So.. More Calories = Bigger Guns???

pebblesus

pebblesus

Cathlete
Can anyone shed some light on this for me?
Im wondeirng about the whole "losing weight and gaining muscle" thing.. If you're not looking to really LOSE weight, but maybe just lean out a bit or NOT gain anymore.. isn't that possible to do and still be able to GAIN MUSCLE?
Do you really need to INCREASE CALORIES to gain muscle? What if you just made sure all your meals had, say, 30g of protein or so.
The right diet and you could have 100+ g protein (depending on your weight and the protein ratio you're following), which would cause muscle growth AND still stay within your caloric budget. That way we could stay lean (or maybe slowly lose a pound or so) AND get muscle gains.
I used to eat more calories when I was trying to gain muscle and then lose weight a different month. But would the first idea work??
I guess I don't get the WHOLE idea and facts behind the "eat more to gain more" concept. I've heard it a million times though.
Sure the new diet may be boring and nightmarish for some.. but would it work to gain muscle without having to really INCREASE calories??
Thanks for the input!!
 
>Do you really need to INCREASE CALORIES to gain muscle?

Muscles need calories to grow, but you can gain muscle on the same amount of calories you are currently eating if you have some excess fat on you, which means that what you normally eat provided a bit of a calorie excess vs. what your body needed, and that excess went into storage as fat. By doing resistance training, those extra calories would now be used to feed growing muscle. If, however, you're as fat-free as Paris Hilton, and don't increase calories, then there's no extra energy to go into building muscle, so you wouldn't see much of a change.

"Eat more to gain more" is true, but whether than gain is fat or muscle depends on the work you do. Put in the work with the weights, and those calories will be used in the right way.
 
Thanks Kathryn,
I guess what I wanted to know is, if I keep the calories the same, but replace everything I consume with HIGH PROTEIN only foods, will that work the same? Do the muscles need CALORIES to grow or just PROTEIN?
For example, I can have 2000 calories a day and not gain any weight, maybe have some rice, cereal, oatmeal, pizza, salad (examples that have more fiber and/or carbs than protein).. or I can have 2000 calories and have chicken, sushi, protein shake, egg whites...
The second would have probably DOUBLE the protein, but assuming you had the same amount in calories for both each day.
What kind of "extra calories" are needed for muscle growth? Can I just eat more of the first group to give me more calories (but won't give me the same protein as the second)??
It's a little confusing. I find when we try to gain muscle mass we "bulk up", but looking like a linebacker (been there, done that haha) and then having to spend the next couple weeks doing cardio to get rid of the extra weight you gain while building mass is kind of a bizaar back and forth cycle.
I don't understand it yet :T
 
> Do the muscles need CALORIES
>to grow or just PROTEIN?

Balanced calories. Too much protein (or an imbalance of macronutrients) can have negative health affects. (It's important to consider health as well as appearance!)

>>I can have 2000 calories a day and not gain any
>weight, maybe have some rice, cereal, oatmeal, pizza, salad
>(examples that have more fiber and/or carbs than protein).

This would be an example of unbalanced: not enough protein, perhaps too many processed carbohydrates.

>I can have 2000 calories and have chicken, sushi, protein
>shake, egg whites...

This is an example of possibly too much protein, which can be hard on the kidneys, and also may contribute to mineral loss from the bones.

In the second example, the protein shake especially is overkill, IMO, (there's more than enough protein in the other foods).


>Wht kind of "extra calories" are needed for muscle growth?

Again, balanced. If you eat more calories, you will automatically get more protein.

> I find when we try to gain muscle
>mass we "bulk up", but looking like a linebacker (been there,
>done that haha) and then having to spend the next couple weeks
>doing cardio to get rid of the extra weight you gain while
>building mass is kind of a bizaar back and forth cycle.

Who is the "we" here? I don't quite follow.

I think it's far healthier to find a middle ground and not go to extremes (like first 'bulking' then 'trying to get rid of the extra weight through cardio'). Seems to me that might have a similar effect and stress on the body as yo-yo dieting, which has negative affects on health and longevity.
 
Kathyrn is giving great advise. One thing that is helping me is actually taking a biology class. We have had chapters on how the body chemically breaks down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You should go to the library and look for specifics to understand why balance is key.
 
I get it now, thanks so much Kathryn :)
What i meant by "we" was just others I have spoken to or heard say in the past (not necessarily from this site BTW)..
However.. I do remember a thread everyone was talking about doing cardio to lean out before the STS gets here.. not sure what the purpose was but it made me think of this post even more.. wondering why we needed to have more calories to get bigger and then lean out later.. but it makes more sense now.. good thing we have some educated folks in the area of nutrition on these forums to help us :)
 
I am currently doing both losing bodyfat and gaining lean mass on a 12-week program. It is working, my bodyfat has dropped 5 percent, and i have gained lean mass, so my weight has only dropped a few pounds (reflecting the bodyfat I lost.)

It is a delicate balance doing both and requires strict attention to both training and diet.

For my particular body type, I am doing lots of cardio for fat burning, and weight training hard (moderate to heavy weights, moderate to high reps) 4 days a week.

I eat small meals 7 times a day, three of which are protein shakes. The others combine 180 calories of protein, some fibrous carbs, flax oil and a few starches. I drink at least one gallon of water each day. I also take amino acids. Building muscle is really hard for women and takes a long, long time. Losing fat (at least for me) takes a long time too_Overall, my caloric intake is around 1,600 per day.

Be patient, over time you will achieve your goals.
 
Hi Tneah-

I agree with you that is possible to gain muscle and lose bodyfat consecutively. For me its ALL about diet! :)

I was curious on how many gms of protein you eat/day on your above diet regimen. Do you follow the 1 gm/lb body weight rule?

Thanks in advance, Lynn M.
 
Hi Lynn! You look fab darling!

My diet breaks down into the following: 203 grams of protein, 121 grams of carbs, less now, trainer cut out dinner time carb and every other day I skip lunchtime carb, 30 grams of fat and 1,599 total calories.

I have seen a huge difference in my muscles, they are hard and defined, I am stronger for sure. Now, this isn't to say I have not "cheated" a little with the carbs (shhh) don't tell, but going that low is hard for me and every once in awhile I have some fat free ice cream and whipped cream-which is actually low in carbs which is weird-the whipped cream, not the ice cream of course! But overall, I have seen amazing results.

BTW, I am 5'7 and weigh 148 pounds, and just had my bodyfat tested professionally at a sports doctor office. It is down to 13.8 percent. Cool, but its almost too hard for me to remain this low for very long. My "happy" bodyfat seems to be around 18-19 percent.;) But I am staying the course and sticking to the program to the bitter end.:7
 
Just wanted to say what a great thread this has been! I've had some of the same questions as Pebblesus, and this has been really helpful!

And, yes, Ms. Tneah, you look HAWT!;-)
 
Ms Tneah-

I don't know what you look like, but I bet you are Hawwwt!:)

I did want to tell you how admirable your discipline is on following the eating regimen you are doing. That is hard core and I am impressed you've been able to stick with it. I'm good with following something like that for about 4 days and then I lose my willpower. Kudos to you!

Do you have a goal ( ie a figure competition) or is it to just see if you can do it?

Take care, Lynn M.
 
Let me just say...We are all HAWT looking chica's around here:p :p

Lynn, I had hip replaced last July, wanted to get my arse tight again after limping around for 4 years. My right side had really grown soft because of the limp and the pain-even despite my workouts.. So that was one reason, the other ones were to clean it up in the diet department, I really needed to put a cork on my nightly glass or actually glasses of vino, and limit the "picking" at treats I was mindlessly doing throughout the day. I was ready to buckle down and do it. I am kinda a type "A" personality, and love to push myself to my absolute limit, especially physically. And with my new hip now I can do that! :) Well, I cannot run, but that is one of my only limitations now.

The first few weeks of this diet were hell, but then your body gets used to it, and I do allow myself treats every now and then, you have to! I am not competing or anything, I have a lovely 6 inch scar that runs along side of my right butt cheek from the surgery, and just am not interested in that anymore, although I did compete way back in the 90's.

Anyway, that is my little story.;)
 
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