I SUCK at putting food in my mouth!

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13

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    When I was in my 20s and in a similar boat, I drank a lot of whole fat milk, ate ice cream pretty much daily and ate more peanut-butter sandwiches (because I was also poor) than I care to remember.
  • Will_Thrust_For_Candy
    Will_Thrust_For_Candy Posts: 6,109 Member
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    This is a problem I DO NOT have.

    Have you tried a gainer shake? From my understanding you can get some that are like 1200 calories for one shake. Maybe that would be something to try?

    I had no idea that the gainer shakes offered so many calories! I'll check them out. I'd prefer "real" food but this is a valid option since I don't the time to cook.

    Check places like GNC or other supplement stores. A couple of other people recommended chocolate milk and GOMAD. Those are also great options and chocolate milk especially is a great recovery drink. You can easily get rid of 500 calories there alone :) Plus...TASTY!
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    It's really not entirely different than the millions of people that struggle with the exact opposite problem (putting TOO much food in their mouths). Just like you might be skipping meals (consciously or subconsciously), those trying to "diet"/cut/lose weight might choose to (consciously or subconsciously) have one too many treats and exceed their caloric intake.

    Either way, it comes down to REALLY wanting to achieve the desired result. If people want a leaner physique, they're going to make the sacrifice to move more & eat less. Just like them, you might have to sacrifice a bit and make eating a priority, if bulking is truly your desired result.

    Combine making it a priority with some of the calorie-dense foods previous posters have suggested and you'll be well on your way.

    Best of luck with the gainz!

    You makes some very VERY valid points. I've thought about the conscious/subconscious fact . . . I've worked so hard to get my BF % down that I don't want to start coverer up my abs with fat again. Calorie-dense foods - I like those ideas :)
    Exactly! Most people are recommending you eat dirty to make up for those calories, that's fine if what you want to gain is more body fat. You need to do what's called a " clean bulk". You have to increase the portion sizes of your current meals, especially your protein. Last night for example, I had like 1000 calories that still fit into my macros; easy, I had a cup of cooked white rice, a cup of cooked red beans, a 6 oz chicken breast, a 7 ounce pork chop, and a serving of ranch dressing with my a small salad; actually I used half a serving of dressing with my salad(1 tbsp) and half a serving for dipping... That was well over 900 calories... That's just one example; you can add extra whole eggs to your current breakfast. If you have a post workout shake add a serving of peanut butter, a banana, a cup of whole milk and 2 scoops of weigh protein, that's over 600 calories there.. See? That's half your calories in just 2 meals.
    Another thing that should be addressed is your training style. First off, cut out all cardio! You need to train with weights! Lift heavy! Compound movements like barbell squats, deadlifts, barbell and dumbbell presses, military presses, weighted dips, weighted chins, etc. The weight used should allow you no more then 6-8 reps.. Try to stick with free weights, machines don't recruit as much muscle fibers, and machines don't activate stabilizer muscles like free weights do. Try to increase your poundages frequently.
    If you follow this it should allow you to make cleaner gains; of course genetic limitations are also a factor.

    caesar164 - Great points! I'm currently a month into a 5x5 workout and it's going great - Getting stronger! You bring up a good point regarding cardio though. I do my 5x5 (30 minutes) and then I either run 6 miles (under an hour) or I do HIIT for 20 minutes. I need this cardio since I run endurance races . . . so this is really tricky for me LOL - Maybe I bulk for two months then introduce cardio? But will I just lose all the bulking that I gained? I guess it wouldn't hurt to try except that I really need to endure running 12 miles. Ugh.

    I still have a million posts to read from everyone who's responding; I'm sure there's lots of nuggets of advice! Sorry it's taking me so long but thanks for the input cause it's really helping me process my weight gain challenges differently.
  • jessical_otoole
    jessical_otoole Posts: 20
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    Hot dogs... definitely hot dogs.
  • caesar164
    caesar164 Posts: 312 Member
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    It

    caesar164 - Great points! I'm currently a month into a 5x5 workout and it's going great - Getting stronger! You bring up a good point regarding cardio though. I do my 5x5 (30 minutes) and then I either run 6 miles (under an hour) or I do HIIT for 20 minutes. I need my cadio because Incompete in endurance races . . . so this is really tricky for me LOL - Maybe I bulk for two months then introduce cardio? But will I just lose all the bulking that I gained? I guess it wouldn't hurt to try except that I really need to endure running 12 miles. Ugh.

    I still have a million posts to read from everyone who's responding; I'm sure there's lots of nuggets of advice! Sorry it's taking me so long but thanks for the input cause it's really helping me process my weight gain challenges differently.


    Lol! Your goals of winning endurance races and gaining muscle mass are a bit unrealistic. If you want to be the best endurance runner you can be, the training, diet and preparation is going to be totally different then that of gaining muscle mass. You have to decide what is important for you, winning marathons or looking jacked at the beach?
    To prepare for an endurance race it would probably be best to do tons of cardio, cut the weights out, and have a higher priority in consuming carbs. Thus sacrificing muscle size and losing more weight. There's nothing wrong with that, running marathons competitively would be great! I much rather being jacked and ripped though lol.
    You could compromise both, probably gain a little weight, not much; and also drop back in your running times, not run the best times possible... Either way, your staying active, and I'm sure your going to look great regardless..
  • NYactor1
    NYactor1 Posts: 9,642 Member
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    Wha?
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    Wha?

    hot dogs....she said hot dogs.
  • getfitwithjackie
    getfitwithjackie Posts: 8 Member
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    Egg whites - pure protein, cheap, real food and you can eat tons of them easily!
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    It's really not entirely different than the millions of people that struggle with the exact opposite problem (putting TOO much food in their mouths). Just like you might be skipping meals (consciously or subconsciously), those trying to "diet"/cut/lose weight might choose to (consciously or subconsciously) have one too many treats and exceed their caloric intake.

    Either way, it comes down to REALLY wanting to achieve the desired result. If people want a leaner physique, they're going to make the sacrifice to move more & eat less. Just like them, you might have to sacrifice a bit and make eating a priority, if bulking is truly your desired result.

    Combine making it a priority with some of the calorie-dense foods previous posters have suggested and you'll be well on your way.

    Best of luck with the gainz!

    You makes some very VERY valid points. I've thought about the conscious/subconscious fact . . . I've worked so hard to get my BF % down that I don't want to start coverer up my abs with fat again. Calorie-dense foods - I like those ideas :)
    Exactly! Most people are recommending you eat dirty to make up for those calories, that's fine if what you want to gain is more body fat. You need to do what's called a " clean bulk". You have to increase the portion sizes of your current meals, especially your protein. Last night for example, I had like 1000 calories that still fit into my macros; easy, I had a cup of cooked white rice, a cup of cooked red beans, a 6 oz chicken breast, a 7 ounce pork chop, and a serving of ranch dressing with my a small salad; actually I used half a serving of dressing with my salad(1 tbsp) and half a serving for dipping... That was well over 900 calories... That's just one example; you can add extra whole eggs to your current breakfast. If you have a post workout shake add a serving of peanut butter, a banana, a cup of whole milk and 2 scoops of weigh protein, that's over 600 calories there.. See? That's half your calories in just 2 meals.
    Another thing that should be addressed is your training style. First off, cut out all cardio! You need to train with weights! Lift heavy! Compound movements like barbell squats, deadlifts, barbell and dumbbell presses, military presses, weighted dips, weighted chins, etc. The weight used should allow you no more then 6-8 reps.. Try to stick with free weights, machines don't recruit as much muscle fibers, and machines don't activate stabilizer muscles like free weights do. Try to increase your poundages frequently.
    If you follow this it should allow you to make cleaner gains; of course genetic limitations are also a factor.

    I don't think the "cleanliness" of the food dictates body composition. In other words, (assuming macro minimums have been met) eating too large of a surplus in "clean" calories will just as likely be stored as body fat as too large of a surplus in "dirty" calories.

    Other than that little nitpick, seems like otherwise solid advice.
    That's probably true, but consider this, certain foods have a thermic effect on metabolism, like very lean proteins... Excess calories from carbohydrates can cause insulin spikes, not a good thing for lean body gains, very good thing for pure fat gains! Your metabolism works harder to digest proteins, thus using more energy(calories) for the digestion process to occur. This is not so with carbohydrates, again. This is why I preffer to increase lean protein, per the thought process" a calorie is just a calorie" not to me.

    Old mate is having an issue eating enough so you recommend the food with the highest TEF? Interesting...:indifferent:

    Insulin is required for tissue growth, muscle and fat. The calorie surplus is the main determining factor in how much fat is gained during bulking phases. (as well as genetics, BF% and testosterone levels amongst other things).

    OP: drink calories. You don't need any fancy "mass gainer" shake. It's sort of funny to hear people recommending this as a "clean" option being that the majority of the cals over a regular protein shake is straight sugar. You can make your own with some protein powder, your favourite fruit and I'd add some sort of fat to up the total cals.

    You seem maybe a bit fat phobic by the only chicken and fish comment. You need fats in your diet and if you are struggling to reach your cal target then it is the easiest way to up the cals. (most calorie dense)

    Good luck.
  • ge105
    ge105 Posts: 268 Member
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    Tell you what I heard is tried and true...rice and rest. Lift. Rice. Rest. Repeat.

    (Not saying no protein, just add rice to the amount of protein you need cause its easy to eat)

    Worked for Bane:
    http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/tom-hardy-workout.html
  • fwungy
    fwungy Posts: 2
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    Hard boiled eggs. Trader Joe's sells them pre-cooked, 6 in a pack, for $2.49. You can do a couple bags of those every day for 720 calories and 72 grams of protein. That's the Dozen Eggs a Day (DEAD) weight gain strategy. You can also make your own hard boiled eggs, but that's more work.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    OP, think of it this way: your body needs a certain amount of vitamins and minerals and amino acids in order to run. The amount of each of those things is not a percentage of your total intake, it is just a flat number.

    For example if you normally eat 2000 calories to maintain and get 60mg of vitamin C per day, when bulking at 3000 calories you DO NOT suddenly need 90 mg of vitamin C. So if you eat your maintenance consisting of all of the foods you normally eat to maintain, this will get you your required micronutrients. The rest do not need to contain any micronutrients, so even if you were add all the extra calories in the form of 100% pure sugar/fat/protein molecules, you would still get the nutrition your body needs to be healthy.

    Clearly written and very well said - thank you - this helps.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    Don't eat as clean as humanly possible. That's usually the problem for people in your lucky little boat, they want to eat 3000 calories but can't figure out how to put down that much broccoli. Your body just needs the calories, it doesn't care where they come from. Have a few doughnuts for breakfast and eat clean the rest of day. No time? Have a couple candy bars for lunch. It's not going the be unhealthy for you as long as most of your diet comes from healthy sources which I'm sure it does.

    Psychologically - this would be incredibly difficult for me to do LOL I can't remember the last time I ate a donut. Someone else suggested eating ice cream . . . I actually had some in my freezer that my son purchased so I ate a cup. It gave me bizarre nightmares Hahaha. Thanks for posting - I do understand the "not so clean" diet . . . make sense . . . I truly need to calm down and have some dessert once in awhile.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    I absolutely SUCK at putting food in my mouth. I just don't have the time to eat. I want to gain a 0.5 lb of muscle per week but I can't consume 3000 calories . . . on a good day, maybe I'll eat 2,000 calories.

    I'm 5' 10" @ 145lbs with 7% BF

    I understand that I can consume protein drinks and powdered supplements from any vendor, but I'd like to actually eat real food. I'm not lazy by any means; I'm just crazy busy and a bit ADD :)

    I know some answers to my challenge, so this is more of a rant, but it's the most challenging aspect of my health path. I can pre cook and freeze or pack food for trips . . . I get it, pre plan your menu and start feeding your muscles.

    BUT - if I'm missing something then please let me know. Or maybe you can relate?





    I can relate, its a pain in the *kitten* eating all the time. I refuse to eat crappy food. Only thing I can recommend is a mass gainer. I have been drinking three shakes a day from GNC Beyond Raw Mass Gainer. On top of that power foods will help. Avacado, Peanut butter, nuts, fruits and veggies. The mass gainer alone will add 870 calories a day. I've put on about 10 lbs. in a couple weeks. All I can say is just keep snacks with you and constantly snack on them throughout the whole day.

    Thanks man! Great to know that the shakes and snacking worked . . . someone else suggested those meal shakes so I purchased one on Sunday. We'll see how it works! I think I'm figuring out that I battle against my heavy cardio though . . . I need to find some balance.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    OP, I'm with you. I forgot to eat today and am trying to make up 1300 calories between dinner, chocolate milk and probably some ice cream. I didn't think this was humanly possible, but I'm totally sick of ice cream. Try to ease up on the idea of eating clean -- you'll never hit your calories that way! Do the best you can, and then make up the rest with whatever you can stand to eat at the end of the day.

    Thank you :) I'll try and put "dirty food" in my mouth but I just posted to someone else's suggestion that it's psychologically challenging for me to put a donut in my body LOL
  • miss_jessiejane
    miss_jessiejane Posts: 2,820 Member
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    I just don't know where else you would put it.
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    Tell you what I heard is tried and true...rice and rest. Lift. Rice. Rest. Repeat.

    (Not saying no protein, just add rice to the amount of protein you need cause its easy to eat)

    Worked for Bane:
    http://www.askmen.com/sports/bodybuilding/tom-hardy-workout.html

    I'm pretty sure what they meant was RICE, not rice...

    ...as in: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation.

    ETA: Not that I have anything against rice as a food, I just have never heard this particular food being prescribed in addition to rest.
  • chrisdavey
    chrisdavey Posts: 9,835 Member
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    OP: your relationship with food is a bit scary.

    You need to get out of the mindset of "good and bad foods". Yes, some are more micronutrient dense. Considering your goal is to gain weight, you could actually argue that things like fibrous veggies are "bad" for your diet (as a whole) since they are so filling and low calorie therefore not helping you reach your calorie targets.

    As I said, once your micronutrient needs are met, you don't get bonus points for getting more.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    Hard boiled eggs. Trader Joe's sells them pre-cooked, 6 in a pack, for $2.49. You can do a couple bags of those every day for 720 calories and 72 grams of protein. That's the Dozen Eggs a Day (DEAD) weight gain strategy. You can also make your own hard boiled eggs, but that's more work.

    I was just at TJ too . . . I had know idea they sold hard boiled eggs. I'll definitely purchase some during my next visit.
  • jamesolmos
    jamesolmos Posts: 35 Member
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    OP: your relationship with food is a bit scary.

    You need to get out of the mindset of "good and bad foods". Yes, some are more micronutrient dense. Considering your goal is to gain weight, you could actually argue that things like fibrous veggies are "bad" for your diet (as a whole) since they are so filling and low calorie therefore not helping you reach your calorie targets.

    As I said, once your micronutrient needs are met, you don't get bonus points for getting more.

    Thanks Chris - I do need to work on how I approach and view my diet. I'll try to be more open minded about the foods I eat. This will happen as I continue educating myself.

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