Muscle gain calories

Question
I really think that my inability to really gain any muscle from my 3x week full-body training routine in over a year stems from my not getting enough calories, maybe.  That's what I wanted to ask your opinion of.  I calculated that throughout the week Mon.-Fri. I get approximately between 2,100-2,300 calories a day.  On Sat. and Sun. it may be a little bit more or less depending on eating out at restaurants or not keeping a strict eating schedule.  I am a 32 year old male, weighing between 155-160 lbs. at a height of 5'-9".  I calculated my BMI to be approx. 23, which I guess is good?  I guess more of that fat seems to accumulate around the midsection, like most people.  Should I be getting more calories per day to really gain muscle, and how much?  Do I have to worry about gaining more bodyfat if I do that though?  Should I bring my BMI down, but then I would have to cut calories, wouldn't I?  I would really like to develop my abs to show them off, but there is that layer of fat covering them?  Most people think I'm skinny, so I guess that I would really like to put on some  serious muscle.  I guess it seems like I can't do both, at least at the same time.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Dave,

You and I are the same height and weight, but my BMI is about 21. I know that you need about 2800 calories per day to maintain that weight. So you are correct, you probably aren't eating enough to gain muscle mass.

You can increase your weight without increasing your fat or BMI by eating the right foods. All the breads and cereals you eat should have whole grain (or whole bran) as the first ingredient and contain about 4g or more of fiber per serving. This will help keep energy storage out of fat cells.

Make sure you get the recommended 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies. A serving is about 1/2 a big apple or orange, etc. This will give you plenty of sugars for energy but not the kind of sugar that is easily converted to fat.

You also need to get enough poly and monounsaturated fat from things like nuts, fish and vegetables.

You should make sure that you get some protein in each meal, especially breakfast. Good sources of protein are eggs, chicken, fish, soy, whey, creating, nuts, some vegetables, legumes (beans). Try and stay away from red meats because they have a lot of saturated fat.

So increase your calories but do it wisely and you should reach your goal.

I personally drink a breakfast shake that is a good balance between protein (15g), healthy fats (7g) and high fiber carbs (8g fiber out of 32g carbs)

Hope this helps.

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