3laine75 Member

Here's my lentil, I'm a bit lazy with soup but if you swapped out the stock cube for some actual ham, you could add an extra 2/300 cals to that recipe (that's one bowl). scotch broth made with lamb or beef (beyond my culinary skills) would be even higher. Chowders made with fish and cream would be higher again. I'd try…

Here's mine, it shows last cut plus current bulk/cut (I'm definitely getting quicker at this cutting malarkey). Can't wait to bulk again.

Sorry to hear that. Can he get a referral to a dietician? An easy way to get extra cals is just to add lots of fat - butter, oils, PB, avocados, nuts etc. I'm not entirely sure if protein should be kept low (?) but if not, adding things like Peanutbutter, Nutella or flaxseed to protein shakes can deliver a lot of calories…

Well, if you aren't gaining then that plan isn't working. Compromise: stick to the meal plan plus add a serving of icecream?

This

Just go with a small deficit. I'm cutting quite nicely ATM on 2140 (5'6, 39 yr old) despite having struggled to lose on massive deficits in the past. For me, I think there's less cheating when my deficit is small.

Maybe they have fitness goals, not aesthetic ones?

Female here and didn't really get it now or when I was overweight or underweight. I'm guessing it's a sensitive people thing ( I don't mean that in a bad way - I guess if anything is said, I don't pick up on it because I don't really care?) Now getting stronger, that really seems to put other women's backs up IRL :o

Eating 'clean', although not something I recommend or follow particularly well myself would give you more volume of food. Make sure you are actually eating enough (calories) so you benefit from your classes.

Haha didn't read the whole thread before posting - the kindle version is much cheaper :)

I like this programme too, but it's more intermediate than beginner. Good programmes: Strong Curves, Stronglifts 5x5, Starting Strength, New Rules. New rules is a great read and if you have no clue, tell you a lot but I, personally, found the routine too complicated as a beginner. I'd advise trying out Stronglifts (as it's…

Zombie arms?! I will be a happy woman if my arms look half as good at 56. And no, have to agree, neither Jessica or cherlize look bulky either. OP as others have said, bulky CANNOT happen by accident.

Haha looks like I just did an essay style playjerise on Jo's last sentence :blush:

It's been all trial and error for me. First bulk turned 'dirty' because of my lack of discipline - an 8 week bulk followed by an 8 month cut! Results were good all the same. I was much more rigid second time around - I spent weeks finding my actual maintenance and then was pretty good at sticking to a 250 cal surplus (had…

Thanks @usmcmp - great thread. I still haven't decided on whether recomping is for me, I have either 3 or 10 lb (depending on ease of cut/appearance/strength) to go before I decide. I love the idea of recomping for a year or so, to give it a real chance to compare to bulk/cut cycles (last attempt I only lasted 3 months)…

You just know =D I'm not sure of the percentages for guys, post some pics and you should get some decent feedback. edit: MFP only wanted to post half my answer :/

1. You need to eat a lot more than you are now. There are loads of online calculators for working out TDEE but seeing as you're here, try setting MFP to maintain and sit there for a few weeks (then reevaluate your goals). 2. How long you exercise for is entirely up to you (but bear in mind, if you do hours of cardio you…

Haha too funny, I now have visions of OP blending up his dinner, Big Brother or I'm a Celeb style, mmmmm steak, chip and cookie smoothie!

You can supplement if you feel you need to but bear in mind that a lot of entries don't have complete nutritional info (so you could be eating enough) and it's dangerous to get too much potassium. Off the top of my head, potatoes and bananas for potassium and red meat and green leafy veg for iron. I wouldn't let it bother…

Why would you eat something you don't like? You sound like my brother, I have watched him, literally, boaking while trying to eat a breakfast he didn't like. Have something else?

That's fantastic!! Congrats! And FS you cleared your mortgage in 8 years?! You're my new hero :)

Great advice above from JoRocka - she knows her *kitten*, listen up :) Are you UK (I ask as you used stones)? If so, PTs here are lame - let me guess, 2 sets of 15 reps? I've wasted so much time over the years listening to them regurgitate this, trying it for a few months, giving up, trying the same thing all over again -…

I guess the 50:50 thing might be of my own making XD I go with 0.5 gain, expecting (the generally accepted for females) 0.25 muscle gain a week. My thinking is that I don't want a lack of calories/energy to prevent me making that 0.25. I'm willing to take the fat gain - true though, from a lot of the threads that come up,…

Haha, I'm in Scotland and it only needs to be 10 degrees for those shirts to be off - seems to be quite equal opportunities here though, crop tops and Daisy Dukes also at +10 degrees, regardless of size. Haven't seen the ads but CEO does sound like an *kitten*.

Nope, Scorpio is close to my Cancer diet, you can only eat things you have crushed to death with your nails, except Scorpios can also eat stuff they've stung - I'm pretty jelly.

I'm not entirely sure if that's even the right advice. Some of the more experienced guys might tell you different. I just think, if it's your first bulk, the strength gains from food alone will blow you away and creatine is another back up you can have, way down the line, if strength gains fall/plateau?

No!! MFP has given you a deficit so it's designed so that you 'eat back' your exercise calories (or, at least, some of them)

Bigger portion of fish, smaller portion of potatoes/rice/pasta.

Just a quick aside: you probably won't need the creatine - you'll get strength gains from the extra calories (and adding it in on top of a surplus might slew your spreadsheet results). I got nothing from it when I tried it but I've heard that's rare. I'd keep the creatine for the cut so you get a real feel for if you're…

Eff that! I can do more now than I could when I was twenty and my attitude is, 'I can beat that wee upstart (at work, in the gym, whatever) and I'm hotter!' Seems age has just turned me into one big ego :$