# Calculating my needs



## Frenchie (Oct 3, 2016)

Hello !

I am starting a new program with pillar and I want to make sure I have all I need in my body to grow. Pillar offered to lay the macronutrients out for me but I don't have the money, so I guessed I would do it myself. Or at least try. Until now, I was making sure I ate 5 times per day a good meal with enough proteins, I wasn't really tracking anything.
I used this thread : http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=121703981 to calculate my needs in term of calories and nutrients.

*Katch-McArdle to calculate BMR :
*BMR = 370 + (21.6 x ([total weight (kg) x (100 - bodyfat %)]/100))
So my BMR is : 370 + (21.6 x (92 x (100 - 12) / 100 ))
BMR = 2118 Calories

I am not sure of my weight, could be a bit less...

*Calculating TEE :
*It's for the next step that I am unsure. I train hard, that's sure, but I do have a desk job. I also know I have a fast metabolism (my body handles very well a week of fast-food and sodas :32 (1): ).
I chose to use "1.7 = Very Active (Physically demanding lifestyle & Hard exercise 6-7 days a week)" because I will be training 4 times in lifting and 3 times in MMA.

So my TEE would be 3600 calories.

*If I add 15% to bulk :
*
Addition of 540 calories, I end up at 4140 calories.
This amount seems huge to me, did I make any mistake ?


Once I get some opinions on this amount, i will calculate the macronutrients I need to eat. thank you everyone for your help


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## ToolSteel (Oct 3, 2016)

Pick a number. Any number. Hit it within a few % for a couple weeks and see what happens. Adjust from there. You're overthinking it IMO. 

These calculators are just to get you in the approximate range.


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## Flyingdragon (Oct 3, 2016)

Screw calculators, just eat.....


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## Frenchie (Oct 3, 2016)

Well that's what i have been doing (just eat), it works but I thought it could maybe work better ...


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## PillarofBalance (Oct 3, 2016)

Frenchie said:


> Well that's what i have been doing (just eat), it works but I thought it could maybe work better ...



I think these calculators are helpful.  You could start with the 4100 calories and if you start adding fat too quick drop it down a bit.

Or use 1.5 as the multiplier instead of 1.7.  A lot of times people overestimate their training.  Your program on some days will have you gasping for air.  But mostly you have enough rest to catch your breath. 

I would suggest you start at 3700 cals per dayear.

Divide up the calories at 1g per pound lean mass for protein.  .45 g per pound lean mass for fats.  Whatever cals remain from the 3700 fill with carbohydrate.


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## Joliver (Oct 3, 2016)

20 to 25 cals per pound of lean body weight. That's my vote.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Oct 3, 2016)

PillarofBalance said:


> I think these calculators are helpful.  You could start with the 4100 calories and if you start adding fat too quick drop it down a bit.
> 
> Or use 1.5 as the multiplier instead of 1.7.  A lot of times people overestimate their training.  Your program on some days will have you gasping for air.  But mostly you have enough rest to catch your breath.
> 
> ...



You mean per pound?


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## PillarofBalance (Oct 3, 2016)

DocDePanda187123 said:


> You mean per pound?



****. Yes I do. Per pound of lean mass. Good catch Doc


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## Frenchie (Oct 3, 2016)

> I would suggest you start at 3700 cals per dayear.
> 
> Divide up the calories at 1g per pound lean mass for protein. .45 g per pound lean mass for fats. Whatever cals remain from the 3700 fill with carbohydrate.



Okay, I'll do that. 
The only issue is my meal at 12 is with my colleagues at the firm so I can't really know what I eat. But I go for the good food which is usually meat with some veggies and carbs. I won't track my food very precisely but at least I can get an estimation with the info you gave me.
I also have breakfast at the firm where I get two big Wheat pancakes (if I can finish it) and an egg-white omelette.

I'll work on my diet around these two meals to make sure I eat enough.


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## PillarofBalance (Oct 3, 2016)

Frenchie said:


> Okay, I'll do that.
> The only issue is my meal at 12 is with my colleagues at the firm so I can't really know what I eat. But I go for the good food which is usually meat with some veggies and carbs. I won't track my food very precisely but at least I can get an estimation with the info you gave me.
> I also have breakfast at the firm where I get two big Wheat pancakes (if I can finish it) and an egg-white omelette.
> 
> I'll work on my diet around these two meals to make sure I eat enough.



Each meal doesn't have to contain the same calories and it doesn't matter what you eat per meal.

You could eat all your carbs with your breakfast meal for example and it won't really matter.  I wouldn't but you could.

Just make sure things add up properly at the end of the day.


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## DocDePanda187123 (Oct 4, 2016)

PillarofBalance said:


> ****. Yes I do. Per pound of lean mass. Good catch Doc



We all have our ginger moments...


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## ECKSRATED (Oct 5, 2016)

Doc is like a ninja. Comes out of no where for two posts then dissapears.......


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## DocDePanda187123 (Oct 5, 2016)

ECKSRATED said:


> Doc is like a ninja. Comes out of no where for two posts then dissapears.......



Like TS, there's only so many poop breaks I can take in a day without raising suspicion lol. Plus I'm now living in your state, in the modt expensive fukking county and am on the books at 4 jobs after my girl got injured at her job and can't work for a bit. Worker's comp is dragging their asses.....


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## Runningwild (Oct 5, 2016)

Frenchie tracking your food is pretty easy and like pillar said it doesn't have to be the exact same for every meal, so if one meal has more carbs because maybe I wasn't able to prepare the meal I cut those carbs out of my next meal.  It's more intimidating before you do it than anything.  Once you start doing it the easier it gets.  When going out for meals you can ask questions make requests on preparations etc and look up the nutritional value.  You would be surprised what you find and how easy.  And like I said the more you do it the easier it gets where now I just know what I am eating and what it's breakdown is no matter if I personally prep the meal or not


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## Frenchie (Nov 30, 2016)

Hello and sorry for not following-up on this post.
I have decided today that I had to be more careful about what I eat, lately I have gained some fat around my waist. Not a lot but enough for me to notice.
I just bought a scale too and my weight is actually 212 pounds, i think I am about 14% but will upload a picture later for you to give me your opinion.

I will try to eat 4 000 calories and adapt if needed.

I will do 3 shakes a day and three meals.
I have prepared the powder for my shakes using this https://diy.soylent.com/recipes/sean-superfood-v3
with slight modifications : for one day i lowered the maltodextrin by 50% and the oat flour by 25%.
I also used Phase 8 Protein from Muscletech instead of Rice protein. i hope it tastes good !
Those shakes should cover *half* of my needs with 

2093 cal 
100g of Protein (150g of Phase 8)
220g of carbs
for fats, it will depend how much oil I put in it but I am aiming at 80g of fat per day in total (meals + shakes)

I am planning to do some HIIT cardio too, I asked POB for some advice on this.
I am also willing to do an EC stack to help burning my fat, do you think it's useful ?

What I am basically aiming at is to lose the little fat I have (you can still see my abs so it's not like I am aiming to drop 10%) while keep gaining (if I can have both ^^"). I have started reading the stickies on Recomp to see what I can tune.


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