posted Fri, 03/10/2017 - 13:53
4769
Calculating Caloric intake
ad
When calculating my daily caloric intake should I replace the calories burned during exercise? Do the same rules apply whether cutting or bulking?
- Bookmark
- 0
- 0
I think what you are getting at is your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE). As your activity level increases your TDEE must also increase or you will start to lose weight. Eat above your TDEE and you will gain weight, eat below and you will lose weight. Here is a calculator
https://tdeecalculator.net/
Thanks Mak. First off let me state my goals. I'm more interested in gaining strength and muscular endurance more than size and weight. How would you suggest I distribute my macros?
Muscular strength and muscular endurance are two different things and must be fueled differently to achieve optimal results for either. Macros will change depending on phase of your periodised program and the primary fuel used (+Fat for endurance, +carbs for strength)
How are you periodising your program?
Strength and endurance translates into higher carbs. I would go with a 30/50/20 (p/c/f) ratio and be sure to eat above your TDEE.
Thanks Mak!
https://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/calories-to-gain-weight
You can factor in your activity level there and it will give you your answer.
You should replace calories burned whether bulking or cutting. If my daily caloric requirement was 2,000 calories daily without exercise, for example, that number represents a baseline to sustain my current weight. If I decide to run everyday and burn 300-500 calories each time I do, I need to increase my caloric requirement to 2,300 to 2,500 daily. Otherwise I am going to be losing weight (roughly 2 lbs per week). If I want to bulk, I have to replenish the calories burned and add an additional 300 to 500 calories on top of that number.
Imagine if your daily caloric need, without exercise, were 2,000 calories and you only consumed 1,500. You would be losing weight pretty fast. So why would you not replenish calories burned during exercise, unless you were trying to cut or lose weight? Even then, I would not suggest anyone consume less than 300 to 500 below their daily caloric requirement as doing so precludes muscle wasting.
youre contradicting yourself. you say replace calories whether youre bulking or cutting, then you say why would you not replenish calories unless youre cutting or trying to lose weight...
3500 calories= 1 pound
if 2000 calories were maintenance, and you ate 1500, you would lose 1 pound per week, thats not fast at all...
like Makwa said above, figure out your TDEE and go from there. to lose, subtract 500 from TDEE, to gain add 500 to TDEE (of course there are other factors but thats the general)
I'm really not wrong, it just came out sounding off. I do see how it was taken the wrong way, however. I will attempt to clarify what I meant. If you are going through a cutting phase, and wanting to lose one pound per week, you would have to reach a caloric deficit of 3500 calories as you stated. You would still want to replenish expended calories if by not doing so would put you over that 3500 deficit mark. That is what I meant to say.
For example, an individual decides to cut 1 pound of body fat per week and reduces his number of calories ingested by 3500 over 7 days. If he does not take into account that he must replenish calories burned during exercise, his caloric deficit will exceed 3500 calories. In other words, even though he is cutting, he still must replace calories burned during exercise or he will expend more than the 3500 mark from his dieting alone. That is all I meant to say.
Yes, you were right about 3500 calories only being 1 pound of fat loss per week, not 2. Good to keep me on my toes. ;)
Edit: I personally would not want to lose more than 1 or 1.5 pounds per week. Once you get near the 2 pound per week threshold, you get dangerously close to burning muscle, IMO. Slow and steady wins the race!
gotcha, first post was a bit confusing with all those numbers that were tossed out haha
That's what I thought. Just is that's a lot of calories to consume. Therefore I bought a mass gainer. When I try to eat that much I feel so stuffed I feel like I'm gonna puke. Hopefully supplementing with the mass gainer will make it easier to hit my numbers.
Weight gainer can help to hit your number of calories. Unfortunately, most are loaded with simple sugars. Another trick is to increase fat intake. If you are hitting your requirements for protein and carbs, working out like beast in the gym and burning enough calories, some added fat can help. Eating too much of it can create some health problems, especially if you are running gear. Consuming a bit more of it, however, can make it easier to avoid a caloric deficit. Only make sure to not overdo it.
Have you also tried splitting up your meals to 7 or 8 times a day? I don't want to sound like I am preaching to the choir, yet eating smaller meals more frequently helps me when I want to put on more weight without feeling like I am stuffed all the time. Throwing out some other ideas for you.
Happy gains, brother!
Thanks for the feedback Chris. I went with the Optimum Nutrition Pro Gainer which only has 5 grams of sugar per 640 cal serving. Currently eating 6 meals/day. More than that would be tough with work and all.
That's what's up! Hope you continue to achieve your goals!
Wheres makwa at I wanna know as well
Yea. I was hoping he'd jump in.
backonroidsGood post I am interested in this one and will be following , hoping to learn more +1
backonroidsWell for cutting I wouldn't aslong as you having enough protein etc for muscle growth as you want to cut down .. when I'm bulking I don't do cardio but have extra carbs before work outs / that's what works for me
I'm a cyclist so cardio all year. I'm just going in to off season so back heavy on the weights. I'll be on the bike 3 to 5 days a week in which I can easily burn 600 to 1000 calories an hour depending on the workout for that day. That's why I'm looking for some guidance. Not just a couple hundred calories a week. I will typically burn about 2000 calories a week during the off season. Looking to put on some muscle then cut natty the last 90 days leading up to race season.