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Calories and diet question

bigblue8888 Posts: 15 Joined: 2002/10/25	2002/11/26, 04:12 PM hi everyone, Just wondering. I'm aware that you have to eat about 3500 extra calories and weight train for the week to gain about a pound of lean muscle. Would it be more beneficial to eat a greater portion of that 3500 on the days that you workout or is eating the same amount each day of the week better? Thanks
neptune_ Posts: 38 Joined: 2002/11/22	2002/11/26, 04:17 PM Umm.. 3500 EXTRA calories? I hope that number is per week. If so, then generally, yes - 500 calories = 1 pound. What you do with that 1 pound is up to you. Just because you eat 500 extra cals per day doesn't mean you will automatically gain a pound of muscle that week. Hopefully you will be lifting and training hard to make sure most of the extra mass is put to muscle. I would highly recommend you check out 'Massive Eating' by John Berardi on his site www.johnberardi.com. In fact, go read pretty much everything there :)
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2002/11/26, 10:31 PM The best thing to do?? Keep your diet steady. Remember, you don't grow in the gym, you grow on your rest times. Don't deprive yourself on these days in any way. You are rebuilding and replinishing on those days. Big mistake if you slack off on your diet on rest days.
Firehawk734 Posts: 295 Joined: 2002/07/31	2002/11/27, 02:44 PM "Big mistake if you slack off on your diet on rest days." REally???!!!!! i didnt know that. I have always eaten great for 6 days of working out, then on my 7th rest day, I eat like a pig, my cheat day. BB1, should i be taking a day that i work out to cheat, and then eating healthy on my rest day then??? Appreciate your info, great posts you write.
bigblue8888 Posts: 15 Joined: 2002/10/25	2002/11/27, 08:45 PM thanks for the info bb1fit. I guess streamlining the cals and spreading them out on all seven days would be more beneficial for the "healing" days
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2002/11/27, 09:01 PM Yes, my point here is that just because it is a day off from the gym, do not slack off on the diet. Eat your proper protein/carb ratio, your body is recovering on these days and needs the nourishment for the process. You are shortchanging yourself if you don't. Muscle is there all the time, and always needs nutrients. Now when I say diet, I am referring to your every day nutrition program. To Firehawk, eating like a "pig?" You are more than able to take a "cheat" day of course, but make sure you are getting your proper nutrients for muscle growth too. When I am on a gaining cycle, I have a cheat day approximately every 2 weeks. This translates thus...I eat 6 meals per day, so in a week this is 42 meals. In 2 weeks, this 84 meals. So in 84 meals, if I take one day to "pig" out as you call it, it is pretty good. Of course my "pigging" out is really minor. I still make sure I get the same amount of protein at the very minimal as I do on training days. No twinkies or HO-Ho's ever! -------------- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!
Firehawk734 Posts: 295 Joined: 2002/07/31	2002/11/27, 09:19 PM Ok i ssee what you are saying. I also do the 6 small meals a day. Works great, even if you dont work out. Seems to fire that metabolism up. Ok so, basically if i take a cheat day, it dont matter when, as long as on all 7 days, i make sure my body sees the proper amount of protein/carbs/fat required to rebuild. But on a cheat day, if i eat more carbs, then thats the cheat. I see what u mean then.
mackfactor Posts: 766 Joined: 2002/10/17	2002/12/04, 11:29 AM Just for the record, 3500 calories = 1 pound. And, yes, you should keep your diet steady - muscles aren't built in the gym, they're built in the kitchen and in bed (not like that!). Protein is just as important on off days as on training days. -------------- "Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters!" -- Bob Dylan
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2002/12/04, 12:38 PM Fluctuations in diet can actually be beneficial, keep your metabolism guessing. Just make sure you always get an adequate amount of protein at regular intervals for lean mass preservation. Even and especially on your days off. -------------- The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary!