Seriously Newb-ish Question - Daily Fat Intake

G'day everyone,

To cut a long story short, I've started hitting the gym in hopes of bulking up, and lowering my body fat %.

Current Stats:
Weight: 73kg
Body Fat %: Probably 11 to 14% (I've never measured it with calipers, but I can almost see a six-pack => it can't be THAT high....right?)
Height: 181cm
Metabolic Rate: Insanely High
Training Regime: 4x 45min - 1 hour weight training sessions a week, 1x 1hr Pilates / Core Training, 1x 1hr Swim
Caloric Requirement (according to various internet calculators): In the vicinity of 3000 calories / day (which I think is a bit much...I most probably need less)

The question I have for everyone is, how many grams of fat a day should I be eating? I've been consciously cutting down on fat, and just eating a lot of protein, carbs, and a LOT of skim milk (about 2 litres / day).

I've been calorie counting, and I'm hitting the 3500 cals per day mark.

Since I am a very slim build bloke, my only saving grace is being able to see a six pack if I look hard enough....I don't wanna necessarily be a slim build bloke with a pot belly while I'm working on getting bigger...

The question is...will high fat intake give me a pot belly? Or should I just focus on getting as many calories into my system now?

Thanks in advance for any comments / advice you can give!

-LB

The most commonly used ratio for bulking is 40/40/20 that is grams of protein/carbs/fat. How much protein depends on your body weight using 1.5 - 2 grams of protein per kilo of body weight. If you eat the right amounts of p/c/f and the right types of fat and carbs you shouldn't have a prob. The wrong types of carbs are simple carbs which cause your blood sugar levels to spike. The wrong types of fats are saturated and trans fats. A good way to identify saturated fat is if its hard at room temp.

Example of a meal I like is grilled chicken and pasta with red sauce:
grilled chicken breast without skin (140g) has 43g of protein, 5 grams fat
grilled chicken breast with skin (300g) double portion 86g protein and 20g fat
wholemeal pasta (2 cups / 300g) 70g carbohydrates
dolmio pasta sauce (1 serving) 13 grams carbohydrates
olive oil extra light (1 tb) 18g fat to the pasta and sauce

Total nutrional value brings it to 86/83/40

Hope that helps

litebulb said:

The question is...will high fat intake give me a pot belly? Or should I just focus on getting as many calories into my system now?

Click to expand...

The AIS recommends 1.2-2.0g of protein per kg of bodyweight for putting on muscle.

So as a 73kg guy, you'll want 85-156g protein daily. That's not a heap. Meat is about 1/4 by weight protein, nuts 1/10-2/10 by weight, and so on. So if you have a 220g steak or chicken breast, well that's 55g protein right there by itself. A handful of nuts is going to be 10-20g protein, a glass of milk is 10g, an egg has about 7g, a bowl of oats might be 20-30g protein, and so on. You don't have to be eating an enormous amount to get the recommended protein.

Aside from that, whether your calories come from fat, carbs or protein makes no difference. Just make sure you get enough nutrition (vitamins, minerals, etc) along with those calories. For example, 1,000 kcal of wholegrain bread is better than 1,000 kcal of white bread, and both are better than 1,000 kcal of sugar. That's because one has more genuine nutrition, the other is just pure energy.

Eats LOTS of fresh fruit and vegies, LOTS of nuts and beans, some meat, some fish, and some dairy stuff. To bulk up, eat LOTS of starchy food - spuds, rice, pasta and bread.

As someone who wants to bulk, if you are ever hungry, you are not eating enough. I'm serious. It really does get to the stage of you sitting there with your fork and a sad look on your face as half the plate is still to be eaten.

litebulb said:

G'day everyone,

To cut a long story short, I've started hitting the gym in hopes of bulking up, and lowering my body fat %.

Current Stats:
Weight: 73kg
Body Fat %: Probably 11 to 14% (I've never measured it with calipers, but I can almost see a six-pack => it can't be THAT high....right?)
Height: 181cm
Metabolic Rate: Insanely High
Training Regime: 4x 45min - 1 hour weight training sessions a week, 1x 1hr Pilates / Core Training, 1x 1hr Swim
Caloric Requirement (according to various internet calculators): In the vicinity of 3000 calories / day (which I think is a bit much...I most probably need less)

The question I have for everyone is, how many grams of fat a day should I be eating? I've been consciously cutting down on fat, and just eating a lot of protein, carbs, and a LOT of skim milk (about 2 litres / day).

I've been calorie counting, and I'm hitting the 3500 cals per day mark.

Since I am a very slim build bloke, my only saving grace is being able to see a six pack if I look hard enough....I don't wanna necessarily be a slim build bloke with a pot belly while I'm working on getting bigger...

The question is...will high fat intake give me a pot belly? Or should I just focus on getting as many calories into my system now?

Thanks in advance for any comments / advice you can give!

-LB

Click to expand...

Would be keen to see your exact diet.. then can comment and suggest options..

litebulb said:

The question is...will high fat intake give me a pot belly? Or should I just focus on getting as many calories into my system now?

-LB

Click to expand...

It's a surplus in calories that will add fat mass on you as well as muscles. Your training and metabolism will be the determining factor of the ratio between the above two mass additions.

I've always preferred a high fat intake of no less than 30% of calories coming from fat. Science today suggests a percentage of 33%, which suites me just fine.

My reference to science above was directed at Dr. John Ivy, who is a professor in kinesiology, exercise physiology, and biochemistry. And Dr. Robert Portman who's a Ph.D. in biochemistry and a lecturer on nutrition and exercise performance.


Fadi.