Nutrition and Macros are above my pay grade

Rick_1953

I have been struggling with eating enough calories and achieving the correct amount of macros. I had no problems losing weight, but for about 10 months now I have been trying to add muscle with little success.

I don't know how to eat enough calories of nutritious foods to get the results I am looking for. I am convinced that this is what is stopping my gains.

Any suggestions would be appreciated

Old_Cat_Lady

Have you ever tried protein powder? Cost (if on sale) can be as low as .57cents a serving.

cathipa

Are you sure you are in a caloric surplus for your activity? Are you utilizing a progressive lifting routine?

TavistockToad

Peanut butter... full fat milk.... simples!

Rick_1953

TheWJordinWJordin wrote: »

Have you ever tried protein powder? Cost (if on sale) can be as low as .57cents a serving.

Yes I use protein powder, even doubling the servings.

kommodevaran

To gain muscle weight you need a calorie surplus, sufficient protein, and resistance training. There is no correct amount of macros. You may be looking for the wrong things - "nutritious foods" are often used as a eufemism for "low calorie foods" and you need the opposite, more calorie dense foods. In short, you want more of the foods that dieters love, but try to avoid, you lucky *kitten* Nuts and nut butters, omg peanut butter and honey! Bread, pasta, rice, other grains, ice cream, meat, butter, bananas, dried fruit - are just some of the things you can look specifically out for, but just more food is what you need.

Rick_1953

cathipa wrote: »

Are you sure you are in a caloric surplus for your activity? Are you utilizing a progressive lifting routine?

That's the problem. I can't seem to eat enough to get a surplus. I could eat junk food but no nutritional value. Tried all kinds of lifting routines. Lifting as much as I can.

Rick_1953

TavistockToad wrote: »

Peanut butter... full fat milk.... simples!

Eat peanut butter now, with try whole milk

TavistockToad

Rick_1953 wrote: »

cathipa wrote: »

Are you sure you are in a caloric surplus for your activity? Are you utilizing a progressive lifting routine?

That's the problem. I can't seem to eat enough to get a surplus. I could eat junk food but no nutritional value. Tried all kinds of lifting routines. Lifting as much as I can.

Eating pizza or a doughnut doesn't negate the nutritional value of the broccoli and apple you also ate that day...

Rick_1953

kommodevaran wrote: »

To gain muscle weight you need a calorie surplus, sufficient protein, and resistance training. There is no correct amount of macros. You may be looking for the wrong things - "nutritious foods" are often used as a eufemism for "low calorie foods" and you need the opposite, more calorie dense foods. In short, you want more of the foods that dieters love, but try to avoid, you lucky *kitten* Nuts and nut butters, omg peanut butter and honey! Bread, pasta, rice, other grains, ice cream, meat, butter, bananas, dried fruit - are just some of the things you can look specifically out for, but just more food is what you need.

Thanks for the advice

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, avocados, whole grain seeded bread, brown or black rice, lamb, progain bars.

Pizza is one of my favourites, calcium from the cheese, carbs for energy from the base, protein from the chicken topping, I add onions and mushrooms as well.

diannethegeek

this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

and this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

Rick_1953

Rick_1953 wrote: »

kommodevaran wrote: »

To gain muscle weight you need a calorie surplus, sufficient protein, and resistance training. There is no correct amount of macros. You may be looking for the wrong things - "nutritious foods" are often used as a eufemism for "low calorie foods" and you need the opposite, more calorie dense foods. In short, you want more of the foods that dieters love, but try to avoid, you lucky *kitten* Nuts and nut butters, omg peanut butter and honey! Bread, pasta, rice, other grains, ice cream, meat, butter, bananas, dried fruit - are just some of the things you can look specifically out for, but just more food is what you need.

Thanks for the advice

Yes my approach has been eating as if I was still wanting to lose weight. It's going to be hard to change my mind set

Rick_1953

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »

Nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, avocados, whole grain seeded bread, brown or black rice, lamb, progain bars.

Pizza is one of my favourites, calcium from the cheese, carbs for energy from the base, protein from the chicken topping, I add onions and mushrooms as well.

I eat pizza once a week, Chinese takeout, cheeseburgers to. I will continue to look for high calorie substitutes for what I have been eating

Rick_1953

diannethegeek wrote: »

this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10326769/are-you-a-hard-gainer-please-read/p1

and this: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10142490/a-list-of-calorie-dense-foods/p1

Thanks, I will take a look at this

cqbkaju

Read and apply "Bigger Leaner Stronger" it explains the what and why of such things.

https://www.amazon.com/Bigger-Leaner-Stronger-Building-Ultimate/dp/B00BUA0S10

Simply put make a choice: either eat enough to gain muscle or don't eat to enough and hope to burn fat without losing much muscle.

You need a calorie surplus to make lifts eventually.
250 calories extra? 500 calories? 20% over maintenance? Only you can figure out how much.

As for what to eat? Doesn't matter quite as much as getting enough of it.
Shoot for around 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight.
Maybe 25% fat and the rest as carbs. That is a starting point.

You need to adjust to your needs.

I recommend you read the book or something like it.
The basics aren't that complicated. You could learn them easily.

quiksylver296

If your username indicates your age, you might want to check with your doctor about testosterone replacement.

Rick_1953

quiksylver296 wrote: »

If your username indicates your age, you might want to check with your doctor about testosterone replacement.

Had it checked and it is good for my age

cqbkaju

Rick_1953 wrote: »

Had it checked and it is good for my age

To @quiksylver296's point, "good for my age" does not mean much when it comes to performance.
There are three T markers and "good for your age" is not the same thing as "optimal for your age" or "ideal for weight training".

Being in the acceptable range or "normal" for your age probably means your T levels are average at best.
Below average is still "good for your age" according to many doctors, if it is in the median range.

https://www.t-nation.com/pharma/complete-guide-to-t-replacement

The phrase that matters: "Get the Right Lab Work Done"

Rick_1953

cqbkaju wrote: »

Rick_1953 wrote: »

Had it checked and it is good for my age

To @quiksylver296's point, "good for my age" does not mean much when it comes to performance.
There are three T markers and "good for your age" is not the same thing as "optimal for your age" or "ideal for weight training".

Being in the acceptable range or "normal" for your age probably means your T levels are average at best.
Below average is still "good for your age" according to many doctors, if it is in the median range.

https://www.t-nation.com/pharma/complete-guide-to-t-replacement

The phrase that matters: "Get the Right Lab Work Done"

Guess it couldn't hurt. I eat a lot of food that increases testosterone, take a boost every day, eat cabbage to flush estrogen and I am currently at 13% BF. Thought I was doing all that I could

cqbkaju

Rick_1953 wrote: »

Guess it couldn't hurt. I eat a lot of food that increases testosterone, take a boost every day, eat cabbage to flush estrogen and I am currently at 13% BF. Thought I was doing all that I could

I'm about where you are, but I'm just pushing 50 myself.

I have no doubt that you are doing what you can, but a good doctor can do even more if s|he is authorized to write the correct Rx.

I'm no doctor but, in my research, the only thing that reliably increases total testosterone, free testosterone, and bioavailable testosterone in the bloodstream seems to be a needle.

I'm considering TRT and I've been doing some research because although I still train and fight full-contact I suspect I am in the low-end of the range.

Good luck sir.