Teen Eating

[BendtheBar]

I just saw an experienced trainer advise a thin teen to eat 2200 to 2500 calories per day while training to grow. It appears he based his calculation off a BMI calculator.

Am I the only teen who ate about 2000 calories per meal and still didn't grow?

Man, I can remember eating from sun up to sun down and never getting above 160 pounds.

[Achilles]

Same here!

Along with that the BMI calculator is far from accurate. Its a tool for peopel in general but for guys like us who sport and carry around at least some muscle mass its not a good tool to use.

[BendtheBar]

What escapes me is how some trainers can advise things like this and have a successful business...

I can see on one hand where they wouldn't want to tell a teen to overeat, but as a former hardgainer, I can't imagine how thin I would have become eating 2200 calories per day.

I would think that an average calories recommendation would be around 3000. At least.

I am 5'10", and in most of my teen years I stayed between 140 and 150 pounds. I ate like a buzzsaw. It wasn't until I started lifting seriously that I got above 170. I had access to a buffet style college cafeteria and ate cheese cake to no end. I probably had 4 to 6 pieces a day, along with 3 monster meals, many times a box of mac and cheese (with tuna) in between major meals because It was cheap and worked (in my mind) as a bodybuilding meal. I also drank milk, milk and more milk.

I would be surprised if I wasn't eating 5000+ calories a day.

I didn't get above 185 until I hit 30 years old, and my eating habits were obscene.

Maybe my perception of proper eating is warped from years with this metabolism. the kid receiving the advise from this trainer weighs under 120 pounds....

[Achilles]

I wonder about that too. I work part time in a gym and to be honest some of the PT's and trainers there are just so damn stupid it unbelievable. Imo if you work in a gym a simple understanding of the exercises and nutrition is all you need to do a semi descent job but for some this is already too much. But hey its biceps that counts not the brain because the guy with the biggest biceps in the gym can tell whatever he want and peopel believe him.

[Marc]

I wouldnt have used the term "experienced" BTB lol youre giving him too much credit already! The words "trainer" and "comercial gym" in the same sentance pretty much sums it up for me! I know that was your point of all of this and I gotta ask, how did you not interject? Would have been hard for me to bite my tounge in that instance!

[BendtheBar]

This guy is an "experienced bodybuilding trainer" on another site. I stay out of his business. I don't agree with him, but I don't want to start a holy war.

[Trevor Lane]

Are the other site's initials bb.com?

[CoopDawg]

good one trevor haha, and thats crazy i eat like 7000 calories a day, if i ate 2400 i would probably lose weight

[CallmeKing]

Even when I'm not trying to drink a lot of milk I kill at least a half gallon a day of whole milk. SO that's about 1200cals in milk alone. I couldn't see anyone gaining much off 2.2k cals per day. My Advice to any teen is too eat whenever and whatever possible.

[sneezingstardust]

I guess it depends on the teen! Everyone is different.

After my show I could eat loads without gaining weight...now it looks like my metabolism has stopped hyperventilating, and I'm maintaining on much lower calories than I was previously, haha.