Active Ladies around 5'5 what are your maintenance and bulking calories like??

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Daisy253
Daisy253 Posts: 42 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hi all,

Just would like to get an idea what sort of calorie range people are using to get results. I know it's trial and error but some insight might be helpful to me.

I am 5'5, 114 pounds and have reverse dieted up to 1800 cals over the last 3 months with no significant weight gain. I am now adding calories to start my first bulk.

I lift 4 days a week, do a boot camp class once a week and walk at least 1hr uphill 3 days a week, so consider myself fairly active.

All replies appreciated :)

Replies

  • S4Lyons
    S4Lyons Posts: 147 Member
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    Considering your weight your maintenance cal is around 1600 if you were too do a lean bulk without allot of excess fat gain then 1800-1900 would be good untill you get to 120-125lb then up your cal intake by a 100
  • S4Lyons
    S4Lyons Posts: 147 Member
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    On days that you do cardio maybe up the cal above 2000 but not much just depending on how hard and how much time you were doing cardio for.
  • orchidee1987
    orchidee1987 Posts: 97 Member
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    I disagree with the above poster : OP's maintenance is surely much higher.
    5'4, 125-129 lbs, 27 years old, maintain on 2400 kcals on average
  • nancyjay__
    nancyjay__ Posts: 310 Member
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    It doesn't need to be so much trial and error plug your info into this
    http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    I am 5'4" 115 and my maintenance is much much lower than all of yours. I lift 3 days and cardio 3 days...

    My TDEE is sometimes all over the place.. But maintenance for me is 1450 although the calculator "says" 1650... this is not correct number for me..
  • Daisy253
    Daisy253 Posts: 42 Member
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    I burn out and lose weight very quickly at 1600 cals, that is definitely not maintenance for me.

    Thanks Nancy, I have put my details into scoobys, for lean bulk it says 2134 or something close.

    I suppose I just wanted some insight into what the range in cals can be amongst similar height woman, over 2000 cals seems scary to me!!! But super excited to eat more food :)

    Orchidee, I would love to have that maintenance level!!!! How active are you??
  • tephanies1234
    tephanies1234 Posts: 299 Member
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    5'5" and 144lbs- maintenance looks to be around 1800-1900 net calories being sedentary at my job 5 days a week. Bulking...haven't gotten there yet but I would assume a couple hundred more...
  • butterbear1980
    butterbear1980 Posts: 234 Member
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    S4Lyons wrote: »
    Considering your weight your maintenance cal is around 1600 if you were too do a lean bulk without allot of excess fat gain then 1800-1900 would be good untill you get to 120-125lb then up your cal intake by a 100

    OMG do not listen to this....your maintnence is going to be a lot higher than your current numbers. Keep slowly upping your cals until your weight bumps up three pounds. This is your glycogen stores topping off to maintnence. As you get close to maintnence or after you find that number hang out there for a while to let your body adjust, at first you'll be super crazy hungry and then it levels off and then start your bulk.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,493 Member
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    I maintain on about 1800-1900, haven't done a bulk though.
  • Lady_jane_
    Lady_jane_ Posts: 37 Member
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    Hello! I'm 5'5" and around 120 now. was about 115 when I started all of this, about 5 weeks ago. I am also fairly active, lift 4-5 times a week, walk/run with my dog twice daily.

    I'm gaining at the moment, eating 2300-2500 cals per day and feeling great. My energy levels are higher, and I'm hitting PRs on all my lifts

  • MissMary75044
    MissMary75044 Posts: 517 Member
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    5'4, 104lbs. Initially I set my goal to gain a 2300 a day, which for me was too low. After doing more research my maintenance level needs to be around 2200. I got pretty frustrated because I did 2300 for two to three weeks and didn't have much luck. Just started on 2500 a day yesterday so only time will tell.
  • Daisy253
    Daisy253 Posts: 42 Member
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    Thanks everyone :)

    I have bumped my calories again to 1850, will sit with it a few weeks and see what happens. Mmmmmm more food yum!!!
  • Daisy253
    Daisy253 Posts: 42 Member
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    I hav
    mspunkyone wrote: »
    S4Lyons wrote: »
    Considering your weight your maintenance cal is around 1600 if you were too do a lean bulk without allot of excess fat gain then 1800-1900 would be good untill you get to 120-125lb then up your cal intake by a 100

    OMG do not listen to this....your maintnence is going to be a lot higher than your current numbers. Keep slowly upping your cals until your weight bumps up three pounds. This is your glycogen stores topping off to maintnence. As you get close to maintnence or after you find that number hang out there for a while to let your body adjust, at first you'll be super crazy hungry and then it levels off and then start your bulk.

    I have bumped up again to 1900 this week, still no gain in weight but my appetite has gone through the roof and I am hungry all day, in fact I think my body fat level has dropped and I am see more definition in my top abs so will confirm this at next pt session.
  • midnightisolde
    midnightisolde Posts: 60 Member
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    I am 5'4' and have been bulking since the start of February from a starting weight of 125lbs. Currently 129/130lbs. I do an upper / lower split four times a week. No perscribed cardio except walking to get to places as i have no car.
    I have gained about 1/1.5lbs per month on 2000 -2100 calories, so maintainance is about 1900.
  • Daisy253
    Daisy253 Posts: 42 Member
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    Hi everyone, so my next issue seems to be that as I raise my calories my strength is suffering???? Have had to drop my weight on most lifts this week ( by quite a bit) as I just can't handle the same loads I was lifting 3'wks ago?? Any wise words for me lifting peoples :)

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