Hey,
I love this website! I am 21yrs old. Im 161cm (5'3) and I weigh 48Kg (105lbs).

My average calorie intake is between 1000-1200 calories. This seems to be sufficient to me, but this is not even close to what a few websites recommend.
Basal Metabolism Calculator (http://www.room42.com/nutrition/basal.shtml)
daily calorie requirement (http://www.medindia.net/patients/calculators/calorie.asp)

I am now currently doing cardio three times a week and weights three times a week. (see workout schedule below)

My goal is to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat percentage. Given my workout schedule and my height, weight etc. what should be my calorie intake and what percentage of proteins, carbs and fats should I aim for per day?

Workout Schedule:
Monday: Chest/Upper Back
Tuesday: Cardio 15min (I am increase this slowly)
Wednesday: Midsection/Lower Body
Thursday: Cardio
Friday: Arms and Shoulders
Saturday: Cardio
Sunday: Rest

Seems to me you are already quite thin, weight wise. What is your current body fat %? (if you know). I am 5'4, 126 and about 17-18% BF, and I currently am maintaining on around 2000 calories a day - my schedule is similar to yours but I do a bit more cardio (40-50 minutes). Plus I'm a lot older than you, so my metabolism isn't quite what it used to be. :)

My bet is that you could get away with eating a few more calories, especially if your goal is to gain muscle. 1500 calories for me is weight loss territory, but YMMV.

I do a 40 40 20 split (Carbs/Protein/Fat), and that's divvied up into six small meals a day. I'd pass out at 1000 calories! :)

Seems to me you are already quite thin, weight wise. What is your current body fat %? (if you know). I am 5'4, 126 and about 17-18% BF, and I currently am maintaining on around 2000 calories a day - my schedule is similar to yours but I do a bit more cardio (40-50 minutes). Plus I'm a lot older than you, so my metabolism isn't quite what it used to be. :)

My bet is that you could get away with eating a few more calories, especially if your goal is to gain muscle. 1500 calories for me is weight loss territory, but YMMV.

I do a 40 40 20 split (Carbs/Protein/Fat), and that's divvied up into six small meals a day. I'd pass out at 1000 calories! :)

Thanks for your reply ;)
I don't know my body fat percentage. How do i find out what it is?

What do you typically eat for each of the five meals? Would 1700-1900 calories per day be enough for me?

(what does YMMV mean?)

You might want to get out a tape measure and start at www.mybodycomp.com - it's not perfect and not entirely accurate, but it's a good start to figuring out your body fat percentage.

1700-1900 may (or may not) be too many for you as you are 20 pounds lighter than I am - plus it depends on your goals - I don't think losing 'weight' would be a good idea, but I can't say too much about body fat without knowing what it is now. If you're trying to gain muscle, I'd up your calories by a few hundred at a time and see how things go.

YMMV = your mileage may vary.

I am sure one of the 'real' experts will pop in soon to give you better advice!

I'm not an expert but I am at goal, so here's a sample:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (3/4 cup dry) plus 20 grams whey protein
Mid morning: 3/4 cup cottage cheese with strawberries and .5 cup Kashi GoLean
Lunch: chicken breast or salmon (3-4 ounces), whole wheat pasta, parmesan cheese
Mid afternoon: Ezekiel bread with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
Dinner : Lean Cuisine Lasagne or similar. Sometimes more oats/whey instead. :P
Post weights workout: Protein shake

Note the lack of veggies today - if I were you I'd add veggies. :) Also, this is not a fat loss diet, I'm maintaining at the moment!

You might want to get out a tape measure and start at www.mybodycomp.com - it's not perfect and not entirely accurate, but it's a good start to figuring out your body fat percentage.

1700-1900 may (or may not) be too many for you as you are 20 pounds lighter than I am - plus it depends on your goals - I don't think losing 'weight' would be a good idea, but I can't say too much about body fat without knowing what it is now. If you're trying to gain muscle, I'd up your calories by a few hundred at a time and see how things go.

YMMV = your mileage may vary.

I am sure one of the 'real' experts will pop in soon to give you better advice!


I'm not an expert but I am at goal, so here's a sample:

Breakfast: Oatmeal (3/4 cup dry) plus 20 grams whey protein
Mid morning: 3/4 cup cottage cheese with strawberries and .5 cup Kashi GoLean
Lunch: chicken breast or salmon (3-4 ounces), whole wheat pasta, parmesan cheese
Mid afternoon: Ezekiel bread with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
Dinner : Lean Cuisine Lasagne or similar. Sometimes more oats/whey instead. :P
Post weights workout: Protein shake

Note the lack of veggies today - if I were you I'd add veggies. :) Also, this is not a fat loss diet, I'm maintaining at the moment!

Hey,

I just filled in all the info in mybodycomp.com and my body fat percent is 23%, which is considered average according to the website. I also read in another thread in the female health and fitness forum that 22% body fat is considered healthy. So I should aim to decrease my body fat percent and increase my lean body mass. The body fat monitor also says that my total calorie burn (TCB) is 2023 cals/day. To increase lean body mass, should I be consuming at or more than that amount?

Also, on average, my protein intake is between 15-20% of daily calories :confused: (a bit low?) . I read that 40% of my daily calories should be from protein. Should I include whey protein in my diet? If so, how many grams of protein should i get from whey daily?

Thanks,
Daniella

I'll let someone else comment on the calories who may have more than just experience to talk about. :) However, 2K calories is probably too high for a 'cut' - I'd shoot for 1500 or so, then increase or decrease as needed, but NEVER below 1000-1200 . I never went below 1500, but I'm heavier than you are. One method that works well is zig-zagging calories (low and high days). So one day would be 1500, another 1200, another 1800, etc. Try it out and see how you feel. I can't even think on 1200 calories, but that's just me!

I try to get 40% of my calories from protein, although on a day where I am eating high calorie it might be less than that. I follow the 1gm/pound (roughly), so for you that would be around 105gm protein (total!) --. Real food > whey, but I like whey so I add it to oatmeal and have a shake after my workout. Other good protein sources would be things like chicken breasts and tuna.

Those online calculators are not really all that great. If your goal is to reduce your BF and build lean mass.. it is really a two part goal. Since you are already skinny judging by your height and weight, you would have trouble losing fat while puting on lean mass. If you want to add lean mass, you will have make sure you are eating an excess amount of calories. Finding that proper amount is a personal journey. I would imagine a starting amount for you for gaining mass slowly would be 1600-1700. I would start with that for a couple weeks and see if you weight begins to change either direction. From there, you can adjust it up and down depending on what you desire. Good luck!!

Those online calculators are not really all that great. If your goal is to reduce your BF and build lean mass.. it is really a two part goal. Since you are already skinny judging by your height and weight, you would have trouble losing fat while puting on lean mass. If you want to add lean mass, you will have make sure you are eating an excess amount of calories. Finding that proper amount is a personal journey. I would imagine a starting amount for you for gaining mass slowly would be 1600-1700. I would start with that for a couple weeks and see if you weight begins to change either direction. From there, you can adjust it up and down depending on what you desire. Good luck!!

Thanks, I will try this for a few weeks and see how it goes :tu:

Thanks, I will try this for a few weeks and see how it goes :tu:

You might end up being able to eat a lot more than you think you can without gaining weight. I know I was surprised.