maruby95's bulking log

maruby95

Ok. Here goes nothing. Going to try to post a few starting pictures as well as the first 2 weeks of stats.

This is my fist bulk, so I'm learning as I go. Input welcome!!

Starting weight: 105 (about 19% BF)
ht: 5'3.5"
Maintenance cals: 1700
Bulking cals: 1800 for now, will increase as necessary. Current goals 113P/ 60F/ 200C
Program: a slightly modified SL 5x5 routine Mon-Wed-Fri, Pilates once a week, walking 4-6 days a week.
I am weighing in every day, so I see every little fluctuation. I'll be averaging my daily weights to get a better idea of 'real' gain.


Week 1: Oct 7-13

Ave cal burn 1627
Ave cal intake 1730
start wt 104.8
end wt 106.2 (up 1.4)
ave wt 105.9


Measurements: (take every 2 weeks)

waist 25.5
navel 28
bicep 10
thigh 19.5
hips 34
neck 12
ribs 29
bust 32
BF 19%


Week 2: Oct 14-20

Ave cal burn 1774
Ave intake 1793
start wt 107.6
end 107.4 (down .2)
Ave wt 106.6


[img]http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s606/maruby95/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsa9478e21.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s606/maruby95/Mobile Uploads/image_zps923dbcb8.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s606/maruby95/Mobile Uploads/image_zpsc07b57de.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i1308.photobucket.com/albums/s606/maruby95/Mobile Uploads/IMG_2388_zpsd6f9fb36.jpg[/img]

TriLifter

Nice start! I still have to take "before" pics :grumble:

maruby95

Week 3: Oct 21-27

Average burn: 1754
Calorie Goal: 1800
Ave calorie intake: 1823
Average wt: 106.7 (up .1 from last week and .8 from start)

Lifted 3 times, walked 5 days. Lifts went up by either reps or weight each session, with several PRs . Yeah!

I think my average weight was brought up from my weekend which included wine and beer (not typical) and desserts . I am debating whether to increase my calorie goal or keep it at 1800 for one more week to let things settle...

TriLifter

The book I'm using (NROL4W) recommends going through a whole month on the same calorie goal before reevaluating because then you see your weight through an entire menstrual cycle and any fluctuations that go along with that.

maruby95

Feeling squishy and soft today..yuck .

I've decided to switch from SL 5x5 to 5/3/1. I've been doing 5x5 or 3x5 since Jan and I'm getting tired of such tiny progress (one rep or one kilo . Time to move on . I've really only ever done full body workouts so the 4 day split it will probably take some getting used to. But I'm ready for a change.

Here's to big gains....:)

ETA: Thanks for the recommendation Primal. I think that's good advice. Keeping my cals steady for now.

TriLifter

Good luck with that! If I had more time I'd probably do a split. My gym doesn't open until 5 am and that's when I have to be in the shower. I was waking up at 3:30 am to run during marathon training, but I don't have that "luxury" for lifting, unfortunately.

maruby95

Yeah...I hear you on the time. I think I'm going to make my 4th day Saturday and keep my M-W-F weekday gym time steady. Really don't know how else to fit it in. Wendler says you can do his program 3 days a week, but that means you do each workout every 9-10 days instead of every week, which seems like not such a great idea when bulking. Trying to bulk ALL the muscles .

We'll see how it goes.

TriLifter

Trying to bulk ALL the muscles .

That's pretty much why I have to stay with compounds for now.

Barbellgirl

Please let me know what you think of the 5/3/1 program. I've been thinking about that one as well. :flowerforyou:

maruby95

Ok- here's the latest...

Week 4: Oct 28-Nov 3

Changed to Wendler 5/3/1 Program this week. I've had tons of DOMS from the switch plus PMS symptoms so I'm not taking too much stock in this week's numbers. Feeling soft and squishy and yuck.
lifting x 4, walking 4 days

Ave TDEE: 1745
Cal Goal: 1800
Ave intake: 1812 (ave 67 over TDEE)
Start wt: 107.6
End wt: 107.8
Ave wt: 107.6 (Up .9 from last week and 1.7 from start)

Measurements:
waist 26 (+.5 in)
navel 29 (+1)
thigh 19.75 (+.25)
hips 34.25 (+.25)
all others stayed the same.
As I said, wth the PMS + DOMS bloat I've got going on, I'm not sure how accurate these numbers are.

For this week, I'm going to stay at 1800, lift x 4 sessions and try to get a 30 minute walk in 4-5 days. Hoping things settle down this week with DOMS and TOM (hopefully. Haven't had one in almost a year but the PMS I've had this week offers hope and I can get a clearer picture of where I really am next week.

TriLifter

That's why my plan s to stick with the same numbers for a month (entire menstral cycle) and reevaulate after. I'm sure some bloat is to blame!

sarahstrezo

Sounds like a good plan to me.

TOM definitely messes with the scale...which is annoying.

maruby95

Week 5: Nov 4-10

Really enjoying the Wendler 5/3/1 so far. Feeling like I'm really working each muscle group more thoroughly, which I am hoping will improve my big lifts. So far, it hasn't been too hard to get to the gym 4 times.

Intake goal: 1800
Actual intake ave: 1701- oops! This was unintentional and I'm little frustrated about it. Feel like I "lost" a week.
Ave TDEE: 1793- AND this is above average.
Ave wt 107.4 (-0.2 from last week, but still up 1.5 from start)

So basically, I accidentally cut (but just barely) instead of bulked this week. Oops. I gotta get back on track this week...

TriLifter

It's okay--that's what happened to me last week. Just make sure you get it all in this week!

HMVOL7409

You did fine and don't worry about it. You didn't cut, you did what you could. Too many stress about intake and weight each week not realizing weight gain just like weight loss isn't linear and it's not going to be the same week in and week out. People actually have calorie ranges to which weight loss or gain respond, not a single exact number.

caseythirteen

Glad you're liking 5/3/1! I thought about doing that too but picked something else for now. Might try it next! I wouldn't worry too much about the calories either. It's not about one single week but about the idea as a whole and what your working towards.

maruby95

Since I never got around to updating this with numbers last week, I will put 2 weeks here.

I'm finding this journey quite the roller coaster ride: frustrated when I wasn't gaining, a little stressed when I was gaining, and now this week I've lost a little from being sick . Ah, well. Part of the point of this for me is learning to be ok with it all. My reaction to being sick has been a little suprising. I had a migraine with terrible nausea for 24 hrs, and the nausea has been sticking around- not as bad though- and I have had NO appetite for a couple days now. Fortunately, this is my de-load week in 5/3/1, so I'm not missing any big lifting, but I still want to get in there and "do the program right." But I just feel weak and tired. And I still don't have my cals up close to what they should be, especially protein which seems to bother my stomach the most right now. Trying to remind myself that my muscles won't fall off overnight LOL!

Week 6: Nov 11-17

Ave burn: 1767
Ave intake goal: 1850
Ave intake: 1861 (+94 per day)
Ave wt 107.8 (up .4 from last week)
start wt: 108
end wt: 108.8

Overall a good week, but starting to feel fat .


Week 7: Nov 18-23

Ave burn: 1668
Ave intake: 1410 (way under obviously, from being sick)
Ave wt : 109.2 (up 1.4 lbs since last week!!!, up 3.3 total so far)
start wt: 109
end wt: 107.4

So, despite being sick for 3 days, my weight made a big jump. What's that about?! I guess I'm on target for overall goal (.5 lb per week for 7 weks). But my numbers the before getting sick wouldn't suggest I should expect a big gain, meaning I didn't eat way over TDEE or anything. I wonder if I'm getting lazy about logging? Or burning less than I think (although I have always counted on my FitBit for this number). Or is this normal- little scale movement and then big jumps?

Anyway, really hoping to get some lifting in today. Really glad it's a de-load week...

yogaga1

Or is this normal- little scale movement and then big jumps?

That is normal and exactly what I have been experiencing thus far. You're doing great!

caseythirteen

Agree that it's normal, although annoying to see. I've never been much of a weigher so now that I'm doing it every day it's amazing to me how much it fluctuates.

HMVOL7409

Very normal, once again weight loss or gain is not linear and happens in spurts. You're doing great!

maruby95

Week 8: Nov 25- Dec 1

Ave Burn: 1712
Ave cals: 1931 (!!!!)
Ave wt: 107.5 (DOWN 1.5 from last week. UP 1.5 from start)
start wt: 107.4
end wt: 108.2


Well, I certainly packed in the calories this week. I feel like my weight is all over the place. Measurements are staying the same. Strength is improving. Still really enjoying 5/3/1. Overall, a good week. It's beginning to really sink in how hard it's going to be to put on any appreciable muscle. I feel like I'm stuffing my face all day, working hard in the gym, and making only tiny progress. But it's still progress- so I'll take it .

TriLifter

Measurements are staying the same. Strength is improving. Still really enjoying 5/3/1. Overall, a good week. It's beginning to really sink in how hard it's going to be to put on any appreciable muscle. I feel like I'm stuffing my face all day, working hard in the gym, and making only tiny progress. But it's still progress- so I'll take it .

You're about a week ahead of me, but I made that same realization this weekend. We've just gotta keep at it.

sarahstrezo

I had a hard time adding in more food at first too. Now, I'm at 2600+ with little to no effort. For me, it helps to add extra cals to my breakfast. Plus…you aren't going to be able to keep everything "clean" and easily take in that much food.
Peanut butter is good for a bunch of calls. Also, I found adding my extra calories to my carb macros. So…bagels and pop tarts are helping me in that department.

maruby95

Week 9: Dec 2-8

Ave TDEE: 1701
Ave cals: 1805
Ave wt: 107.9 (up .4 from last week, up 2 lbs from beginning)
Start wt: 108
End wt: 108


Measurements:

waist 25.5
navel 27
hips 34
thigh 19 (down .5)
bicep 10
neck 12
BF %: 19.5
LBM: 87 lbs (This is up from start of 84.5)

Everything is the same as from start except what I noted.

Looks like I need to eat more. Haven't had the greatest appetite this week, so my intake was a bit lower by accident. Need to find a way to get some more in this week. But I am super happy that the very meager couple of pounds I have added appear to be LBM . Granted, these numbers are small, so with margin of error factored in, it could realistically be basically no change, but my lifts are improving, so something must be happening, however small.
Keeping on...

pandorakick

Nice that you can eat more! Have some chocolate :bigsmile:

sarahstrezo

Eat up!

caseythirteen

Adding more food sounds like a good plan!

HMVOL7409

Agree that adding more calories seems good for you. I understand the appetite issue. Bulking has ceased my appetite lately; I don't remember the last time I felt hungry. What I've done though to ensure I'm getting my proper macros is change the foods I eat. I've switched to full fat dairy, increased my nut butter intake and stopped weighing and measuring crap. By doing the latter I sometimes would short myself but I'm currently not tracking so it's easier for me to do this and not stress I guess compared to others.

TriLifter

Our current measurements are pretty similar

maruby95

Wow- What an up and down week. Thanks again to all who encouraged me duing my "whaaa I'm not gaining" post. And, very predictably, as soon as I upped the calories, I got a jump up in weight. I know that it is mostly, if not all, fluid and food weight until I get used to it. But when I initally panicked at the literally 2 lb overnight gain, I had to lol at myself. Seriously- isn't that what I wanted?? Well, mostly- I'd rather see a slow and steady climb, but I'm learning that it rarely happens like that. Also had a great day in the gym yesterday, so that was good for morale .

Also, Sunday was my birthday, so this weekend's diet was a red hot mess. Too much alcohol, not enough protein. I know that's affecting the scale as well. Back on track this week with a higher calorie goal: 1900 minimum (was 1800).

Week 9: Dec 9-15

Ave TDEE (per FitBit): 1762
Ave Calories: 1953 ! This is a record high for me .
Start Wt: 108
End wt: 108.8 (today it's up to 110
Ave wt: 108.3 (up .4 from previous week and 2.5 from sart of bulk)

I need to take some progress pictures (not really expecting much change- but maybe?) but it's too flipping cold to take my clothes off!!! I'll try to brave it next week. Didn't bother to do measurements since I'm all bloated from my weekend madness and they wouldn't be very accurate.

Cycle 2, week 3 of 5/3/1 this week. Let's do this thang!

caseythirteen

First, happy belated birthday! Sounds like you had a great weekend so some well earned extra calories. You're doing great and I love the positive attitude!