Keep trying, but it's becoming impossible

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I'm lifting heavy, and keeping my protein levels up, so why am I losing weight and mass? It's really starting to get to me now. I just want to be bigger.
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  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    You need to be in a calorie surplus.

    Rigger
  • parkscs
    parkscs Posts: 1,639 Member
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    Eat.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    you're not eating enough.
  • ASKyle
    ASKyle Posts: 1,475 Member
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    You can't gain at a deficit.

    Eat more!
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    Upon further review, you're logging is sporadic at best, and even when you do log, you're typically well under your calorie goal. As for that goal, you and I are the same age, and your goal is lower than my cut, so unless you're about 4'10" your goal is way too low. I'm bulking right now and I'm hitting 3500+ daily, for a gain of about 1.2-1.8 pounds per week. You need to eat more, you can hit your protein target all you want, but if you're not in a surplus, you're not going to build an ounce of mass.

    Rigger
  • Serah87
    Serah87 Posts: 5,481 Member
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    Upon further review, you're logging is sporadic at best, and even when you do log, you're typically well under your calorie goal. As for that goal, you and I are the same age, and your goal is lower than my cut, so unless you're about 4'10" your goal is way too low. I'm bulking right now and I'm hitting 3500+ daily, for a gain of about 1.2-1.8 pounds per week. You need to eat more, you can hit your protein target all you want, but if you're not in a surplus, you're not going to build an ounce of mass.

    Rigger

    +1
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    Do you stretch? I read on Bodybuilding.com that you need to stretch so that the membrane around your muscles can grow/stretch faster. Otherwise they can actually confine your muscles, limiting how big they can get.
  • KingRat79
    KingRat79 Posts: 125 Member
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    Don't get me wrong but I wounder how realistic your expectations are? muscle gain is a slow process, you are not going to gain huge amounts of muscle over night, it takes years to build muscle.

    If you are eating in a slight surplus, you are meeting your macros, you are on a good lifting program. you will gain weight but it will take time
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Do you stretch? I read on Bodybuilding.com that you need to stretch so that the membrane around your muscles can grow/stretch faster. Otherwise they can actually confine your muscles, limiting how big they can get.

    while I'm ALL about stretching- I'm not sure this is true... at all.

    studies? links? articles?
  • Megmo127
    Megmo127 Posts: 76 Member
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    Upon further review, you're logging is sporadic at best, and even when you do log, you're typically well under your calorie goal. As for that goal, you and I are the same age, and your goal is lower than my cut, so unless you're about 4'10" your goal is way too low. I'm bulking right now and I'm hitting 3500+ daily, for a gain of about 1.2-1.8 pounds per week. You need to eat more, you can hit your protein target all you want, but if you're not in a surplus, you're not going to build an ounce of mass.

    Rigger

    +1

    +2
  • Jamr8231
    Jamr8231 Posts: 73 Member
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    I really didn't realise just how much I was undereating tbh. I fill up on lots of veg as well, which makes me feel full. Maybe I need to introduce more carbs and fats?
  • caesar164
    caesar164 Posts: 312 Member
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    Are you serious? Filling up on veggies? Veggies are great don't get me wrong, but they should have less priority then your macros on a bulk. Eat more rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beef, pork chicken, dairy, nut butters, fish oil, avocados, etc. If your having trouble getting all your calories from foods, you can try supplementing with a weight gainer shake. You need to eat big to get big, simple as that!
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    I really didn't realise just how much I was undereating tbh. I fill up on lots of veg as well, which makes me feel full. Maybe I need to introduce more carbs and fats?

    you wont successfully bulk on veg... EVER... are you actually aiming to eat at a surplus?
  • Jamr8231
    Jamr8231 Posts: 73 Member
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    I have no idea how much I want to weigh, but would like to see some bigger changes in my muscles. Sometimes my muscles look great, and then other days I go back to having stick arms and wake up to find I've lost weight.

    I've included some whole wheat pasta for dinner tonight. It's a start.
  • navyrigger46
    navyrigger46 Posts: 1,301 Member
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    How tall are you, how much do you weigh, and what is your weekly lifting and cardio regimen?

    ETA: You don't need to add whole wheat pasta for a day, you need to add a meal every day, like pizza, or a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings.

    Rigger
  • jcranston13
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    If the 2411 Cal in your diary is your TDEE, you need to be surpassing that number by at least 250 cal every day. Until you get your eating under control, you are not going to build bigger muscles. Diet is 90% of this game.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,645 Member
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    I had your same problem. I was 126lbs out of highschool..........................till I started eating a lot of calorie dense foods which included burgers, fries and pizza. Still keep your protein up (since muscle needs it to rebuild), but calorie surplus is needed in any muscle building regimen.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,952 Member
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    Do you stretch? I read on Bodybuilding.com that you need to stretch so that the membrane around your muscles can grow/stretch faster. Otherwise they can actually confine your muscles, limiting how big they can get.

    while I'm ALL about stretching- I'm not sure this is true... at all.

    studies? links? articles?

    Sorry, yeah I only just read this and I admit it came from a featured blog or something. But several agreed. While I doubt it's a proven study I think that it's probably good for you no matter what, right (as long as your muscles are warm when you do it and you don't over stretch)? So no harm in trying. :) Feel free to disregard. I was just brainstorming.

    I didn't find the original article I read, but here's another. Other articles have shown up via Google search.

    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/stretch-your-way-more-muscluar-body-with-this-stretching-routine.htm

    "Connective Tissues

    The connective tissues that surround the muscles are very tough and hug the muscle fibers tight. This can actually constrict expansion and growth. For muscle hypertrophy to occur the surrounding fascia needs to be stretched and become more pliable in order to give the muscle fibers room enough to expand grow bigger.

    Even if you haven't seriously focused on stretching before, the muscle mass that you have built up to this point came about from the stretching and expanding of the muscles encasing tissue. During your workouts when blood is being pumped into the muscles, the surrounding connective tissues are being stretched, that's why you get that tight feeling we call "the pump".

    The ideal time to stretch for increasing muscle mass is right after you've trained a particular body part and the muscles are "pumped up" and feeling tight. At this stage the connective tissues are already being stretched from the blood volume in the muscles, and then by manually stretching the muscles as well, you get a double whammy effect and this really increases the muscle fibers growth potential."
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
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    Bulking and muscle gain isn't something that happens by accident... You need a proper programme and a calorie surplus every day... Adding some pasta to one meal isn't going to help....
  • Jamr8231
    Jamr8231 Posts: 73 Member
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    I'm 5'4" and weigh 56kg (I actually weighed myself yesterday morning, first thing). I do about 30-40 minutes of rowing most mornings, and strength training only once a week, 3 sets of 8-10 reps.