calories too shoot for

[John Haydon Boatner]

Anybody know what a good range of calories/lb too shoot for while IFing and trying to gain. Ignoring extra activity how much would one try to eat to gsin at a slow-moderate pace while keeping fat gain minimal/at bay?

[Thomas Bailly]

Do you know how much you are doing and not gaining?
I'd say that plus 200 to 500 cals a day of many lean protein.

Disclaimer: I'm a skinny guy into improving strength but not weight or mass and zero scientific backing for what I just said. But generally speaking "start where you are and add (or remove) something" is the standard method for progress in most areas of life.

[Derek Weaver]

I believe the standard in terms of maintenance is typically something like 14-16 cal/lb. of bodyweight.

So figure that range out then start working your way up. You're pretty much always going to gain at least a little fat when gaining though.

[John Haydon Boatner]

Also, based on everyones personal experience is it advantageous to eat a small pre workout meal on lifting days. Does it help with carb utilization? Whats the purpose of it. I have been doing this to gain weight and have been working out fasted (BCAA's called purple wraath and a NO2 product with caffiene) and I have been having great workouts. I was just wondering if it would be advised to eat a small pre wo meal 2 hours or so before since I am trying to gain weight (and some of my workout day carbs would get used up instead of jsut eating all my carbs post workout).

[John Haydon Boatner]

And maintenence for me would be about 2000 so add 200-500 and adjust from there?

[Craig Brown]

Tom- add 500 a day for a week or so, then just keep doing that. And by that I mean from wherever you actually are now...then do it again the following week, until you start gaining. For me that number is pretty damn big. I maintain just fine anywhere between 2500-3000 a day, and need to get to 3500-4500 to actually gain much. Which is vaguely scary, but it is what it is...I'm 41, 5'10, 177 right now.