The Climbing Dietitian | Your Sports Nutrition Expert | Brisbane Dietitian & Nutritionist
  • Home
  • Meet Your Dietitian
  • Work With Me
    • 1:1 Nutrition Coaching
    • Dietitian Consultations
    • Weight Loss Coaching
    • Basketball Dietitian
    • NDIS Dietitian Support
    • Hire Me As A Speaker
    • Grassroots Nutrition Initiative™
    • What The FAQ
  • E-Books
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Contact Me

NUTRITION BLOG

4 Signs You Are In A Calorie Surplus To Build Muscle | Muscle Building Nutrition 101

20/10/2022

0 Comments

 
4-Signs-You-Are-In-A-Calorie-Surplus-To-Build-Muscle-Brisbane-Dietitian
The reality is that calorie balance is what ultimately and fundamentally dictates what happens with your body composition and weight change - whether it’s fat loss that tickles your fancy or building some of that muscle mass.

In order to build muscle and weight, the general consensus is that a calorie surplus is the most effective and efficient way to do so; especially if you are a well trained athlete or weekend warrior who isn’t completely new to all of this.

So how do you know if you are in a calorie surplus consistently over time?
How can you audit yourself to make sure you are eating enough calories?


In today’s blog, I share the 4 signs of a calorie surplus that you NEED to know. If you want to build strength and muscle (or both!), then eating at any bit above maintenance may serve you best as an athlete.
Alongside fat loss, building juicy muscle mass is up there as one of the most popular and “prized” goals among dieters and people who are focusing on improving their nutrition. 

Achieving this goal is multifactorial and as with anything “nutrition”, it is nuanced. However, a calorie surplus diet is still the most streamlined method in which you can use to maximise growth. 

This doesn’t mean that in order to build lean muscle that you need to be dirty bulking or eating a bunch of calories above your maintenance. There is strategy that needs to be taken into consideration here and for many athletes, starting at a small calorie surplus is ideal.

“So how do I know that I am sticking to a calorie surplus properly?” - you may be wondering.

Time to reveal the 4 major signs that you are successfully sticking to a calorie surplus diet for lean bulk and muscle gains.

Let class commence now!
​

Calorie Surplus: Meaning ​

Let’s first quickly just explain what a calorie surplus is in a nutshell…

Our energy balance (calorie balance) is the relationship between how many calories we consume through food and drink and how many calories we expend as humans. 

This is known as the thermodynamics of our bodies and this is what dictates what happens with our weight mass and body composition at the most basic level. Calories are king essentially. 

A calorie surplus is when the consumption of caloires is greater than the “burn” - leading to a net positive calorie balance. Essentially, it is consuming enough calories that you end up eating above your maintenance and your body grows. 

This growth is from both muscle but also fat - the degree at which each increases is determined by multiple factors (not the least being your strategy). 
​
What does a calorie surplus mean? Here is the definition of a calorie surplus

The Signs You Are In A Calorie Surplu

Sign #1: Average Weight Trending Upwards

This is THE sign to look for first and foremost when venturing out into the realm of calorie surpluses, searching for the holy grail of muscle "gainz". 

If you are building muscle, you will be gaining weight. If you are gaining weight, you will (to varying degrees depending on other factors) be building muscle.

Track your weight to some degree of frequency so that you can see if your nutrition adjustments are actually leading to increase in mass. Without mass building there is no muscle building. Make sure you track over time and average it out to truly see the real picture as one-off measurements tell you near zero. 

However, please keep in mind that if you notice that the weight is trending upwards at a very fast rate that seems unusual to you…then maybe you overdid the surplus. Re-calibrate as needed or see a Sports Dietitian if you are feeling overwhelmed and stuck (CLICK HERE to learn more about my 1:1 coaching experience). 
​

Calorie surplus leads to increase muscle gain with upwards trend in weight gain.

Sign #2: Increased Energy and Strength Levels

When you are increasing your calories, there is an expectation that you will feel more “complete”. This makes perfect sense because we know that food is fuel, so it is not unusual to imagine that more food will mean operating at full capacity. 

Therefore, the second sign to look out for and that may tell you that you are eating in a surplus is increased energy levels and/or improved strength performance.  As an active person, these are 2 signs that will more easily noticeable due to the nature of your lifestyle bringing these 2 in the spotlight - whether they drop or improve. 

Has your gym lifting improved?
Do you feel better during the work day?
Noticing sports performance improving?

All of these could be signs you are eating in a surplus (or bare minimum at maintenance). 

​
Calorie surplus diet leads to increased energy and improved strength performance.

Sign #3: Faster Recovery Speeds and Effectiveness

Food = fuel. We know this.

So is it really surprising that recovery is strongly linked to not only nutritional adequacy and strategy but also sheer calorie intake too? 

If you notice that you are recovering more effectively and/or more quickly, this could be a reliable sign that you are consistently eating enough calories. Improving recovery metrics are one sign of a calorie surplus when coupled alongside an increase in weight. 

Use this opportunity to reap the benefits of eating more food and recovering to your full potential. Funny enough, this improved recovery will also help facilitate increased muscle and strength gains that you are desiring so it works hand in hand. 
​
Calorie surplus leads to improved recovery speeds and better lean bulk muscle.

Sign #4: Increased Fullness / Diminished Hunger Levels

Finally we have the last sign/symptom of a potential calorie surplus - feeling frickin’ full!

The level at which you feel full will vary from person to person and is highly individualsed. However, more often than not, dieters who increase calories and actually achieve a surplus will see that eating becomes a bit harder to do.

I have had clients who are naturally hard gainers and super lean and when I put them onto a calorie surplus, they struggled to eat the food because it was beyond their appetite threshold. 

A calorie surplus is literally eating more food than your body technically needs at a physiological level so it’s not surprising that you will become less hungry.

While this sign is less reliable and can not be used alone as a determining factor of whether or not you are in fact in a surplus consistently, it can help when using it alongside some of the other symptoms mentioned above. 

However, if you went from a deficit or maintenance where you either felt hungry or neutral; seeing a diminished level of appetite and hunger when trying to build muscle should not be ignored.

When building muscle with a calorie surplus, your hunger will decrease and you will feel fuller.

RECAP

There you go. Now you know the 4 key signs of a calorie surplus diet and what you need to try and look out for to make sure your nutrition strategy is trending in the right direction. 

Achieving a calorie surplus can be the first key step towards building muscle and/or strength levels so you want to make sure you are aware of what this entails. Your goal will depend on your nutrition game so understand it properly. 

If you had to choose 2 of the signs to personally track bare minimum, I would definitely choose the first 2 - weight trends and energy/strength levels. These 2 are very reliable signs of eating more and eating above maintenance as food is fuel and more fuel leads to these outcomes more readily. 

Now go on and work on your goals! Perhaps you will start seeing some solid gains come your way. 
​

Interested in fat loss instead?
Check out my complimentary blog post on the 4 Signs of a Calorie DEFICIT!
CLICK HERE to read now
Out of curiosity though….

Are you feeling stuck and struggling with your nutrition game?
Not seeing the body you feel happier, healthier, and more confident in?

I may be able to be of assistance. 

If you are ready to take your nutrition and body to the next level and elevate your performance in a way that doesn’t make you want to punch your Sports Dietitian, then let’s chat.

I have developed a 90 Day Macro Sherpa program that is a 1:1 nutrition coaching experience to help start bridging the gap between where you are now and where you want to be with your physique & performance. 


In this program, I'll personally coach you using my flexible nutrition system to help you harness the power of calories and macro strategy to regain your competitive edge - think of it as a bespoke nutrition solution that empowers you to eat better to achieve better. 

Interested in learning more? Simply email me at: [email protected].
Then we can have a chat about this and see if we are a good fit to work together and get you your best results yet. 

Or to apply now to see if you are a good fit, simply CLICK HERE and start the process for reaching your peak potential. 

Coach Aleksa
Aleksa The Climbing Dietitian Brisbane Dietitian Nutritionist

Brisbane Sports Dietitian and Nutritionist

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Hi there! My name's Aleksa Gagic - i'm a Brisbane Sports Dietitian & Brisbane Sports Nutritionist. I have 7+ years experience in providing professional nutrition consulting and want to help you learn about the power of flexible nutrition. 

    I started this blog to provide quality evidence-based nutrition information, guide you on real nutrition practices & principles, share awesome nutritious recipes, as well as debunk B.S. & misinformation. 
    ​
    Hope you enjoy and gain value from this blog. Please share and spread the word so more people can learn about #nutritiontruth. 

    To your peak,
    Aleksa (Sports Dietitian)

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    November 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    December 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

QUICK LINKS

Home
About Me
1:1 Nutrition Coaching
Dietitian Consultations in Brisbane
Contact Aleksa The Sports Dietitian
Nutrition Blog 
Nutrition Podcast
Google business profile for Brisbane Sports Dietitian Aleksa

GOOGLE REVIEWS

Aleksa - Brisbane Sports Dietitian & Sports Nutritionist

I have been working with clients (from athletes to busy parents to active corporate professionals) for 8+ years - helping them leverage real nutrition solutions to enable them to reach their peak potential. In addition to my real world experiences, I am a university qualified health professional so you can rest assured you are getting advice & coaching that is evidence-based & tailored to you. While I am a Brisbane Sports Dietitian & Nutritionist/Nutrition Coach, I also offer high level online consulting for clients across Australia. 

Contact us

Phone: 0412313547
Fax: (07) 3112 4207
a[email protected]
Online nutrition coaching available Australia wide:
- Sports Dietitian Brisbane
​- Sports Dietitian Bulimba
- Sports Dietitian Sunshine Coast
- Sports Dietitian Gold Coast
- Sports Dietitian Sydney
- Sports Dietitian Melbourne
- Sports Dietitian Adelaide
- Weight Loss Dietitian Brisbane
- Nutrition Coaching Brisbane
Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions
© Copyright 2018-2025 The Climbing Dietitian. All RIghts Reserved.
  • Home
  • Meet Your Dietitian
  • Work With Me
    • 1:1 Nutrition Coaching
    • Dietitian Consultations
    • Weight Loss Coaching
    • Basketball Dietitian
    • NDIS Dietitian Support
    • Hire Me As A Speaker
    • Grassroots Nutrition Initiative™
    • What The FAQ
  • E-Books
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Contact Me