Fat intake while bulking

[Tofer]

I did a search and didn't quite come up with what I was looking for, so I apologize if this has been asked a thousand times already.

I have foolishly been neglecting to count my macros while on my current bulk, so when I put the numbers into Fitday a moment ago, I was a little surprised with the results.

I'm currently about 208 lbs, aiming to bulk to about 225-230 lbs and then cut. I've often read that a good rule of thumb for fat intake is about 0.5 grams per LBM. For me that would be around 90 grams or so. I checked Fitday, as I already mentioned, and it looks like I'm getting about 200 grams of fat per day! Yikes. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dirty bulking or anything like that. These fats are all from natural peanut butter, olive oil, whole milk and sunflower seeds.

My problem now, is that obviously I need to get about 100 less grams of fat per day (right?), so how can I go about doing that, and still get 5000 calories a day? Most of my fats were coming from my weight gain shakes (raw oats, whole milk, peanut butter, olive oil, whey protein, a banana, honey). From the 2L of whole milk I drink a day, I'm getting 65 grams of fat right there! Should I start drinking skim milk and stick with peanut butter and olive oil...? I don't want to give up on making shakes because liquid calories are so much easier to get down and quicker to make.

How much fat is everyone else getting while bulking, anyways?

Any advice or input would be appreciated greatly. Thanks a lot guys/girls.

[sCaRz*Of*PaiN]

If the majority of the fat is good fat, then I don't see a problem. When you're eating that much food, you're bound to go over the fat/protein recommendations to meet your caloric needs.

[Built]

Yep. Healthy fat is an excellent caloric ballast. I only "need" about 55-60g fat daily, but I usually go 80-90, and that's on a cut.

[Alex.V]

I have foolishly been neglecting to count my macros while on my current bulk, so when I put the numbers into Fitday a moment ago, I was a little surprised with the results.


Not foolish if you're bulking. You getting enough carbs to fuel your workouts? Most likely. You getting enough protein for recovery and new tissue synthesis? Probably. You avoiding assloads of sugar? If yes, then you're basically good to go. I don't believe in bulking per se, but if you're taking in 500+ calories over maintenance for weight gain purposes, then macros don't much matter as much as overall number of calories. Cutting is a different story, when you're trying to calibrate macronutrients to minimize muscle loss... so the macronutrient balance matters.

So really, don't sweat the macros during a bulk, it's a waste of time.

[Tofer]

Yeah I've found that healthy fat really is the easiest way to boost my daily calorie intake but I still think that 200 is a little bit too much (who knows why I didn't realize I was getting that much before I counted today). At the moment, I'm getting somewhere in the neighbourhood of 500 grams of carbs per day. Should I try to up this by 100 or so, and aim for closer to 120 grams (or less) for fats? I think I can easily accomplish this by switching over to skim milk to lose that 65 grams of fat, and perhaps eating a bowl or two of rice over the course of the day. I'll probably be losing about 640 calories from switching the milk but that shouldn't be too hard to make up for. Any thoughts?

[Built]

No need. Really.

[Tofer]

Sorry Belial, I guess I posted at the exact same time as you, and therefore didn't get a chance to read what you had to say. What you said makes sense. I usually don't worry too much about these things so I don't know what made me start today.

And yeah Built, on second thought I think you're right. If I'm making gains now then why worry?

[Optimum08]

if you don't feel lethargic when working out, then there really is no need to get rid of 100g of fat, especially if its healthy, for carbs. on a bulk, as long as your reaching your caloric goals with clean foods, then why sweat the macro's as long as your getting enough of each (which it sounds like you are).