Confused!

J

Joe.Muscle

Active Member
I just got confused as hell trying to figure out how many calories I need to lose weight or gain muscle. Not to be lazy but does anyone know the answer to this by chance?

Stats are 6 feet 188 pounds at 12% bodyfat.

I have desk job and workout 3 times a week.

I just did a calculator and it said I needed like 5500 calories a day, now own average lately I have prob took in around 3000 at most and have gained weight so if I took in 5500 which I never have i think 2 things would happen.

Even I would add lots of muscle I never knew I had...which I doubt that would happen or I would get fat as hell?

Any input would help!
 
Harris benedict equation is a simple one.
Go here http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/ Find out your BMR. Then click on the link underneath that says total daily calories. Times the answer you got for your BMR by the number next to your activity level. The answer you get then, is the amount of calories you need to maintain your weight.

Subtract 500 calories from that, and that is how many you need to lose fat efficiently. There are 3500 calories in a pound of fat, so 500 calories lower than the amount you need to maintain your weight per day in a perfect world would have you losing 1 pound per week.
If you wanna bulk just add 500 calories onto your maintenance instead. Then monitor your progress as we the weeks go by & adjust the calories based on the results your getting.
 
There is a spreadsheet around here somewhere that automates the calculations in the "eating for size" article. I can't seem to find it, so I'll just try attaching it. It works pretty well, maybe it'll give you a better estimation.

The only surefire way to know what you need to be eating is to pick a number and try it for a couple weeks, then adjust as you go. Those formulas are one way to go, or you can do the classic 12-14 times bodyweight for cutting, 15-16 for maintaining and 17-18 for bulking. That gives you a good starting point.

Anyway, let's see if this attachment thing works.
 
I agree BMR is a good starting point. I've been dieting and had to tweak a bit to get the right calories where I'm losing BF and yet don't feel like crap. I use the BMR and multiply by 1.3 on workout days, 1.15 on non workout days to get my TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure). That's basically my maintenance calories.

I personally can't handle a 3500 calorie deficit per week, I just feel lousy. I use 2450, which in theory gets me a lb of weight loss every 10 days or so. I've lost 5 lbs since January, and based on my calipers looks to be almost all BF. Currently 6'0". 178 lbs @ 14% BF, dieting to 10-12% (hopefully!) for summer.
 
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