CARBS!

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  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    tristamdavis wrote: »
    Thank you everyone for the advice. It's definitely a tough situation but my relationship with food is not at its greatest. However I choose to cut out refined sugars and flours because of a VERY high risk of diabetes. It runs in my family on both sides and has effected nearly everyone preceding me. So other than rice, starchy veggies, bread, crackers, fruit & oatmeal, I'm still struggling getting enough carbs and that is why I am asking for help. I follow the 50, 30, 20 macros as set by myfitnesspal.

    If you're trying to gain weight and eat at a surplus, it may be easier to not look at your macros as percentages. Many people recommend eating 0.6-0.8g of protein per pound of bodweight, and 0.35g of fat per pound bodyweight.

    That said, those can be minimums. Carbs are considered kind during bulks because they are easy to eat (they usually don't keep people as full, but that depends on the person) and they are cheap. But, how many carbs you eat boils down to personal preference. Many people find that additional carbs give them more energy, but there are also people who greatly limit their carbs.

    If you can hit your calorie goal but aren't getting "enough" carbs, and it doesn't affect your energy levels, then don't worry about trying to shove in more carbs. If you're having problems with low energy or hitting your calorie goals there are lots of options for carbs:

    Sweet potatoes, white potatoes (no clue why they've been demonized, but they're full of nutrients), lentils, peas, beans, corn, whole grain breads, wild rice, quinoa, barley, oats, bulgar wheat, etc. And there are tons of recipes online, so maybe look into some starchy side dishes. I love stuffed peppers, and I make them with quinoa (because I bought a massive bag of it at costco and I need to do something with it). I usually have a dinner roll (whole grain) with most dinners.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,398 MFP Moderator
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    wrealmusic wrote: »
    When I was a teen, I was under weight. I stumbled up a book by Vince Gironda, and it helped me back then. But it sounds like you are eating pretty healthy. and also have a high metabolism. One method of building up lean solid muscle and weight gains is to start lifting heavier weights about 75% of your max. with lower rep ranges and sets (muscle failure around 8 reps). shorten the aerobic activity like carido. and increase your calorie intake about 250(experiment with that number) over your recommended BMR. Smoothies are a great way to add calories to your meal for the day. add foods like oatmeal, and peanut or almond butter to them. if you eat dairy, have a small serving of quality ice cream. Having a smoothie with moderate calories an hour before bed can help with the gains. The older you get your metabolism will naturally slow down anyway. so dont worry about being 85lb. just take it day by day. and bulk clean. Dont obsess over the numbers either. just find good tasty and healthy options to enjoy.


    I think you mean add 250 calories over your TDEE, instead of BMR?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Could you restructure your group exercises so you are doing flexibility and stretch-type every other day instead of aerobic every day? I'm no pro at building weights but I'd like to see your exercises work towards your gaining goals rather than against them.

    Try adding nuts to your day! They have carbs, fats, and a little protein, and they are calorific.

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