Paleo and Bulking

TriLifter

Has anyone ever attempted to bulk while eating paleo? I'm going to start a bulk in a week and was wondering if anyone had any experiences to share. Thanks!

coopersmom2006

Nope but good luck! I tried my first (non Paleo) bulk 2 months ago and it was rough. I ended up trying to do it dirty (eating crap I don't normally eat to get in my calories) and I felt like poop! Never gained a thing and ended up going Paleo to get my system cleaned out and feeling better. I'm sure you can do it! Maybe eat lots of nut butter and yummy Paleo baked goods along with some extra proteins etc?

Shadowknight137

Been bulking for a year now.

It's pretty much like bulking not on Paleo. Eat at a surplus of 10-20% over maintenance, lift heavy and eat primarily whole foods. Be sure to get enough protein and fat (1g and 0.45g per lb of lean body mass respectively) and fill the remainder of your bulking calories with whatever you like, preferably carbs or fat, whatever suits you best.

If you find yourself struggling to hit your goals (some people seem to get this when cutting on Paleo... Not sure why) just be sure to eat calories dense foods. Fatty meats, potatoes, homemade ice cream, dried fruit, etc.

In terms of my own experience I find it easier to eat more carbs. Higher fat and protein satiates me a little too much; I find it just as easy to eat a kilo of potatoes as I do eating four eggs, but this is just me, you really do need to just adjust your macros and food choices to your preferences. You may in time find yourself getting sick of eating so much more food, in which case you really just have to suck it up and just do it. If you don't eat enough one day, try to make up for it the next - work on a weekly basis (though this might mean eating 3k kcal on one day which is not very fun).

And lift heavy weights. Obviously. :P

All in all, it really just boils down to do what you're already doing but just eat a little bit more, and feel free to include more foods you enjoy and have as much variety as you can. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do; as I said, I'm a year in and still going. Good luck!

TriLifter

Thank you both for your responses... definitely some wonderful advice! Trust me, eating more won't be a problem for me hahaha. I'm staying the bulk at 120 lbs and my goal is to gain 10-15 lbs depending on how much muscle vs. fat I'm gaining in the next 3-4 months. My current calories are set to maintenance at 2000 calories and will up then to 2400 on lifting days and 2200 on non lifting days for the bulk. I'm also currently eating 150g protein/ day.