Why doesn't MFP take muscle gain goals into consideration?

TeMpi
TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
Or does it? At the point where I'm at right now where I don't need to lose anymore weight and I need to be putting on muscle mass without fat. Does MFP automatically take that into consideration when I set my goals to gain weight?

Replies

  • cathdrew2
    cathdrew2 Posts: 136 Member
    Why even enter weight loss as a goal when you need to lose 2.5 pounds but gain back muscle in its place? Your body isn't a computer you can precisely program so even if MFP did try to build in muscle gain into the equation, since you aren't testing body fat as part of your MFP inputs, it would all be estimates and averages anyway. Why not ignore the weight goal for a while and focus on your weight lifting a very lean weight-lifter diet? Good luck in achieving your goals!!
  • taso42_DELETED
    taso42_DELETED Posts: 3,394 Member
    We're sort of on our own when it comes to gaining. The tickers don't really work and it never posts gains as a status message. But you can still track calories and exercise. I've been finding it more difficult to gauge progress during gaining than it was with losing.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    There's an option for gaining under goals.
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    Why even enter weight loss as a goal when you need to lose 2.5 pounds but gain back muscle in its place? Your body isn't a computer you can precisely program so even if MFP did try to build in muscle gain into the equation, since you aren't testing body fat as part of your MFP inputs, it would all be estimates and averages anyway. Why not ignore the weight goal for a while and focus on your weight lifting a very lean weight-lifter diet? Good luck in achieving your goals!!

    I never said I entered weight loss as a goal. There IS a setting in your MFP Goals where they give you the option of setting your goal to gaining 0.5lbs to 1lbs per week. I don't care what the number on my scale says anymore. Honestly, I only weigh myself once every 3 weeks out of curiosity. I'm simply looking to see if anyone knows FACTUAL information about whether MFP is geared towards a healthy weight when set to that option.
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    I think it just ups your calories and your nutrients by percent wise. If you haven't already, you'll probably want to change your macro percentages as MFP sets protein really low. I'm not sure what a good ratio for gaining muscle is but I have mine set at 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein. You might want even more protein and maybe less carbs but I don't really know anything about it.
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    Thanks, Rachel. Yeah, I've had myself set up for 40% carbs/ 40% Protein/ 20% fat.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    If you are not measuring body fat % you should start now as gaining muscle while not gaining fat is difficult. I would suggest starting with maintenance calories for 3-4 weeks making sure you eat all your exercise calories. Then see what happens with both weight and body fat %. Then add a couple of hundred calories over that and do the same thing. Gaining muscle takes lots of time unless you are on steroids, so if you put your settings on gain a pound or two a week, you will gain, but not just muscle as gaining a pound of muscle a week is difficult to do without chemical enhancement.
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    If you are not measuring body fat % you should start now as gaining muscle while not gaining fat is difficult. I would suggest starting with maintenance calories for 3-4 weeks making sure you eat all your exercise calories. Then see what happens with both weight and body fat %. Then add a couple of hundred calories over that and do the same thing. Gaining muscle takes lots of time unless you are on steroids, so if you put your settings on gain a pound or two a week, you will gain, but not just muscle as gaining a pound of muscle a week is difficult to do without chemical enhancement.

    Thanks, Jim. I recognize you from my IF inquiry a while back. I've decided to go with the Leangains approach. I'm currently just over 155lbs and have set my calories to 2,000 daily (BMR @ 1,700) at 40/40/20. You suggest starting just at my BMR?
  • cathdrew2
    cathdrew2 Posts: 136 Member
    Hmm, your ticker shows weight loss and yet you note a totally different weight in a later post. Difficult to provide FACTUAL information when you haven't provided the basics in your request.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    If you are not measuring body fat % you should start now as gaining muscle while not gaining fat is difficult. I would suggest starting with maintenance calories for 3-4 weeks making sure you eat all your exercise calories. Then see what happens with both weight and body fat %. Then add a couple of hundred calories over that and do the same thing. Gaining muscle takes lots of time unless you are on steroids, so if you put your settings on gain a pound or two a week, you will gain, but not just muscle as gaining a pound of muscle a week is difficult to do without chemical enhancement.

    Thanks, Jim. I recognize you from my IF inquiry a while back. I've decided to go with the Leangains approach. I'm currently just over 155lbs and have set my calories to 2,000 daily (BMR @ 1,700) at 40/40/20. You suggest starting just at my BMR?

    No at maintenance. BMR is not, I repeat NOT maintenance. It is the calories your body burns to simply stay alive doing nothing at all. Maintenance is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE. You can find your estimated maintenance calories by simply setting your goal/week to no weight loss or looking on your goals page, the right column at the top will show calories burned from normal daily activity. That is the amount you want to eat and then eat all your exercise calories on top of that. If you eat your BMR you will lose weight.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    I think it just ups your calories and your nutrients by percent wise. If you haven't already, you'll probably want to change your macro percentages as MFP sets protein really low. I'm not sure what a good ratio for gaining muscle is but I have mine set at 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein. You might want even more protein and maybe less carbs but I don't really know anything about it.
    Just switch protein and carbs around and that would be a good percentage for trying to gain weight and add muscle.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,973 Member
    If you are not measuring body fat % you should start now as gaining muscle while not gaining fat is difficult. I would suggest starting with maintenance calories for 3-4 weeks making sure you eat all your exercise calories. Then see what happens with both weight and body fat %. Then add a couple of hundred calories over that and do the same thing. Gaining muscle takes lots of time unless you are on steroids, so if you put your settings on gain a pound or two a week, you will gain, but not just muscle as gaining a pound of muscle a week is difficult to do without chemical enhancement.
    Even with enhancement it would be tough. For every 1lb of muscle you gain, you'll gain about 0.3lbs of fat if not more in the process.
  • silkysly
    silkysly Posts: 701 Member
    Because its free??
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    No at maintenance. BMR is not, I repeat NOT maintenance. It is the calories your body burns to simply stay alive doing nothing at all. Maintenance is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE. You can find your estimated maintenance calories by simply setting your goal/week to no weight loss or looking on your goals page, the right column at the top will show calories burned from normal daily activity. That is the amount you want to eat and then eat all your exercise calories on top of that. If you eat your BMR you will lose weight.

    Done. Thank you... again. :)
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    Comment removed.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,321 Member
    No at maintenance. BMR is not, I repeat NOT maintenance. It is the calories your body burns to simply stay alive doing nothing at all. Maintenance is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure TDEE. You can find your estimated maintenance calories by simply setting your goal/week to no weight loss or looking on your goals page, the right column at the top will show calories burned from normal daily activity. That is the amount you want to eat and then eat all your exercise calories on top of that. If you eat your BMR you will lose weight.

    Done. Thank you... again. :)

    This is just a place to start. It is easier to put on muscle with a calorie surplus, especially a bigger one, but at the same time you will put on fat. Since I assume fat was a problem for you, you likely don't want to put a lot of fat on. You may want to add calories in time, but starting at your maintenance and measuring body fat % along with weight and measurements will allow you to see where the changes are coming. Then you can slowly add calories to have a small surplus. Yes, muscle gain will be slower, but you may have better success keeping fat gain under control.
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    This is just a place to start. It is easier to put on muscle with a calorie surplus, especially a bigger one, but at the same time you will put on fat. Since I assume fat was a problem for you, you likely don't want to put a lot of fat on. You may want to add calories in time, but starting at your maintenance and measuring body fat % along with weight and measurements will allow you to see where the changes are coming. Then you can slowly add calories to have a small surplus. Yes, muscle gain will be slower, but you may have better success keeping fat gain under control.

    You're right & thank you for the advice.
  • SoCalSwimmerDude
    SoCalSwimmerDude Posts: 507 Member
    You'll honestly have to mess around w/ your intakes a bit until you figure it all out. I'm 6ft, 172ish after losing 27 lbs of fat and muscle. Now just starting to build the muscle back up. I was shocked how much I could eat while lifting hard and STILL lose weight. After exercise cals were eaten, I was at around 2500-2700 cals a day. With that, I was losing 1-2 lbs a week. Now I'm at 2700-2900 and it seems to be keeping me around the same. Kinda scary to go higher than that, but if thats what it takes to build some muscle then so be it!

    And MFP really isn't a muscle building site. Use this to track your cals, but you'll find some good lifting/nutrition info over at bodybuilding.com if you haven't gone there already. Good luck!!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    There is no use in name calling. Exchanges of information on an open forum are just that. If it reduces to name calling, the thread will be deleted.

    I have removed the offenses, and would hope you will follow the forum rules.

    The following rules have been established to help maintain a civil and friendly environment, allowing everyone to enjoy the discussions found here.

    4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

    Have a nice day,
    Arewethereyet
    Volunteer MFP Moderator
  • TeMpi
    TeMpi Posts: 53 Member
    There is no use in name calling. Exchanges of information on an open forum are just that. If it reduces to name calling, the thread will be deleted.

    I have removed the offenses, and would hope you will follow the forum rules.

    The following rules have been established to help maintain a civil and friendly environment, allowing everyone to enjoy the discussions found here.

    4) Do not attack/slam/insult other users. The forums are here so that members can help support one another. Attacks or insults against each other takes away from the supportive atmosphere and will not be tolerated. You can discuss the message or topic, but not the messenger - NO EXCEPTIONS. If you are attacked by another user, and you reciprocate, YOU will also be subject to the same consequences. Defending yourself, defending a friend, etc. are NOT excuses. Violations of this rule are taken very seriously and may result in being banned without warning! If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

    Have a nice day,
    Arewethereyet
    Volunteer MFP Moderator

    Gotcha.
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