Gaining/Bulking?

LewisNunn

I'm tracking my calories now yes. I eat roughly 1200 a day but more often than so it's a less than that by about two hundred calories and I just can't seem to eat any more without feeling full up.

mustgetmuscles1

well have to agree to disagree on that one, you know damn well his maintence is no where near 1200 why waste the time going up 100 a week wasting months before you even get close to his maintence and then another month to go over it. Just figure out the number tweak and monitor from there. People so scared about losing there little beiber abs are scared to grow.

I believe this would create a larger margin for fat gain, i would highly recommend a slight caloric increase weekly or bi-weekly, according to your weight.

sorry wrong

Actually, I agree with the first poster.

I would suggest that you gradually increase your calories by about 100 per week and monitor your weight; keep creeping up the cals until you find you've hit maintenance - you may gain a couple pounds and then stabilize when you reach that point. Hang out in maintenance for a couple of weeks, and then add another 300-500 calories to bulk. You can add these gradually as well. Creeping the calories up this way will likely be easier for you to stomach. It's not hard to add 100 calories (a glass of milk, tablespoon of peanut butter) but adding 1000 is. Also, a lot of people find that creeping the cals up actually sets you up to be able to eat more in the long run, which makes it easier to cut again (you won't have to do anything so drastic as 1200). The suggestion to aim for 1g protein per lb lean body mass is a good one.

He has been on a low cal diet and is struggling to eat that amount. Suggesting he jumps straight to maintenance can lead to pretty rapid weight regain that is not necessary and is also not very helpful as he stated he is struggling with a low amount already. There is no harm in gradually raising calories and adjusting to the new intake.

Fithealthyforlife

well have to agree to disagree on that one, you know damn well his maintence is no where near 1200 why waste the time going up 100 a week wasting months before you even get close to his maintence and then another month to go over it. Just figure out the number tweak and monitor from there. People so scared about losing there little beiber abs are scared to grow.

I suggested the gradual intake because a) he says it's hard to eat more than that and b) he says he's been in super-diet mode and bulking is kinda scary, so why on earth would you make it more difficult by making the experience more stressful and adherence less likely? What's the rush? People think bulking is easy/fun - it has its high points, yes, but it can be psychologically/mentally challenging (and yes, I'm speaking from experience. I am heading into my 5th months of a bulk - first one - after having finally dieted down to a place where I was confident/comfortable for the first time).

I went from like 2100 to like 2800 cals all at once. It was hard to stomach, but that was maintenance with my exercise level, and I didn't want to lose anymore weight. Then I increased gradually after that. If I'd been doing 1200 (I'd never have done that) there's no way I'd have been able to get above 2000 in one jump.

Fithealthyforlife

I'm tracking my calories now yes. I eat roughly 1200 a day but more often than so it's a less than that by about two hundred calories and I just can't seem to eat any more without feeling full up.

My advice then, is to join this group and read all the info there that you need to in order to understand the best course of action.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

The group is weight loss, maintenance, and weight gain alike.

it will fill in the details in your knowledge, such as "Why am I having trouble getting in enough calories even at the 1200 level?"

btw, the answer to that is that people slowly become accustomed to a certain long-term food intake. And it takes just as long get un-used to it.

linorang1

Really, explain why eating 3600 calories which is a large surplus for OP(poster) will not cause fat gain.

Fithealthyforlife

Really, explain why eating 3600 calories which is a large surplus for OP(poster) will not cause fat gain.

The term "surplus" refers to calories above and beyond maintenance and calorie burns from exercise.

Amadbro

Start raising your calories by a 100-200 calories per week. Do this until you start gaining weight. If weight gain stalls increase it again.

Try to get a minimum of 1 gram of protein/pound of body weight and .35 grams of fat/pound of body weight. The rest of your calories can be whatever you want.


Of course you need to be doing some form of resistance training or a lot of the weight gain will be fat.

The golden ticket right here OP

Don't listen to anyone telling you to jump right in a surplus from a severe deficit..you will avoid alot of headache. Just as mentioned, increase cals by 200 per week until you are where you need to be in a surplus. You can jump right into a cut from a bulk and take advantage of certain hormonal effects but NEVER jump straight into a bulk from a cut.

You can check out my diary for an example of how a bulking diet looks

justinproulx1

good point. Idk for me I go right into it but then again I was never eating as low as 1200 cals so it wasnt a huge jum for me as I clean bulk only 200 above maintence. SO when I switch its only a 400-500 cal swing. Which is nothing

well have to agree to disagree on that one, you know damn well his maintence is no where near 1200 why waste the time going up 100 a week wasting months before you even get close to his maintence and then another month to go over it. Just figure out the number tweak and monitor from there. People so scared about losing there little beiber abs are scared to grow.

I suggested the gradual intake because a) he says it's hard to eat more than that and b) he says he's been in super-diet mode and bulking is kinda scary, so why on earth would you make it more difficult by making the experience more stressful and adherence less likely? What's the rush? People think bulking is easy/fun - it has its high points, yes, but it can be psychologically/mentally challenging (and yes, I'm speaking from experience. I am heading into my 5th months of a bulk - first one - after having finally dieted down to a place where I was confident/comfortable for the first time).

D1m3b4g

Also people need to know the macro amounts you eat is more important than cals. You cant eat 2500 cals of fat and gain muscle. Easy way to start is 1 gram Protein per lb of lean mass, .5 grams of fat per lb of lean mass. Find out your dail;y maintence and add 300-500 cals on top of that. So whatver is left after the P and F fill up with carb calories. pretty simple stuff brah

What this guy said.

Snow3y

You're a guy right? why are you doing such a low deficit...

marvybells

I'm tracking my calories now yes. I eat roughly 1200 a day but more often than so it's a less than that by about two hundred calories and I just can't seem to eat any more without feeling full up.

My advice then, is to join this group and read all the info there that you need to in order to understand the best course of action.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

The group is weight loss, maintenance, and weight gain alike.

it will fill in the details in your knowledge, such as "Why am I having trouble getting in enough calories even at the 1200 level?"

btw, the answer to that is that people slowly become accustomed to a certain long-term food intake. And it takes just as long get un-used to it.

totally agree on checking out this group http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/10067-eat-train-progress-

There is so much valuable information to be found and they spell everything out in a way that is very easy to understand.

JoRocka

Start raising your calories by a 100-200 calories per week. Do this until you start gaining weight. If weight gain stalls increase it again.

Try to get a minimum of 1 gram of protein/pound of body weight and .35 grams of fat/pound of body weight. The rest of your calories can be whatever you want.


Of course you need to be doing some form of resistance training or a lot of the weight gain will be fat.

The golden ticket right here OP

Don't listen to anyone telling you to jump right in a surplus from a severe deficit..you will avoid alot of headache. Just as mentioned, increase cals by 200 per week until you are where you need to be in a surplus. You can jump right into a cut from a bulk and take advantage of certain hormonal effects but NEVER jump straight into a bulk from a cut.

You can check out my diary for an example of how a bulking diet looks

concur- this guy- he knows stuff.

also- women aren't the only ones who struggle with the mental shift from deficit > maintain > bulk.

I have a healthy relationship with food... and I switched from a severe cut/deficit- to maintenance and had a hard time with it.

People often forget there are psychological things at hand- not just the physical side effects.