How many calories...

[rangers97]

per day is considered "a lot"? I know it's subjective to each individual, but on average, what is considered a lot? I presently eat around 3000 calories a day, and I would consider this pretty much the max I can stand before I begin to get too fat. It is definitely not a cutting calorie count, and might even be too much for me for a slow bulk

But I was wondering what you guys think is a lot of calories, and be realistic here, don't say, yeah, 5000 calories is a lot, because that is obviously a crap load of food.

I eat a lot of food as it is now, and come in around 3000 calories, I couldn't imagine keeping a mostly clean diet and upping this to 4000 or even 5000 calories.

[Maxgain]

to me 4000 plus is a lot 3000-3500 normal i hear of people struggling with 2500 i would struggle to keep it that low

[rangers97]

here's another thought about this too--

should you eat to support your bodyweight, or eat to support your lean body mass? I weigh about 208 right now with around 12-13% BF. So that means my LBM would be around 180. Should I be eating based on weighing 180 pounds or based on the 208 that I am on the scale?

[maverick]

I used to think like that rangers, but it just takes time and your body will adjust. Also, using liquid calories makes it a lot easier. I agree with maxgain. I tend to think of 4000+ as being a lot, and necessary for me to grow. I'm fairly certain I could eat anywhere below that everyday and not gain an ounce with my level of activty. When I go on a maintenance cycle of dieting, I tend to eat about 3500.

[cursor]

How many calories per day is considered "a lot"?

That all depends on how much lean mass you have and what you do during any 24-hour period. Period.

That can range anywhere between 1000 calories (for a very small, relatively inactive person) to 5,000+ calories for a lean 230 pound weightlifter. Julie Moss used to eat 4800 calories in carbohydrates alone (while maintaining 10% body fat).