Bulking 2500+
sagreenspan
Posts: 6
My stats are 34 yo, 5'9", 155 pounds, 22.5% body fat, lift 5-6 days/week plus plyos/hiit. I thought maintenance was 2200, so I was bulking at 2500, but I finally got a scale and...I was somehow 155 (my normal weight) this morning (despite "bulking" at 2500 for about 2 months). This is definitely after a whoosh bc I was 159 yesterday but still. I've been starving and am now thinking 2500 is closer to maintenance. Thinking about bulking at 2800-3000 (and not tracking today bc I'm starving). Do others have similar stats? I was going for a lean bulk so this is kinda freakin me out...
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Replies
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I'm the same age and height as you, and started bulking at 130 lbs. I had to eat at least 2650/day to gain at a decent rate, and that was with only 3 days of lifting and zero cardio. I'd say that intake looks perfectly fine, but the scale is going to be your best indicator. You may have to adjust as you go!0
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Thanks for replying. It's just been such a mind-f*** to think I was eating over maintenance, only to see the scale read 155 pounds this morning (again, I was 159 yesterday but I guess my body let some water go to show me the true colors). But I was pretty hungry every day at 2500-2600 and wondering how that could be... Bulking really can be a mind f*** especially cause summer is here. But hey, this was the choice, and it's so liberating to find this group!0
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You may have been bulking at 2500- for a few weeks. But don't forget- it's not just a range (meaning not a fixed point) but it's a moving target.
As you put on size and the intensity of the lifts go up with weight- you will need to eat more food- I started at 2000- and in 4 months found myself eating upwards of 3000.
It's a bit of a trip- it happens- just stay on it and be diligent with logging and hitting your min calories. You can do it!!!0 -
Thanks for responding to this!
Did you bump your calories up because of the scale numbers or because of how your body felt?
I guess my question is - can I use my hunger signals as an accurate gauge?
Thanks!0 -
I don't ever use my body's "hunger signals" other than a physical reaction (cranky- light headed- slow reaction times etc etc)- being hungry is small time peanuts in this department.
I know a lot of people do use "being hungry" as a way to moderate their food- some people continue to get hungry- some people stop being hungry. It's (I think) harder to use "being hungry" as a way base line my needs- my body doesn't LIKE over eating- so I go home- and I'm not hungry- if I'm bulking- I eat even when I don't want to. So I use the numbers themselves- like 2000 was a base- and then as I started to gain- I just kept eating- looking back at my numbers- I actually should have been eating way more- I know because looking back- I wasn't hitting my goal as often as I thought (I thought I was but I didn't look at the long term trend line) and while I gained weight- I think I plateaued the last little bit.
YMMV- you can try using your hunger signals but keep tracking and see if you are getting what you need. If you see after 3 weeks you still aren't getting anywhere- might bet time to bump it up.0 -
Thanks for this. My concern, honestly, is eating so much over maintenance that I'll gain weight too fast (i.e., fat). I'm currently paying attention to hunger to up my calories from 2600; the past 3 days I've naturally landed between 3100-3300 (also, naturally, at a 40/30/30 split) but I've still gone to bed a bit hungry each day. I've weighed myself most mornings to; no real big differences, just slight fluctuations that I suspect are water fluctuations.
I would def eat if I wasn't hungry (if I knew I needed to eat to gain muscle). It's not trusting that I should eat if I am hungry which gets me. It feels uncontrolled, coming from a history/place of restricted eating.0 -
I admit I envy people who can trust their hunger signals. After years of restricted eating my body is totally confused, plus I have to take a medication which is unfortunately a potent appetite stimulant :frown: Fortunately it works at what it is intended to do, and that outweighs even feeling hungry all the time :laugh:0
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You know I can relate to this... I am trying to become one of those people0
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Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.0 -
Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.
That's including your workout calories right?0 -
Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.
Ditto but I'm shorter 5'2 and 34. I was up at 3150 cals at the end of my bulk and now maintain on 2500ish. Yes that's with my activity favored in, 5-6 days of lifting.0 -
Thanks for this. My concern, honestly, is eating so much over maintenance that I'll gain weight too fast (i.e., fat). I'm currently paying attention to hunger to up my calories from 2600; the past 3 days I've naturally landed between 3100-3300 (also, naturally, at a 40/30/30 split) but I've still gone to bed a bit hungry each day. I've weighed myself most mornings to; no real big differences, just slight fluctuations that I suspect are water fluctuations.
I would def eat if I wasn't hungry (if I knew I needed to eat to gain muscle). It's not trusting that I should eat if I am hungry which gets me. It feels uncontrolled, coming from a history/place of restricted eating.
If you find that you're gaining too fast then just taper the calories back down. I've increased my calories twice during my bulk; by 200 each time. I waited a month in between so I could gage my weight gain. Now bulking at 2600 (I'm 5'8 and 140 ish).0 -
Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.
Ditto but I'm shorter 5'2 and 34. I was up at 3150 cals at the end of my bulk and now maintain on 2500ish. Yes that's with my activity favored in, 5-6 days of lifting.
LOL I always get freaked out when I see that (I think you did the same thing one time on mine for the exact same reasons) I don't factor my exercise in LOL- so I'm like HOW THE EFF ARE YOU MAINTAINING SO HIGH....
then I have to say to myself
"because - stupid- they are including exercise- you add back in LOL. stop panicking- you eat that much too just not daily"
Mine, if I added in moderate would be around 2500 LOL.
panic subsided0 -
Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.
That's including your workout calories right?
Yes. I do the TDEE method and eat the same amount of food everyday regardless of activity.0 -
Before my bulk, my stats were 5'5" 126 lbs and about 19% Bodyfat and 32 years old. Toward the end of my bulk, I was eating close to 3000 a day to continue to maintain a .5 lb/week gain.
Now, I'm 5'5" 134 lbs about 19% body fat and I'm cutting at 2200….so my maintenance is likely 2500-2600.
Ditto but I'm shorter 5'2 and 34. I was up at 3150 cals at the end of my bulk and now maintain on 2500ish. Yes that's with my activity favored in, 5-6 days of lifting.
LOL I always get freaked out when I see that (I think you did the same thing one time on mine for the exact same reasons) I don't factor my exercise in LOL- so I'm like HOW THE EFF ARE YOU MAINTAINING SO HIGH....
then I have to say to myself
"because - stupid- they are including exercise- you add back in LOL. stop panicking- you eat that much too just not daily"
Mine, if I added in moderate would be around 2500 LOL.
panic subsided
Yeah…I tried the MFP method of adding back in exercise cals, but it just left me feeling fatigued (and hella hungry) on rest days. And my wo days that followed a rest day were usually **** because of the previous day of low cals.0 -
yeah- I work out quiet a bit- but the work varies tremendously so I opted for the base line- then add back in method.
I didn't realize I did what MFP does- but in my own way till someone got into a big discussion about it. It just made sense to me via TDEE to set it sedentary and then eat back calories.
Some days it's heavy on the dance- some days it's heavy on the lifting- so it allowed me the flexibility of eating what I needed based on what I did. It definitely takes some discipline to eat a much lower diet on off days- but it works out okay- I usually have a hefty deficit in terms of net calories- so I can afford high days when I'm off- or eating out- I bank specifically to accommodate my BF time (we eat out together when he is here quiet a bit)0 -
I eat back, and feel better / safer that way. However I do know that it is not accurate as a 'workout' on a stepper for some people is a gentle cruise at level 5, for some it is short bursts of interval training, but for me it is a steady but pushing myself cruise on level 12.
I like to 'bank' calories too, as it gives me more wriggle room if I can't get to the gym one day or want to eat out.0 -
Yeah…I tried the MFP method of adding back in exercise cals, but it just left me feeling fatigued (and hella hungry) on rest days. And my wo days that followed a rest day were usually **** because of the previous day of low cals.
This my problem too - I'm sometimes hungrier on rest days than on wo days - I HATED having less to eat! Having one steady intake goal every day is much easier for me
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Yeah…I tried the MFP method of adding back in exercise cals, but it just left me feeling fatigued (and hella hungry) on rest days. And my wo days that followed a rest day were usually **** because of the previous day of low cals.
This my problem too - I'm sometimes hungrier on rest days than on wo days - I HATED having less to eat! Having one steady intake goal every day is much easier for me
Same here! I hated eating less on non-wo days. Plus, it was just an extra level of stress to think about whether my wo calories were right or not. One steady level and I'm good. But that's the nice thing about MFP - it does allow for various methods.0 -
For me personally, eating back workout calories developed obsessive/destructive behaviors. I use to think I couldn't eat something unless it was earned or did more workouts to prepare or make up for unbalanced eating. That's toxic and not healthy and sadly many fall in that trap. Burns can't be accurately measured and I don't a give a **** what I burn or worry about hitting certain numbers. If I'm going to be more active, I eat more regardless. Rest days I don't cut cals just cycle my macros and I've never felt better.0
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It's definitely a "what works best for you" game.
I think I would fret over that whole "didn't work out- still eating more" issues. I guess I Just like the control- but on the flip side- I'm all about ball parking things.
I ball park my burns- (and I under estimate them) and I ball park my food (rarely enter recipes)- I weigh and I measure- but I just get an entry that's "close enough" and typically over estimate food- so results in the balance I need (not the typical balance of eating too much and not burning enough)
maybe next cut I'll try adding in exercise into my average calories and see how it works for me LOL- I'm always down to experiment
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