Am I eating enough for a slow clean bulk

So I am 19 years old, 5'7 and 140lbs. I workout between four and five days a week with a very very small amount of cardio but mostly heavy weight training (like bench at 140-160, squat at 200, and other exercises) for approximately 30-45 minutes. I also consider myself lightly-moderately active. Here is how I are today which isn't terribly different from what I usually eat, do I look like I'm eating enough for a clean, slow bulk:

Breakfast:
Banana
Handful of blueberries
Approx a cup of Cherios
Approx a cup of Fat Free Plain Yogurt
~usually this is a fruit (like banana), a carb (like cereal, whole wheat bread or bagel), and a protein (like yogurt or an egg)

Post WO:
A Scoop of Chocolate Whey
A Cup of 1% Milk

Lunch:
1/2 Cup of shrimp salad on ciabatta (about 5 inches)
1/4 cup of coleslaw
~Usually this is a sandwich with coldcuts and cheese, with an occasional side like a peach-this lunch isn't that different.

Snack:
Peach

Dinner:
Approx 6oz roasted pork tenderloin
approx half a cup of roasted potatoes
Approx half a cup of merapoix
Approx half a cup of zucchini with mint
Approx a quarter cup of cole slaw
~think clean plate method (half plate veggie, quarter starch, quarter lean protein) and that's my usual dinner.

Dessert:
Two scoops of soft serve ice cream (this is usually some fruit salad I indulged today)

Before Bed:
Scoop Chocolate Whey
Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk

I hear a lot of how you have to eat big to get big and when I look at my younger bro who is also trying to gain muscle (about 20 lbs more than myself right now) I definitely don't seem to eat at all (he eats really constantly and bigger portions than me).
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Replies

  • LiftCore
    LiftCore Posts: 23 Member
    There's no real way any one of us can tell you for sure. *kitten* your weight gain for 2-4 weeks and if you feel you are gaining too fast, detract calories. If you're not gaining enough, add calories. From there, *kitten* further and again, make adjustments if necessary. A good guidline is no more than 1-2lbs of weight gained per month.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    how many calories is that?
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    There's no real way any one of us can tell you for sure. *kitten* your weight gain for 2-4 weeks and if you feel you are gaining too fast, detract calories. If you're not gaining enough, add calories. From there, *kitten* further and again, make adjustments if necessary. A good guidline is no more than 1-2lbs of weight gained per month.

    I have been doing this for about 4 weeks. I seemingly have gained but my weight has fluctuated. At one point it seemed I gained 3lbs at another,only one. But I haven't weighed much. I just can't tell much this early on because I could see my weigh ins being fluctuations or replenishment of glycogen (I didn't gain any glycogen when I switched to maintenance but since I don't count anymore I feel like it's possible I underestimated my maintenance initially). Essentially I can't seem to know how to accurately judge weight gain as it is so close to my weight range at this point. Is there a way to guesstimate if this volume if food at least seems sufficient? As I've said some people have said that they have a lot of trouble hitting a sustained surplus and feel sick when they try, but this intake is fairly easy to achieve and I could even eat more if need be.
  • Ryan_Case
    Ryan_Case Posts: 29 Member

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating...

    ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

    :huh:
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.

    really? it looks less than i eat and i only eat 1700 cals!

    no one on here can give you much help if you dont log, other than to tell you to log!
  • LiftCore
    LiftCore Posts: 23 Member
    I have been doing this for about 4 weeks. I seemingly have gained but my weight has fluctuated. At one point it seemed I gained 3lbs at another,only one. But I haven't weighed much. I just can't tell much this early on because I could see my weigh ins being fluctuations or replenishment of glycogen (I didn't gain any glycogen when I switched to maintenance but since I don't count anymore I feel like it's possible I underestimated my maintenance initially). Essentially I can't seem to know how to accurately judge weight gain as it is so close to my weight range at this point. Is there a way to guesstimate if this volume if food at least seems sufficient? As I've said some people have said that they have a lot of trouble hitting a sustained surplus and feel sick when they try, but this intake is fairly easy to achieve and I could even eat more if need be.

    Unfortunately when first starting (I am assuming you have recently started) the most accurate way other than going in for a DEXA scan or something like that would be to *kitten* the first few months until you know (more or less) your caloric needs and expedinture, and by then you should also have developed a better apt for "guestimation". This is tedious I know but it has to be done. I would also recommend logging as accurately as possible (within reason) during your time of assessment. Fluctuations tend to be a day to day thing so if you're measuring yourself in the morning before eating and after "taking care of business", and then at the end of every week calculating your average weight gain, it should diminish the effect of fluctuations at least a little. Also, a persons appetite doesn't necessarily have to match their caloric needs. E.G for me to bee in a caloric surplus of 500 calories I need to eat about 3000 calories, but I can very easily eat 5000+ a day if I wanted to, so this may be the case with you to.
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    How many calories are you eating?

    What is your TDEE?


    Without knowing these two factors it's impossible to say.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.

    really? it looks less than i eat and i only eat 1700 cals!

    no one on here can give you much help if you dont log, other than to tell you to log!

    I wouldn't be surprised if I were overestimating calories but by that much? I definitely haven't been losing weight but I'm not sure if I've gained. I am getting stronger in the gym though.

    I guess it's possible I'm not eating 2500-2700 daily considering if that were true my little brother would easily be eating 4000+ (basically add double the meat at dinner, two sandwiches and chips at lunch, and chips and pudding snacks instead of a peac during snack and that's what he eats). But idk. I don't lose any weight so I can't see how I could be eating less than 2500 (my calculated TDEE). I just think weighing and logging is way too obsessive for me personally, obviously it is a great tool for some but now that I'm maintaining I don't want to go through that kind of lifestyle...it just wouldn't be sustainable for me.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member

    I wouldn't be surprised if I were overestimating calories but by that much? I definitely haven't been losing weight but I'm not sure if I've gained. I am getting stronger in the gym though.

    I guess it's possible I'm not eating 2500-2700 daily considering if that were true my little brother would easily be eating 4000+ (basically add double the meat at dinner, two sandwiches and chips at lunch, and chips and pudding snacks instead of a peac during snack and that's what he eats). But idk. I don't lose any weight so I can't see how I could be eating less than 2500 (my calculated TDEE). I just think weighing and logging is way too obsessive for me personally, obviously it is a great tool for some but now that I'm maintaining I don't want to go through that kind of lifestyle...it just wouldn't be sustainable for me.

    if you're not losing and not gaining then you just need to eat more...
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.

    Fix that first^

    Track everything you eat religiously for two weeks and track your weight. Once you have that data, you can workout your TDEE and eat 300-500 cals above that daily and start gaining.
  • I found two articles relevant to your question:

    This article helps the readers understand Calories and how to get the equation right to get the results you are looking for. - http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/calorie-know-how-get-equation-right-to-get-results.htm

    Most fitness people are trying to lose weight so they watch the BMR but if you are adding lean muscle, you pay close attention to TDEE; the amount of calories your body burns in 24 hour period, sleeping, working, exercising, play and even digesting food. http://iifym.com/tdee-calculator/
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.

    really? it looks less than i eat and i only eat 1700 cals!

    no one on here can give you much help if you dont log, other than to tell you to log!

    maybe if you were eating full fat yogurt and real milk- you might be breaking 2000- but that's not far from what I eat and I'm eating less than 2000.

    You need to log/track and figure out what you are eating.

    If you chose not to- you're going to be eating in the dark and basing it purely on weight gain and tape measure- which isn't bad- but it's harder to do because- you're not taking a scientific wild *kitten* guess- you're just taking a swinging wild *kitten* guess.

    Skip the low fat- skip the none fat- eat full fat- add some ice cream- add some PB and J.

    You're young. YOUNG. and male- and light weight- you could probably be eating a minimum of 3500 calories and still be okay.

    Eat big
    Lift big.
    Skip slow clean bulk- you're in the best place in your life to pack on muscle- do it now while the deck is stacked in your favor.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    how many calories is that?

    Not sure. I don't log. If I were guesstimating I would honestly say it were 2500-2700 cals. But is onr measure anything so i don't know.

    really? it looks less than i eat and i only eat 1700 cals!

    no one on here can give you much help if you dont log, other than to tell you to log!

    maybe if you were eating full fat yogurt and real milk- you might be breaking 2000- but that's not far from what I eat and I'm eating less than 2000.

    You need to log/track and figure out what you are eating.

    If you chose not to- you're going to be eating in the dark and basing it purely on weight gain and tape measure- which isn't bad- but it's harder to do because- you're not taking a scientific wild *kitten* guess- you're just taking a swinging wild *kitten* guess.

    Skip the low fat- skip the none fat- eat full fat- add some ice cream- add some PB and J.

    You're young. YOUNG. and male- and light weight- you could probably be eating a minimum of 3500 calories and still be okay.

    Eat big
    Lift big.
    Skip slow clean bulk- you're in the best place in your life to pack on muscle- do it now while the deck is stacked in your favor.

    Are you saying that since I'm young I will not gain immense amounts of fat? Essentially, I like the way my body looks already, but I'd like to be stronger and get a six pack and build up other muscles (particularly legs). I don't really want to have to do a big cut at the end of my bulk. So will a bulk pack mostly muscle on for me with less fat?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Kind of.

    You're at a point in your life where you are primed to make big muscle gains. As you get older- it becomes more difficult. You can read about GOMAD- gallon of milk a day- bulking program built for athlete's at your age bracket.

    You're young- pumped full of testosterone- and primed for muscle building- you can put on more muscle now with minimal fat gains than you'll probably ever be able to do at an other single point in your life.

    You might still have to cut- but you might find you're okay with where you are at the end of the cycle and stay there- happens to women quiet a lot- they realize their body looks better with more muscle and some fat- than less of both.

    I would also caution you to not let vanity to get in the way of muscle gains- it's the downfall of many people.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    Kind of.

    You're at a point in your life where you are primed to make big muscle gains. As you get older- it becomes more difficult. You can read about GOMAD- gallon of milk a day- bulking program built for athlete's at your age bracket.

    You're young- pumped full of testosterone- and primed for muscle building- you can put on more muscle now with minimal fat gains than you'll probably ever be able to do at an other single point in your life.

    You might still have to cut- but you might find you're okay with where you are at the end of the cycle and stay there- happens to women quiet a lot- they realize their body looks better with more muscle and some fat- than less of both.

    I would also caution you to not let vanity to get in the way of muscle gains- it's the downfall of many people.

    Should I have a goal in mind or just try to hit a protein/calorie surplus that I'm comfortable with and see where it takes me? I have a friend who never cut, she just are what she called a sustainable lifestyle with extra protein and let everything level off. My little brother just eats like a horse all the time and he gains slabs of muscle and doesn't cut.

    I guess half of what is holding me back is I don't want to get back to my out of shape 200lb self and I also reall like how I look...but wouldn't mind looking better and being stronger.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    totally up to you.

    I like having a time frame- it works for my brain- but I'm not 19 years old and male- I'm a 30 year old female- if I bulked endlessly- I'd be a whale in no time- albeit a very strong one- but a whale none the less!!!

    I would go for 4-6 months and see how you felt- if you were stronger and bigger and still happy with appearance you could stay- keep going or do a little cutting.

    There is no right answer- because you won't really know till you get there what you look like- which is why it's nice to kind of have a goal- and a time frame- but not be married to it.

    You should have a food goal- figure out your TDEE for maintance- and then add at least 250-500 calories surplus- for you I'd say 400 to start. After 2-3 weeks if you aren't gaining- up by another 100 calories.
    Mostly be start with too small of a surplus and their body just kind of absorbs it and the 100 calorie surplus winds up being a maintenance number and it never turns into a bulk. So pick a committed number- for a guy usually nothing less than 250-300- 5-600 puts you into dirty bulk territory- but since your younger- you might need it.

    Don't be surprised though- the first week you might jump 3-5 pounds right away from the surplus. glycogen and water weight- it's totally normal. it's the 2 weeks following you want to see some gains.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    totally up to you.

    I like having a time frame- it works for my brain- but I'm not 19 years old and male- I'm a 30 year old female- if I bulked endlessly- I'd be a whale in no time- albeit a very strong one- but a whale none the less!!!

    I would go for 4-6 months and see how you felt- if you were stronger and bigger and still happy with appearance you could stay- keep going or do a little cutting.

    There is no right answer- because you won't really know till you get there what you look like- which is why it's nice to kind of have a goal- and a time frame- but not be married to it.

    You should have a food goal- figure out your TDEE for maintance- and then add at least 250-500 calories surplus- for you I'd say 400 to start. After 2-3 weeks if you aren't gaining- up by another 100 calories.
    Mostly be start with too small of a surplus and their body just kind of absorbs it and the 100 calorie surplus winds up being a maintenance number and it never turns into a bulk. So pick a committed number- for a guy usually nothing less than 250-300- 5-600 puts you into dirty bulk territory- but since your younger- you might need it.

    Don't be surprised though- the first week you might jump 3-5 pounds right away from the surplus. glycogen and water weight- it's totally normal. it's the 2 weeks following you want to see some gains.

    Ok. I jumped up a little bit I think but haven't gained since the first 2 weeks (glycogen and water weight is what I expected). I am seeing gains in the gym though so I'm not sure what's happening. But not something negative I suppose! So I guess ill be patient and let the process take me wherever it takes me. But I know if need be I could eat more food for sure- just in case. Like I said the not worry is I don't want to pack on all fat and little muscle and end up at an unhealthy and overweight category.
  • NRBreit
    NRBreit Posts: 319 Member
    At your weight, 2500 - 2700 cals is a good place to start. Start there, and if needed you can adjust after a few weeks based on rate of weight gain. As others have said, you're asking this question on a food logging website... so start logging. No one is going to do the work for you and it is very difficult to consistently gain on a bulk without knowing what you are eating (it is very easy to under-eat).
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    At your weight, 2500 - 2700 cals is a good place to start. Start there, and if needed you can adjust after a few weeks based on rate of weight gain. As others have said, you're asking this question on a food logging website... so start logging. No one is going to do the work for you and it is very difficult to consistently gain on a bulk without knowing what you are eating (it is very easy to under-eat).

    I have trouble seeing that as a sustainable habit for me personally. Especially because when I did even the slightest bit of weighing (like coldcut meats for example) during my weight loss my family had like an intervention with me about my eating habits. I logged but never weighed and I really am not a big fan of logging. I will say that I would probably be a little more secure with my eating if I did it as I tend to overestimate my eating (I guessed that I would have gained a lb this past weekend while on vacation but don't seem to have achieved that). Do you think if I just continue to eat this way for like another month and evaluating what is happening it could work too? Though I haven't gained much it seems I have been making gains in the gym, yesterday I maxed out at 2 reps of 165lbs on bench and today I was able to do 4 reps of 225 at the end of my set of squats. I can also feel some abs coming in and a little less stomach flab despite no huge scale gain- could this all be in my head?
  • I'm nice so I ran your food intake shown through my log. Excluding veggies(zucchini etc not potatoes), my log shows that your intake sits about 1700 cals, as was guessed by others (well done!) and nowhere near your 2500 that you think. Perhaps a rethink is required and some work on your part?
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    I'm nice so I ran your food intake shown through my log. Excluding veggies(zucchini etc not potatoes), my log shows that your intake sits about 1700 cals, as was guessed by others (well done!) and nowhere near your 2500 that you think. Perhaps a rethink is required and some work on your part?

    I am confused by this. I have not lost a single pound in over two months and if TDEE calcs are correct than I should be eating close to 2200-2500 for maintenance. My 2 protein shakes are 400 cals in total. How is it possible that I am neither losing weight with this intake? Keep in mind I ate a lot less than this during weight loss and dropped weight like crazy. I wasn't starving myself either...I really can't understand how this is 1700 cals!
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    I'm nice so I ran your food intake shown through my log. Excluding veggies(zucchini etc not potatoes), my log shows that your intake sits about 1700 cals, as was guessed by others (well done!) and nowhere near your 2500 that you think. Perhaps a rethink is required and some work on your part?

    I am confused by this. I have not lost a single pound in over two months and if TDEE calcs are correct than I should be eating close to 2200-2500 for maintenance. My 2 protein shakes are 400 cals in total. How is it possible that I am neither losing weight with this intake? Keep in mind I ate a lot less than this during weight loss and dropped weight like crazy. I wasn't starving myself either...I really can't understand how this is 1700 cals!

    You just need to nut up and eat more.

    You're 19 years old and male, you can train hard, eat a *kitten* tonne and experience minimal fat gain along with that muscle.

    You just have to understand that what you're eating doesn't add up to the calories you think it does. The solution? Eat more of what you're currently eating (like 1.5-2x the amount) or eat much more calorie dense foods.

    You came in here because you were having trouble, so stop arguing with the advice and eat more! EAT. MORE.

    or don't

    (and don't gain any muscle. It's that simple.)
  • Sieffert
    Sieffert Posts: 1 Member
    Your body composition is 80% diet and 20% what you do in the gym...if you're not in touch with what you're eating you'll never be able to change your body. So get serious and start tracking. Its not about obsessing over everything that goes into your mouth, its about getting the information and tools you need to be successful. Don't let nay-sayers stop you from achieving your goals.

    There's more to bulking than just calories in VS calories out, it's also the content of the calories and when you eat them that makes a difference. Think about what your body needs when its building, protein for building structure (most important and needed in high quantities), carbs for energy (eat roughly half your of your daily carbs around your workout), and fat for hormone production (mostly testosterone, but also everything else your body needs to function). You need adequate amounts of the three.

    It looks like you might not be getting enough protein, you need about 1.5-2g/lb bodyweight to aid with recovery and muscle growth while you're bulking. I'm a 28 y/o female and added about 4-5 lbs lean mass (maintaining my body fat <15%) over the course of 4 months and I was eating somewhere around 200-230g protein a day. I am a long time athlete and a female so that's a feat... Prime time for extra protein is around your workout (studies have shown improved lean mass gains with protein supplementation after a workout using a fast digesting protein like whey and fast digesting carbohydrates).

    Like everyone has been saying, you should be tracking your intake-most notably your macros, and timing your intake appropriately. Use your head when it comes to this stuff, it's human physiology which we understand well enough to manipulate it to meet our goals. When you work out you break down muscle tissue and deplete glycogen so around your workouts you want to have abut 30-40g protein to start the rebuilding process and 30-50g carbs (pre and post) to give you energy for your workout and initiate the release of insulin afterwards which helps drive protein and sugar into your cells. The rest of the day your body is working to rebuild what you broke down so you need a steady supply of protein all day long-every meal should have a protein source. In the morning you are relatively glycogen depleted so carbs are important to have there to stoke the furnace. At night you're getting ready to sleep so you need less carbs (you won't use them). Look up nutrient timing for more information.

    I'd also recommend taking some branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) to supplement your workouts. BCAA's (leucine, isoleucine, valine) are the amino acids your muscles use preferentially when repairing muscle, so give it to them. There are very few things proven in scientific literature to aid with muscle gain and BCAA's are one of those things, don't ignore them.

    Hope this helps, I'm a long time figure competitor and have gone through my fair share of bulks.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Can't tell how many cals that is so took a nosy at your diary. 2250 seems slightly low, I could be wrong though.

    Plug in a 1lb gain per week (you should get away with that as a male) and see how it works for you. If you're not gaining at that, gradually add calories till you are - even if you are gaining at that you will likely need to add more as time goes on to keep gaining.

    Your protein looks okay but if you can stand to go higher maybe try 140g (your body weight) or the weight your aiming for. I think you'd do okay on the amount you have now but extra won't hurt if you can do it.

    ETA: okay just read the rest of the thread. 2500-2700 sounds better but why not log it and see if that's what you're actually getting. It's a few minutes time and will help you see exactly what you're doing and what your body needs.
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    Here's what I are yesterday, I think I hit my macros and cals pretty adequately. Honestly on a day like today I would say that I would have hit close to 3000 but seeing as everyone says I'm overestimating I'll assume closer to 2500:

    Breakfast: ~23g protein
    1 Cup Nonfat Yogurt
    1 Cup PB Cherios
    1 Banana

    Post WO: ~30g protein
    1 scoop whey
    1 cup almond milk (I like the taste)

    Lunch: ~25g protein
    1 Vienna Roll (7g of protein)
    3oz approx. roast beef
    1 slice American cheese
    1tbsp of smokey horseradish sauce
    3 slices tomato
    Lettuce
    Peach

    Snack: ~13g protein
    Chobani Flip Yogurt
    A piece of bell pepper

    Dinner: ~50g protein
    7oz (weighed raw at supermarket) tuna steak marinated in half tbsp sesame oil and soy sauce
    Hamburger Roll with about half a tbsp wasabi mayo and carmelized onions
    1 Cup of Cole Slaw (made with a sugar and cider vinegar instead of mayo)
    5 sweet potato fries

    Before Bed:
    Fruit Salad (probably a little more than a cup)
  • 1911JR
    1911JR Posts: 276
    So I am 19 years old, 5'7 and 140lbs. I workout between four and five days a week with a very very small amount of cardio but mostly heavy weight training (like bench at 140-160, squat at 200, and other exercises) for approximately 30-45 minutes. I also consider myself lightly-moderately active. Here is how I are today which isn't terribly different from what I usually eat, do I look like I'm eating enough for a clean, slow bulk:

    Breakfast:
    Banana
    Handful of blueberries
    Approx a cup of Cherios
    Approx a cup of Fat Free Plain Yogurt
    ~usually this is a fruit (like banana), a carb (like cereal, whole wheat bread or bagel), and a protein (like yogurt or an egg)

    Post WO:
    A Scoop of Chocolate Whey
    A Cup of 1% Milk

    Lunch:
    1/2 Cup of shrimp salad on ciabatta (about 5 inches)
    1/4 cup of coleslaw
    ~Usually this is a sandwich with coldcuts and cheese, with an occasional side like a peach-this lunch isn't that different.

    Snack:
    Peach

    Dinner:
    Approx 6oz roasted pork tenderloin
    approx half a cup of roasted potatoes
    Approx half a cup of merapoix
    Approx half a cup of zucchini with mint
    Approx a quarter cup of cole slaw
    ~think clean plate method (half plate veggie, quarter starch, quarter lean protein) and that's my usual dinner.

    Dessert:
    Two scoops of soft serve ice cream (this is usually some fruit salad I indulged today)

    Before Bed:
    Scoop Chocolate Whey
    Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk

    I hear a lot of how you have to eat big to get big and when I look at my younger bro who is also trying to gain muscle (about 20 lbs more than myself right now) I definitely don't seem to eat at all (he eats really constantly and bigger portions than me).

    Sorry I didn't read it all. But here is what I took from it, and what I think.

    You aren't lifting heavy, do MORE cardio. And drink a gallon of water everyday. Yes a gallon.

    When I was 19, I was playing college football and eating 4,000 calories a day.

    Your 19 years old, you should be able to eat a doughnut truck, tire and all and not gain a pound.

    SERIOUSLY, eat what you want and bang the weights about 10 times as hard as you are now. And do cardio EVERYDAY!

    :noway:
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Here's what I are yesterday, I think I hit my macros and cals pretty adequately. Honestly on a day like today I would say that I would have hit close to 3000 but seeing as everyone says I'm overestimating I'll assume closer to 2500:

    Breakfast: ~23g protein
    1 Cup Nonfat Yogurt
    1 Cup PB Cherios
    1 Banana

    Post WO: ~30g protein
    1 scoop whey
    1 cup almond milk (I like the taste)

    Lunch: ~25g protein
    1 Vienna Roll (7g of protein)
    3oz approx. roast beef
    1 slice American cheese
    1tbsp of smokey horseradish sauce
    3 slices tomato
    Lettuce
    Peach

    Snack: ~13g protein
    Chobani Flip Yogurt
    A piece of bell pepper

    Dinner: ~50g protein
    7oz (weighed raw at supermarket) tuna steak marinated in half tbsp sesame oil and soy sauce
    Hamburger Roll with about half a tbsp wasabi mayo and carmelized onions
    1 Cup of Cole Slaw (made with a sugar and cider vinegar instead of mayo)
    5 sweet potato fries

    Before Bed:
    Fruit Salad (probably a little more than a cup)

    If that works out to 2500-3000 cals, I'll eat my hat.

    Try logging it. See what it comes out to.
  • 3laine75
    3laine75 Posts: 3,069 Member
    Here's what I are yesterday, I think I hit my macros and cals pretty adequately. Honestly on a day like today I would say that I would have hit close to 3000 but seeing as everyone says I'm overestimating I'll assume closer to 2500:

    Breakfast: ~23g protein
    1 Cup Nonfat Yogurt
    1 Cup PB Cherios
    1 Banana

    Post WO: ~30g protein
    1 scoop whey
    1 cup almond milk (I like the taste)

    Lunch: ~25g protein
    1 Vienna Roll (7g of protein)
    3oz approx. roast beef
    1 slice American cheese
    1tbsp of smokey horseradish sauce
    3 slices tomato
    Lettuce
    Peach

    Snack: ~13g protein
    Chobani Flip Yogurt
    A piece of bell pepper

    Dinner: ~50g protein
    7oz (weighed raw at supermarket) tuna steak marinated in half tbsp sesame oil and soy sauce
    Hamburger Roll with about half a tbsp wasabi mayo and carmelized onions
    1 Cup of Cole Slaw (made with a sugar and cider vinegar instead of mayo)
    5 sweet potato fries

    Before Bed:
    Fruit Salad (probably a little more than a cup)

    Seriously, it'd be quicker to just enter all that into MFP than type it into a post - stick it in, even if it's only one days worth. If it's not as much as you thought - you've solved the problem so EAT MORE! If it is as much as you thought, you were right - you get to be smug and you've improved your metabolism - you get to EAT MORE,

    Win win :)
  • dpr73
    dpr73 Posts: 495 Member
    So I am 19 years old, 5'7 and 140lbs. I workout between four and five days a week with a very very small amount of cardio but mostly heavy weight training (like bench at 140-160, squat at 200, and other exercises) for approximately 30-45 minutes. I also consider myself lightly-moderately active. Here is how I are today which isn't terribly different from what I usually eat, do I look like I'm eating enough for a clean, slow bulk:

    Breakfast:
    Banana
    Handful of blueberries
    Approx a cup of Cherios
    Approx a cup of Fat Free Plain Yogurt
    ~usually this is a fruit (like banana), a carb (like cereal, whole wheat bread or bagel), and a protein (like yogurt or an egg)

    Post WO:
    A Scoop of Chocolate Whey
    A Cup of 1% Milk

    Lunch:
    1/2 Cup of shrimp salad on ciabatta (about 5 inches)
    1/4 cup of coleslaw
    ~Usually this is a sandwich with coldcuts and cheese, with an occasional side like a peach-this lunch isn't that different.

    Snack:
    Peach

    Dinner:
    Approx 6oz roasted pork tenderloin
    approx half a cup of roasted potatoes
    Approx half a cup of merapoix
    Approx half a cup of zucchini with mint
    Approx a quarter cup of cole slaw
    ~think clean plate method (half plate veggie, quarter starch, quarter lean protein) and that's my usual dinner.

    Dessert:
    Two scoops of soft serve ice cream (this is usually some fruit salad I indulged today)

    Before Bed:
    Scoop Chocolate Whey
    Cup of Unsweetened Almond Milk

    I hear a lot of how you have to eat big to get big and when I look at my younger bro who is also trying to gain muscle (about 20 lbs more than myself right now) I definitely don't seem to eat at all (he eats really constantly and bigger portions than me).

    Sorry I didn't read it all. But here is what I took from it, and what I think.

    You aren't lifting heavy, do MORE cardio. And drink a gallon of water everyday. Yes a gallon.

    When I was 19, I was playing college football and eating 4,000 calories a day.

    Your 19 years old, you should be able to eat a doughnut truck, tire and all and not gain a pound.

    SERIOUSLY, eat what you want and bang the weights about 10 times as hard as you are now. And do cardio EVERYDAY!

    :noway:

    Squatting 225 isn't a lot? It is definitely heavy given my body weight. Same with maxing out 20lbs above body weight. How is that heavy lifting for me?

    And I guess sadly I have a **** metabolism because I weighed 200lbs and seriously didn't eat "an entire doughnut truck tire and all". I actually eat far more consistently now. I used to skip breakfast and often times eat half a sandwich at lunch, then maybe snack on 300 cals of chips or something when I got home and then had my usual dinner, which may have been about 300 calories more tha the dinner I eat now. I wish I could eat what I want but the reality is- no probably not.