Does calories matter when building muscle? I've only been lifting for 2 years

[tonystpierre]

Sorry if this question sounds dumb but i've been lifting for only two years. I'm asking if calories matter. For example if My calorie intake is 1500 and I only eat 800 calories a day but it's all protein and I get my protein intake per day which is 150 grams in the 800 calories. Would I still build muscle. I'm not going to do this but i'm curious.

 

[empsim]

If you burn more calories than you eat, you will lose weight. Either muscle or fat (or both) depending on how you do it.

If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. Either muscle or fat (or both) depending on how you do it.

 

[Trabaho]

At 800 cals a day you're starving and losing weight

Yes it maters

 

[Volador]

My young sherbro, you really need to ask less questions and just read more information. Just focus on reading and getting informed. To be honest, some of your questions don’t really make sense.

You wouldn’t build muscle on 800kcal a day because you’d be on the verge of starvation. That’s barely enough energy to run basic metabolic processes that keep you alive, let alone any metabolically “expensive” processes like building muscle. Unless you’re Joe Rogan and you’re actually 1 foot tall.

Some good sources to gather basic info:

- Barbell Medicine
- Stronger by Science/Greg Nuckols
- Renaissance Periodization/Mike Israetel

Check their websites/blogs/podcasts/YouTube pages.

if My calorie intake is 1500 and I only eat 800 calories a day

This is the same thing as asking “ok so imagine I’m a father but I don’t have any kids”. Kinda incoherent.

 

[Trabaho]

My young sherbro, you really need to ask less questions and just read more information. Just focus on reading and getting informed. To be honest, some of your questions don’t really make sense.

You wouldn’t build muscle on 800kcal a day because you’d be on the verge of starvation. That’s barely enough energy to run basic metabolic processes that keep you alive, let alone any metabolically “expensive” processes like building muscle. Unless you’re Joe Rogan and you’re actually 1 foot tall.

Some good sources to gather basic info:

- Barbell Medicine
- Stronger by Science/Greg Nuckols
- Renaissance Periodization/Mike Israetel

Check their websites/blogs/podcasts/YouTube pages.



This is the same thing as asking “ok so imagine I’m a father but I don’t have any kids”. Kinda incoherent.

He meant to say what if his caloric needs are 1500 but he consumes 800 would he still gain muscle is it all was from protein.

 

[Volador]

He meant to say what if his caloric needs are 1500 but he consumes 800 would he still gain muscle is it all was from protein.

Ah ok, so if what he’s asking is if it’s possible to gain muscle while eating below maintenance I’d say possibly yes, under a small deficit and for a short period of time, especially if someone is overweight or very new to training.

I think it’s usually more useful to think in terms of gaining muscle while being in a surplus though, because it’s more likely to be the strategy one will use in the long term most of the time.

As for gaining muscle while being 50% below maintenance like in the OP, I’d say it’s very unlikely unless you’re extremely overweight or something like that, if that’s what TS was asking. Not at 800cal for sure.

 

[NoSmilez]

You will probably lose muscle at such low calories. You should still try to eat whole food and train hard. Learn how to make sensible food choices and portion sizing. You can have a rough estimate of how much calories you consume but you don't need to track macros or calories yet.

Social media probably bombards you with ridiculous unattainable physiques. There are kids on Tiktok that are using gear. Just be consistent. You will eventually get there. I think this is the most important thing someone can tell a 16 year old. Girls aren't going to approach you when you get swole. It's just dudes and more dudes.