Too low of calories to build muscle?

Options
MaggieFit622
MaggieFit622 Posts: 64
in Food and Nutrition
Hi! I have started my strength training for about a month now and I noticed, as I log my food, I eat 1,200 calories a day. However, I haven't been losing weight either-- actually, I have been staying at a consistant 100 lbs. Sometimes I jump to 103 when I have too much sodium and my occassional dinner out with the family. But, how much should I be eating if I want to gain to muscle tone that I want. My food logs are very acurate and I am a good meaurer when it comes to keeping with my portion sizes... Am I not eating enough? I used to weight 96 Lbs before I began my strength training though...Any thoughts?

Replies

  • _GlaDOS_
    _GlaDOS_ Posts: 1,520 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you want to be under 100 lbs.

    You should start eating at maintenance, continue lifting, and if you actually want to build muscle, you should be eating at a calorie surplus. Eating under 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories is not going to work. You're not going to look very toned or muscular at under 100 lbs anyway. If strength training and muscle is what you want, stop weighing yourself.
  • carrie_eggo
    carrie_eggo Posts: 1,396 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you want to be under 100 lbs.

    You should start eating at maintenance, continue lifting, and if you actually want to build muscle, you should be eating at a calorie surplus. Eating under 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories is not going to work. You're not going to look very toned or muscular at under 100 lbs anyway. If strength training and muscle is what you want, stop weighing yourself.

    ^This. Exactly.
  • Elzecat
    Elzecat Posts: 2,916 Member
    Options
    How tall are you? What kind of strength training are you doing? Do you eat enough protein?
  • rachmaree
    rachmaree Posts: 782 Member
    Options
    I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you want to be under 100 lbs.

    You should start eating at maintenance, continue lifting, and if you actually want to build muscle, you should be eating at a calorie surplus. Eating under 1200 calories and not eating exercise calories is not going to work. You're not going to look very toned or muscular at under 100 lbs anyway. If strength training and muscle is what you want, stop weighing yourself.

    ^This. Exactly.

    + one
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
    Options
    If you want to put on muscle eat 200-400 calories above maintenance and if you start putting on fat, let me emphasize fat not weight then cut back a little.
  • MaggieFit622
    MaggieFit622 Posts: 64
    Options
    I am 5 foot 1 and I do not want to lose weight. I was just wondering why I was staying the same weight and not gaining any muscle. I eat protein at every meal but I am guessing I should definitely bump it up if I want to gain muscle.
  • EricMurano
    EricMurano Posts: 825 Member
    Options
    Yeah 1,200 calories a day is bugger-all.

    I put your numbers in a BMR calculator and it says your BMR is 1292.1. You should be eating that and then some just to live and then some more to gain weight. It's not just the protein you need but the other two macro nutrients too.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    Options
    Eat about 1500 calories a day minimum, and shoot for roughly 1g/Protein per lb of body weight to start. See if things improve.
  • PepeGreggerton
    PepeGreggerton Posts: 986 Member
    Options
    I am 5 foot 1 and I do not want to lose weight. I was just wondering why I was staying the same weight and not gaining any muscle. I eat protein at every meal but I am guessing I should definitely bump it up if I want to gain muscle.

    You need carbs to build muscle too. It takes less protein than people think to add muscle. It's simple 8-10 calories per pound for your goal weight. To add muscle eat at a surplus of 2-4 hundred calories.
  • Lillemeddy
    Lillemeddy Posts: 94
    Options
    I upped my calories to 1700 + I eat my exercise calories, and I see my body changing faster than when I ate less. Also, I eat my weight in protein times 1.25 :D Sometimes hard to do, but worth it. Up your calories - you wont regret it if you eat smart!
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
    Options
    I'm trying to gain muscle and I eat 2800 calories a day (I'm set a little lower today to bring my weekly average back down to the 2800). I'm much bigger than you but there's no way 1200 is going to work for muscle gain. And yeah, you can expect to gain at least 0.3lbs of fat per every pound of muscle. (But then you just lose this again later during a "cuting"cycle).

    Go into MFP goals, set it to maintain your weight and see what it tells you. Then go in and manually add 10% of that. Also eat about a gram of protien for every pound of lean body mass, or of total body mass.
  • FrenchMob
    FrenchMob Posts: 1,167 Member
    Options
    Like most said, 1200 isn't going to cut it, and I see most days you're not even getting 1200 and exercising.

    I would start around 1400-1500 cals a day with a minimum of 120g of protein a day which is approx. 35% macro split.
  • MaggieFit622
    MaggieFit622 Posts: 64
    Options
    Thanks to everyone that posted! It really helps :) I am pretty clueless when it comes to building muscle. I finally hit my goal weight of 100 and I didn't know where to go from there... I wanted to be more toned and less jiggle.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
    Options
    Weight is just a number on a scale. It doesn't tell how fast you can run, how much you can lift, or how good you look. Watch your measurements, your mirror, and your internal feelings of fitness rather than paying so much attention to the number.

Categories