Calorie intake?

[djkodi]

Hi,

I have been training since May 2013, initially just to loose weight but in the 10months I've got more serious into the lifting, building muscle and losing body fat.

I used to weigh around 100kg but I'm down to 82kg and 13%bf which I'm happy with, the muscle is building nicely and the definition is coming along well.

I am using 'my fitness pal' app and it says my calorie intake should be 2560 per day to maintain my current weight. I try & eat as clean as possible (I work a weird shift pattern, mostly nights so it's a struggle) , if I burn 700cals during training I eat that extra but lately whilst at work I seem to get light headed very easily almost to the point of needing to lie down & wait for it to pass.

My question is do I need to eat more than the advised 2560 (plus what I burn)?

I train 5 times a week, approx 1hr/1.5hrs and I'm just wrapping up Kris Gethin 12week daily. I'll be 38yr old in 3months.

Any advice would be appreciated?

Thanks

[Caesura75]

Some quick points:

- You'll find that most here believe 'eating clean' to be a myth. Food comprises of protein, carbs and fat. You should aim to get the correct proportion of those in your diet whilst reaching your calorie goal and yes, that can come from eating a donut or a slice of cake. The frequent term used is 'If it fits your macros' (IIFYM). Look it up.

- Calorie calculators are merely a guide - they cannot be entirely accurate as everybody has different metabolisms. The confusing point about your thread is that you don't confirm whether you're continuing to diet, bulk, or maintain (though it looks like you intend to maintain). If maintaining is the purpose, then in essence you're not really losing fat or gaining muscle, which means that your progress may stall.

- As to whether 2560 cals is right or wrong for you, the answer will be on your scales. Are you continuing to lose weight? Are you gaining? By adjusting accordingly (and giving it a couple of weeks for your body to adapt), you should find what your maintenance level is.

- As for eating more on the training days, this comes down to preference. Some like to give themselves more on lifting days whilst others feel it better to keep a consistent daily level regardless of training/rest days.

- On the matter of your dizziness, if you're truly training 5 days per week and burning approx 700 calories each time, then I would say that you're overdoing it and not giving your body sufficient rest.

Conclusion: Monitor your eating and weight. Listen to your body. Get sufficient rest. Good luck.

[djkodi]

I don't burn 700 EVERY time no, sometimes a lot less but depends on how 'into' the cardio part I am on the day I guess?

I'm aware the calorie counter is only a guideline, I input my workouts into this to determine what calories I may have burned but again I know this is purely a guideline.

I'm educated in the 'do's & dont's' hence why I'm asking the question but I'm looking to learn.

I thought I had read somewhere about upping calorie intake for training?

[djkodi]

I'm NOT educated in the do's & dont's*

[GKC45]

Go here and educate yourself-

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...6380183&page=1

[kimm4]

I don't think those numbers are too far off. I'd have you between 2600-2700 calories for maintenance. Most calculations include normal exercise and daily activity. Keep in mind the numbers aren't set in stone and it's a basic guideline to get your started. You can slightly adjust at anytime if needed. As for the light headed feeling what are you breakdowns in terms of protein/carbs and fats? It's possible something might be a little off balance and just making some slight changes could make a difference in the way you're feeling.

[djkodi]

Thanks for the link, I will sit & read through it when I'm back at home.

With regard to my intake, I have it 'set' at approx 30-40% protein, 20-30% fat & the rest in carbs.

Apologies if I sound clueless but I guess I am somewhat... What started as a reason to lose weight has quickly turned into something much more!!!

[GKC45]

Without wanting to debate the fine points, I would set your protein around 180 grams and fat around 90 grams. Fill the rest as you see fit.

Take it for what it's worth though. I am just a skinny/fat guy regurgitating what I have read.

[JimmyJonny]

" My question is do I need to eat more than the advised 2560 (plus what I burn)? "

....... to do what Op ? Stay, drop, or gain weight ? Are you wanting to just gain muscle or do you want to add to your lifts ? It looks like you want to stay the same but add muscle..... I'm uncertain of your exact goals.

I myself eat the same calorie everyday no matter what I'm doing. At most I will slightly carb up before & after I lift but thats it. I'm a very routine kind of person so I'm sure that helps a lot. Finding my maintenance intake is pretty easy with my lifestyle.

Your maintenance calories look pretty close, if not under. I'm 10 years older and my maintenance is 2400. Your maintenance number is higher but you do a lot more cardio...... I only do a warm up. Just track and see where you stand. I would make life easier while your learning and eat the same cals everyday. Adding up weekly is another way of looking at it also.

[djkodi]

@jjimmyjonny thanks for your reply... I guess my original post & subsequent replies I've missed key stuff out?!

I'm happy with my current weight, I used to be a lot bigger so where I am now is very good for plus I don't want to look like a broom stick!

My goal is to add muscle/definition which I should of said in the original post. I have been doing 10-15mins run before & after each weights session as listed in the 12 week program I've been following.

Thanks again everyone, everydays a school day!

[Caesura75]

@jjimmyjonny thanks for your reply... I guess my original post & subsequent replies I've missed key stuff out?!

I'm happy with my current weight, I used to be a lot bigger so where I am now is very good for plus I don't want to look like a broom stick!

My goal is to add muscle/definition which I should of said in the original post. I have been doing 10-15mins run before & after each weights session as listed in the 12 week program I've been following.

Thanks again everyone, everydays a school day!

How can you expect to build muscle without gaining weight?

What I think you're saying is that you want to build muscle whilst not adding fat. You, me and everybody else on this forum! The bottom line is that you need to eat at a calorie surplus to gain muscle. Yes, you will inevitably gain a little fat (dependent on how much your surplus is) but that's why everybody goes through cycles of bulking and cutting.

[djkodi]

@PMCaesura75

Thanks for your reply... I understand more now that I need to gain weight in order to gain muscle.

My original gym plan last year was just to loose weight & get lean however as things have progressed I see now I need to bulk in order to build but again my problem is lack of knowledge or understanding which is why I am here.

I don't fully understand the bulk/cut stages if I'm honest... If I up my calorie intake to gain weight do I then just up my weights in the gym in order to burn the excess/gained weight/fat?

[angrypenguin54]

You do not need to go crazy on full bulk cycles. Get on a good lifting program with defined progressions. Eat at where you need to be to continue to keep progressing. The ideal goal is to be able to maintain the same weight while increasing in strength. This is dependent on many,many factors and you may find that your progressions will stall. Once this happens, add 10% in calories and keep monitoring. Dont increase calories until you stall on progression though. If you are fairly new to lifting you can ride this out for sometime.

Repeat until you get to around 15% bf, I would not recommend to go above 15%. Once you get there then you can cut back down to your desired bf levels, typically 10 to 12%. The key is to not rushing in either direction as it will result in too much fat increase going up or muscle loss coming down.