Optimal calorie goal for gaining muscle + weight
mgmgmg1981
Posts: 31 Member
Hey everyone !
This is my first post, you probably get a lot like that but I definitely need some advice as per getting back to my normal weight and gaining muscle while eating healthy !
I've been practicing various bodyweight programs for 3+ years, I am right now following an excellent Parallettes program and I am enjoying it a lot. I train around 1 hour and 30 - 40 minutes 3 times a week, and work on flexibility and recovery in between days. So it's Monday / Wednesday / Friday of following the parallettes routine and Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday OR Sunday as flexibility / recover exercise (around 40 minutes, with some jumping rope cardio too).
However I am reaching some sort of plateau in my training as I lack strength.
I am 1m84 (6"03) and currently weight 57kg (125 lbs), which is almost considered underweight -- I am a 37 y/o man and about to turn 38. I feel pretty great in general but I need to gain weight and build more strength.
I've been logging my daily calories so far and I only reach 1600-1800 kcal per day, which is not enough.
I'd like to gain weight slowly and build the adequate muscle. My goal is not to be super muscular ; and I feel full pretty easily.
I'd like to ask you these questions
- What calories goal should I hit everyday ? I plan to go slow so looking at months of progress here.
- What should be the optimal macro's ? I eat everything, love fish, fruits, vegetables, beans etc. I'm not too much into junk food. I like to dine out with friends on week-end though and that's probably the days I can go over 2000kcal with the couple of beers or wine I'd be drinking that day.
- I've been trying super shakes (200-500 kcal) with protein (I got some ESN Whey protein, plain & unsweetened and some leftoverer Pulsin Hemp). I like nut butters for sure. Fat + Protein really fill me up.
- This will sound dumb but sometime it's hard to make a change. I've been very disciplined as per the food I eat but I need to let go for sure if I want to build the proper strength and gain weight ! Any advice would be nice :-)
Thanks a lot everyone for any insight you can provide !
Sharing your experience is cool too -- I'd love to read some similar stories.
Have a great day !
This is my first post, you probably get a lot like that but I definitely need some advice as per getting back to my normal weight and gaining muscle while eating healthy !
I've been practicing various bodyweight programs for 3+ years, I am right now following an excellent Parallettes program and I am enjoying it a lot. I train around 1 hour and 30 - 40 minutes 3 times a week, and work on flexibility and recovery in between days. So it's Monday / Wednesday / Friday of following the parallettes routine and Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday OR Sunday as flexibility / recover exercise (around 40 minutes, with some jumping rope cardio too).
However I am reaching some sort of plateau in my training as I lack strength.
I am 1m84 (6"03) and currently weight 57kg (125 lbs), which is almost considered underweight -- I am a 37 y/o man and about to turn 38. I feel pretty great in general but I need to gain weight and build more strength.
I've been logging my daily calories so far and I only reach 1600-1800 kcal per day, which is not enough.
I'd like to gain weight slowly and build the adequate muscle. My goal is not to be super muscular ; and I feel full pretty easily.
I'd like to ask you these questions
- What calories goal should I hit everyday ? I plan to go slow so looking at months of progress here.
- What should be the optimal macro's ? I eat everything, love fish, fruits, vegetables, beans etc. I'm not too much into junk food. I like to dine out with friends on week-end though and that's probably the days I can go over 2000kcal with the couple of beers or wine I'd be drinking that day.
- I've been trying super shakes (200-500 kcal) with protein (I got some ESN Whey protein, plain & unsweetened and some leftoverer Pulsin Hemp). I like nut butters for sure. Fat + Protein really fill me up.
- This will sound dumb but sometime it's hard to make a change. I've been very disciplined as per the food I eat but I need to let go for sure if I want to build the proper strength and gain weight ! Any advice would be nice :-)
Thanks a lot everyone for any insight you can provide !
Sharing your experience is cool too -- I'd love to read some similar stories.
Have a great day !
0
Replies
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With your stats you are not almost underweight, you are underweight so gaining is going to be priority for you.
This link can help you get started
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226536/bulking-for-beginners/p1
As a male you want to gain around 0.5-1lb per week, so 250-500 cal per day surplus over your maintenance calories. You can use a calorie calculator to estimate this for you, either your maintenance (TDEE) or bulking calories depending on the goals you enter.
In terms of macros aim for 0.8-1g protein per lb minimum, 0.35g fat per lb minimum and rest carbs. Adding more high fat foods can help you reach your calorie goals so don't be afraid to go over that since it is just a minimum, adjust your carbs accordingly. However if high fat and protein fill you up, aim for more carbs. You may have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you.
Make sure you are following a lifting program. A full body 3x per week is a good start. See thsi link for a list
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
You don't have to complicate any of this but just make sure you are hitting your calorie goals. Try not to worry too much about "the right foods" it may set you back since not hitting your calorie goals consistently = no weight gain.6 -
At your height I would say 3000+ cals per day. A descent starting point would be 150 grams protein (600 cals), 80 grams fat (720 cals), and 420 grams carbs (1680 cals). If 420 grams of carb is difficult to eat (it's a lot) you could easily up your fat and lower carbs to suit your preferences.
I would also introduce the calories slowly. Maybe add 200 cals per week. Too much too soon IMO is not a good idea. The way you feel and how your body responds will be the main driver...5 -
With your stats you are not almost underweight, you are underweight so gaining is going to be priority for you.
This link can help you get started
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226536/bulking-for-beginners/p1
As a male you want to gain around 0.5-1lb per week, so 250-500 cal per day surplus over your maintenance calories. You can use a calorie calculator to estimate this for you, either your maintenance (TDEE) or bulking calories depending on the goals you enter.
In terms of macros aim for 0.8-1g protein per lb minimum, 0.35g fat per lb minimum and rest carbs. Adding more high fat foods can help you reach your calorie goals so don't be afraid to go over that since it is just a minimum, adjust your carbs accordingly. However if high fat and protein fill you up, aim for more carbs. You may have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you.
Make sure you are following a lifting program. A full body 3x per week is a good start. See thsi link for a list
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
You don't have to complicate any of this but just make sure you are hitting your calorie goals. Try not to worry too much about "the right foods" it may set you back since not hitting your calorie goals consistently = no weight gain.
This is good advice. @sardelsa explained it far better then I did...2 -
With your stats you are not almost underweight, you are underweight so gaining is going to be priority for you.
This link can help you get started
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10226536/bulking-for-beginners/p1
As a male you want to gain around 0.5-1lb per week, so 250-500 cal per day surplus over your maintenance calories. You can use a calorie calculator to estimate this for you, either your maintenance (TDEE) or bulking calories depending on the goals you enter.
In terms of macros aim for 0.8-1g protein per lb minimum, 0.35g fat per lb minimum and rest carbs. Adding more high fat foods can help you reach your calorie goals so don't be afraid to go over that since it is just a minimum, adjust your carbs accordingly. However if high fat and protein fill you up, aim for more carbs. You may have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you.
Make sure you are following a lifting program. A full body 3x per week is a good start. See thsi link for a list
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
You don't have to complicate any of this but just make sure you are hitting your calorie goals. Try not to worry too much about "the right foods" it may set you back since not hitting your calorie goals consistently = no weight gain.
What @sardelsa said is spot on. I was 55kg when I first started on here and I'm 5 foot 4/5. It wasnt until I hit 4,000 calories daily that I started to gain weight. Like @J72FIT said, increase the calories slowly 200 - 250 a week until your weight starts to go up. I'm not saying you will need 4,000 calories to gain weight as everyone is different. If you find that you get full on 1600-1800 kcal per day, pre log your day so you know that you will hit your calorie level by the end of the day instead of it being 9pm, you have a million calories left and you are stressed about how to get the rest of the calories in. Shakes are a great way to get the calories in as are a handful of almonds, cashews, daily3 -
Thanks a bunch everyone ! Yeah going slow, adding some calories to reach the goal weekly is probably the best way to go for me. I have a hard time being more flexible with food, but it needs to happen !
This will make all my training way more enjoyable.
Now onto the reading, I will configure MFP so I can make sure to hit the goals daily.
Cheers !2 -
Any recommendation for breakfasts ? I train in the morning, get breakfast around 7 / 7.30 AM and start working out at ~10AM. Lunch / Dinner ideas would be awesome too.
Cheers !0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Any recommendation for breakfasts ? I train in the morning, get breakfast around 7 / 7.30 AM and start working out at ~10AM. Lunch / Dinner ideas would be awesome too.
Cheers !
Do you like porridge/oats? 3 scoops of porridge/oats with 4 scoops of full fat milk with a banana or whatever fruit you like, a spoonful of honey or peanut butter or both and you have nice filling calorific breakfast. If you want to go for a more protein based type breakfast, scrambled eggs or however you like your eggs on toast with bacon, tomatoes and red onion.2 -
I love oats ! I eat oatmeal (different grains too, like spelt / buckwheat / millet) every day of the week.0
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mgmgmg1981 wrote: »I love oats ! I eat oatmeal (different grains too, like spelt / buckwheat / millet) every day of the week.
Great. What I suggested is a great way to get a high amount of calories into you first thing every morning. Another addition would be a scoop of grounded millseed, flaxseed, sunflower seeds that you should be able to find in shops.1 -
Yeah I always add nuts or seeds in my oats. Ground flaxseed, hemp hearts, hulled sunflower seeds etc. They taste great but I was only putting 1 tbsp of them.
When you say scoop, are you talking about 1 tbsp ?
Thanks again for your help !
Cheers.0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Yeah I always add nuts or seeds in my oats. Ground flaxseed, hemp hearts, hulled sunflower seeds etc. They taste great but I was only putting 1 tbsp of them.
When you say scoop, are you talking about 1 tbsp ?
Thanks again for your help !
Cheers.
When you say scoop, are you talking about 1 tbsp ? - hmm good question. Probably but cant be 100% about that. When I refer to a scoop I refer to a scoop that comes with a tin/bag of porridge.1 -
Ah ! Thing is here in Switzerland, oats / raw
cereals are just packaged in a plastic or paper sealed bag. I bought some ESN Whey Protein (German brand) and there was no scooo either.
I usually put 45-50g of dry oats in my morning porridge which I believe is 1/2 cup.
I should definitely put more though !
Cheers !0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Ah ! Thing is here in Switzerland, oats / raw
cereals are just packaged in a plastic or paper sealed bag. I bought some ESN Whey Protein (German brand) and there was no scooo either.
I usually put 45-50g of dry oats in my morning porridge which I believe is 1/2 cup.
I should definitely put more though !
Cheers !
Gotcha. If 45-50 grams of dry oats is equivalent to 1/2 cup, than my suggestion of 3 scoops of oats which is in or around 90 grams when I weigh them would be more or less nearly a full cup.1 -
Thanks @jdscrubs32 ! I guess your oat recipe should be around 600+ kcal. This is nice. I am usually around 350-400 but I am always super hungry in the morning so this should work !
Cheers.0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Thanks @jdscrubs32 ! I guess your oat recipe should be around 600+ kcal. This is nice. I am usually around 350-400 but I am always super hungry in the morning so this should work !
Cheers.
No problem. Yeah its around that 600 mark or higher on some days. I find it the best breakfast to keep me super full till mid morning and high in calories as well. Good luck bulking sir.1 -
Thanks man, the struggle is mostly in the head haha but going baby steps and experimenting is the bedt approach. I need those extra pounds !0
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mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Thanks man, the struggle is mostly in the head haha but going baby steps and experimenting is the bedt approach. I need those extra pounds !
No problem. It will take time to get over the mental struggle of gaining weight but think of less in the short term & more in the long term about how stronger you will be.1 -
Yes I know ! Went to a Kung Fu class today and kinda scared myself on how thin I am....! Need ... to .... eat .... more !!!0
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One more question for the community ... If you were somewhat "afraid" to gain weight (it's dumb I know but change is hard), what helped overcome this ? I was never overweight and before I wouldn't even think about what I should or shouldn't eat...lol. I feel sometimes calorie counting can refrain for reaching goals.
I am currently trying to hit the 2000kcal bar (which is still far from enough for my goals), and it can be pretty tricky on some days.
Genuinely looking to hear your thoughts / experience / tips !
Thanks !
Cheers :-)
0 -
You could try not logging for a week but make sure to eat until comfortably full each meal? Or try to reframe it as a game--can you eat 2000-2100 calories every day for a week?
You might also want to see a therapist or a dietitian if that's an option. Being afraid of gaining while quite underweight could be a sign of an eating disorder, and you are under-eating for your age/height/gender/activity level.5 -
Hey @staticsplit !
Thanks for chiming in.
I am not eating until full at every meal. I wake up hungry, especially the days after workouts. I am kind of a slow eater so sensing fullness can be tough, and somebody also suggested to not be drinking too much water too during meals.
Got myself a copy of Intuitive Eating which I just started. I might see a nutritionist, but the issue is just some sort of mental barrier which is super dumb since I am putting so much efforts in my excercising / routines (which I enjoy immensely) but fail to replenish my body correctly...
I will try hitting this base 2000 kcal goal everyday ; that is one step forward, although definitely not enough for my stats and activity level as you say !
Thanks again, speaking about this issue feels good !
Cheers.0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Hey everyone !
This is my first post, you probably get a lot like that but I definitely need some advice as per getting back to my normal weight and gaining muscle while eating healthy !
I've been practicing various bodyweight programs for 3+ years, I am right now following an excellent Parallettes program and I am enjoying it a lot. I train around 1 hour and 30 - 40 minutes 3 times a week, and work on flexibility and recovery in between days. So it's Monday / Wednesday / Friday of following the parallettes routine and Tuesday / Thursday / Saturday OR Sunday as flexibility / recover exercise (around 40 minutes, with some jumping rope cardio too).
However I am reaching some sort of plateau in my training as I lack strength.
I am 1m84 (6"03) and currently weight 57kg (125 lbs), which is almost considered underweight -- I am a 37 y/o man and about to turn 38. I feel pretty great in general but I need to gain weight and build more strength.
I've been logging my daily calories so far and I only reach 1600-1800 kcal per day, which is not enough.
I'd like to gain weight slowly and build the adequate muscle. My goal is not to be super muscular ; and I feel full pretty easily.
I'd like to ask you these questions
- What calories goal should I hit everyday ? I plan to go slow so looking at months of progress here.
- What should be the optimal macro's ? I eat everything, love fish, fruits, vegetables, beans etc. I'm not too much into junk food. I like to dine out with friends on week-end though and that's probably the days I can go over 2000kcal with the couple of beers or wine I'd be drinking that day.
- I've been trying super shakes (200-500 kcal) with protein (I got some ESN Whey protein, plain & unsweetened and some leftoverer Pulsin Hemp). I like nut butters for sure. Fat + Protein really fill me up.
- This will sound dumb but sometime it's hard to make a change. I've been very disciplined as per the food I eat but I need to let go for sure if I want to build the proper strength and gain weight ! Any advice would be nice :-)
Thanks a lot everyone for any insight you can provide !
Sharing your experience is cool too -- I'd love to read some similar stories.
Have a great day !
I am on a quest to gain weight and strength. I require help!0 -
Looks like spam / bot0
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One question, when calculating my TDEE, should I put the weight I want to reach?
70 kg (154 lbs) seems to be a good optimal weight ( https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=metric&g=male&age=38&kg=70&cm=184&act=1.55&f=1 )
I entered "Moderate exercise" even though I always get a little bit of light exercising during my rest days, so I am active 6 days/week. I always walk, bike too. I have been dusting off my dumbbells too as I plan to condition my arms for my parallettes training.
So it would be :- Maintenance: 2500 kcal
- Bulking: 2750 - 3000 kcal
Is that correct ? As per macros, it would be something like :- Maintenance : P 30% - 194g / F 35% - 100g / C 35% - 226 g
- Bulking : P 30% - 230g / F 20% - 120g / C 50% - 270g
Seems about right
Thanks all for the great information and help!
Cheers and have an excellent day.0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »One question, when calculating my TDEE, should I put the weight I want to reach?
70 kg (154 lbs) seems to be a good optimal weight ( https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=metric&g=male&age=38&kg=70&cm=184&act=1.55&f=1 )
I entered "Moderate exercise" even though I always get a little bit of light exercising during my rest days, so I am active 6 days/week. I always walk, bike too. I have been dusting off my dumbbells too as I plan to condition my arms for my parallettes training.
So it would be :- Maintenance: 2500 kcal
- Bulking: 2750 - 3000 kcal
Is that correct ? As per macros, it would be something like :- Maintenance : P 30% - 194g / F 35% - 100g / C 35% - 226 g
- Bulking : P 30% - 230g / F 20% - 120g / C 50% - 270g
Seems about right
Thanks all for the great information and help!
Cheers and have an excellent day.
I put the goal weight on here which was 70kg as well when I did my first bulk. It was something to aim for so no harm in putting in it. Dont get too stuck on it though and like I said in an earlier post take it slow.
Your protein for bulking and actually maintenance seems quite high. You dont really need that much protein. Maybe reduce the protein macro to 20% and increase the fat macro to 30%. Again it's all trial and error and it will take time to see what works best for you.1 -
Yeah that's A LOT of protein. I love my greek yogurt, whey supplement, fish and chicken but that's quite high. Since I love nuts, milk and olive oil, what you suggest to increase fat % makes sense.1
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mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Yeah that's A LOT of protein. I love my greek yogurt, whey supplement, fish and chicken but that's quite high. Since I love nuts, milk and olive oil, what you suggest to increase fat % makes sense.
Peanut butter and ice cream is always the answer. I’d up the carbs and drop the protein to about 140 ish. Enjoy some candy2 -
Carbs are no prob, huge fruit lover here. Peanut / Almond / Cashew butters too ! Gonna buy some ice cream then 😅0
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mgmgmg1981 wrote: »Yeah that's A LOT of protein. I love my greek yogurt, whey supplement, fish and chicken but that's quite high. Since I love nuts, milk and olive oil, what you suggest to increase fat % makes sense.
Peanut butter and ice cream is always the answer. I’d up the carbs and drop the protein to about 140 ish. Enjoy some candymgmgmg1981 wrote: »Carbs are no prob, huge fruit lover here. Peanut / Almond / Cashew butters too ! Gonna buy some ice cream then 😅
Would second what @jdog022 mentioned re peanut butter and ice cream. Mix peanut butter in with porridge/oats after its cooked as its delicious. Also agreed what with he suggests about protein in or around 140 grams. Halo Top ice cream if you can get it where you are is not bad ice cream. While Breyers is better, I doubt you can get that so go with Halo Top if you can.0 -
mgmgmg1981 wrote: »One question, when calculating my TDEE, should I put the weight I want to reach?
70 kg (154 lbs) seems to be a good optimal weight ( https://tdeecalculator.net/result.php?s=metric&g=male&age=38&kg=70&cm=184&act=1.55&f=1 )
I entered "Moderate exercise" even though I always get a little bit of light exercising during my rest days, so I am active 6 days/week. I always walk, bike too. I have been dusting off my dumbbells too as I plan to condition my arms for my parallettes training.
So it would be :- Maintenance: 2500 kcal
- Bulking: 2750 - 3000 kcal
Is that correct ? As per macros, it would be something like :- Maintenance : P 30% - 194g / F 35% - 100g / C 35% - 226 g
- Bulking : P 30% - 230g / F 20% - 120g / C 50% - 270g
Seems about right
Thanks all for the great information and help!
Cheers and have an excellent day.
I was going to say that 70 kg is still quite thin for 6'3", then did the conversion you are 6' even (well 6' and 4th of an inch) so 70kg should be a good low end of weight for 6'
As for protein, I agree with the others, 125 to 150 grams is plenty given your stats. Carbs will be king for your bulk!4
This discussion has been closed.
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