Nutrition Have a hard time eating enough
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Yup, half a bag gone on the drive home from the store.
Ap0c
Level 5 Valued Member
I, too, have a hard time gaining weight. There's a few things that have worked for me in the past. I have had a couple successful ~20 pound bulks, with relatively little cutting (usually I just naturally pop into a loooooong recomp phase).
First is mindset. Do not commit to the eternal bulk. I find when I do this I grow to hate food, even though I love cooking and eating delicious food all the time (just not in ginormous quantities). Instead, pick 3-6 months of your life that you expect to be relatively unstressful. Building muscle is stressful. Eating more than you want to is stressful. Additional stress can get in the way of your gains. If you just pick a few months out of your life to get bigger, it will give you a goal to work towards, instead of a permanent affliction that you bear.
Next is food choice. It goes without saying that you should eat ample protein if you want this weight to be muscle. I will not preach to you on this point, but just gently remind you to enjoy protein throughout the day. Aside from that, you want calorie-dense foods, foods that go down easy, and foods that make you hungry again. Plenty have been mentioned in this thread already. Here are my favorites:
Calorie Dense Foods:
Dried Fruits <---- These are unbelievably dense in calories. Yes it is sugar. Don't worry, it comes with fiber. You're trying to get big, right?
Nuts
Oil/Butter
Chips
Foods That Go Down Easy:
Juice
Milk
Smoothies/Shakes
Foods That Make You Hungry Again
Carbs. Pasta. Rice. Sugar. Oatmeal. You might think that big bowl of oatmeal/pasta is going to keep you full all day because of how it feels in your stomach. This is an illusion of the present moment. If you eat a lot of carbs, you will be persistently hungry. Honestly, in my bulking successes, I focused more on carbs than protein.
It helps to have certain foods you look forward to eating. This is a big reason why I have made a hobby out of cooking. It is far easier to convince me to slam 1500 calories in my mouth in one sitting if they are all delicious.
Do not be afraid to eat these things in quantities that some may consider excessive. People may even criticize your diet as unhealthy. I'm not a dietician or health expert, but I reckon if you eat lots of protein, and keep the junk food (chips, candy, etc.) to a minimum, you will probably be fine unless you have some other health condition that precludes these choices. Also remember that this is a temporary state of being that you are using to obtain a goal, not a life sentence. It is unhealthy to be chronically obese. As far as I understand, it is usually not that unhealthy to be big and strong (you might just naturally recomp and become ripped afterward, anyway).
One final piece that I highly recommend is that you keep track of your weight and calorie intake daily. This might stress you out a little, depending on your personality, but it will actually be your best tool because it will let you know when to eat more (or when you can eat less).
This might feel like a slog at times. Don't be too discouraged. Commit for a period of time and get it done. For 10 pounds, as little as 0.5 pounds/week makes a pretty easy 5-month bulk. I would even go as much as 1 pound/week, just to make sure you're definitely over the line. That would only take 2.5 months.
If you PM me we can chat more. I have some other resources that I've used as well.
First is mindset. Do not commit to the eternal bulk. I find when I do this I grow to hate food, even though I love cooking and eating delicious food all the time (just not in ginormous quantities). Instead, pick 3-6 months of your life that you expect to be relatively unstressful. Building muscle is stressful. Eating more than you want to is stressful. Additional stress can get in the way of your gains. If you just pick a few months out of your life to get bigger, it will give you a goal to work towards, instead of a permanent affliction that you bear.
Next is food choice. It goes without saying that you should eat ample protein if you want this weight to be muscle. I will not preach to you on this point, but just gently remind you to enjoy protein throughout the day. Aside from that, you want calorie-dense foods, foods that go down easy, and foods that make you hungry again. Plenty have been mentioned in this thread already. Here are my favorites:
Calorie Dense Foods:
Dried Fruits <---- These are unbelievably dense in calories. Yes it is sugar. Don't worry, it comes with fiber. You're trying to get big, right?
Nuts
Oil/Butter
Chips
Foods That Go Down Easy:
Juice
Milk
Smoothies/Shakes
Foods That Make You Hungry Again
Carbs. Pasta. Rice. Sugar. Oatmeal. You might think that big bowl of oatmeal/pasta is going to keep you full all day because of how it feels in your stomach. This is an illusion of the present moment. If you eat a lot of carbs, you will be persistently hungry. Honestly, in my bulking successes, I focused more on carbs than protein.
It helps to have certain foods you look forward to eating. This is a big reason why I have made a hobby out of cooking. It is far easier to convince me to slam 1500 calories in my mouth in one sitting if they are all delicious.
Do not be afraid to eat these things in quantities that some may consider excessive. People may even criticize your diet as unhealthy. I'm not a dietician or health expert, but I reckon if you eat lots of protein, and keep the junk food (chips, candy, etc.) to a minimum, you will probably be fine unless you have some other health condition that precludes these choices. Also remember that this is a temporary state of being that you are using to obtain a goal, not a life sentence. It is unhealthy to be chronically obese. As far as I understand, it is usually not that unhealthy to be big and strong (you might just naturally recomp and become ripped afterward, anyway).
One final piece that I highly recommend is that you keep track of your weight and calorie intake daily. This might stress you out a little, depending on your personality, but it will actually be your best tool because it will let you know when to eat more (or when you can eat less).
This might feel like a slog at times. Don't be too discouraged. Commit for a period of time and get it done. For 10 pounds, as little as 0.5 pounds/week makes a pretty easy 5-month bulk. I would even go as much as 1 pound/week, just to make sure you're definitely over the line. That would only take 2.5 months.
If you PM me we can chat more. I have some other resources that I've used as well.
Agree. Cyclical and maintain is a great way to go.
@77o77o If you have smoothies, adding full fat coconut milk is an easy way to go.
I will also maintain that strategic carb consumption around training (timed before, after or both) or towards the end of the evening can be beneficial. Helps with decreasing stress hormones as well.
IsaacRobertson
Level 1 Valued Member
One of the most calorie-dense foods on the planet is liver. If you're not a liver lover, consider incorporating some high-calorie nuts in your diet for an energy boost. Peanuts and almonds are great examples of healthy nuts that are loaded with more than 500 calories per cup (160 grams). Another option is smooth peanut butter, which contains about 800 calories per jar (227 grams)! Believe it or not, both brown rice and barley contain over 600 calories in a single cup cooked(240 grams) serving as well! If you want to put on weight as quickly as possible without killing your stomach or taste buds, it's hard to do better than those food options listed above.
Nate
Level 6 Valued Member
If calorie surplus is a challenge, we need to factor in how full each item makes you as well. Caloric density is only one measure. Pushing calories can get disgusting. So if its already a challenge & you're choosing foods that make you feel even more full, it could be tough to succeed.
Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Fat Shots
As I've posted before, I gained 15 lb on the Ketogenic Diet by mixing MCT and Avocado Oil and having 3 - 4 shots a day.
A Shot - 2 tablespoons (14 gram of fat/252 calorie.
3 Shots = 756 calories a day more.
4 Shots = 1008 calories a day more.
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Deleted member 316
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I've read olive oil is supposed to be good for t levels. What about subbing olive oil for avocado oil?
Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Omega 9/Monounsaturated Fats
Both Olive and Avocado Oil are Monounsaturated Fats; essentially they should elicit the same effects.
Avocado Oil
The reason that I mix in Avocado Oil with MCTs is that I don't like the taste of Olive Oil; Avocado Oil is fine.
silveraw
Level 9 Valued Member
There are a few well done studies suggesting that some macro profiles are more prone to adding muscle mass more readily than others. protein with lots of carbs seems to encourage more muscle mass growth than protein with mostly fat.
Then again there are famous people like Bill Peanuts West who were big strong guys using vegetarian diets high in carb and fat.
offwidth
Level 10 Valued Member
I was meaning that calories from olive oil and avocado are the same.
watchnerd
Level 8 Valued Member
Olive oil suppositories is a hack I've heard to boost your t levels.
(not vouching for it, though)
silveraw
Level 9 Valued Member
Sounds like a plan hatched by big toilet to sell more seats.
Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Plan Your Work, Work Your Plan
One of the keys to success is to having a plan and working it.
Just showing up and hoping you get lucky is a flawed method.
Not Necessarily
Gaining weight is accomplished by increasing calorie intake.
Studies have demonstrated muscle mass gains with high fat intake with adequate protein intake.
Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Vague
Generalities like "Eat ample protein" is meaning less.
Diet Planning
First, an individual need to determine how many calories they are consuming; as in a Three Day Recall. This has been posted multiple time on this site.
Then calorie intake need to be increased approximately 20% above an individual present intake. Research show that more muscle and less fat in gained with this approach.
Keeping track of daily calorie intake to ensure the daily goal is achieved.
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