How many calories do you need to gain or lose weight?

does it get trickery to calculate when you are trying to lose fat yet gain muscle?

There are only a few situations where this can happen appreciably. Google "Lyle McDonald and lose fat while gain muscle" and he goes into the science behind it, but otherwise, no..."appreciably" (Google "Lyle McDonald and recomp). To build, you must have extra calories to use as building blocks. To lose, you must be in a caloric deficit, so thus there are no building blocks to utilize to "build" except your own energy stores (fat) and again, this does not happen except for those specific situations as Lyle outlines. This is not to say that you cannot get stronger as you will provide the same muscle stimulus that you would trying to build muscle as you will trying to keep muscle in a deficit. But in a deficit, outside of those scenarios outlined by Lyle, in a deficit, your net gain and net loss should be about the same, thus why it's typically more advantageous to go on cut and bulk cycles.

Also, those calculators are estimates only. You can use those as starting points and run those numbers for a few weeks to see what your body does. If your goal is to lose and you are not losing, then drop calories by about 100 and run another couple of weeks, re-access by adding or dropping in small increments and running a few weeks at a time to get things dialed in. Weight-loss should be no more than .5-1% of bodyweight loss average weekly to maximize muscle retention. Weight gain should be around .5-1 lbs a week max to avoid adding more fat than needed.
 

hCG Mixing Calculator

HCG Mixing Protocol Calculator

TRT Hormone Predictor Widget

TRT Hormone Predictor

Predict estradiol, DHT, and free testosterone levels based on total testosterone

⚠️ Medical Disclaimer

This tool provides predictions based on statistical models and should NOT replace professional medical advice. Always consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your TRT protocol.

ℹ️ Input Parameters

Normal range: 300-1000 ng/dL

Predicted Hormone Levels

Enter your total testosterone value to see predictions

Results will appear here after calculation

Understanding Your Hormones

Estradiol (E2)

A form of estrogen produced from testosterone. Important for bone health, mood, and libido. Too high can cause side effects; too low can affect well-being.

DHT

Dihydrotestosterone is a potent androgen derived from testosterone. Affects hair growth, prostate health, and masculinization effects.

Free Testosterone

The biologically active form of testosterone not bound to proteins. Directly available for cellular uptake and biological effects.

Scientific Reference

Lakshman KM, Kaplan B, Travison TG, Basaria S, Knapp PE, Singh AB, LaValley MP, Mazer NA, Bhasin S. The effects of injected testosterone dose and age on the conversion of testosterone to estradiol and dihydrotestosterone in young and older men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Aug;95(8):3955-64.

DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-0102 | PMID: 20534765 | PMCID: PMC2913038

Beyond Testosterone Podcast

Online statistics

Members online
1
Guests online
241
Total visitors
242

Latest posts

Back
Top