How many calories to gain muscle?

Makoce
Makoce Posts: 938 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm 5'2 & 21 years old.
I got down to 110LBS eating a typical whatever I want diet & am now down to 103LBS on Primal.
I'd like to gain muscle and be lean .. as I am HORRIBLY skinny-fat right now.
( Mostly my stomach .. its a fricken pot belly yet im skinny? )

Goal set to 1700 calories but most days was under, so that's why I lost more on Primal.
I upped to 1780 and am hitting the oils hard to make more calories for myself and getting closer to that goal now.

I hit my protein goal daily.
My macros are 25% Carbs, 45% Fat & 30% Protein.

I walk at least 2 miles a day, and strength train twice a week for 30 - 45 minutes.
I might do 30 minutes on the elliptical once a week, or sprint for 10 minutes once a week.
I also am going to hike more now that its nice, since I live half a mile from a nature preserve and it's my fricken home.

So with that activity level in mind, my question is, at my height/weight/age - how many calories should I be eating to put on more muscle to fat ratio?

I also would like to mention if anyone can give me a bit of reassurance.
I struggled with binge eating and finally got a good grip on it, I am now terrified of gaining fat or weight back.
Im afraid upping my calories might trigger or something or Id put on more weight than muscle?

Anyone help a nervous-noobie out?

Replies

  • Bun_Ya
    Bun_Ya Posts: 174
    This TDEE calculator might help you - http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
    I reckon you could go another 100 or so calories per day and *still* be on the conservative side of things. Somewhere around 1900 might be more like it.
    The thing with putting weight on is it's almost impossible to avoid putting on *some* fat as well as the muscle you want. If you take it very slowly and don't eat at a huge calorie surplus (for you, as things are, 2150 or above would be huge) then you can limit the amount of fat you put on but obviously the muscle gained will be at a slow rate.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    thanks!

    I know Id put on some fat, I just want to keep it low and am unaware the best way to do that.
    Sounds like doing it slow is the way to go.
    So around 1800 - 1900 would be good?
    ( Obviously its trial and error but I need a starting point )

    At what point do you stop and reduce calories, or know youre being successful with putting on muscle as the scale goes up/when do you take a break and all that?
  • Bun_Ya
    Bun_Ya Posts: 174
    I would be more inclined to go closer to the 1900 end of the scale. You may even need more than that depending on what sort of job you have and so on.
    Increase your daily intake by 100, 150 or even 200 calories if you feel comfortable with that and keep it at that level until you stop gaining weight for two weeks. When that happens, add another 100-200 calories per day and repeat.
    You will know you are being successful with gaining muscle because you will be able to lift heavier weights or the same weight for more reps or sets. (this is something else you need to look into, a proper lifting program. If you want to build muscle, twice a week for 30-45 minutes is a bit lacklustre).
    You only need to stop when you are at a weight or body image you are happy with. When this happens, recalculate your TDEE and eat at what's called 'maintenance' (your TDEE number).
    You only need to reduce calories if you are trying to lose weight.
  • DeterminedFee201426
    DeterminedFee201426 Posts: 859 Member
    to gain muscle you need more than 1700 cals try>1850 and sometimes 2000 cals make sure most of them are healthy cals . your body needs enough calories to even start building first.
    your activity lv is very low so you will not get results at a good rate.try 5 days per week and do 45 minute workouts id recommend for your pooch to do ab work and a bit of full body workout like ab work 35 >full body 10 minutes . if you want to do more go for it but don't over work your body if you want to go for more do it for no more than 1hr 15 mins... I have a lot more advice but don't wanna type too much haha message if you want more I can give you info on what works for me and might work for you too :) iam building abs right now off my own made routines.
  • mailroomclerk
    mailroomclerk Posts: 70
    Find a plan and just stick to it. Working out the kinks is on you. It's all a part of the process. You do what you can, hopefully others with experience at your stage will lead you towards a proper diet. As long as you're moving and doing some weight training you haven't done before I believe you will be making strides to your goals. When you stop seeing change, it's time to "change" it up. You'll get the hang of it!

Categories