Getting Discouraged
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Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
there is your problem right there.
you are assuming your intake and have no idea what it actually is.
get a food scale
weight all solids
log everything
hit micros/macors
tell your family to back the F off…
if you can't do that then maybe you should not bulk and just go for maintenance or something.
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DeyanPetrov wrote: »
I have a decent shape at 140 with no abs tho (not that I personally care). I mainly would like more developed legs and to be in general stronger. I understand 165 would be the upper extreme, but I can't say I am unhealthy where I am currently.
There is almost no way that you are 140 with no abs. Everyone has abs just some have move body fat that covers them, core strenth is another thing. You are also playing lacrosse so that means you have low body fat there for you should have abs.
Also I don't get what the problem is here last year I was 132 pounds when i was soaking wet over 8 weeks I gained 32 pounds while going to the gym and eating ( didnt count calories then ) had about 7-8% body fat.
I can't just kinda want to do something buddy that is why some people are better then others coz they know what they want and how to get it. You my friend want something half way and if you dont start taking the right steps to get it you will stumble over and over. Speak with your family and sort it out or find a way to measure. You should know whats in the mean and approx. how much stuff weight.
Read one of Bear Grylls books and he said it quite nice "Necessity is the mother of invention."
Stop asking silly questions and start asking the right ones like: hey guys i cant weight my food any ways around it how can i get good measures without scale. and if they tell you that you can't prove them wrong fuel yourself. Again its all about how much you want it.
Of course I HAVE abs I just can't see them even with flexing. And I don't play lax I follow a regimen that my brother's college lacrosse team does for conditioning and it's pretty exhausting. I am seeing the strength gains for sure, I just fear going back to being obese and maybe I am too worried but I don't know where else to communicate this stuff.
Just throwing in that if you don't play lacrosse, their conditioning program may not be optimal for your gains. It's likely a good start, but you might do better even with just a beginning strength program. Something to consider, and hopefully someone with more lifting experience will chime in.0 -
Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.0 -
Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
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Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
OP, again the problem is because you refuse to weigh your food you have no clue what your actual intake is. At this point, you are just guessing, which is not optimal.
Here your choices:
1. continue doing what you are doing and guessing.
2. get a food scale, be more accurate, and get your intake levels down.
3. abandon the bulk and shoot for a recomp < but even then without a level of accuracy you are going to have problems.
4.
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Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.0 -
Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
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Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
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jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Perhaps you shouldn't take someone talking about their own experience as an attack on you and instead understand they are providing information that worked for themselves.
Yes, you will have to guess on prepared meals. However, that PB sandwich? You should know exactly how many calories are in it since there is no reason why you can't weight how much PB you put on it except that your family may "think it's weird".
People have given you a lot of advice. You can take it, or you can ignore it. Pick a method and see where you're at in a few months. If you aren't gaining at a moderate rate, you're going to need to alter what you are doing. And as everyone said, if guessing isn't working, something is going to have to get more accurate.0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Perhaps you shouldn't take someone talking about their own experience as an attack on you and instead understand they are providing information that worked for themselves.
Yes, you will have to guess on prepared meals. However, that PB sandwich? You should know exactly how many calories are in it since there is no reason why you can't weight how much PB you put on it except that your family may "think it's weird".
People have given you a lot of advice. You can take it, or you can ignore it. Pick a method and see where you're at in a few months. If you aren't gaining at a moderate rate, you're going to need to alter what you are doing. And as everyone said, if guessing isn't working, something is going to have to get more accurate.
I understand that tweaks be made. But should I tweak now? Or is it too early to assume that my gain was too much, given the tendency to jump up early on in a bulk and the fact that clothes fit the exact same in the waist and gains are being noticed almost exclusively in the legs, in addition to strength gains on the entire body in the gym?
Also to better understand my estimations I did weigh everything for that PB sandwich and it was about 100-200 calories LESS than I would estimate it to be.0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Perhaps you shouldn't take someone talking about their own experience as an attack on you and instead understand they are providing information that worked for themselves.
Yes, you will have to guess on prepared meals. However, that PB sandwich? You should know exactly how many calories are in it since there is no reason why you can't weight how much PB you put on it except that your family may "think it's weird".
People have given you a lot of advice. You can take it, or you can ignore it. Pick a method and see where you're at in a few months. If you aren't gaining at a moderate rate, you're going to need to alter what you are doing. And as everyone said, if guessing isn't working, something is going to have to get more accurate.
I have read multiple assertions of my being underweight which is just factually untrue. Both objectively and subjectively, I'm not offended by the help I'm offended when people make assumptions about me without full knowledge.
I understand that tweaks be made. But should I tweak now? Or is it too early to assume that my gain was too much, given the tendency to jump up early on in a bulk and the fact that clothes fit the exact same in the waist and gains are being noticed almost exclusively in the legs, in addition to strength gains on the entire body in the gym?
Also to better understand my estimations I did weigh everything for that PB sandwich and it was about 100-200 calories LESS than I would estimate it to be.0 -
This is not a normal response to an internet stranger telling you that you're underweight. If you don't agree, fine, but being "offended" is out of proportion to what she said. You seem to have a lot of food and weight issues that aren't being addressed, and bulking is going to be a mind-F until you get those sorted out.jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Weighing your food isn't the be-all and end-all -- people gained weight before at-home food scales were a thing -- but it IS the most efficient, accurate way to quantify your surplus. If you don't want to weigh your food, you need to find a more reliable way to measure what you're eating than what you're doing now, because you're just guessing now. Even measuring cups and spoons are a better idea than just guessing. The more accurately you track your intake, the better you can predict your rate of gain, though. It's not surprising that you can't predict your rate of gain now, because you also can't quantify your surplus.
0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Perhaps you shouldn't take someone talking about their own experience as an attack on you and instead understand they are providing information that worked for themselves.
Yes, you will have to guess on prepared meals. However, that PB sandwich? You should know exactly how many calories are in it since there is no reason why you can't weight how much PB you put on it except that your family may "think it's weird".
People have given you a lot of advice. You can take it, or you can ignore it. Pick a method and see where you're at in a few months. If you aren't gaining at a moderate rate, you're going to need to alter what you are doing. And as everyone said, if guessing isn't working, something is going to have to get more accurate.
I understand that tweaks be made. But should I tweak now? Or is it too early to assume that my gain was too much, given the tendency to jump up early on in a bulk and the fact that clothes fit the exact same in the waist and gains are being noticed almost exclusively in the legs, in addition to strength gains on the entire body in the gym?
Also to better understand my estimations I did weigh everything for that PB sandwich and it was about 100-200 calories LESS than I would estimate it to be.
Ok, from my calculation, you've gained 8lbs in 5 weeks. Given you started a bulk and the typical inflated gain from glycogen stores refilling and increase food intake, that's likely not too rapid of a gain (as others have mentioned also). It sounds like what you are doing is currently working, so keep at it. You are working somewhat blind, but you are trying to estimate correctly.
If it's working, keep at it. Keep weighing in, and aim for 1lb/wk gain. If you start gaining too fast or too slow, it will be harder for you to adjust because of the guess work, but you can aim for a little less or a little more by your estimate work.
It's going to be harder, and dialing in exactly what you need to do will take longer do to the "slush" calories that are just unknown. As everyone else has said, it's possible, but not optimal.
TL;DR: keep at it for now. Adjust in a month or so if needed.0 -
This is not a normal response to an internet stranger telling you that you're underweight. If you don't agree, fine, but being "offended" is out of proportion to what she said. You seem to have a lot of food and weight issues that aren't being addressed, and bulking is going to be a mind-F until you get those sorted out.jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Weighing your food isn't the be-all and end-all -- people gained weight before at-home food scales were a thing -- but it IS the most efficient, accurate way to quantify your surplus. If you don't want to weigh your food, you need to find a more reliable way to measure what you're eating than what you're doing now, because you're just guessing now. Even measuring cups and spoons are a better idea than just guessing. The more accurately you track your intake, the better you can predict your rate of gain, though. It's not surprising that you can't predict your rate of gain now, because you also can't quantify your surplus.
Thanks for being my therapist on that one.
0 -
jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Perhaps you shouldn't take someone talking about their own experience as an attack on you and instead understand they are providing information that worked for themselves.
Yes, you will have to guess on prepared meals. However, that PB sandwich? You should know exactly how many calories are in it since there is no reason why you can't weight how much PB you put on it except that your family may "think it's weird".
People have given you a lot of advice. You can take it, or you can ignore it. Pick a method and see where you're at in a few months. If you aren't gaining at a moderate rate, you're going to need to alter what you are doing. And as everyone said, if guessing isn't working, something is going to have to get more accurate.
I understand that tweaks be made. But should I tweak now? Or is it too early to assume that my gain was too much, given the tendency to jump up early on in a bulk and the fact that clothes fit the exact same in the waist and gains are being noticed almost exclusively in the legs, in addition to strength gains on the entire body in the gym?
Also to better understand my estimations I did weigh everything for that PB sandwich and it was about 100-200 calories LESS than I would estimate it to be.
Ok, from my calculation, you've gained 8lbs in 5 weeks. Given you started a bulk and the typical inflated gain from glycogen stores refilling and increase food intake, that's likely not too rapid of a gain (as others have mentioned also). It sounds like what you are doing is currently working, so keep at it. You are working somewhat blind, but you are trying to estimate correctly.
If it's working, keep at it. Keep weighing in, and aim for 1lb/wk gain. If you start gaining too fast or too slow, it will be harder for you to adjust because of the guess work, but you can aim for a little less or a little more by your estimate work.
It's going to be harder, and dialing in exactly what you need to do will take longer do to the "slush" calories that are just unknown. As everyone else has said, it's possible, but not optimal.
TL;DR: keep at it for now. Adjust in a month or so if needed.
Thank you for the post. I understand there are inaccuracies, but I will try to keep things under check going forward0 -
Well, you obviously need some kind of therapy, so I'm glad I could help.
This is not a normal response to an internet stranger telling you that you're underweight. If you don't agree, fine, but being "offended" is out of proportion to what she said. You seem to have a lot of food and weight issues that aren't being addressed, and bulking is going to be a mind-F until you get those sorted out.jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Weighing your food isn't the be-all and end-all -- people gained weight before at-home food scales were a thing -- but it IS the most efficient, accurate way to quantify your surplus. If you don't want to weigh your food, you need to find a more reliable way to measure what you're eating than what you're doing now, because you're just guessing now. Even measuring cups and spoons are a better idea than just guessing. The more accurately you track your intake, the better you can predict your rate of gain, though. It's not surprising that you can't predict your rate of gain now, because you also can't quantify your surplus.
Thanks for being my therapist on that one.
0 -
this thread reminds of a circular firing squad...
OP - you can take the information that you have been given and apply it, or you can continue to spin your wheels.
the choice is yours.0 -
Well, you obviously need some kind of therapy, so I'm glad I could help.
This is not a normal response to an internet stranger telling you that you're underweight. If you don't agree, fine, but being "offended" is out of proportion to what she said. You seem to have a lot of food and weight issues that aren't being addressed, and bulking is going to be a mind-F until you get those sorted out.jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Weighing your food isn't the be-all and end-all -- people gained weight before at-home food scales were a thing -- but it IS the most efficient, accurate way to quantify your surplus. If you don't want to weigh your food, you need to find a more reliable way to measure what you're eating than what you're doing now, because you're just guessing now. Even measuring cups and spoons are a better idea than just guessing. The more accurately you track your intake, the better you can predict your rate of gain, though. It's not surprising that you can't predict your rate of gain now, because you also can't quantify your surplus.
Thanks for being my therapist on that one.
I think you're overreading into my words of "offended". I'm not exactly crying over it, I was simply stating that it is strong words for someone who has never even seen me
0 -
Well, you obviously need some kind of therapy, so I'm glad I could help.
This is not a normal response to an internet stranger telling you that you're underweight. If you don't agree, fine, but being "offended" is out of proportion to what she said. You seem to have a lot of food and weight issues that aren't being addressed, and bulking is going to be a mind-F until you get those sorted out.jdscrubs32 wrote: »Just for the record, I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast and where I would normally assume 800 calories for the whole thing, it looks like it was more 550 for the sandwich and (this is an estimate) 150 for the banana. So my estimates seem to be over if anything at the moment. The other day I also did weigh a chicken breast that I'd assume was 5-6 ounces and it was 3 ounces. I also usually throw whatever dinner I eat to 1,000 calories, which I assume is pretty high but I think it's safest to overestimate then way under. Seeing as I do seem to occasionally overstimate I still don't exactly know how I am gaining at this rate.
How often does water retention/increased food/glycogen increase your weight in the first month, because this is my first suspicion?
You're basically taking a shot in the dark every day.
It's tough to say how much of a potential increase.... How much have you increased your carbs, and total food volume compared to when you started the program? You'll gain a few lbs, but doubtful to gain 8 lbs strictly due to glycogen and food volume.
I eat about the same sized three meals daily, plus 2 snacks I know exactly the calories of (prepackaged) approx. 200-280 calories and then one snack before bed which is usually a cup of cottage cheese and fruit to fill up a small sundae bowl. I put this at about 300 calories. So I would assume a max increase of 700 calories.
This whole year maintaining I had been having one protein shake daily after every workout that was between 130-230 calls and I maintained my weight all year with it but then I stopped and I quickly jumped down to 130 from 138 which spurred the bulk program (I quickly got this weight back two days later so probably not a reall weight loss) so if I factor that shake I used to take into what I maintained on I am up around 500-600 calories in my estimation. Again my meals are all pretty much the same size
And my trouble is, I would easily just adjust, but as of right now my waist is the same, no tightness in shorts and belt is still fitting at same whole. Clothes in general aren't tight except for in the legs (where I primarily want to gain). So from my clothes I would say I am gaining correctly but the scale is telling me differently. And I don't want to stall progress by cutting away calories when I wasn't supposed to..
You're trouble is you'd rather argue with people trying to help you.
You're underweight- and you aren't tracking food. Period. You're literally spinning your wheels- come back when you want some real help.
I am definitely going to argue with someone telling me I am underweight, I certainly am not. I'm in the middle of the healthy BMI and can max out near 200 on bench and over 245 on squat. I just would like to be stronger and have more muscle tone, but I used to be very overweight so I am trying to be conscious of how much I put on.
It's rude to assume someone is underweight, especially given that they sit in the healthy BMI. It's as bad as me assuming you are overweight. Additionally, I am not "arguing" the tracking the food, I understand this is optimal, but not very feasible at this point in my life. I do not have the funds to shop for myself and as such meals are made for me, which are healthy meals but I will not know 100% the caloric value of them. I can estimate that's where I am currently. I am trying to find alternatives that can fit my lifestyle while also still ensuring good progress. I'm not arguing, I just don't think there is complete understanding about my situation.
Btw, I'm figuratively spinning my wheels :-)
Hi. Until last year I was underweight myself as I didn't eat enough even though I thought I did. It wasn't until I joined this and measured all my foods that I realised that I wasn't eating enough. Tracking and weighing are important. Trust me. What everyone is saying in terms of weighing your food is correct. Everyone is only trying to help.
I'm not sure where "underweight" is coming from. I am at a normal range but want to gain strength. Also, eating 3 full meals and 3 snacks a day I highly doubt I am under eating. My question was more why the scale went so far up in 5 weeks....I certainly haven't been eating with reckless abandon. I simply cannot weigh. My family (a) didn't support it and (b) when they cook your dinners it's not easy to stop someone and ask them to weigh out everything they cook.
I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Weighing your food isn't the be-all and end-all -- people gained weight before at-home food scales were a thing -- but it IS the most efficient, accurate way to quantify your surplus. If you don't want to weigh your food, you need to find a more reliable way to measure what you're eating than what you're doing now, because you're just guessing now. Even measuring cups and spoons are a better idea than just guessing. The more accurately you track your intake, the better you can predict your rate of gain, though. It's not surprising that you can't predict your rate of gain now, because you also can't quantify your surplus.
Thanks for being my therapist on that one.
I think you're overreading into my words of "offended". I'm not exactly crying over it, I was simply stating that it is strong words for someone who has never even seen me
you said you hit what- 138 as a low?? as a MALE at 5'8" that's really tiny- and yeah. 165 isn't the high end for a fit male. I'm 165 pounds. And I'm in phenomenal shape. I'm also a girl. And no where close to "fat". If I were cutting for a show- I'd probably get down to 145- and it would 100% be un-maintainable for the long term and I would lose a lot of strength.
I'm not just *guessing*- it's a reality- we are the same height- and you're a man- you're genetically supposed to carry more muscle and be typically heavier. I know at 140 pounds I'd be be pushing unhealthy- lost a lot of muscle mass and lost a ridiculous amount of strength. So it's not some big stretch to say- yes you're underweight- or boarder-line pushing it.
it's not really an assumption- it's based on pretty solid body of evidence.I appreciate the help, but I also am offended by the assumption I'm underweight. This is untrue plain and simple. And I can't see weighing is the be all end all that everyone seems to be a assuming it is.
Secondly- weighing food is a TOOL. it's hard science. It takes all the guess work out of it- and that's right now what you're doing- chronically guessing.
If you want better answers- you need better data. You get data by being scientific and using the proper tools. Push comes to shove it's trial and error and feed back- but you use the scale to help get your calories dialed in- and then you use the actual person scale and tape measure to give you hard evidence of the rate of gain/loss.
It's data- it's a tool. Nothing more. nothing less.0
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