Fiid calories for weight lifting?

Diviniteee
Diviniteee Posts: 10 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How many calories do you eat per day when you lift heavy weights? Please list your height also. I'm 5'0 and eating 1400-1600 cals which I feel is too little.. But when I go over 1600 cals I gain :'(

Replies

  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    Are you trying to lose weight, gain weight (in the form of muscle), or recomp?
  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
    Everyone, even at the same height and weight, is different in their needs.

    Judge your needs by your daily energy level and what the scale is doing. It can be a bit of trial and error.

    If you are losing, eat the calories that keep you losing at your MFP goal without being too tired to do normal everyday activities.

    Same advice, but reversed for gaining.

    For maintaining eat enough to stay in your range without daily lethargy.

    I am 5' 1 and find 1550-1600 7 days a week, (lifting 3, walking 2, yoga1) lets me lift and enjoy life while staying within my maintenance range (slow recomp). Any less and I get lethargic and start to lose weight.

    That is probably too few calories for most people 4'11-5'1 but as I am 63, and maintain around 100-105lbs and have a sedentary (very sedentary) MFP maintenance of 1200, it is plenty for me.

    Cheers, h.
  • SFarris829
    SFarris829 Posts: 19 Member
    When you lift heavy to gain muscle you could gain weight. Muscle is heavier then fat. You will see the difference in the way you body composition is when you gain muscle because it is leaner then fat. I have seen a lot of success stories where people weight the same or even more but look like they lost weight because of all the muscle tone.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    MorenteDent wrote: »
    How many calories do you eat per day when you lift heavy weights? Please list your height also. I'm 5'0 and eating 1400-1600 cals which I feel is too little.. But when I go over 1600 cals I gain :'(

    Everyone's needs will be different and likely not applicable to you. Your calorie requirements are as per your stats as well as overall activity, not just lifting weights or not lifting weights, etc.

    I eat around 2800-3000 calories per day to maintain weight.
  • JB035
    JB035 Posts: 336 Member
    You could try eating less cal dense foods if you're staying hungry.

    On days I lift heavy I'm much hungrier.

    Also sounds like you found your maintenance cals, so that a great thing.

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