How many Calories?

L

LizC7

Cathlete
Hello everyone
How do I figure out how many calories I need to eat for an STS/Body Beast type of workout where I'm looking for definition but not bulk? Body Beast talks about 2000+ calories a day but I'm not trying to "look like a bodybuilder" like the site says. I don't want to have too little so I don't see results but also not too much for bulking.
Thanks for any guidance! All the calculators I see seem to place me as sedentary because I'm at a desk all day but doesn't take into account the level of workouts I'm doing.
 
Hi! I eat over 2000 cals per day (about 2500) - I don't 'look like a body builder' - well, at least I don't think I do! ;) I don't have a desk job, but neither do I have a physically demanding job. I'm doing Cathe's Body Building Rotation. I think you may be surprised by how many calories you can eat without bulking too much.

PS I'm 5'9" and round about 135lb - it'd be different if I were petite
 
Thanks, Justine

I'm 5'5" and around 125. I think I've added some muscle but no idea how to figure out my calories.
 
Liz, at 5' 5" and 125lbs I don't think you need to lose any weight so your amount of calories eaten combined with the amount of calories burned should not create any deficit. I think if you eat less than 2,000 calories with STS or any similar workout system you probably will not see the results you want and you'll always be hungry. Have you ever tried My Fitness Pal? I have the app installed on my ipad and I've been using it for almost two years. You need to figure out how many calories you need to eat daily and the app works like a journal where you log the foods you've eaten and your daily activities and it will tell you if you need to eat more or less to maintain your weight. They also have great support forums online. I hope this helps. :)
 
LizC7 said:
Hello everyone
How do I figure out how many calories I need to eat for an STS/Body Beast type of workout where I'm looking for definition but not bulk? Body Beast talks about 2000+ calories a day but I'm not trying to "look like a bodybuilder" like the site says. I don't want to have too little so I don't see results but also not too much for bulking.
Thanks for any guidance! All the calculators I see seem to place me as sedentary because I'm at a desk all day but doesn't take into account the level of workouts I'm doing.
Click to expand...

Hello,

I have body beast and will embark on it in future. You must have a booklet listing calories and calculation of calorie intake. Now before anyone shoot me, I am not a beachbody coach and I am not trying to sell anything here:eek::D

Although calories listed for building seem a lot, it will not turn anyone into a builder nor would it make anyone look like one:D:D:D. I think there is a misconception about bodybuilding IMO. It is not just about consuming protein powder throughout the day:D:D to hit those high calories intake, It is hard work training combined to a custom precise, accurate NUTRITION plan. Not necessarily animal sourced nutrition:rolleyes::rolleyes:. Well I could go on the myth!!!

That being said, I suggest, assuming you know your current calorie intake and you are maintaining your weight, you increase your calorie by 100-200 kcal per day and see what you could get from it. Gaining definition is not easy either even as a fitness enthusiast . It will not happen with a 1200 kcal intake and possibly not with 1600-2000 kcal. Everyone is different. Also it is not just about the calorie intake, the type and the frequency of cardio come into play aswell. There has been various discussion on here and few cathletes stated breaking plateau, with a weight loss, increasing their calorie intake:rolleyes::):) Feel free to do a search through the forum.

The idea behind builking and building calorie allowance is to ensure the exerciser work hard enough to match the calorie expenditure. It is about making the most of how the body work. More calorie you consum and work hard, more calorie expenditure will happen, more muscle gain happen, and better the metabolism get meaning less weight gain and even possibly weight loss with no muscle breakdown:rolleyes::rolleyes::mad:. it is all about making the body operate like a car engine. Food is fuel:):) HTH

To sum up try to increase the calorie intake. It is all about trial and error. Even professional body builders go through trial and error process. It is not a precise accurate one off science. It is about knowing what works the best for the person for a specific, clearly identified goal.

BTW, gaining definition is right up the similar alley as building a body:D, well at least in my opinion.

All the very best,
 
Last edited:
Thanks, Nathalie!

What an awesome response! Honestly, the thought of eating MORE is always nerve-wracking to me. I do know that it makes perfect sense that I'd have to intake more to get results with definition and muscle building. I'm definitely going to try it though! Thank you again.
 
LizC7 said:
What an awesome response! Honestly, the thought of eating MORE is always nerve-wracking to me. I do know that it makes perfect sense that I'd have to intake more to get results with definition and muscle building. I'm definitely going to try it though! Thank you again.
Click to expand...

Trust me the very first time i got to know about those calorie intake I was in shock all day:D:D:D. I knew at the time I needed to dig into knowing more about nutrition and building muscle.

All the very best and keep us all posted;)
 
I agree with what so many others have already stated about eating more being a good thing--especially when you are following one of Cathe's advanced rotations or when doing a program like Body Beast.

Someone else on the forums shared the link to this calorie calculator, and I've found it to be one of the best I've seen: Health-calc - Energy expenditure adv.

According to this calculator, I need to eat about 2300-2500 cals to maintain my weight, depending on my workout for the day, and that has turned out to be pretty spot on for me.

You might also find this blog post interesting, as it relates to the perils of underestimating caloric needs: https://gokaleo.com/2014/01/13/why-youre-not-losing-weight/

In the end I don't think any "calculator" can perfectly predict how many calories you need, so some experimenting will probably be required. And on a personal note, I try to let true hunger dictate over obsessive caloric number crunching (I'm not saying that's what you are any one else here has suggested...just throwing that in for clarity's sake). ;) Also, the quality of calories is important too. I feel much better and stronger when I'm eating higher protein and higher fat foods, so I eat a good amount of meat, eggs, beans, and full fat dairy, along with a healthy dose of fruits and veggies. That has also taken experimentation on my part to figure out, especially since I love simple carbs like cereal and bread...well, at least my taste buds do, but my tummy not so much!
 
lisa_la_machina said:
In the end I don't think any "calculator" can perfectly predict how many calories you need, so some experimenting will probably be required. And on a personal note, I try to let true hunger dictate over obsessive caloric number crunching (I'm not saying that's what you are any one else here has suggested...just throwing that in for clarity's sake). ;) Also, the quality of calories is important too.
Click to expand...

Lisa has hit the nail on the head!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top