Gaining/Bulking?
LewisNunn
Posts: 7
So I've lost thirty five pounds and near enough hit my target all but a pound. As I've been so set on losing weight and jumped right in I kind of made it hard on myself by lowering my calories too quickly so I don't want to make the same mistakes when gaining/bulking.
If anyone has any tips on what my nutritional intakes should be and how I could work into gaining then it would be most appreciated!:D
I'm still on a 1200 calorie diet if that helps and I find it hard to eat more than that a day:/
If anyone has any tips on what my nutritional intakes should be and how I could work into gaining then it would be most appreciated!:D
I'm still on a 1200 calorie diet if that helps and I find it hard to eat more than that a day:/
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Replies
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you want to gain weight?? triple the cals your eating now cause 1200 cals is a 90 lb girl cutting diet......and quit counting cals and start counting macros. Lift Heavy and sleep. Youll grow.......... it aint hard0
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Yea, you are going to have to eat a lot more. Start adding oils, butter, nuts, peanut butter into your diet. They can add up quick.0
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Do you know you TDEE(Maintenance calories)?. If so, i recommend you eat 300-400 calories in surplus in order to accumulate less fat gain.0
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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 brah0
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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.0
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sorry wrongI 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.0
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I'm a 118lb girl and I'm eating almost double you.
I am currently bulking so I am eating 390 calories over my maintenance which puts me at 2000 calories.
As others said, find out your TDEE and eat a surplus of a few hundred.
If you find it difficult, introduce a lot of calorie dense foods to your diet and you can also drink your calories: protein shakes!0 -
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
Right! But you have to make sure you get both sufficient calories and macros. I think what you were saying is if you get your macros the calories will take care of themselves. While that's true, most newbies have no clue how many macros they need, so counting calories is easier initially. With 26% of the diet being protein, it's not that hard to get the right amount of fat and carbs by counting calories.
And to the OP: you may wish to increase your calories slowly, by incremements of 500 initially. It might be hard to stomach 2500-3500 right away, but chances are that's what you will need considering your age and accounting for maintenance, exercise cals, and a slight or moderate surplus on top of that. I'm almost ten years older than you, and according to MFP I eat a 300-350 cal surplus per day, which brings me to 3000 on an average day. A quarter or so of that is protein, at least half is carbs, and the rest is fats.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
yes exactly what im saying and good point on the not all people would know that. +1Also 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
Right! But you have to make sure you get both sufficient calories and macros. I think what you were saying is if you get your macros the calories will take care of themselves. While that's true, most newbies have no clue how many macros they need, so counting calories is easier initially. With 26% of the diet being protein, it's not that hard to get the right amount of fat and carbs by counting calories.
And to the OP: you may wish to increase your calories slowly, by incremements of 500 initially. It might be hard to stomach 2500-3500 right away, but chances are that's what you will need considering your age and accounting for maintenance, exercise cals, and a slight or moderate surplus on top of that. I'm almost ten years older than you, and according to MFP I eat a 300-350 cal surplus per day, which brings me to 3000 on an average day. A quarter or so of that is protein, at least half is carbs, and the rest is fats.0 -
I know all of you are trying to help but only a couple of you are saying things that I understand the rest is just foreign..0
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Of course you need to be doing some form of resistance training or a lot of the weight gain will be fat.
Also this. Very much. Lift heavy, find a good progressive program.0 -
I know all of you are trying to help but only a couple of you are saying things that I understand the rest is just foreign..
What are you struggling with?
Or, what information, specifically, do you need to make this easier for you?0 -
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.0 -
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.
This makes sense and fits what I know I can handle perfectly. Thank you.0 -
I know all of you are trying to help but only a couple of you are saying things that I understand the rest is just foreign..
Are you tracking calories now? Or is 1200 a guesstimate?
Macros are macro nutrients: protein, carbs, and fat. We need mostly carbs, and the least amount of fat. MFP gives a good breakdown to shoot for if you track using the diary.
Exercise calories are what you burn off. Eventually you will have to account for those and eat that much extra per day to maintain a stable weight.
Gaining weight requires a few hundred more calories above this. That's called the dietary surplus.0 -
I know all of you are trying to help but only a couple of you are saying things that I understand the rest is just foreign..
You're not eating enough...eat more.
1200 calories is way to low for you...eat more.
Lift weights.
Does that sum it up for you?0 -
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).0 -
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.0
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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.0 -
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.0 -
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.0 -
Really, explain why eating 3600 calories which is a large surplus for OP(poster) will not cause fat gain.0
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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.0 -
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 looks0 -
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 nothingwell 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).0 -
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.0 -
You're a guy right? why are you doing such a low deficit...0
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