I am hoping to bulk up about 10-15lbs. I am currently 162 and 5'6. I eat healthy, I just don't know if I am eating enough. What sould my protein intake be daily. My intake everyday is about split evenly in thirds. I am tracking my food on the fitday.com tracker, with everyday coming in at a little over 2,100 calories, give or take a 100 or so. I do run 3 days a week, although not crazy...about 3 miles each day. I also spend about 2hrs. a day in the gym during the week. I have had a high metabolism all my life up until 2 years ago, (when I got married).....now I have fat roll on my belly. Maybe its me getting older, but its not coming off.

I'm glad to hear you're using Fitday, that's a great start. There a numerous calcs out there to find your BMR. Google search it and find out the number of cals you need in a day to maintain your body weight. DON'T FORGET TO INCLUDE DAILY ACTIVITY (ie lifting, running, average activity level) in the total amount of cals you need to maintain.

Depending on how fast you add the 10-15 lbs will determine how lean the weight is. IMO the slower you add it the better.

After you find your BMR add 250-500 cals to that number. Take the total and divide by five or six-depending on the number of meals you want to eat per day. Typically shoot for 1-1.5g of protein per lbs of LBM. I might be wrong but for some reason I'm thinking carbs should be 2:1 ratio (carb : protein). So roughly 160-240 g of protein and 325-480 g of carbs, and the rest coming from fat.

In the two hours you spend in the gym what are you doing? I ask b/c that is a long time IMO.

Up those calories. Shoot for a 40/40/20 ratio for protein/carbs/fat. I need 3000 just for maintance alone at 185lbs or so. I am guessing a little over 3000 would help for you. If you start putting on over a 1lb a week, cut back. If you are under, eat more. 500 cals a day over maintenance = 3500 cals for a week = about a pound a week.

Your BMR comes in around 3200 calories based on a moderate amount of daily activity.
To bulk up you should be 500 cals above this, so you are not eating enough to bulk.
The easy way to portion is run a 40/40/20 or a 50/30/20 carbs/protein/fat ratio.
This will put you in at around 250 - 300g protein a day.
Keep the protein sources lean, chicken, fish etc, and your fats healthy (nuts are great).
Thats a really basic breakdown of what you need to do, hope it helps.
KG

Originally Posted by karategirl

Your BMR comes in around 3200 calories based on a moderate amount of daily activity.
To bulk up you should be 500 cals above this, so you are not eating enough to bulk.
The easy way to portion is run a 40/40/20 or a 50/30/20 carbs/protein/fat ratio.
This will put you in at around 250 - 300g protein a day.
Keep the protein sources lean, chicken, fish etc, and your fats healthy (nuts are great).
Thats a really basic breakdown of what you need to do, hope it helps.
KG

X2 great advice!

I agree with karategirl... 50/30/20 carbs/protein/fat ratio is the way to go.

Solid advice from everyone.

Ditto on looking at shortening your time in the gym; IMO 45-60 mins of solid lifting should be the max time spent.

Also are you saying that you are currently eating 3 meals per day? If so you really should double that frequency. 5-7 evenly spaced meals will go a long way for improving your results. Eating more frequently favours lean tissue growth and fat loss.

Lastly, don't expect to lose that roll around the waist while eating the calories needed to build muscle.

In my case, I do better with more carbs to put on weight. There is no set guideline. What I meant was start at 40/40/20 and then you can tinker with the ratios a little like 50/30/20 or 45/35/20 and see what works better for you. Give each one like a month trial and see how you make out. I need lots of carbs or I feel drained with the amount of activity I have during season.

Originally Posted by peterson24

In my case, I do better with more carbs to put on weight. There is no set guideline. What I meant was start at 40/40/20 and then you can tinker with the ratios a little like 50/30/20 or 45/35/20 and see what works better for you. Give each one like a month trial and see how you make out. I need lots of carbs or I feel drained with the amount of activity I have during season.

I guess I should add that we are talking about low GI carbs here:
Rolled oats, Sweet Potato, Brown Rice etc.
Lots of green veggies too, broccoli is amazing, full of nutrients and fibre.

Originally Posted by karategirl

Your BMR comes in around 3200 calories based on a moderate amount of daily activity.
To bulk up you should be 500 cals above this, so you are not eating enough to bulk.
The easy way to portion is run a 40/40/20 or a 50/30/20 carbs/protein/fat ratio.
This will put you in at around 250 - 300g protein a day.
Keep the protein sources lean, chicken, fish etc, and your fats healthy (nuts are great).
Thats a really basic breakdown of what you need to do, hope it helps.
KG

You sure 3200 is right at 162 lbs? Sounds aweful high. Maybe for high activity, but moderate?

Originally Posted by karategirl

I guess I should add that we are talking about low GI carbs here:
Rolled oats, Sweet Potato, Brown Rice etc.
Lots of green veggies too, broccoli is amazing, full of nutrients and fibre.

Should of put that in there. Oats, rice, veggies and whole wheats are all I eat. Makes a big difference against the high GI since I only recently changed 5 months ago or so. Energy levels are so much better.

Originally Posted by peterson24

You sure 3200 is right at 162 lbs? Sounds aweful high. Maybe for high activity, but moderate?

BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

I added this to account for activity and bulking:
66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years ) x1.1 + 500

Originally Posted by karategirl

Moderate Activity
Men: BMR = 66 + ( 13.7 x weight in kilos ) + ( 5 x height in cm ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

you english have an advantage here. Us lowly americans suck at conversions, too much to think about.

Originally Posted by peterson24

you english have an advantage here. Us lowly americans suck at conversions, too much to think about.

Here you go

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

Then to work out your activity level and add that it use:
Sedentary (little or no exercise) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.2
Lightly active (light exercise/sports 1-3 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.375
Moderatetely active (moderate exercise/sports 3-5 days/week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.55
Vry active (hard exercise/sports 6-7 days a week) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.725
Etra active (very hard exercise/sports & physical job or 2x training) : Calorie-Calculation = BMR x 1.9

Originally Posted by karategirl

Here you go

BMR = 66 + ( 6.23 x weight in pounds ) + ( 12.7 x height in inches ) - ( 6.8 x age in years )

I didn't know our boys age here but he mentioned he was married. So I guessed 30, its avg for guys.

anyway, I got 2117.46 for a 5'6" guy at 162 lbs. With activity, I can;t see it getting up to 3200 a day.

Woops, didn't see the minus. doing this in my head, subtract 400 so new figure is around 1700

Originally Posted by peterson24

I didn't know our boys age here but he mentioned he was married. So I guessed 30, its avg for guys.

anyway, I got 2117.46 for a 5'6" guy at 162 lbs. With activity, I can;t see it getting up to 3200 a day.

I eat 2117.45 cals for breakfast )



No, kidding, but I am 5'6" and 125lbs, and even my maintenance intake is more than that.

It takes an extra 2500 Kcals to create 1lb of LBM and you obviously wouldn't want that all at once. Listen to this advice-It's all good. 2100 is def. too. LOW. Trial and error my friend. Everybody's different.

Originally Posted by karategirl

I eat 2117.45 cals for breakfast )



No, kidding, but I am 5'6" and 125lbs, and even my maintenance intake is more than that.

Just making sure he is not getting the wrong figures. I am calculating him at ~2600 cals for moderate activity. I did myself and still came to 3100 which I know is real close from tracking, because I haven't moved weight for the last couple weeks and thats where I was at.

And when bulking, I really have hit 2000 cals before noon. I hope not to go through that again for a long time.

Well it's a baseline that KG is giving and he'll have to apply that and ajust moderatly to find where he needs to be for the proper gains.