How do I know if I'm eating enough to build muscle?
I've been lifting for 3 months and my strength is going up but I don't look any different. I eat "pretty healthy" but I'm not tracking anything. Am I probably not eating enough?
If you're not tracking, you're almost certainly not eating enough protein. This is the #1 beginner mistake. You need roughly 0.8-1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. For most guys that's 150-180g+ protein daily.
Start tracking for even just one week to see where you actually stand. You'll probably be shocked at how little protein you eat.
You need a caloric surplus to build muscle. If the scale isn't going up at all, you're not eating enough. Aim for 200-300 calories above maintenance.
When I started lifting I was eating like 80g protein thinking it was "a lot." It wasn't. Doubled it and suddenly started seeing visible changes within weeks.
Try tracking your food for just one week to get a baseline. Even something quick like PlateLens where you just photo your meals. You'll learn a LOT about what you're actually eating vs what you think you're eating.
Strength going up is great news! That means you ARE building muscle, it just might be hidden under body fat. Keep training, increase protein, and the visual changes will come.
Signs you might not be eating enough: not gaining weight, feeling tired, lifts stalling early, poor recovery, always hungry. If any of these sound familiar, eat more.
I tracked for a day and I'm only eating like 90g protein at 175 lbs. That's way below what you guys are recommending. No wonder I'm not seeing changes. Time to up the protein significantly. Thanks for the wake-up call!
Easy protein adds: Greek yogurt (20g per cup), protein shake (25-30g), eggs at breakfast (18g for 3), chicken at lunch and dinner (30g each). That alone gets you to 120g+ without much effort.