Calories per pound of weight?

[magnusman33]

As a general rule of thumb, how many calories per pound of current bodyweight do you guys take in during the different phases of dieting: Cutting, Maintenance, Bulking. I've heard 12 for cutting, 15 for maintenance, and 18 for bulking. Does this sound about right or what do you follow? Thanks!

 

[Ceebs]

That sounds right, but theory and practice are highly varied between individuals. I've never been able to cut on more than 10 calories per pound of bodyweight, and my maintenance is closer to 12 or 13 times my bodyweight. (I also starved myself for years and ruined my metabolism in the process, so...)

Start out at the figures you mentioned in your post - if you're not seeing the results you're looking for, adjust upwards or downwards, and don't forget to take macronutrients into consideration for satiety and hormonal reasons.

 

[Optimus B]

I wouldn't follow those "rules" as they are way too vague and don't pertain to your body or metabolism. instead, do this: track everything that you eat as well as your bodyweight over a period of 1-2 weeks. if your bodyweight doesn't change then this is your maintenance level of caloric intake. from there, fine tune it to gain or cut by increasing or decreasing calories accordingly. don't be too drastic though or else you could stand to lose too much muscle while cutting or gain too much fat while gaining. hope this helps.

 

[Shankerr]

totally unrelated, but I thought it was kinda funny ;-)

I've heard a rough estimate of exactally what you said, 12kCal/lb for cut, 15 for maint. and 18 for bulk. However I would try to count your calories (use fitday.com) over the period of a month. your body can fluctuate too much from week to week, but if you do it over a month or so, it'll give you a better idea.

If you're in a hurry, just go with the 12/15/18 dealie, its usually pretty accurate unless you have an unusually high or low basal metabolic rate. besides, you can never be exactally 100% sure of your daily caloric intake, the numbers on the box are usually the averages over any number of tests.... Its best to ballpark within a few hundred calories if you ask me.. that way at least you're in the zone, and it gives room for error on the side of the food manufacturer (and trust me, there is error)