Calorie intake.

[Bigchuckers]

I'm a fitness newb, so bare with my stupid Q's.

OK I was doing some reading on nutrition to get an idea of how I will have to eat now that I'm going back to the gym. I was reading and noticed alot of people recomend a diet that consists of 20% protein, 20% good fats and 60% carbs (in calories). I also came across you should eat about a gram of protein per pound of body weight if your lifting. Now Im a bit of a toothpick right now so I figured Id do my calculations based on my goal weight of 160lbs. Im about 150 right now. So I do the math and figure OK I need 160 grams of protien a day...thats 640 calories. I then crunched the numbers for fat and carbs and came across fat intake (680 cal) of about 70 grams (seems excessive) and a whopping 480 grams of carbs (2040 cal). At this point Im pulling on the reins and stopping the horse. I have to eat 3200 calories a day?!?! For a guy my size that seems very excessive. How accurate is this 20-20-60 idea? My food and suppliment bills would go through the roof if I went this route. If I had 2 servings of protein shake and 2 servings of creatine a day Im still only getting 15% of my carb intake and half my protien.

Is this really accurate?

Thanks for the help!

[sputnik]

I would say that 3200 calories per day is reasonable for someone getting serious into lifting.

If you do some other calculations I would venture to say that you burn probably around 2000-2400 per day just doing everyday activities. So an addition 800-1200 is nothing.

[Bigchuckers]

2400/day eh...haha I dont think I come close to that in intake so I guess that would explain a few things :nut:

Well, eating that much is food will be impossible on a few levels. What would you guys recomend for a good source of (cheap ha) calories? I've gone as far as looking at GNC's website and into their 2200 Weight Gainer and I would assume a Protien along the lines of their Mega Whey would help. Crunched a few numbers and if I can get a weeks use out of a tub of the 2200 and 2 servings of the Whey a day at that point I can see myself being able to cover the rest in food. But holy smokes...$$$$

On my recovery days, could I lean off the intakes a bit?

Suggestions/Corrections??

[Carfanman]

You could try some shakes. Other than that you just have to eat. Also, I dont think your supposed to eat how someone of your ideal weight should. If you just keep eating for your actuall weight, and workout, then you will gain muscle, therfore gaining weight, and then you up your intake based on that weight.

I think that 20-20-60 thing is very incorrect, but Im no expert, so Im not going to promise that or anything.