I need to be able to gain weight

[mjf]

I don't eat enough and therefore don't gain weight or size, even with cycling. I honestly don't really even understand dieting very well. When someone tells me to look at iifym, I just get more confused.

A couple years ago, I paid for a nutritionist to lay me out a diet plan. Two diet plans actually. One being a basic clean eating plan (same crap to eat every day) and the other a carb cycle plan. Both based on a 3000 calorie diet. When I follow it religiously, I stay lean, make small gains, and look pretty good. My two complaints of following a rigid diet are: it gets very boring and old quick and it's hard to shovel 6 meals down, even at only 3000 calories. Even at 3000 calories, these are for the most part full plates of food each meal.

I'm mostly just blabbing here, like you guys are my friends and care, but if anyone has any words of wisdom, I'd be glad to hear them. I'm sick of doing all this for nothing and want to grow finally.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

First thing you obviously need more calories. I don't even go as low as 3000 when cutting.

I'd find little things you can add to every meal that you're never too full to get down. Glass of milk, piece of fruit, a serving of some kind of nuts, whatever. Maybe all those things. Turn those 500 calorie meals into 800 calorie meals or more.

Next thing whip up some kind of crazy calorie dense shake and drink it between meals. Milk, oatmeal, protein powder, eggs, fruit and vegetables, olive oil, whatever you can stomach. Make it 1000+ calories.

Me personally I don't have the time or patience for 5-6 meals a day. I have no problem hitting 4000-5000 calories in three meals and a shake or two. You might need more though if you have trouble with six meals at 500 calories each. I don't know, do whatever you need to do to get the food down.

 

[mjf]

Getting the food down was the hard part when I religiously followed the clean diet. I would seriously come very close to throwing it all up by the time I would finish a plate. A normal plate being 9oz grilled chicken breast, 10oz sweet potato, and a cup of vegetables. Of course there were other choices for foods, specifically for the carb portion.

That diet was based on 289G protein, 298G carbs, 72G fat. The carb cycle diet allowed for different food choices on the lower carb days. Only problem with that was weekends were the lowest carb days and it was hard to stick with that.

As far as the iifym thing, does that mean that you try to meet your goals for protein, carbs, fats then just eat anything else to add calories? And if so, how do you not pack on fat doing that?

 

[Spooby]

Eat more appetizing stuff. That's the purpose of iifym, as long as it fits in there, eat it. Fuckin big ass cheeseburger with a ton of spinach and a tall glass of whole milk... stuff like that.

 

[mjf]

I'm heading out of town this weekend, but when I get back Monday I'm going to start eating right again. Seeing Frank's posts recently has me motivated to pack on some muscle. I'll probably shoot for 4000 calories or so, then try to increase it when I do my next run.

I'm44yo, 5'8", 193lbs now. I really want to get to around 215 and be lean. We'll see I guess.

 

[mjf]

Eat more appetizing stuff. That's the purpose of iifym, as long as it fits in there, eat it. Fuckin big ass cheeseburger with a ton of spinach and a tall glass of whole milk... stuff like that.

Again, how do you not get fat doing that? I don't log my food and count calories right now, but I have a feeling I'm not even reaching 2500 calories. The shit part of it is even at that, I don't have ripped abs. They are there, but the bottom row has fat. I work out pretty hard and hit the gym at least 5-6 days a week. I haven't done cardio in at least 2 years.

 

[Docd187123]

Again, how do you not get fat doing that? I don't log my food and count calories right now, but I have a feeling I'm not even reaching 2500 calories. The shit part of it is even at that, I don't have ripped abs. They are there, but the bottom row has fat. I work out pretty hard and hit the gym at least 5-6 days a week. I haven't done cardio in at least 2 years.

Bc the name of the food you eat isn't what makes one fat. It's how much of things they eat that do. You can eat anything you want just so long as you're sticking to your calorie and macro needs.

 

[mjf]

Bc the name of the food you eat isn't what makes one fat. It's how much of things they eat that do. You can eat anything you want just so long as you're sticking to your calorie and macro needs.

I'm probably being stupid and over thinking this, but doesn't one double meat, delicious, home grilled hamburger as mentioned above pretty much reach my fat macro for the day? Shouldn't that mean that there can be no more fat for the day?

 

[Docd187123]

I'm probably being stupid and over thinking this, but doesn't one double meat, delicious, home grilled hamburger as mentioned above pretty much reach my fat macro for the day? Shouldn't that mean that there can be no more fat for the day?

Not necessarily. Your fat macro is what you set it at and I doubt a double burger is going to have 60-70g of fat which is around what your minimum fat intake should be. I fit a 5Guys triple burger with bacon into my macros on a somewhat regular occasion.

 

[mjf]

I'm very serious about trying tonmake this happen so thanks for every bit of advice. Here's my measurements from last time I measuerd, February. These are all unflexed as I was told to measure by the nutrition coach. I doubt they have changed much, but will redo them in the morning to see.

Neck 18"
Chest 47"
Stomach 37"
Waist 35"
Quads 24"
Calf R-14.75, L-15.5
Arm 14"
Forearm 11.75"

Right calf has a problem from a broken leg and no rehab so it's smaller. As you can tell from the measurements, I'm not a large fella by an means. I do look damn sexy though, according to my wife.

 

[mjf]

I wear a 32 in pants and my cargo shorts, but the tape doesn't lie. Clothing industry must be trying to be sensitive to fat people and label clothes smaller.

 

[Docd187123]

Calculate your BMR and from that TDEE based on your stats. Calculate your macros based on this number. Use my fitness pal to figure out your calorie/macro intake and adjust as needed

 

[mjf]

It says I need 3160 calories to maintain my current weight. My weight fluctuates a couple pounds a day , but mostly stays the same, so I guess I have been eating around 3000 calories a day. Now I need to calculate my macros, unless the 300, 300, 80 numbers I posted above are close.

Without being on a cycle, should I stay conservative and only increase the calories by 500 per day? Then on cycle increase up another 500?

 

[Docd187123]

It says I need 3160 calories to maintain my current weight. My weight fluctuates a couple pounds a day , but mostly stays the same, so I guess I have been eating around 3000 calories a day. Now I need to calculate my macros, unless the 300, 300, 80 numbers I posted above are close.

Without being on a cycle, should I stay conservative and only increase the calories by 500 per day? Then on cycle increase up another 500?

The 3160 is an estimate based on some formulas. It can be spot on, a little high, or little low. Use myfitnesspal and track match actual intake to that number and see what happens after 2wks. If your weight drops you know you need more cals for maintenance. If your weight goes up you know your maintenance is slightly less. Your weight stays the same you've found your actual maintenance. The TDEE calculation is just a starting point so you don't go in blind.

For protein I would do 1-1.25g/lb. fats I'd do around 0.3-0.4g/lb. and fill in the rest of your calories with carbs. You might have to play around with your macros to see what works best for you but that's a good starting point.

If you want to bulk than 10-20% surplus calories should do the trick. Don't just go to 1000cals over maintenance just bc you're on cycle.

 

[PaulHeyman]

Eat more calorically dense foods. Chicken/rice/asparagus isn't dense but vary volumous. Eat fattier cuts of meat that pack more cals per bite, cook your eggs in butter, pour some olive oil over rice, pasta, etc. Add PB and use milk in all shakes, and don't be afraid to have a cheat meal. Once or twice a week go out and enjoy a good meal

 

[jJjburton]

It's really not hard. Just eat food.

 

[mjf]

It's really not hard. Just eat food.

Well, maybe something is wrong with me. If I eat tons of food and even half of what has been suggested in this thread, the thing that gains is my stomach fat. The goal is to keep my chest sticking out further than my belly, not the other way around.

 

[Perrin Aybara]

What's your training like?

 

[oldmusclemike]

Well, maybe something is wrong with me. If I eat tons of food and even half of what has been suggested in this thread, the thing that gains is my stomach fat. The goal is to keep my chest sticking out further than my belly, not the other way around.

Then you don't train enough with an overload to failure and often enough Hence if all you do is get a big stomach train harder an smarter. You might get some bloat when eating like this but that is just a bloated stomach.

If you are not eating every 2 to 2-1/2 hrs a day then your not eating enough. This still needs 3 high calorie protein shakes a day. Eat good food and then add anything. Keep eating and force feeding , train and you will grow

 

[Docd187123]

Then you don't train enough with an overload to failure and often enough Hence if all you do is get a big stomach train harder an smarter. You might get some bloat when eating like this but that is just a bloated stomach.

If you are not eating every 2 to 2-1/2 hrs a day then your not eating enough. This still needs 3 high calorie protein shakes a day. Eat good food and then add anything. Keep eating and force feeding , train and you will grow

You do realize eating that frequently is more likely to hinder your progress than enable it?