Can't keep up with my clean calorie intake

Options
DrummerGavin
DrummerGavin Posts: 31 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Is it just me or is it tough eating enough clean calories?? I can almost never hit my daily goal of about 3000. E Here it is almost 9:00pm and I'm still 1200 calories short! Even if I have another double shake (400 calories) before bed I'm still way short. I know I'm making gains and losing fat but I can't seem to dial it in. I feel like I'm not feeding my muscles right and that I could have even better gains. Thoughts??

I'm down from 207 to 191 in about 10 weeks. I lift 3 days a week and work in construction 5 days a week. I'm 6'2" and want to get to a men's physique and not more. I'm making gains and losing fat but I feel like I could be doing better. I take creatine, vitamins and protein shakes but feel like I'm still running short on nourishment and better gains. Any advice??
«13

Replies

  • DrummerGavin
    DrummerGavin Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I guess a clean calorie would be lean meats, healthy carbs (brown rice, etc) and plenty of nuts, avocados, and healthy fats and veggies. Protein shakes and 400 calorie replacement meals. I feel like I'm eating all day (every 2-3 hours and I can't keep up with my recommended 3000. And that's just a maintain goal. Gaining would put me closer to 3500!!
  • DrummerGavin
    DrummerGavin Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    So I guess I don't have to. I thought that was how proper nutrition works. I've cut out most sugars and salt and stopped eating fast food. I've only had a few meals like a cheese burger or fried foods rarely in the last few months. Are you saying that I can have more of those types of meals if I'm hitting my numbers?? I've been about 207-210 for the last few years but wasn't working out and eating anything. Since I cut those things out I've lost a lot of fat in my midsection so I'm good with that. I'd like to get down to at least 12-14% body fat and thought clean eating was the only way to get there (along with lifting 3 days a week)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
    Options
    DrummerGavin wrote: »
    So I guess I don't have to. I thought that was how proper nutrition works. I've cut out most sugars and salt and stopped eating fast food. I've only had a few meals like a cheese burger or fried foods rarely in the last few months. Are you saying that I can have more of those types of meals if I'm hitting my numbers?? I've been about 207-210 for the last few years but wasn't working out and eating anything. Since I cut those things out I've lost a lot of fat in my midsection so I'm good with that. I'd like to get down to at least 12-14% body fat and thought clean eating was the only way to get there (along with lifting 3 days a week)
    Nope. As mentioned, eat in a calorie deficit and you'll lose body fat.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    DrummerGavin wrote: »
    So I guess I don't have to. I thought that was how proper nutrition works. I've cut out most sugars and salt and stopped eating fast food. I've only had a few meals like a cheese burger or fried foods rarely in the last few months. Are you saying that I can have more of those types of meals if I'm hitting my numbers?? I've been about 207-210 for the last few years but wasn't working out and eating anything. Since I cut those things out I've lost a lot of fat in my midsection so I'm good with that. I'd like to get down to at least 12-14% body fat and thought clean eating was the only way to get there (along with lifting 3 days a week)

    eating a burger or a doughnut doesn't negate the nutrition in the broccoli or nuts or apple you also ate that day...
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Options
    I'm slightly confused as to your goal....

    You've lost 16lbs in 10 weeks, but you're making gains? It's likely your "gains" are due to getting leaner and your muscles becoming more defined, not that you're putting any muscle on.
  • edeonline
    edeonline Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    Nuts are a good source of fats and calories, have you considered adding them?
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    TavistockToad wrote: »
    DrummerGavin wrote: »
    So I guess I don't have to. I thought that was how proper nutrition works. I've cut out most sugars and salt and stopped eating fast food. I've only had a few meals like a cheese burger or fried foods rarely in the last few months. Are you saying that I can have more of those types of meals if I'm hitting my numbers?? I've been about 207-210 for the last few years but wasn't working out and eating anything. Since I cut those things out I've lost a lot of fat in my midsection so I'm good with that. I'd like to get down to at least 12-14% body fat and thought clean eating was the only way to get there (along with lifting 3 days a week)

    eating a burger or a doughnut doesn't negate the nutrition in the broccoli or nuts or apple you also ate that day...

    Or as Eric Helms puts it, "Once we've met our nutritional goals for the day, we don't get extra credit for consuming more nutritious food."

    exactly that!
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    my daily average is about 2600cal (female, 5'4") - not sure why the focus on clean, but my go-tos (I do a high carb so 300+g most days of the week)

    toast on the drive into work
    full fat yogurt, banana, farro (with some sour cream and cheese for fat) and some kind lf protein mid-morning
    lunch is normally potatos and chicken
    Dinner - depends on calories left for the day - last night was a sweet potato and barley dish with shrimp
    round the day out with a small bowl of cereal right before bed

    my diary is open if you want to take a look (and yes, I had both a cupcake and a cookie yesterday) :)
  • skymningen
    skymningen Posts: 532 Member
    Options
    deannalfisher wrote: »

    my diary is open if you want to take a look (and yes, I had both a cupcake and a cookie yesterday) :)

    More than one. And chips. And I am just saying that, because I am a little jealous. ;)
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,708 Member
    Options
    skymningen wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »

    my diary is open if you want to take a look (and yes, I had both a cupcake and a cookie yesterday) :)

    More than one. And chips. And I am just saying that, because I am a little jealous. ;)
    Oh I eat ice cream almost everyday.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
    9285851.png
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    Options
    skymningen wrote: »
    deannalfisher wrote: »

    my diary is open if you want to take a look (and yes, I had both a cupcake and a cookie yesterday) :)

    More than one. And chips. And I am just saying that, because I am a little jealous. ;)

    in my defense they were protein chips and honestly not that good...20g protein, 3 g fat and 5g carbs....
  • DrummerGavin
    DrummerGavin Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I'm slightly confused as to your goal....

    You've lost 16lbs in 10 weeks, but you're making gains? It's likely your "gains" are due to getting leaner and your muscles becoming more defined, not that you're putting any muscle on.
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    I'm slightly confused as to your goal....

    You've lost 16lbs in 10 weeks, but you're making gains? It's likely your "gains" are due to getting leaner and your muscles becoming more defined, not that you're putting any muscle on.

  • DrummerGavin
    DrummerGavin Posts: 31 Member
    Options
    I know that I am making gains and not just losing fat alone because not only am I starting to bust the sleeves on my t-shirts but I've also doubled my strength in that 10 weeks. I've never really had any fat surrounding muscle except for my ab section and not even there until about 5 years ago. I've always had a very good metabolism my whole life and been very active. I'm 49 now but it wasn't until I hit my 40's that it slowed down and started hitting my belly. I want to be able to have a "men's physique" type body. I've never focused on my body intensely because I never had to. Now I want to see what I'm capable of if I put all my focus and energy into it.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Options
    DrummerGavin wrote: »
    I know that I am making gains and not just losing fat alone because not only am I starting to bust the sleeves on my t-shirts but I've also doubled my strength in that 10 weeks. I've never really had any fat surrounding muscle except for my ab section and not even there until about 5 years ago. I've always had a very good metabolism my whole life and been very active. I'm 49 now but it wasn't until I hit my 40's that it slowed down and started hitting my belly. I want to be able to have a "men's physique" type body. I've never focused on my body intensely because I never had to. Now I want to see what I'm capable of if I put all my focus and energy into it.

    You may have gotten some newbie gains if you just started lifting or came back off a break from training. Maybe a couple of pounds overall. You can't really tell without before and after dexa or hydrostatic testing. That would have been it though if in deficit.

    Many mistake getting a pump, muscles filling with fluid for repair from training with actual muscle mass gains. Also, the strength increases can come exclusively from neuromuscular adaptations without having gained any mass. Does it really matter whether the improvements were from adding muscle mass or not? You are losing fat, looking better and are fitter and stronger either way.

    You still haven't stated your goal though. Is it to lose weight/ body fat? Recomp? Gain muscle mass? From what you said so far, sounds like recomp, lose a little fat while gaining mass eating at maintenance but I can't really tell.

Categories