How o calculate based on calories burned

arbfla
arbfla Posts: 2 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I’m 49 5’9” and 142 lbs I want to add mass without adding fat. I have calories set at 1880 because I typically burn 1700 a day. Do I need to increase and decrease each day depending on how many calories I burn on a particular day or just keep my goal calories above my burn calories? So confused by this. Any help would be appreciated.

Replies

  • GaryRuns
    GaryRuns Posts: 508 Member
    It's best to use an average over a longer period of time, like a week. Your day-to-day weight can vary significantly based on a lot of things unrelated to gaining/losing fat or muscle mass. For example, salt intake, which affects water retention, waste in your digestive tract, undigested food in your stomach, etc.

    My approach would be to use a trending weight app like libra on android or happy scale on apple, then if my weight trended up for a week, and I was trying to lose, I'd drop my calories a bit. If I were trying to gain and my weight trend was decreasing or staying steady I'd increase my calories a bit.
  • Retroguy2000
    Retroguy2000 Posts: 1,847 Member
    Assuming you are resistance training with progression, and getting a lot of protein (120g-140g)...

    10% surplus is good, as you're doing.

    If your TDEE with a small surplus is 1880 without a workout, then your goal on a workout day should be 1880 + net workout cals. Net being whatever your exercise estimate is (assuming it's accurate, often it can be inflated), minus what you would have burned at rest, about 80 calories per hour.

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