What is the difference between calories and protein in gaining mass?

[RedBull]

I posted this on another site and couldn't really get a definitive answer, but I have a feeling I will find one here.

I'm 6'1", 193 lbs. and I weighed 233 lbs. about half a year ago (I lost a lot of fat through exercise and moderate lifting). Now I want to put on some muscle mass and have started an Overload Volume program this week. I'm eating extremely healthy foods now with plenty of protein, but my daily numbers are averaging:

1700-2000 cals
~100g fat
60-100 carbs
230-250g protein

So I'm easily hitting my protein numbers, but I'm definitely eating less calories than I'm burning. I was hoping that this would equate to both muscle gain and fat loss, but I want to make sure before I really get going. It would be really easy to add calories (and probably more carbs) if needed.

So as I ask in the subject, what is the difference between calories and protein in gaining mass? Are the calories needed?

I'm sure prisoners get deficient amounts of both, but they can put on some size. So what's the deal?

[Fahlgan]

ehhh?

Well calories is how we calculate the totals of the three nutrition sorurces to able to figure our BMR etc. Calories is not a nutrient in it self. If you increase or deacrease your cals you have to do it by eating more or less of the below listed nutrients.

1 gram of protein = 4 cals
1 gram of carbs =4 cals
1 gram of fat = 9 cals

From your daily intake of these three nutrients you are able to messure the total calories your consuming through out the day.

If you want to gain more weight divide your total cals per day like this 25% protein 55% carbs 20% fats. aim for 1 gram protein per pound of bodyweight 193 grams. Increase your carbs to 400 grams or so and you should be fine. This is just a rough calculation, you have to experiment alittle to find the perfect way for you, depending on your bodytype and metabolism etc.

Hope this helps...

[RedBull]

I don't need to gain "weight", I want to gain muscle. Do weight and muscle go hand in hand? Or restated, do I HAVE to overeat carbs and calories to put on muscle?

Where does the protein come in?

[Fahlgan]

Sorry, I missunderstood your question

Well, if you a trying to loose weight and build muscles protein and fat is important, carbs should be kept down.

Usually it is very hard to gain serious muscle mass while trying to loose undesired weight. Most of of is either bulking for mass or cutting to be ripped.

You will keep your muscles and build a few more with your diet but when building for serious mass carbs is needed as fuel for the muscles. However I get the feeling that you want to loose you fat and build muscles instead. If I would you I would cut to loose fat and train to maintain the muscles, after reaching desired weight I would up the carbs to bulk for more muscle mass.

Hope this helps.

[Fahlgan]

Hehe, you edit your mess so fast so I have to make yet another answer.

The protein is what builds and repair your muscles. The carbs is the fuel of thge body, providing you with energy.

When building mass the body need to be well fed with both carbs and protein to repair the muscle tissues you break down while training.

I would say that you don´t need to overeat carbs to gain muscles but the gains will come faster when providing the body with enough nutritions to feed on.

Bulk and cut, bulk and cut that the sad truth we have to live with in this sport. You can´t look strong and ripped all the time

[xil]

Originally posted by Fahlgan
1 gram of protein = 4 cals
1 gram of carbs =4 cals
1 gram of fat = 9 cals

Like Fahlgan said, protein has 4 calories per gram. Protein has calories in them... well that was a dodgy explanation. Calories are like all the things that goes into your body.

In order to gain weight, you must eat more than you expend. ie. take in more calories than you use. The 3 major sources which contribute to how much caloric intake you have are protein, carbs and fat. The amount of calories you take in, for example 2000, can come in diferent ratios. ie. high fat, low protein and low carbs or high protein, high carbs and low fat. Either way, it summounts to 2000 calories. However the effect on which these 2000 calories have is quite different.

You would want to keep a diet of roughly 40:40:20 ratio (proteins:carbs:fat). Unfortunately, you can't gain both muscle and lose fat at the same time. In order to gain muscle, you must attain the muscle from somewhere. This would mean more food, and unfortunately, you will gain some fat. However if you choose your food intake wisely, you will be able to minimise the fat increase and in future burn it off in a cutting process.

Hope this helps... I know the protein explanation is quite dodgy

[xil]

Where does the protein come in?

wow you do edit fast... haha
Main sources of protein are meat, chicken, fish, eggs, milk etc. You will find traces of it in most foods, but are quite negligible.