.

    I have been attempting a slow bulk myself, but seem to stall out every few weeks, I need to remember t keep adding a few more calories every week I guess

    Sounds like a lot of it has to do with your job. I have a job where im stuck at a desk all damn day like im chained to it and need to eat about 1/2 of what you are to have the same effect.
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    I'm here for the TDEE porn . 3000 cals ??? Ahhhhhh NICE.

    I'm a not too shabby 2300, but can dream about 3000. Lol

    I eat 1800-2000 to lose ...cycle cals on training / non training days.. Ladies ..I lift heavy. No cardio per se
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    I need to eat at least 2500-3000 just to maintain my weight. To gain, aobut 3200-3500.

    I work on a desk for the most part and workout 6 days a week for 45-1hr at most.
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    OMG guys! Tell me how you eat/how you workout!! Please! I just went to my gym to meet with a trainer.. he wanted to put me on a "fitness model" training program.. and gave me a super strict diet..I came back to MFP and tallied up the calories... 800. Total. NOT net... I'm a girl who likes to eat. But, how the h-e-double hockeysticks do you get away with it and still lose?! Can somebody let me in on the secret??

    Just no.
  • strikerjb007
    strikerjb007 Posts: 443 Member
    Still trying to narrow in on a slow bulk. Around 3000 daily right now.

    I have been attempting a slow bulk myself, but seem to stall out every few weeks, I need to remember t keep adding a few more calories every week I guess

    Sounds like a lot of it has to do with your job. I have a job where im stuck at a desk all damn day like im chained to it and need to eat about 1/2 of what you are to have the same effect.

    That's not true for everyone. That's up to each person. I work a desk job and need to eat a lot.
  • HMVOL7409
    HMVOL7409 Posts: 1,588 Member
    I'm here for the TDEE porn . 3000 cals ??? Ahhhhhh NICE.

    I'm a not too shabby 2300, but can dream about 3000. Lol

    I eat 1800-2000 to lose ...cycle cals on training / non training days.. Ladies ..I lift heavy. No cardio per se

    Ditto.

    5'2 113 lb 33 yo and I maintain on 2100-2300. Will up to 2500+ when my race training kicks in high gear. :) I love it; still shocks the hell out of some people.
  • harlanJEN
    harlanJEN Posts: 1,089 Member
    OMG guys! Tell me how you eat/how you workout!! Please! I just went to my gym to meet with a trainer.. he wanted to put me on a "fitness model" training program.. and gave me a super strict diet..I came back to MFP and tallied up the calories... 800. Total. NOT net... I'm a girl who likes to eat. But, how the h-e-double hockeysticks do you get away with it and still lose?! Can somebody let me in on the secret??

    Just no.

    I will say ... Oh hell no! Lol.

    800 cals?? No no no.

    Eat, lift, rest, repeat

    Lots of great female role models here on MFP who are very successful in taking care of their bodies and meeting FAB fitness goals
  • beth20268
    beth20268 Posts: 1
    I eat 2200 to maintain my weight with no exercise at all and I'm going to be on 3000 now I'm exercising
  • c_aw
    c_aw Posts: 128 Member
    i do 2300 for 5,5 girl. gaaaaainsss hahaha
  • GertrudeHorse
    GertrudeHorse Posts: 646 Member
    I maintain on about 2900 net, which I feel pretty pleased about. Love my food.

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