Trying to clean bulk

Posts: 4 Member
So I eat every three hours... I can't seem to even hit 1700 calories a day. I work out 6 days a week, weight lifting and hiit. My diet is mostly beans, rice, lean meats. Not very exciting but I just have no more room for food!! How do I hit my calorie mark?!?

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Replies

  • Posts: 53 Member
    do you count macros? what're your fats like? eating energy dense foods helps eg. nuts, fattier meats etc. When you say 'clean bulk' what do you mean like are you trying to increase your muscle mass while staying lean?
  • Posts: 90 Member
    You must be eating super small portions only getting 1700 cals and eating that frequently. Idk how old you are but you need to eat larger portions with what you're saying.
  • Posts: 38,432 MFP Moderator
    So I eat every three hours... I can't seem to even hit 1700 calories a day. I work out 6 days a week, weight lifting and hiit. My diet is mostly beans, rice, lean meats. Not very exciting but I just have no more room for food!! How do I hit my calorie mark?!?

    The main issue is you are eating all low calorie items. Swap lean meats for higher fat meats, add in nuts, avocado, eggs, cook things in oil or butter (or just add butter), ice cream, nut butters (even eating spoonfuls of them), more ice cream (love my Klondikes), high calorie protein bars/shakes, bagels, etc...

    Also, drop the HIIT. It's going to burn a bunch of calories which will require you to eat more. If you get to a point where you can keep up with the eating, HIIT is fine. I know I will use it when I get to a point of a bulk because I have no issue eating 3500 calories or so.

  • Posts: 29,136 Member
    psulemon wrote: »

    The main issue is you are eating all low calorie items. Swap lean meats for higher fat meats, add in nuts, avocado, eggs, cook things in oil or butter (or just add butter), ice cream, nut butters (even eating spoonfuls of them), more ice cream (love my Klondikes), high calorie protein bars/shakes, bagels, etc...

    Also, drop the HIIT. It's going to burn a bunch of calories which will require you to eat more. If you get to a point where you can keep up with the eating, HIIT is fine. I know I will use it when I get to a point of a bulk because I have no issue eating 3500 calories or so.

    all this …

  • Posts: 29,136 Member
    I am bulking on about 2800 calories a day and my diary is open. I have no problem hitting that number.
  • Posts: 958 Member
    psulemon wrote: »

    The main issue is you are eating all low calorie items. Swap lean meats for higher fat meats, add in nuts, avocado, eggs, cook things in oil or butter (or just add butter), ice cream, nut butters (even eating spoonfuls of them), more ice cream (love my Klondikes), high calorie protein bars/shakes, bagels, etc...

    Also, drop the HIIT. It's going to burn a bunch of calories which will require you to eat more. If you get to a point where you can keep up with the eating, HIIT is fine. I know I will use it when I get to a point of a bulk because I have no issue eating 3500 calories or so.

    x2!

  • Posts: 10,322 Member
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".
  • Posts: 29,136 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".

    amen
  • Posts: 1,490 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".

    True dat
  • Posts: 6,212 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".

    And pizza
  • Posts: 958 Member
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".
    Hornsby wrote: »
    Ice cream and peanut butter is always the answer for "more calories".

    And for those of us with a peanut free house (kids have peanut allergies) sunflower seed butter is good too. Especially the crunchy kind…yum. Cals, fats and a bit of protein.
  • Posts: 12 Member
    Add protein shakes. Drinking doesn't make you fill nearly as full as eating does, so you can def increase calories that way. You can add other things besides a protein powder to the shake such as oatmeal, peanut butter and milk to add extra calories and increase your macro levels. Increase your cals slowly. You don't want a 'dirty bulk'. If you go from a low cal to a high cal too quickly you run the risk of excess fat storage. Let your body adjust to the slight increase over a few weeks. Increase in increments
  • Posts: 1 Member
    Try optimum nutrition serious mass. Take 1 serving aday. 1scoop in the morning 1 scoop evening. Add that in with your normal diet
  • Posts: 3,358 Member
    EliasRider wrote: »
    Try optimum nutrition serious mass. Take 1 serving aday. 1scoop in the morning 1 scoop evening. Add that in with your normal diet

    Great way to burn a whole in your wallet...
  • Posts: 4 Member
    edited September 2015
    Thanks u guys for the tips!! Trouble is, I can't have dairy, gluten, or sugar bc I have multiple sclerosis. However I've implemented the tips that I'm able to and I have successfully increased my calories up to 2,000 per day. Next week I'm aiming for 2,200!!
    @ndj1979 @roycenichols @Hornsby @psulemon @piperdown44
  • Posts: 4 Member
    edited September 2015
    caci88 wrote: »
    do you count macros? what're your fats like? eating energy dense foods helps eg. nuts, fattier meats etc. When you say 'clean bulk' what do you mean like are you trying to increase your muscle mass while staying lean?

    I do count macros, my protein/carb/fat ratio is 30/45/25. And yes I'm trying to increase mass without putting on too much fat in the process!! Thank you for your help!
    @caci88
  • Posts: 2 Member
    If you have multiple sclerosis, take vitamin d 5000 units a day plus whatever else you would need according to your doctor. No related with the other topic but it is known to help a lot in your condition... but some many people still don't know it ;–)
    for muscles try to do less HIIT and more work outs, in my opinion, but I know less about it...
  • Posts: 234 Member
    Peanut butter + spoon= GAINZ :) seriously though try upping your cals ~150 cals/day every few days until your glycogen stores top off (gain 3# of water 'overnight'). Hang out there for a while to figure out maintnence then add 250 c for your daily bulking calories. There is No Way you are working out 6 days a week and bulking on those calories.
  • Posts: 4 Member
    @sergiogasc thank you!! I do take lots of vitamin D! I'm not taking any meds and I'm going the all dietary route so I'm very health conscious. I appreciate the tips!
  • Posts: 2 Member
    So I eat every three hours... I can't seem to even hit 1700 calories a day. I work out 6 days a week, weight lifting and hiit. My diet is mostly beans, rice, lean meats. Not very exciting but I just have no more room for food!! How do I hit my calorie mark?!?

  • Posts: 2 Member
    Eat more calories dense foods like dates,bannas, but butters etc...

  • Posts: 1 Member
    Try adding some wheat pasta into it
    Oats
    Granola
    Eggs
    Mix some protein with Greek yogurt
    I hit around 4700 calories daily as ease with these
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