How many calories per day do you eat?

[QUADMONSTER]

Right now I am bulking. 4500 cals per day.

How about you?

 

[MARK_]

Only about 1,500 for the past month or two. I have dropped 5 lbs, gained strength and stamina (my reps are increasing), and lowered body fat. I do cheat alittle on the weekends. This will end on Tuesday and I will start to eat 3,500-4,000. That is what I was eating before I started cutting. So ready for more calories

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Wait you are eating 1500 calories and lost 5lbs in 2 months.. You kill your metabolism?

 

[MARK_]

Wait you are eating 1500 calories and lost 5lbs in 2 months.. You kill your metabolism?

Lol, I'm not sure what's happening. I must be gaining muscle. I try and eat 170-200 grams of protein everyday. Metabolism seems the same. Pants are falling down. I also use Hydroxycut, drink coffee, green tea and use Hyde as pre-workout. I wonder what happens when I start eating more calories again.

 

[tyga tyga]

Only about 1,500 for the past month or two. I have dropped 5 lbs, gained strength and stamina (my reps are increasing), and lowered body fat. I do cheat alittle on the weekends. This will end on Tuesday and I will start to eat 3,500-4,000. That is what I was eating before I started cutting. So ready for more calories

terrible idea to jump from a ridiculous deficit into a full blown bulk. You're going to just get plum fat

Wait you are eating 1500 calories and lost 5lbs in 2 months.. You kill your metabolism?

in short, yes. He destroyed his metabolism.

 

[nbshazeezee]

I try to keep it maintained 2500-3200.
Usually almost hit above 3000 though.

 

[chedapalooza]

terrible idea to jump from a ridiculous deficit into a full blown bulk. You're going to just get plum fat in short, yes. He destroyed his metabolism.

Definitely... At this point your metabolism has slowed down dramatically. I agree that you should slowly start to increase calories.. Perhaps by 350-500 a day. Then actually go slightly ABOVE where u plan on maintaining calorie wise.

Slowly work up to 5,000 a day for one week then reduce it to 4,000 and maintain

 

[chedapalooza]

Personally I am at 3,000 a day and recomping very nicely utilizing carb cycling. I've lost 3 inch on waist (33 down to 30 in 4 months) and put an inch on my arms while widening lats and shoulders.

I have one more week before I reverse diet for 7-10 days then will go back to carb cycling

 

[MARK_]

terrible idea to jump from a ridiculous deficit into a full blown bulk. You're going to just get plum fat in short, yes. He destroyed his metabolism.

Thanks for your two cents. Time will tell. I currently weigh 170ish. I don't really care to eat, so when I do increase calories I am pretty specific about making meals. I have never been more then 176lbs and I am almost 42 years old. Oh, this isn't the first time my calories have fluctuated like this. I'm not to worried about getting plump. I keep a log and can post how things work out if anyone's interested. Haha, I'm going on a cruise in a week. That's why I dropped the calories. That's also why I am increasing the calories

 

[MARK_]

Definitely... At this point your metabolism has slowed down dramatically. I agree that you should slowly start to increase calories.. Perhaps by 350-500 a day. Then actually go slightly ABOVE where u plan on maintaining calorie wise. Slowly work up to 5,000 a day for one week then reduce it to 4,000 and maintain

I see what you mean. That sounds like a good plan. Thanks for the advice

 

[chedapalooza]

Cruises lol. You'll definitely be increasing your cals rather quickly then! Enjoy.. They're definitely my favorite form of vaca.

 

[The Solution]

3500 a day
i ended my cut 4 months ago at 1750 now about double my kcals and only up 4-5 pounds, slowly bumping my kcals over the time
250g Pro, around 400g Carbs and 70g Fat daily + 1 Cheat meal/Week.

 

[AntM1564]

2,000 right now, but ending my cut next week. Will slowly increase after that.

 

[Rocket3015]

2000 - 2500

 

[Abe Lincoln]

I'm at around 1800-2000 daily to answer that question

 

[love2liftkat]

1849-2240 for me

 

[kBrown]

I'm supposed to be around 4400 a day

 

[tyga tyga]

2440 here

 

[MARK_]

Increasing calories now as suggested. At 1,500 and headed to 3-4,000. Target date: Thanksgiving of course! Haha

 

[Swolbraham]

5'5" 147 crew... and gaining nicely at 2,800 kcals.

mark i'd just add 100 calories every 4-7 days, i did my reverse from my cut doing 100 kcal a week in the form of CHO and i'm shocked by how lean i've stayed while eating 385g of carbs a day

idk if that'll get you to 4,000 by thanksgiving lol, but thanksgiving will be a calorie massacre. "And on that day, not a single macro was counted"

 

[MARK_]

5'5" 147 crew... and gaining nicely at 2,800 kcals. mark i'd just add 100 calories every 4-7 days, i did my reverse from my cut doing 100 kcal a week in the form of CHO and i'm shocked by how lean i've stayed while eating 385g of carbs a day idk if that'll get you to 4,000 by thanksgiving lol, but thanksgiving will be a calorie massacre. "And on that day, not a single macro was counted"

Thanks for the advice. Thanksgiving is one thing and two days later I leave for 7 days on vacation. 5 of the days consists of all you can eat, all day anything buffets. This is like macro suicide. To eat or not to eat! This is my dilemma lol

 

[Rocket3015]

Thanks for the advice. Thanksgiving is one thing and two days later I leave for 7 days on vacation. 5 of the days consists of all you can eat, all day anything buffets. This is like macro suicide. To eat or not to eat! This is my dilemma lol

Where you headed ??

 

[MARK_]

Where you headed ??

Buffett tables and Tampa. Then Grand Cayman Islands and Cozumel.

 

[Swolbraham]

Thanks for the advice. Thanksgiving is one thing and two days later I leave for 7 days on vacation. 5 of the days consists of all you can eat, all day anything buffets. This is like macro suicide. To eat or not to eat! This is my dilemma lol

haha eat and enjoy yourself, but that is macro suicide lol

everything in moderation is good to go. Grand Cayman sounds nice, jelly

 

[liftandswim]

3.5k on training days
3k on off days

 

[tyga tyga]

3.5k on training days 3k on off days

I use to rotate my kcals on training days and "off" days. Don't any more.

Another 5'5" 150lb guy checking in lol

 

[Swolbraham]

I use to rotate my kcals on training days and "off" days. Don't any more.

Another 5'5" 150lb guy checking in lol

Yeah buddy good things come in small packages

 

[Abe Lincoln]

How much of those calories are protein tho?

 

[Rocket3015]

Buffett tables and Tampa. Then Grand Cayman Islands and Cozumel.

Enjoy!

 

[liftandswim]

I use to rotate my kcals on training days and "off" days. Don't any more. Another 5'5" 150lb guy checking in lol

5'11" 205...trying to get bigger.

And yeah, the extra calories really just come from my intra-WO (Gatorade) and post-WO (whatever food I decide to snack on as I lift at night)

 

[goodvibes]

I use to rotate my kcals on training days and "off" days. Don't any more.

Another 5'5" 150lb guy checking in lol

Another 5'5 checking in @ 180lbs empty stomach this am. Midway my winter bulk eating ~4k a day. I still rotate low carb days on non training days though

 

[Swolbraham]

5'5 checking in @ 180lbs empty stomach this am. Midway my winter bulk eating ~4k a day

Damn! I'm Omw to that lol

 

[goodvibes]

Damn! I'm Omw to that lol

I dnt like it past 180lbs but I'm on a mission this year. Fatest I've been was 192. And correction I'm eating around 3-3.5k. I just checked my fitnesspal app

 

[Swolbraham]

I was 187 at 5'3"... Broke my femur twice and was on a wheelchair for a couple months, and my grandma porked me up big time

Then I lost 50 lbs going into college

 

[goodvibes]

I was 187 at 5'3"... Broke my femur twice and was on a wheelchair for a couple months, and my grandma porked me up big time

Then I lost 50 lbs going into college

Wow. I take that you're all better now?

 

[Swolbraham]

Wow. I take that you're all better now?

Oh yeah I'm good to go, lol. I fractured my skull too in that car accident. Then rebroje the leg, then 3 years later dislocates my knee cap in baseball, and had tommy John two years ago which ending my college career :/

 

[tyga tyga]

Heaviest I was, was 175lb before I started my prep. I'm slowly getting back there, but I'll stay in the 12-15% range. Refuse to get that big and not see abs lol

I'm helluva lot stronger now at 150 than I was at 175 though.

Actually in two weeks I'll bump my cals (haven't had a bump in two weeks)

 

[Swolbraham]

Heaviest I was, was 175lb before I started my prep. I'm slowly getting back there, but I'll stay in the 12-15% range. Refuse to get that big and not see abs lol

I'm helluva lot stronger now at 150 than I was at 175 though.

Actually in two weeks I'll bump my cals (haven't had a bump in two weeks)

I'm the same way with the abs lol, wanna be able to see the top 4 at least, didn't lose all that fat to not have them show anymore!

 

[The Solution]

I'm the same way with the abs lol, wanna be able to see the top 4 at least, didn't lose all that fat to not have them show anymore!

Abs do not dictate your BF%, some males hold more fat in their midsection, some in other area's. Some people can still be sub 10% BF and not have abs, not the best indication.

 

[Swolbraham]

True. I carry most of my fat predominantly in my stomach. My legs stay stupid lean but my love handles and lower stomach usually get fat first

 

[The Solution]

True. I carry most of my fat predominantly in my stomach. My legs stay stupid lean but my love handles and lower stomach usually get fat first

My legs have striations year round, my arms basically have 0 fat on them as well. I am under 10% even without much abs showing at all.

when people show just their abs, it does not tell the story. some people hold a lot of fat in their hamstrings, glutes, backs etc.... so it can vary greatly. Dont use a 4 pack as a gauge.

 

[Swolbraham]

True will do.

Bob do you find its easier to cut down and get to that single digit range after building your metabolism up in the offseason? Some have told me you're second time cutting is easier than the first and so on

 

[The Solution]

True will do.

Bob do you find its easier to cut down and get to that single digit range after building your metabolism up in the offseason? Some have told me you're second time cutting is easier than the first and so on

Second time much easier
my first prep i lost over 30+ pounds, so i had to be aggressive for my contest prep
my 2nd prep i only had to lose 15 pounds and did so over 20 weeks

so 30 pounds in 16-20 weeks compared to 15 pounds to 16-20 weeks is a MAJOR difference, if you can make slow changes in cardio and nutrition it will mentally be easier than larger cuts in cardio and nutrition.

but again the body is weird, and 2nd time may be harder. just depends on lots of variables. Just get ready for the mental demons and mind games.

 

[tyga tyga]

I always gauge how fat I am when I can't see my abs. And I always will.

My shoulders have striations in them, back stays lean, quads show separation but the minute my abs disappear I know I'm gaining weight

That and I use an ultrasound lol

 

[The Solution]

I always gauge how fat I am when I can't see my abs. And I always will.

My shoulders have striations in them, back stays lean, quads show separation but the minute my abs disappear I know I'm gaining weight

That and I use an ultrasound lol

I ahve used a bodpod and a dexa, both have shown me under 10% and not even having abs, i come from a VERY overweight background, and being over 240 in a 5'7 frame, so my loose skin is very deceiving.

 

[Driven2lift]

I ahve used a bodpod and a dexa, both have shown me under 10% and not even having abs, i come from a VERY overweight background, and being over 240 in a 5'7 frame, so my loose skin is very deceiving.

Know exactly what you mean, I hit 240 before starting to take my health seriously and improving myself

 

[The Solution]

Know exactly what you mean, I hit 240 before starting to take my health seriously and improving myself

Tore MCL
kept eating like a lineman
blew up because i could not walk for 9 months in a leg immobilizer.

 

[Driven2lift]

Tore MCL kept eating like a lineman blew up because i could not walk for 9 months in a leg immobilizer.

Well you made a hell of a comeback

No excuse but gluttony for my weight gain

 

[pionutbz]

1811-2000/day

 

[guido6701]

Training Day X 3 (when I lift) - Calories...........3764 Protein........382 Carbs..........258 Fat............127

Off Day X 4 (light cardio only) - Calories............3494 Protein........384 Carbs.........158 Fat.............137

Cheat Meal once a week.