Mesomorph, how many calories?

[somedude]

Age/Sex:
34/Male

· Current program (work-set weights and conditioning, if applicable)
SS Novice Routine

· Current weight and BF% estimate
200lbs @ 5'8", around 29% according to my bathroom scale, around 21% according to a couple of online calculators I tried.

· Current calorie and macro total (if known)
Last time I tracked (June) I averaged around 2700/day.
Carbs - 59%
Protein - 20%
Fat - 21%

· Question (don’t just post your stats without a question)
I've just recently started SS. I'm trying to work out my nutrition to ensure I'm consuming enough calories.

I'm currently loosing weight despite increasing my calories substantially (quick estimate is that I'm about 3700cal, but I started tracking again today so I don't have much data). I'm a mesomorph so this isn't entirely surprising (happens every time I start eating breakfast again), but I don't really know what my caloric target should be to ensure I have a surplus that's appropriate to my body type?

Also, I'd like to know approximately how many calories would be expended completing a SS session (i.e., Squats/Bench/Deads and/or Squats/Press/Power Clean)? Most online weightlifting totals seem kind of generic and I assume that 30-45min of compound exercises consume more energy than isolation exercises?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Any calculation of calories burned during a training session (or conditioning session for that matter) is flawed so much that I wouldn't even worry about it. I can't even ball park it and it really doesn't matter. Additionally, it will change tremendously as you become more trained, age, gain muscle, etc. In short, don't worry about cals burned.

As far as calorie totals, I'd ballpark you in that 3500 calorie range if you're really 21-29% bodyfat, but that's also just a guess because this is highly dependent on your current intake. What I would do is try to pump your protein up to about 30-40% of your cals, shooting 250-300g a day. Add starchy carbs pre and post workout like potatoes, rice, oats, etc (about 2 servings). Eat vegetables with your other meals and have a glass of milk with each meal too. Do this solid for two weeks. Use the milk (either adding or subtracting a glass) to suit your needs.

[somedude]

Done.

Should I worry about dropping weight at all? Or just roll with it?

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

I'd worry more about not gaining any weight, because you're body composition will suffer and performance may or may not be better ( not worth it in my opinion). If you're maintaining or losing 0.5lb a week your intake is spot on. Any more than that and we add milk.

[somedude]

Cool. I'm not really trying to loose, just that it always seems to happen naturally and I was unsure of how hard I should fight it through consuming more calories. Get what you're saying though and will adjust as necessary.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Yea I mean if you're losing weight quickly we'll keep adding calories until you're on that razor's edge of gaining/maintaining. Towards the end of the novice progression you may need to add even more food and start a bit of weight gain, but that's not for now.