Bulking, workout out and calories

Hi Guys!

I need some help! My maintenance calories are 1200calories/day. I'm trying to gain so i'm eating 1700/1800 calorie a day.

I track everything on this app. so when i add any exercises obviously it becomes red and i'm on a deficit.

So if i burned another 500 calories that means on that day i'll to eat an extra 500 calories. I'll be over my maintenance by 1000calories. Am i correct? and then on rest day i just eat 1800 calories.:smile:

Replies

  • dockholiday8234
    dockholiday8234 Posts: 43 Member
    1200 calories/ day for maintenance seems low. You should recheck your numbers.

    But you are on the right track for slow and steady muscle gain with minimal fat gain. surplus on lifting days and maintenance on non-lifting days.

    Remember maintenance means the required calories to maintain the same weight. So maintenance calories with workouts would be a different number to maintenance without workouts.

    Remember fitnesspal is not the be all end all.. its a tool to help monitor your consumption.
  • I agree, 1200 cals for maintenance seems really low, even for a small male.

    Try recalculating your daily expenditure here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    Increasing your daily consumption by 500-1000 cals seems reasonable.

    I would then suggest you track your macros very closely, use http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/ to determine your daily % of fat, protein and carbs, then just monitor your progress on MFP. If you aren't gaining, add 500 more daily calories each week until you see a gain of 1-2 lbs. a week.

    Good luck!

  • But you are on the right track for slow and steady muscle gain with minimal fat gain. surplus on lifting days and maintenance on non-lifting days.

    Thanks !!
  • I agree, 1200 cals for maintenance seems really low, even for a small male.

    Try recalculating your daily expenditure here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    I sure hope you realise i'm a woman haha! I'm 5'3, 102lbs 1200/1300 seems the correct calorie maintenance. thanks for the link!
  • TriLifter
    TriLifter Posts: 1,283 Member
  • I'd recheck maintenance before anything. But you have the right idea! :)
  • Hmm, workout is really important.
  • I agree, 1200 cals for maintenance seems really low, even for a small male.

    Try recalculating your daily expenditure here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    I sure hope you realise i'm a woman haha! I'm 5'3, 102lbs 1200/1300 seems the correct calorie maintenance. thanks for the link!

    My mistake, the site still works for male or female.

    Good luck! :)
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
    I agree, 1200 cals for maintenance seems really low, even for a small male.

    Try recalculating your daily expenditure here:

    http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/

    I sure hope you realise i'm a woman haha! I'm 5'3, 102lbs 1200/1300 seems the correct calorie maintenance. thanks for the link!

    I'm 5'2 and eat between 1600-1900 calories and I am not at maintenance!!

    Redo your maintenance 1200 calories is way to low!!
  • Linda916
    Linda916 Posts: 124 Member
    have you ever had your body fat measured hydrostatically? I'm 5'2" 140 with 27% and my calories needed to simply be awake and lay in bed all day is 1550. High intensity work out days and I am around 2000 (because I want to reduce my bf I'm eating deficit). Heavy lifting days and I'm at 2500! All good, clean food but in a huge quantity! Goes against everything my mama taught me! lol your calories seem really low to me....
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    For a 5'3" 102 pound female, I calculate a TDEE of 1468 cals assuming a desk job/little exercise. Add in your exercise cals and I can see where you would not be gaining on 1700-1800.
  • Based on your advices i recalculated my maintenance:
    http://www.eliteimpactlabs.com/tools/bodybuilding-macronutrient-calculator.html

    and here are my results:

    My Daily Macronutrient Breakdown:

    Calories: 2238

    Protein:105g

    Carbohydrates: 287g

    Fats: 75g

    1000 over :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

    let's gain some muscles !
  • For a 5'3" 102 pound female, I calculate a TDEE of 1468 cals assuming a desk job/little exercise. Add in your exercise cals and I can see where you would not be gaining on 1700-1800.

    There are sooooo many websites with different information out there... I even asked my PT (who isn't a nutritionist) and i was advised to up to 2000/2500 day ..! i
  • Springfield1970
    Springfield1970 Posts: 1,945 Member
    This is why I decided to track exactly what I'm eating and use a heart rate monitor to find out MY numbers. It's taken about a month of daily weighing and averaging out weekly, and gradually upping my calories to find out what makes me gain. I add my exercise calories separately and eat them all back. Anyway I found out that I started gaining a fifth of a pound a week when I was at 1850 maintenance or net cals and figured out that is 700 calories a week too much (700 cals is 1/5th lb).

    So at 5'7" 124lbs 17-20%bf 43 years old my maintenance cals are 1750 before exercise. I am hoping to gain a pound or two of muscle and drop a little fat. I don't burn very much cals when exercising as I am fit and light. I have my own figures. Weight training certainly doesn't burn v much but obviously I don't exercise to lose weight.

    I hope to keep that 1750 number for as long as I can and even up it if possible!

    By the way, Scooby's calculator was the one that came the closest, I think he put me at 1700. Apart from my exercise I am active with a business, 9 year old son, and don't sleep well. I am also fidgety and don't have a sofa or tv. I walk fast and am a bit anxious and feel the cold ! I think these factors all play a part in your own personal numbers.