Starting a clean bulk. Math problem!

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CptJinxx
CptJinxx Posts: 81 Member
in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
I've started All Pro's : SBR today and decided to start eating at a calorie surplus for the first time ever.

Just +10% above my maintenance, I want to gain 0.5 lb/week.

Now, I used to weigh myself every Saturday morning, last weigh-in was 141.5 lbs. Everything was consistent going as planned for +3 months.

How can I possibly keep track of what's happening right now? Too bad this transition phase happened in the middle of the week

I mean if I wait till Saturday, that would be a week of 50% deficit + 50% surplus. Not to mention I had a cheat meal 2 days ago, tried to level it off with less calories the following day, but I'm not exactly sure of how much calories I consumed over target on that day

So what would be the best advice to do? I like to keep everything in check and as accurate as possible, that's just me.. :D

Replies

  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
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    I think you're overthinking this.

    If you have accurate intake data, you could just increase calories slowly, and monitor change in weight, and repeat each week until you start gaining. If you've been in a calorie deficit for a while this would be a good idea anyway because going from a deficit straight to a surplus usually results in some additional weight gain (fat+bloat).
  • D8vidFitness
    D8vidFitness Posts: 104
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    yea too much equations,

    there's no such thing as a clean bulk

    go big or don't go at all.

    most people fall in between because they think they're over-eating and cut back, and when they cut back too hard, they'd eat more to bulk up again, and the cycle continues to a point where you're not gaining or losing size, and stuck in the same size for a prolong period.

    my advice for you is to just go hard and give up a year to really bulk up
  • abadvat
    abadvat Posts: 1,241 Member
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    A clean bulk?? Fella - might sound abrupt but you want to get big or not?
    Clean bulk does not exist - you eat at surplus - you will gain mass and that mass will be from muscles and from fat.
    Eating at surplus and hopping to gain only muscles and no fat means you are setting yourself up for failure.

    2 options here... stay at maintenance and grow slowly or else bulk, grow and then
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    First off, Don't use MFP to check how much you need for a bulk... So many people find trouble with it not being accurate.. Use something from iifym.com or a similar website..
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    and @all other posts from people regarding clean bulk, I wish you were friends with some people on my friends lists... Huge bro thinkers..
  • CptJinxx
    CptJinxx Posts: 81 Member
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    First off, Don't use MFP to check how much you need for a bulk... So many people find trouble with it not being accurate.. Use something from iifym.com or a similar website..

    I tried different calculators and the most accurate way turned out to be through trial and error and experimenting on myself.
    They can help estimate numbers though.

    I used to eat at an average of 1700 calories per day, lost 20 lbs over 2 months, so I think if I want a slow clean bulk I'd go for like 2400, maybe..

    Sorry guys if I complicate things, I'm not overly obsessed or anything, I just like numbers and like to monitor everything accurately as possible.

    Also, thanks, SideSteel, this sounds sensible.

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