Calorie Intake

[itbestuk]

Hi Guys,
I am trying to work out a good diet for building muscle mass, I would like to know whether there is a rule of thumb to how many calories I should be in eating to build mass, I am guessing 3000 per day?

I am splitting my food intake into 6 meals spaced evenly throughout my day, on each sitting how many calories can the body simulate, I am guessing 500?

I currently weigh 198 pounds.

Thanks,

Iain

 

[Emma-Leigh]

There is no set intake everyone needs to have - it varies depending on your lean mass, your activity, your genetics, your age, your sex, your diet etc etc.

The simplest thing to do is to start with a rough figure with non-stupid levels of each of the macronutrients

ie:
1.25-1.5g protein per pound lean mass
0.4-0.6g fat per pound lean mass
2-2.5g carbs per pound lean mass

Then watch yourself over the period of 2 to 3 weeks. If your body starts to respond the way you want it to - then great. If not, alter things accordingly.

eg:

If you are not gaining any mass then increase the total calories by 10%. Do this through adding carbs or fat (you don't need more protein).

If you are gaining too quickly, pull back by 5-10%.

So, at 198 pounds, say you had a BF% of 10% - you could start at:
250g protein
80g fat
400g carbs
TOTAL = ~3320 cals

Then see what happens....