Safe Weight Gain

Matt_u

Hi,
So I basically want to gain weight as I am looking at getting back in the gym to bulk up. Currently I am 6 ft 1 and weigh 78kg at age 24 and am skinny,I have a sedatory job and want to look at food I can eat in the day that won't necessarily be bad for me but help me out on weight gain, preferably something I can have throughout the day or before a gym session where I will likely do a small amount of cardio but mainly weights.

Let me know if I need to say more, New to the forum

grantevans11

I'm in a similar boat, I have a desk job where I don't need to leave my chair much. I have split my hour lunch break into two 30 minute breaks to give me the chance to fit an extra meal in during the day. I'm currently having 5 meals during my day; 8:00am, 11:30am, 3:00pm, 6:00pm (pre-workout), 9:00pm (post-workout).

Snacks you can eat at your desk are things like nuts, protein shakes or smoothies. If you're trying to gain weight limit the cardio you are doing and make sure you're eating back the calories you are burning during cardio exercise.

What is your current calorie intake and what weight are you trying to reach?

MostlyWater

You need a picture.

cwolfman13

Establish your base line calories to gain anywhere from 0.5 - 1 Lb per week and get on a good, progressive lifting program. From there, it's a matter of hitting those calories consistently...which is likely going to require you to find some gray area in the whole "good" food "bad" food notion. Yes, you want to hit on your nutrition...but at some point, more broccoli just isn't going to cut it...at some point it has to become about hitting those calories.

If you're like me, you'll likely have to break things up into more than 3 meals per day...I just did my first controlled bulk from Sept through the New Year and I was eating about 6 times per day because I just couldn't eat enough volume (even with higher calorie foods) just eating a few times per day and having a snack here and there.

Also, you want to get those lean proteins in and make sure you're getting carbs...chicken and rice, chicken and pasta...etc, etc, etc...but you're also going to likely need to look at things like full fat dairy, having desert after your meals...having some pizza now and then, etc to just get in the calories. My bulk was around 3200 - 3300 calories and it was very difficult to do that just eating "healthy" on any kind of consistent basis.

Matt_u

Yeah see at the moment I have little for breakfast (cereal and toast) something small until lunch, normally a sandwich fruit and crisps for lunch and then nothing till dinner which varies. Baring in mind I'm not back in the gym yet but will be.

My intake is a measely 2000 to 2300...I think I was just over conscious of gaining weight in my job.

grantevans11

Matt_u wrote: »

Yeah see at the moment I have little for breakfast (cereal and toast) something small until lunch, normally a sandwich fruit and crisps for lunch and then nothing till dinner which varies. Baring in mind I'm not back in the gym yet but will be.

My intake is a measely 2000 to 2300...I think I was just over conscious of gaining weight in my job.

Ok, well you need to start eating more calories all together, but especially for breakfast. I'm 5"11 currently weightling 80.6kg, but I'm eating 3,500 calories a day.

When you start going to the gym, if you're eating the right foods you won't gain as much fat in the places you don't want. What is your current body fat?

ndj1979

grantevans11 wrote: »

Matt_u wrote: »

Yeah see at the moment I have little for breakfast (cereal and toast) something small until lunch, normally a sandwich fruit and crisps for lunch and then nothing till dinner which varies. Baring in mind I'm not back in the gym yet but will be.

My intake is a measely 2000 to 2300...I think I was just over conscious of gaining weight in my job.

Ok, well you need to start eating more calories all together, but especially for breakfast. I'm 5"11 currently weightling 80.6kg, but I'm eating 3,500 calories a day.

When you start going to the gym, if you're eating the right foods you won't gain as much fat in the places you don't want. What is your current body fat?

what are these right foods that dictate where fat goes????

Matt_u

Grant I get where you are coming from, once at the gym I won't necessarily get the big gut etc that I would otherwise get just trying to put in weight with no excercise.

I don't know what my current body fat is I'm afraid. Just trying to get an idea of what to eat and also what is good to eat before gym and how long before so not only will I build, have the energy but also not just carry on losing weight!

grantevans11

Matt_u wrote: »

Grant I get where you are coming from, once at the gym I won't necessarily get the big gut etc that I would otherwise get just trying to put in weight with no excercise.

I don't know what my current body fat is I'm afraid. Just trying to get an idea of what to eat and also what is good to eat before gym and how long before so not only will I build, have the energy but also not just carry on losing weight!

Good to see someone can keep up and not just use this site to attack other members.

To avoid gaining a gut and excess fat try steering away from saturated fat, and avoid empty calories like beer and vodka.

grantevans11

I didn't say saturated fat was bad for you. Saturated fat is perfectly fine in moderation, which is why I used the term 'steering away' rather than saying cut it out completely.

I also didn't say anyone said for OP to fill calories with beer and vodka, that remark was to give him an idea of what to avoid, which other people should take note of.

I don't really understand the point, or relevance of the comment below to anything I have said or the OP.

MrM27 wrote: »

grantevans11 wrote: »

Matt_u wrote: »

Tell us how it would be different if you have a 300 calorie surplus that has some white rice, red meat, snacks here and there but all while also eating whole foods while meeting all macros and micros vs 300 calorie surplus of just chicken, brown rice, olive oil, sweet potatoes etc. What physiological explanation do you have that one diet will make us add more fat than the other?

grantevans11

MrM27 wrote: »

So you managed to completely avoid the question about the difference in the 2 surpluses. And it's all relevant because you're giving out advice that can and should be challenged.

I didn't answer the question because I didn't follow how it ties back to what I've said or how it helps OP. I think you're getting side tracked from the OP.

grantevans11

MrM27 wrote: »

grantevans11 wrote: »

MrM27 wrote: »

So you managed to completely avoid the question about the difference in the 2 surpluses. And it's all relevant because you're giving out advice that can and should be challenged.

I didn't answer the question because I didn't follow how it ties back to what I've said or how it helps OP. I think you're getting side tracked from the OP.

You said "if you're eating the right foods you won't gain as much fat in the places you don't want."

So I questioned you as far as the difference in surplus goes, you refuse to answer.

Also, you can flag my posts all you want. Flags mean nothing and they do nothing. Just because you don't agree with what I post doesn't make it abuse.

Sorry if I've upset you, but it's not just me flagging your offensive and unreasonable posts.

I think the difference of the surplus goes a long way. 1,000 calories made of a burger and fries is nowhere near as beneficial as 1,000 calories of veg, fish and rice.

Not just for your macros but for all round vitamin consumption.

You've talked a lot about science not just in this feed but in others but I've never seen you use an actual fact?

grantevans11

I think that's exactly the point, the OP was asking for foods they can eat during the day to make good gains, which I think I've answered. Veg, fish rice, nuts etc. YES, burgers, chips, beer etc. NO.

I'm not interested in your philosophies or what you eat. I'm trying to help the OP to make the gains that I have, using the methods that have worked for me and I would expect to work for someone of a similar height, weight and build.

Hornsby

To the OP. Calories are king when it comes to a surplus. Where they come from has nothing to do with where and how much fat you put on your body. It is the amount of the surplus that will determine that.

That's basic knowledge I thought, but apparently not.

Matt_u

Okay, well thanks to Grant for his input and I appreciate everyones comments/concerns regarding his statements, but I am no further forward in understanding what I should be doing. Any advice?