Motivation to eat enough to bulk
jbgolf52
Posts: 210 Member
What motivates you guys to eat enough to bulk? I'm currently eating a bit over +20% of my TDEE, which works out to 2,200 cals as a 24yr old 5'10 guy weighing in at 133lbs. I feel like I'm stuffing myself all the time and hate how I cannot enjoy food anymore. I need to gain weight from a medical standpoint due to losing 27lbs last year from a stomach disease, but sometimes I just don't want to eat meals. I'm working out with compound heavy lifting 3x/week and love seeing my strength increase, but I still don't like eating all this food at times. Just looking for how you guys convince yourself to keep eating when your body doesn't want you to.
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Replies
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hey jbgolf52, you could easily buy yourself some weight gainer. it's an easy 800-1000 calories with 50-60 grams of protein. that will bring your calorie intake in half.0
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hey jbgolf52, you could easily buy yourself some weight gainer. it's an easy 800-1000 calories with 50-60 grams of protein. that will bring your calorie intake in half.
Unfortunately my stomach being what it is, I cannot tolerate any kind of weight gainers, just straight protein shakes with water. Thanks for the suggestion though.0 -
If I were in your shoes, I'd look into some calorie dense foods I enjoy from a taste perspective. If you are recovering from stomach issues, you probably don't want anything too greasy, but try adding avocados, hummus, quinoa, garbanzos, cottage cheese to increase calories in a healthy way.0
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Hmmmm I don't know..I love to eat and can eat a ton of food in one sitting, it is freaking scary. I am on a cut right now eating about 2000 to 2100 cals a day ...starting in September I will be slowly ramping up to maint and then a little bit about which will be about 2500 to 2600 cals a day, and I am sure I will be loving every second of it..
I would say find some foods that you really like ...steak, roasted potatos, a little pizza every now and then ...and go with those...0 -
I think it's the same as the motivation to eat a deficit to lose weight- if you actually want the end product, you do what you've gotta do. Eye on the prize.0
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If I were in your shoes, I'd look into some calorie dense foods I enjoy from a taste perspective. If you are recovering from stomach issues, you probably don't want anything too greasy, but try adding avocados, hummus, quinoa, garbanzos, cottage cheese to increase calories in a healthy way.
I agree! I would also suggest peanut butter or other nut butters. No low cal versions of foods, all full calories!0 -
If, from your profile, you have gastroparesis then consider discussing with your physician some of the anti-emetic drugs which increase appetite. Your reduced appetite might be a side effect of slow emptying.
Good luck.0 -
I've sometimes wondered this as, OP, at a weight similar to yours, I can lose on 2400kcal. So to gain? 3000kcal? More?
On the other hand, plenty of people around the world are on unintentional bulks, so maybe it needs less thought rather than more...0 -
Protein shakes!!! They don't make you feel too full and they're awesome for recovery!! Syntha-6 is my current fave!
) 0 -
Try something like ensure, its carbed up tastes decent, decent protein and around 400 calories for a few ounces. Reasonable price too.0
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Drink milk, juice, cola. No reason why not to get 25% of your kcals (or less or more) from liquids0
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Mssiera and ndj: I've been sticking to food that is tasty but sometimes I don't even want them. Peanut butter, chicken, and ground meats are a big part of my protein intake along with eggs for breakfast.
@morebean: good point, nothing worth achieving in life is easy.
@kitkatty: I cannot do the full fat versions of some things due to it aggravating my stomach, but peanut butter is fine and I've been having a good amount of it.
@evgeni: I am on medication which speeds up my digestion, so it has been helping but at times it does not. Thanks for the tip though.
@Oishii: you are probably pretty active to maintain on that many calories. I work an office job for 8 hours a day so that's why my cal requirement is so low.
@pamela: I have been using them on and off, I just cannot make dense ones or else it kills my stomach.
@colossus: I used to drink those but for some reason ever since the start of this year they have killed my stomach so I avoid them. I have been using muscle milk premade shakes which go down quick and easy. Thanks for the suggestion though.
@martucha: I cannot do milk because of a mild lactose intolerance and fizzy drinks exacerbates my symptoms.
Juice is fine though, so I will incorporate some as needed.0 -
I don't need motivation. I just eat. Your body gets used to it. I've always had one of those appetites where i can eat a ton. My TDEE is like 2900. I don't think it's really that hard, to be honest.0
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were do you get wait gainers? And has anyone ever used advocare stuff0
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I'm a little confused as to how a 5' 10" male has a TDEE + 20% of a mere 2,200 calories...as a 5'10" male myself, I'm just trying to figure out how that is possibly a bulk; my TDEE is right around 2600 - 2700; sedentary it's around 2300 or so.
I'd suggest just eating more calorie dense foods...you don't have to stuff yourself, there are plenty of calorie dense foods out there where a very small quantity goes a long way calorie wise. Drink full fat milk...eat nuts and nut butters...have a soda and drink some beer...cook with some good oils, etc.0 -
Eat foods you really, really like. So long as you're hitting your macros and also including enough variety of foods high in micronutrients so you get all the micronutrients you need, there's nothing wrong with eating so-called junk food to hit your calorie goal, if that's what you're going to enjoy eating. It's easy to go over your TDEE eating junk... well some junk food is high in protein e.g. burgers, chicken nuggets. So I don't see what's wrong with eating those foods to hit protein and calorie goals, as long as you're also getting enough micronutrients in the rest of your diet. Whatever you enjoy eating that's going to bump up your calories and get a reasonable amount of protein then eat it.0
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Milk. It's awesome.0
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How many meals a day are you having? Maybe try to eat more often if you can, even if your not hungry.0
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Eat whever the hell you like...just eat. Buy a few pints of Ben & Jerry's and have at it. As long as it fits in your macros then eat it.
Ps. I am also 5'10" and work an office job and my bulk (which I am currently in) is 2,800 and I am older (slower metabolism). Unless you are not doing any type of working out (which would be bad because you need to lift), then I would watch the scale for a week or two and if you are not gaining at least a pund per week then start adding calories in 250 increments.0 -
The simple answer is, if you want to gain weight, quit crying and eat the dang food. There are hundreds of people reading this thread and flipping double birdies at you because they are trying to cut weight and struggle.
Now...How to solve your problem.
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Large milkshake
- Oreo Blizzard
- Meat Lover's Pizza
Not an all inclusive list but just pick one of those I don't think you will have any problems.
ETA: Did not realize this was a continuing condition that makes it harder to eat a lot. Advice still stands though. What does your Dr. say? Is there a pill to take to make it easier or something you can take to get your calories in? Milkshake seems like the best option to get maximum calories for smallest space.
ETA2: Saw you responded to alot of similar issues. Honestly, I don't think people here are going to be your best option for support as we don't have a medical condition like yours to relate. I can put down 4,000 calories by accident if I don't keep my diet in check. Is there a support group or something you can check out for people in a similar situation? No matter what you need to keep eating b/c at your height and weight you are very underweight.0 -
@robp: my body doesn't get used to it, many days it's a struggle.
@travjess: try GNC or vitamin shoppe for weight gainers.
@cwolfman: I know 2,200 is low, but I don't even hit that average and still gain. On weeks where I've done well an averaged around 2,000-2,050 I've gained .5lb or so, but that has been few and far between.
@neadermagnon: I've been eating some junk food to hit my calorie goals, it's just that some times my stomach feels like a brick is in it due to constipation from my disease and I get pains and don't want to eat, no matter how appetizing the food is.
@bigtalljay: can't do milk due to mild lactose intolerance, even when I use lactose pills, but ice cream and cheese are fine.
@jaywalk: I have 3 pints of B&J in my freezer now and it has been helping. Like I said, it's surprising but I do gain on 2,200, it's weird. I'm hoping my TDEE is not that low when I regain my lost weight.
@ryry: dude trust me, I'd love to eat the food you listed but the last time I had a burger and milkshake I couldn't eat for the next two days due to stomach pains and it sucked. I am on medication to speed up my digestion which makes eating easier, but it doesn't work all the time. Unfortunately my doctor and other medical professionals I have talked to did not have much in the way of diet advice besides eat soft easy to digest food, low fat, low fiber, and drink calories; that's why I turned to the forums. I don't know of any support groups since this is a pretty uncommon disease. I agree that I need to keep eating no matter what, I am definitely underweight. I used to be around 145lbs but dropped to 118lbs last year. I'm doing better now but still need to gain weight. I'm hoping to get up to 160-165lbs when it's all said and done.0 -
The simple answer is, if you want to gain weight, quit crying and eat the dang food. There are hundreds of people reading this thread and flipping double birdies at you because they are trying to cut weight and struggle.
Now...How to solve your problem.
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Large milkshake
- Oreo Blizzard
- Meat Lover's Pizza
Not an all inclusive list but just pick one of those I don't think you will have any problems.
ETA: Did not realize this was a continuing condition that makes it harder to eat a lot. Advice still stands though. What does your Dr. say? Is there a pill to take to make it easier or something you can take to get your calories in? Milkshake seems like the best option to get maximum calories for smallest space.
ETA2: Saw you responded to alot of similar issues. Honestly, I don't think people here are going to be your best option for support as we don't have a medical condition like yours to relate. I can put down 4,000 calories by accident if I don't keep my diet in check. Is there a support group or something you can check out for people in a similar situation? No matter what you need to keep eating b/c at your height and weight you are very underweight.
I did not flip anyone off BC I realized the OP had a stomach disease and actually read the post...but way to go ...0 -
@robp: my body doesn't get used to it, many days it's a struggle.
@travjess: try GNC or vitamin shoppe for weight gainers.
@cwolfman: I know 2,200 is low, but I don't even hit that average and still gain. On weeks where I've done well an averaged around 2,000-2,050 I've gained .5lb or so, but that has been few and far between.
@neadermagnon: I've been eating some junk food to hit my calorie goals, it's just that some times my stomach feels like a brick is in it due to constipation from my disease and I get pains and don't want to eat, no matter how appetizing the food is.
@bigtalljay: can't do milk due to mild lactose intolerance, even when I use lactose pills, but ice cream and cheese are fine.
@jaywalk: I have 3 pints of B&J in my freezer now and it has been helping. Like I said, it's surprising but I do gain on 2,200, it's weird. I'm hoping my TDEE is not that low when I regain my lost weight.
@ryry: dude trust me, I'd love to eat the food you listed but the last time I had a burger and milkshake I couldn't eat for the next two days due to stomach pains and it sucked. I am on medication to speed up my digestion which makes eating easier, but it doesn't work all the time. Unfortunately my doctor and other medical professionals I have talked to did not have much in the way of diet advice besides eat soft easy to digest food, low fat, low fiber, and drink calories; that's why I turned to the forums. I don't know of any support groups since this is a pretty uncommon disease. I agree that I need to keep eating no matter what, I am definitely underweight. I used to be around 145lbs but dropped to 118lbs last year. I'm doing better now but still need to gain weight. I'm hoping to get up to 160-165lbs when it's all said and done.
Is there are reason related to your medical condition why the doctors say low fat? Because fatty foods are calorie dense and are a good way to bump up your calories without filling you up too much. Fat is not unhealthy (unless there's a medical reason to avoid it) it just has a bad rap because it's calories dense, so easy to eat too much of it, and in the past doctors etc thought that too much fat/cholesterol leads to high blood cholesterol levels, when the reality is far more complex and dietary cholesterol doesn't cause high blood cholesterol levels, and some kinds of cholesterol help to lower it..... and that aside, in your situation where you're struggling to eat enough, you're not at risk of these kinds of problems anyway. So that's why i'm questioning why they said low fat... because it sounds like you need to eat more fat not less (if the reason for avoiding it isn't because of your condition)
have you tried eating honey? that's very calorie dense. Maybe you could mix it into your ice cream when you eat that. Another thing if you're finding it easier to eat ice cream, is making smoothies using whey isolate (or some other protein isolate if you can't eat whey due to lactose intolerance) - I make one with vanilla flavoured whey isolate, frozen fruit and laban (an Arabic dairy product)... you'd have to experiment to find something you like eating from ingredients you know you can eat, but the way i make it it tastes like ice cream but has a significantly higher protein content. You can add honey for extra calories as well.
Hope the docs can treat your condition better so you find it easier to eat.0 -
Ensure and liquid supplements like that
Nuts
Chocolate
Ice cream with protein
Low residue food like apples pie
Almond paste0 -
@ryry: dude trust me, I'd love to eat the food you listed but the last time I had a burger and milkshake I couldn't eat for the next two days due to stomach pains and it sucked. I am on medication to speed up my digestion which makes eating easier, but it doesn't work all the time. Unfortunately my doctor and other medical professionals I have talked to did not have much in the way of diet advice besides eat soft easy to digest food, low fat, low fiber, and drink calories; that's why I turned to the forums. I don't know of any support groups since this is a pretty uncommon disease. I agree that I need to keep eating no matter what, I am definitely underweight. I used to be around 145lbs but dropped to 118lbs last year. I'm doing better now but still need to gain weight. I'm hoping to get up to 160-165lbs when it's all said and done.
Dang Bro...Thats rough.
You said PB is good for you. I'm just spit balling here. Some kind of custom made "mass gainer" shake
4 TBSP PB - 400 cals
2-3 Scoops Choco PB Protein - 200-400 Cals depending on brand
Ensure Replacement Shake - 235 cals (maybe replace skim milk if better on stomach)
1 banana - 110 cals
2 scoops ice cream - 250 calories
Hersheys choco syrup to taste
Add Ice to improve thickness if needed.
Thats around 1000-1400 in a shake, then the rest you can get from solid food?0 -
The simple answer is, if you want to gain weight, quit crying and eat the dang food. There are hundreds of people reading this thread and flipping double birdies at you because they are trying to cut weight and struggle.
Now...How to solve your problem.
- Bacon Cheeseburgers
- Large milkshake
- Oreo Blizzard
- Meat Lover's Pizza
Not an all inclusive list but just pick one of those I don't think you will have any problems.
ETA: Did not realize this was a continuing condition that makes it harder to eat a lot. Advice still stands though. What does your Dr. say? Is there a pill to take to make it easier or something you can take to get your calories in? Milkshake seems like the best option to get maximum calories for smallest space.
ETA2: Saw you responded to alot of similar issues. Honestly, I don't think people here are going to be your best option for support as we don't have a medical condition like yours to relate. I can put down 4,000 calories by accident if I don't keep my diet in check. Is there a support group or something you can check out for people in a similar situation? No matter what you need to keep eating b/c at your height and weight you are very underweight.
I did not flip anyone off BC I realized the OP had a stomach disease and actually read the post...but way to go ...
Thanks for your feedback0 -
@Neadermagnon: they say low fat because fat slows absorption and gastroparesis already slows stomach digestion as is. They are not anti-fat for the normal SAD reasons. I agree though that fat is the easy way to up my cals because it takes up the least amount of stomach space out of the three macros. I can tolerate a moderate amount, like 70-80g a day, but anything more and my digestion becomes sluggish. Bacon, eggs, sausages, salmon, and PB have been my go-to foods for good sources of fat.
I actually do not like honey, but thanks for the suggestion. Like I said above, I cannot make smoothies or shakes, the only things I can tolerate in liquid form are protein shakes with just the powder and water or premade shakes that come in bottles like muscle milk. Ensure/boost/glucerna do not work for me. Unfortunately there is no known cure for what I have. There have been reports of people experiencing it just going away, which is what happened to my cousin’s fiancé, so I hope the same thing happens for me eventually.
@Evgeni: is almost paste just almond butter or something else?
@ryry: The problem is that I cannot make any kind of shake, I can only have protein powder in water. Anything else added to it makes my stomach go into a whirl and I feel like crap and can’t eat, it blows. I may just pick up a bunch of pre-made muscle milk drinks, although it is a bit pricey. Thanks for the suggestion though, that shake sounds really good.0 -
were do you get wait gainers? And has anyone ever used advocare stuff
You can get one at your local vitamin shoppe or gnc stores.0 -
is it easier eating 3 big meals or a lot of little ones0
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I completely dropped weight gainers. At least the one I was using had low quality protein, made me horribly gassy and had a lot of fat. I find its easier for me to powder up about 3 servings of rolled oats and mix in quality whey. Best whey to eat oats hands down.0
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