Eating For Growth!

A. Your weight in pounds: __
B. Multiply A by 12 to get your basic calorie needs: __
C. Multiply B by 1.6 to estimate your resting metabolic rate (calorie burn without factoring in exercise): __
D. Strength training: Multiply the number of minutes you lift weights per week by 5: __
E. Aerobic training: Multiply the number of minutes per week that you run, cycle, and play sports by 8: __
F. Add D and E, and divide by 7: __
G. Add C and F to get your daily calorie needs: __
H. Add 500 to G: __. This is your estimated daily calorie needs to gain 1 pound a week. (this is assuming a double training program)

 

Completed Example
A. Your weight in pounds: _160_
B. Multiply A by 12 to get your basic calorie needs: _1,920_
C. Multiply B by 1.6 to estimate your resting metabolic rate (calorie burn without factoring in exercise): _3,072_
D. Strength training: Multiply the number of minutes you lift weights per week by 5: _1,500_
E. Aerobic training: Multiply the number of minutes per week that you run, cycle, and play sports by 8: _2,400_
F. Add D and E, and divide by 7: _557.14_
G. Add C and F to get your daily calorie needs: _3,629_
H. Add 500 to G: _4,129_. This is your estimated daily calorie needs to gain 1 pound a week. (This is assuming a double training program, morning and night)

Just make sure the calories are from protein and not fat. According to some other stuff out there you may read, this examples shows a need of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. The rest of the calories left over should be split between carbs and fats. 4,000 calories… should be fun!

Eating 4,000 calories a day is a high-calorie diet. Although it might seem easy to achieve, it actually takes work and constant discipline. If you have a really high metabolism, it can take every bit of 4,000 calories, if not more, to put on weight. Take an approach that is healthy to avoid future health complications.