Fats!!

nukemdukem

nukemdukem

nukemdukem

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Joined
25 Dec 2008
Posts
187
Hey Guys,

I've been looking at my diet recently and been eating relatively healthily.

I'm trying to build mucle mass and strength, so far i have defintely been getting stronger - but not to much muscle mass growth.

I'm not sure if i am eating enough - i've done the calculations and i think it just comes down to me not eating enough (potentially).

I try and stick to chicken thigh and drumstick with either brown rice and potatoes for my first lunch, and then grilled fish with rice/salad/bread for second lunch.

Looking at my macros my day generally looks like this, split evenly over 4 meals:

Protein 143g, carbs 145g, fats 68g, cals 1808.

So i think i am around 300-400 calories short per day and 20g protein. (i'm 180 cm tall and weight 78kg, go gym 5 times a week and have an office job). I beleive i should be eating about 2200 a day to grow muslce mass.

What i am confused about, is things like mayo are high in calories and fat, so could i add a teaspoon of mayo to 2 meals in the day to bring up my calories intake and then snack on some meat (ie jerk) in the day to bump up my protein?

I guess what i'm asking - is fat just a form of energy, so if you eat fatty food such as mayo and stay within your total calorie range, it wont make you fat? or do i need to get my caolires from lean sources of food - if so i'd like to understand why?

Many Thanks
 
Fats are fine, and very good for you. Eating excessively and not exercising is where most go wrong. Instead of Mayo add in some nuts. 2200 may still be a little low for adding mass but keep an eye on your weight, if it doesn't increase over the next few weeks then increase your calories some more (a few hundred). Eventually you'll find the correct amount for you to gain weight steadily. I think the desired amount is about 1lb per week, but I can't remember off the top of my head.
 
If you're happy to gain a fair bit of fat, 1lb a week is fine. If you want lean mass and to not get too fat, 1-1.5lb a month is your target
 
ok thanks guys, i will start adding some nuts as snacks (almonds/peanuts) etc plus maybe a chicken/tuna sandwich per day and see how it goes.

Atleast i know what to take out when i start cutting! lol
 
Hi Steedie, yep indeed i have - i found it very useful and is how i calculated my daily calorie intake that is required.

The problem i face is that i'm scared to eat fatty food - as to me i've always been told its unhealthy for you.

So i'm really curious as to how the body turns food into energy/muscle mass and strength.

Whats the difference on the body if you eat fatty food but keep within your calories allowance for the day, or eat lean healthy food but again staying within the calorie allowance.

Does fat get turned into fat in your body, or does that only happen if you eat excess calories - regardless of the food type ie protein, carbs, fat.

If thats the case, why bother eating healthy, just instead do loads of exercise! lol

I think i need to read a few nutritional books...
 
Any calories turn into fat if you eat excessively. There are many on here (myself included) that eat a high fat diet and are lean.

The reason to eat healthy is to ensure proper nutrients and maintain a better functioning body.

The key is to eat balanced.
 
Research the difference between Macro & Micro Nutrient values.

There really is nothing wrong with eating what is to be considered 'junk' food provided the majority of the time your diet is well balanced and clean.

Fat does not make you fat.
 
"Junk" food is fine as an occasional treat - but to be honest, once you're used to a nice healthy diet, the appeal of junk and refined foods slowly disappears.
 
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