Eclipsed
20+ Year Contributor
- 2,577
- 12
- Aug 14, 2002
-
Chicago,
Illinois
Good progress OP. Keep it up!
It isn't 500 calories more than you normally eat, it is 500 calories above your maintenance amount. Which is the amount of calories you burn in a normal day doing normal activities.
500 is usually the suggested amount so the least amount of fat is gained while also the accepted average excess amount of calories is needed to gain weight is still digested. Generally, 500 is best, but some hardgainers are welcome to extend the range to a 750 excess. The same goes for the opposite. If you find it hard to lose weight, extend the deficit to 750.
Here are some simple calculations to figure out the amount range you need.
to gain =
16-18 x BODYWEIGHT
to maintain =
14-15 x BODYWEIGHT
to lose =
10-12 x BOYWEIGHT
Another method is to take the amount of calories you need to eat daily to maintain your current weight and increase it by 20 percent to gain and decrease it by 20 percent to lose. Which again, is roughly 500 calories +/- your maintenance respectively. There are countless sites online that can do this for you.
Or if you're knowledgeable, and dedicated enough, you can look into programs that focus on intermittent bulking to gain and intermittent fasting to lose. But they are definitely not suggested for beginners.
Cardio is absolutely unnecessary to lose weight. No ifs ands or buts about it. A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. The deficit needs to be below your maintenance amount. You are welcome to perform cardio to reach this deficit, but simply eating 500 calories less than your maintenance is a hell of a lot easier than jogging on a treadmill to burn 500 calories. I only suggest someone does cardio if they simply can't handle eating 500 below maintenance and end up starving. But it gets tricky because you have to be dedicated enough to do the cardio to burn the extra calories you took in to stave of hunger pangs.
The best and most efficient way to increase your metabolism is heavy weight training. Cardio has little affect on your metabolism and only for a short period, and eating 6 meals a day has been proven to have zero affect on your metabolism. Where as heavy weight training can in fact increase your metabolism for up to (and in most cases longer than) 24 hours after you train.
Anyways, sorry to hijack this. Fitness is a passion for me and I'm always willing to give any advice I can. Good luck on everyone's journey to get in shape.
Hes got a good point.. In order to gain weight you have to consume 500-1000 calories more then you usually eat a day. 3500 calories is a pound. Get a calorie counter.. Its all about when you eat, how you eat, and how much you eat.
It isn't 500 calories more than you normally eat, it is 500 calories above your maintenance amount. Which is the amount of calories you burn in a normal day doing normal activities.
500 is usually the suggested amount so the least amount of fat is gained while also the accepted average excess amount of calories is needed to gain weight is still digested. Generally, 500 is best, but some hardgainers are welcome to extend the range to a 750 excess. The same goes for the opposite. If you find it hard to lose weight, extend the deficit to 750.
Here are some simple calculations to figure out the amount range you need.
to gain =
16-18 x BODYWEIGHT
to maintain =
14-15 x BODYWEIGHT
to lose =
10-12 x BOYWEIGHT
Another method is to take the amount of calories you need to eat daily to maintain your current weight and increase it by 20 percent to gain and decrease it by 20 percent to lose. Which again, is roughly 500 calories +/- your maintenance respectively. There are countless sites online that can do this for you.
Or if you're knowledgeable, and dedicated enough, you can look into programs that focus on intermittent bulking to gain and intermittent fasting to lose. But they are definitely not suggested for beginners.
Cardio is absolutely unnecessary to lose weight. No ifs ands or buts about it. A calorie deficit is the only way to lose weight. The deficit needs to be below your maintenance amount. You are welcome to perform cardio to reach this deficit, but simply eating 500 calories less than your maintenance is a hell of a lot easier than jogging on a treadmill to burn 500 calories. I only suggest someone does cardio if they simply can't handle eating 500 below maintenance and end up starving. But it gets tricky because you have to be dedicated enough to do the cardio to burn the extra calories you took in to stave of hunger pangs.
The best and most efficient way to increase your metabolism is heavy weight training. Cardio has little affect on your metabolism and only for a short period, and eating 6 meals a day has been proven to have zero affect on your metabolism. Where as heavy weight training can in fact increase your metabolism for up to (and in most cases longer than) 24 hours after you train.
Anyways, sorry to hijack this. Fitness is a passion for me and I'm always willing to give any advice I can. Good luck on everyone's journey to get in shape.