Calories for muscles

[titus_teen]

I wonder if I am getting enough calories for my muscles to build them up. How many calories do I need to intake to build muscles. I am only 16 and weigh about 145 and am 5'4". Here is a sample of my meals, I eat 4 to 5 times a day.

breakfast: two or three pieces of toast with jelly
lunch: sandwich of some sort(usually tuna salad or chicken breast)
snack: fruit or a granola bar
supper: steak, baked potato, broccoli
snack: PB and J sanwich

[bamazav]

Originally Posted by titus_teen

I wonder if I am getting enough calories for my muscles to build them up. How many calories do I need to intake to build muscles. I am only 16 and weigh about 145 and am 5'4". Here is a sample of my meals, I eat 4 to 5 times a day.

breakfast: two or three pieces of toast with jelly
lunch: sandwich of some sort(usually tuna salad or chicken breast)
snack: fruit or a granola bar
supper: steak, baked potato, broccoli
snack: PB and J sanwich

I would say no. Add proteins and some good fats and eat. You are young, take advantage of your fast metabolism and test. levels and eat to add mass.

[bruteforce]

It all depends on the quantity you are eating there. I know when I was your age, my folks got us steaks that were easily a pound each, and potatoes that were that big as well. load them up with butter and sour cream and you're set for that meal.

I'll admit, I really don't know a whole lot about nutrition needs for someone your size, but I would be willing to hazard a guess that more food wouldn't hurt, especially in the breakfast area. Throw in 3 or 4 eggs in the morning for some good fat and protein. Cook them in butter for epic flavor.

If you need recipe ideas, check out Brute Eats Feel free to add rice, beans, bread, potatoes, corn bread, grits, oatmeal, masa, polenta, pasta, etc to up the carbs if you like.

A good thing to do would be measure out what you are eating for a week. Don't change anything, just get the calorie counts from everything. Add them up, throw them in a spreadsheet, and analyze them. If you're getting under 3000, try upping it to that. If you don't gain any weight, keeping bring it up. No fun getting fat, but a little fat and lots of muscle is a great way to get where you want to go in the long run.

[Off Road]

We cannot know if you are taking in enough calories unless you tell us how many calories you are taking in and if you are gaining weight on a consistant basis. Throw some math at us...

[ricka182]

Originally Posted by titus_teen

I wonder if I am getting enough calories for my muscles to build them up. How many calories do I need to intake to build muscles. I am only 16 and weigh about 145 and am 5'4". Here is a sample of my meals, I eat 4 to 5 times a day.

breakfast: two or three pieces of toast with jelly
lunch: sandwich of some sort(usually tuna salad or chicken breast)
snack: fruit or a granola bar
supper: steak, baked potato, broccoli
snack: PB and J sanwich

If you have time for a few eggs in the morning, add in a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter, and a glass of milk...much better breakfast.

How long between Bfast and lunch? No time for a snack? A couple of hard boiled eggs would go well. If no snack, lunch of chicken breast would be good, tuna salad is good, but watch the dressing. Lots of mayo is nasty and no good.

Fruit snack or granola is good here...I love granola, and fruit.. Low sugar choco chip, with a bag of grapes or clementines... damn, so good!

steak is good if it's a quality cut, small baked potato, or large sweet potato, broccolli is good. Probably not eating steak every night..but a similar protein would good. chicken, pork, fish.. always add a veggie if you can as well.

I hope that's not a late night PBJ... if you're hungry before bed, more fruit would a better choice. Or even, a big tall glass of ice cold milk. More satisfying than you think late night. And it would help with overall growth, providing a slow release of protein while you sleep.... I drank almost 2 gallons a day at your age.. milk rules.

[TitanCT]

Eat meals, not snacks!

[Shadowschmadow]

When I was your age, I ate probably 3x that amount. And I knew what I know now, I would have eaten more and lifted smarter.

Take full advantage of the education you can receive on here. You will never be capable of building muscle at the rate of which you are capable now. That's a scientific fact. And a hard truth for us older folks.

[bamazav]

Originally Posted by Shadow

And a hard truth for us older folks.

Who you calling older? Everyone knows.....



GEEZERS RULE