On 4,500 calories a day to gain 10kg in 10 weeks - Is this OK?

I just wanted to get some feedback/discussion on this because I've seen some people say it's going to end badly and some say it's a good thing if I'm looking to pack on weight quickly.

Quick context: I'm 20, 178cm and currently at 64kg after a week on 4.5k calories a day. Before this I was in calorie surplus sitting at 3.5k a day but I just didn't think this was enough, so I upped the intake.

Feel free to ask any questions!

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Reply 1

username4910484

Original post by Jason3524

I think you need to speak to a doctor about your plan.
Sounds, well... dangerous.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 2

londonmyst

I wouldn't recommend trying to drastically increase your weight so quickly by consuming that many daily calories.

Are you trying to increase visible muscle or body fat?
What type of foods and drinks are you planning to consume to gain weight?

Reply 3

Jason3524

Original post by londonmyst

Increasing both tbh, I've been visibly very skinny for a long time so I've been working out regularly alongside an increased diet.

As for foods and drinks, I've been having 3 shakes a day (2 of which are protein shakes and one isn't); 2 meals and a snack at some point, everyday.

Reply 4

Anonymous1502

Why would you want to gain weight?

Reply 5

Jason3524

Original post by Anonymous1502

Why would you want to gain weight?

Pretty much so that I can cut before summer comes around as last summer I was around 58kg with probably 9% body fat.

Reply 6

Nutritionist

There’s just no point in it really. It’s not like you’ll gain more muscle than you would in a more moderate caloric surplus. It’ll just be more fat that you’ll have to spend longer cutting.

Reply 7

Bryan2222

Your gonna put yourself at massive risk of insulin resistance and other health risks.

Reply 8

PollyParrot23

Original post by Jason3524

Generally when talking about gaining or losing weight, slow and steady is better. This is kinda like reverse yo-yo dieting where people severely restrict, can't maintain the lifestyle so go back to their old habits and gain all the weight back. Plus as someone else has said, the weight you'll gain will be mostly fat, not muscle, so given you're not very very underweight I don't think that's what you'll want

Reply 9

Profesh

Original post by Jason3524

Pretty much so that I can cut before summer comes around as last summer I was around 58kg with probably 9% body fat.

If your ultimate aim is to accrue lean mass, then you should know that optimal hypertrophy occurs at between 10 and 15% body-fat. Conversely, 'bulking', in the traditional sense of extreme calorie-loading, is really only a formula for both insulin-resistance and adipocyte hyperplasia.

Reply 10

ANM775

Original post by Jason3524

use stones not kg..

Reply 11

Proxenus

you would gain Alot of fat too

Reply 12

aurimaspra

Original post by Jason3524

I am not a certified fitness instructor, just a passionate, fitness freak, 17 year old with 3 years of fitness experience so take things I say at your own precaution.

4500 calories is a LOT for most people. You're a short guy so I would assume that 4500 calories is MUCH bigger than your BMR. If you intake these calories in a massive surplus you are risking of getting stretch marks all over your body, I talk from experience.

I tried something similar except I went into a massive deficit and I regret it as I now have very visible stretch marks on my thighs, knee area, shoulders, my ass, lower back left AND right sides, and on my biceps including my forearms. I believe if you do this you will undergo the same effects as you get these stretch marks whenever you gain/lose weight in a rapid succession. I don't mind them anymore as I've come to deal with the fact they're kinda cool looking (my personal opinion) and it reminds me of my progress but if you think that it is something that will affect you badly just straight up don't do it. To add to this, you could gain extra excess fat due to the massive surplus, and more importantly it could increase the risks of bad health conditions by raising your cholesterol to unusually high levels along with a high blood sugar level. This could lead to strokes, diabetes or even cancer. And finally, you will just feel **** mate. It can lead to feeling very drowsy or just generally ill.

My advice to you: Find out what your BMR is, use the top 3 most popular formulas such as the Katch-Mcardle, Harris-Benedict or Mifflin-St. Jeor. Take the 3 results and create an average and use that as a guideline. Now since you want to gain weight I advise you to eat 300-500 calories more every day than your BMR just to be safe. If you're desperate, up to 700-800 calorie surplus is fine but it is more dangerous. E.g: If your BMR is 2200 calories, then eat 2700 calories. This is not a race, improving yourself takes time and it doesn't happen overnight. Be patient and good results will come. Rush it, and you'll regret it. Feel free to ask any other questions and good luck!

Reply 13

Nutritionist

Original post by aurimaspra

TDEE, not BMR

Reply 14

aurimaspra

Original post by Nutritionist

TDEE, not BMR

That's if you assume the person does exercise. They didn't mention any form of exercise, therefore TDEE is pretty useless and will give the same answer (if there is no exercise involved).

Reply 15

Nutritionist

Original post by aurimaspra

That's if you assume the person does exercise. They didn't mention any form of exercise, therefore TDEE is pretty useless and will give the same answer (if there is no exercise involved).

No, TDEE is not just BMR + exercise. It’s any physical activity at all beyond lying motionless for 24 hours a day (non-exercise activity thermogenesis). It’s also the thermic effect of food. It adds up to a lot more.

Reply 16

aurimaspra

Original post by Nutritionist

ok bud good luck calculating a daily intake for that. its impractical to take in everything else rather than take an average.

Reply 17

Nutritionist

Original post by aurimaspra

ok bud good luck calculating a daily intake for that. its impractical to take in everything else rather than take an average.

It’s literally my job

Also, it’s not about practicality in the slightest. It’s about being correct. If you tell someone to eat a few hundred calories above BMR then they aren’t going to gain weight at the rate you’re suggesting they do. The majority of people wouldn’t gain weight at all. BMR is in the low 1000 range for most people but TDEE’s vary massively.