Calories to gain muscle for a 64 kg woman
About 2,300 kcal on training days and 2,150 kcal on rest days, with 130 g protein, if you are 26, 158 cm and train 3–5 days a week. Your maintenance is about 2,072 kcal.
How the number is worked out
- Resting energy (Mifflin-St Jeor): 10 × 64 + 6.25 × 158 − 5 × 26 − 161 = 1,337 kcal.
- Times 1.55 for moderate activity = 2,072 kcal to stay the same weight.
- Plus 250 kcal to gain muscle, rounded to 50 = 2,300 kcal. Rest days are 150 kcal lower.
- Protein at 2 g per kg = 130 g. Fat at 25% of calories = 65 g. Carbs fill the rest: 300 g.
By how active you are
| Activity | Maintain | Training day | Rest day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desk job, little exercise | 1,604 | 1,850 | 1,700 |
| Light: 1–3 workouts a week | 1,838 | 2,100 | 1,950 |
| Moderate: 3–5 workouts a week | 2,072 | 2,300 | 2,150 |
| Active: 6–7 hard sessions a week | 2,306 | 2,550 | 2,400 |
By age (moderately active)
| Age | Resting | Maintain | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,367 | 2,119 | 2,350 |
| 26 | 1,337 | 2,072 | 2,300 |
| 30 | 1,317 | 2,041 | 2,300 |
| 35 | 1,292 | 2,003 | 2,250 |
| 40 | 1,267 | 1,964 | 2,200 |
| 50 | 1,217 | 1,886 | 2,150 |
Height matters too: every 5 cm taller adds about 31 kcal to resting energy, or about 50 kcal a day at moderate activity.
What to expect
A 250 kcal surplus with hard training adds roughly 0.2–0.3 kg a week, a pace that keeps most of the gain as muscle. If your waist grows faster than your lifts, drop 100–150 kcal.
A vegetarian Indian day at this target
This day lands at 2,301 kcal and 141 g protein. Most of the protein comes from whey shake (with water) (48 g), paneer bhurji (15 g), palak paneer (15 g).
| Food | Portion | kcal | Protein |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | 274 | 12 g | |
| Paneer sandwich | 1 sandwich | 274 | 12 g |
| Lunch | 721 | 32 g | |
| Palak paneer | 1 katori | 247 | 15 g |
| Roti | 4 roti | 396 | 13 g |
| Cucumber raita | 1 katori | 78 | 4 g |
| Evening snack | 392 | 58 g | |
| Sprouts salad | 1 katori | 152 | 10 g |
| Whey shake (with water) | 2 scoops | 240 | 48 g |
| Dinner | 914 | 39 g | |
| Moong dal | 1 katori | 176 | 9 g |
| Mixed veg sabzi | 1 katori | 122 | 3 g |
| Roti | 3 roti | 297 | 10 g |
| Paneer bhurji | 1 katori | 275 | 15 g |
| Curd | ½ katori | 45 | 2 g |
| Day total | 2,301 | 141 g | |