Do you ever bank your calories on a bulk, just like some people do when they're cutting? By banking I mean saving some amount of calories over the course of a few days, then eating the saved amount in one meal as extra. For example, I'm lean bulking on ~2700 calories per day now, and sometimes I don't feel the need to eat the remaining 300 calories for the day and end up saving them for the next morning. In fact, I enjoy having a small "unlogged" breakfast and this could become a somewhat regular habit for me. My main question is just me being curious about your habits: Do any of you have habits regarding calorie banking? If so, what kind?
Side question: Since I'm literally eating those calories the next morning, it shouldn't have any impact on muscle building, right? I'm almost completely sure it doesn't, since the muscle repairing process happens at night and the next day, not to mention that my body is still in a net surplus from the past week. We're not talking about anything extreme here after all, like banking all of your weekly calories for one day...
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Thread: Banking calories when bulking
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02-26-2021, 01:42 PM #1
Banking calories when bulking
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02-26-2021, 02:01 PM #2
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Never done it on a bulk, never will... at least not on purpose.
I prefer to eat at regular intervals and in an amount where I feel good, not hungry, and don't have to do any mental gymnastics around timing etc... just simplifies the process.
Whether or not it impact muscles building, tho, kind of depends... because on the one hand if you're in a deficit for a few days, and then you eat in a surplus another day, it will be less anabolic overall to be in that deficit, even if your protein intake on a daily level is the same.
Both a consistent surplus AND consistent, evenly spaced protein feedings can help in building muscle. Whether or not you notice it depends, of course...
It's hard to say in the long term what will happen though, I don't think there's been any studies on this.
But yeah, like I said, i used to do that when I was deep in anorexia, but now adays what I do is simply shoot for a minimum ball-parked calorie goal:
- no less than 2500 even if all I do is sit and work all day, which never happens
- no less than 3000 if I lift and walk a few miles that day
- no less than 3300 if i lift and walk more than usual
Beyond that, I go by hunger: if I am still hungry after I get to that rough number, I just eat to satiety.
I'm the sort of person who can notice the nest day if I underfed myself the previous day... my hunger tends to get blunted by certain activities, so I do tend to keep a loose eye/check on the numbers, just ball-parking per meal.
If i'm LESS hungry on a given day... the answer is simple:
I eat cerealLast edited by AdamWW; 02-26-2021 at 02:14 PM.
"When I die, I hope it's early in the morning so I don't have to go to work that day for no reason"
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02-26-2021, 02:20 PM #3
Not really quite sure of the point on a bulk? I mean, if you eat more its just helping your bulk, unless its soo much more it turns it into a fulk. But if you feel the need to whatever reason, then as long as it averages out over the week, within reason its not gonna make much difference, except maybe mentally.
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02-26-2021, 02:34 PM #4
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02-26-2021, 02:50 PM #5
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02-26-2021, 03:00 PM #6
This is exactly 100% exactly my approach...right down to the cereal
Also these. Your body doesn't work on a 24-hour clock, OP. If you undereat one day, you can always eat slightly more the next. Matter-of-fact, I eat intuitively and I'm always naturally hungrier if I undereat on a given day (or even just barely hit my alotted minimums during a bulk), so I just listen to my body. It's really not complicated.
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02-27-2021, 12:26 AM #7
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02-27-2021, 01:26 AM #8
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02-27-2021, 01:36 AM #9
Your approach doesn't make sense to me.
The way I see it these approached make more sense:
- just eat the same amount of calories every day in order to achieve your desired rate of weight gain.
- adjust your intake somewhat to your expenditure trying to reach the same surplus on every day or more surplus on training days.
Do you know why you enjoy this unlogged breakfast so much? isn't there a way you can log it anyway while having the same enjoyment?
That being said, if you are currently making sufficient progress, there's no need to change anything.Last edited by Mrpb; 02-27-2021 at 01:45 AM.
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02-27-2021, 02:08 AM #10
the bolded part is what i do, usually ends up at 2700 calories. let's try the explanation again:
- 1900/2700 calories eaten, 11 pm
- start eating and be satisfied after 500 calories, already sleepy (now it's 2400/2700)
- save the remaining calories for the next morning (eat 300 calories before i start counting towards the 2700 for the day)
there is a way to log the breakfast too: i could simply decide to log 3000 calories that day instead of 2700. obviously both methods end up in me eating 3000 calories, guess i just prefer the other way
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02-27-2021, 02:35 AM #11
What you're doing seems to be different. You're eating the remaining calories the next day.
I don't think it's ideal but like I said if you're making progress just keep going.
What time is your training? If you're training at night it makes a bit more sense.
there is a way to log the breakfast too: i could simply decide to log 3000 calories that day instead of 2700.
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02-27-2021, 03:01 AM #12
correct. this does not happen every day though, more like once every two weeks, which is why i'm not really concerned about it either way (i asked it more as a side question while mainly asking about everyone's habits regarding this thing)
usually at 1-2 pm, rarely at 9-10 pm. i just don't see the point in forcing myself to eat those remaining calories if i'm not hungry, and instead save them for the next morning when i actually want to eat a lot
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02-27-2021, 03:30 AM #13
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02-27-2021, 09:10 AM #14
The outcome of weight gain or loss will come as a product of your weekly calorie amount in relation to your TDEE. How you choose to time those calories is strictly a personal call however you'll maximize MPS by taking in protein a few times a day regardless of the other factors
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02-27-2021, 09:19 AM #15
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02-27-2021, 09:24 AM #16
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