formed labs / Free tools / Calories
How much to eat?
Where to start eating to build muscle. Put in your weight now and where you want to be.
Then let the scale decide: aim to gain ½ to 1 lb a week.
This plan is built for gaining muscle. Set a goal above your weight now.
Put in weights between 80 and 400 lb.
Not gaining after 2 weeks? Add about 250 calories a day, like a second shake. Gaining more than 2 lb a week? Pull back a little.
Eat by the clock. Every 3 to 4 hours, hungry or not. Set phone alarms so you don’t have to remember.
Read the scale.
Once a week, same morning, step on the scale and look at your workout log. Here's how to read it.
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| Weight dropping or stuck for 2 weeks | Add a second shake, or add 1 Tbsp of olive oil or nut butter to two meals. That's about 250 more calories a day. |
| Up ½ to 1 lb a week, lifts going up | Keep going. It's working. |
| Up more than 2 lb a week, 2 weeks in a row | Drop the evening snack and keep everything else the same. |
| Lifts stuck 2 weeks in a row | Check your sleep and your calories first. Then drop the weight 10% and build back up. |
Now go use it.
One brand, four doors. Three of them are free.
Straight answers.
From the free formed labs plan.
How many calories should I eat to build muscle?
Our plan starts you at 15 calories for every pound you weigh now, plus 300. At 130 lb that is about 2,250 a day. Starting calories are an estimate from your weight. The scale is the real judge.
How fast should I gain?
About ½ to 1 lb a week. Weigh in once a week, same morning, same scale.
What if I'm not gaining?
Not gaining after 2 weeks? Add about 250 calories a day, like a second shake. Gaining more than 2 lb a week? Pull back a little.
I'm never hungry. How do I eat this much?
Eat by the clock: every 3 to 4 hours, hungry or not. A shake goes down way easier than a plate.