Help me GAIN weight!

Me:
Im 34, 6', 174lb up from 168 (took 4 months) and have been doing mostly power-lifting excersizes with some higher rep filler stuff. I run 20 minutes on workout days because my cardiovascular is garbage. Ive leaned up and my strength has gone up well, but I want a little faster growth and Im stuck at this weight.

Goal:
I want to put as much weight on as possible in the next month, before trimming. Im wont be filling calories with trash, which is making this somewhat difficult
Diet:
I need at least 3kcal, but more is better. Ive been struggling to break 2500-2800. I cannot eat a lot of grains, they kill my appetite too quick. Im hitting my protien goal. Should I just add a protien shake with a healthy oil and cottage cheese? More fruit?

Typical diet
Beef, cheese, nuts for breakfast
Protien shake for snack (whole milk)
Lunch: 3/4 lb meat, 1cup cooked rice/ferro, peppers/greens, olive/coconut/peanut oil
Dinner, same as lunch
Random stuff for after dinner snack, but its small because Im full (nuts, milk, salad, etc)


This is my current goals(minimum total calories, i want more) are my macro ratios messed up? The only way I hit 3500+ which I want, its with stouts, which Im trying to limit.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qf4gqrdqms...sPal.jpg?raw=1

I am in no position to give advice but I wonder a few things.

Why are fats the majority of your calories?

Why are sugars three times dietary fiber?

Why are you trying to add almost a thousand calories over baseline at age 34? Assuming you aren't new to resistance training and you aren't taking testosterone, most of that will go to fat according to research I've seen on realistic lean mass gains.

Eat a big breakfast, a medium lunch and an alright early dinner.

It's how I'm losing weight, issue is this 20 year old bear gut I've accrued that's hard to go away.

I have monster thighs, glorious caves, and lately this monster pain in my right thigh like I've been wearing a tourniquet.

The man is trying to cultivate mass, not lose it.

I’m not an expert on this, and I’ve gotten incredibly lazy the past couple years, but I’d take a close look at your macros, make sure you avoid the fallacy of “you gotta eat big to get big”, and take a look at how and when you get your cardio. Yeah, you have to increase calories, but not force feed yourself or buy any special products.

The below is rando thoughts that are generic for athletes. I don’t know your purpose for this endeavor.

Endogenous T levels are high first thing in the morning, so thats a great time to work out. For getting big, lift first, cardio after, so that you’re putting your best effort in on strength training.

Back to calories/diet, be aware that lifting burns lots of them. Paradoxically, most people that are trying to shed fat should lift more instead of running more. But, lifting is necessary to build muscle mass. So, your genetics can really screw you on what you would like to look like. To a degree, listen to your body. If you’re craving a steak, eat one. Maybe with some chicken and some spinach. If you’re having nasty ammonia smelling gas, less protein and more fiber and roughage. If you’re feeling bloated and sluggish, less bread/wheat/salt/sugar. That’s a bigger dietary restriction than most people realize.

Adjust your intake such that you can eat 3-5 meals/day. Make sure you eat something that has protein in it as soon as possible after working out, and some people might also benefit from doing the same just prior to working out. I’m not one of them, and prefer an empty stomach.

For cardio, of which I’m a big fan, there is more than one way to get that. High-intensity resistance/strength work is cardio, sex is cardio, hiking is cardio. Do cardio for your general health, but know that some thoughts on how to go about it are kinda outdated. Doing cardio won’t hurt your goal, so much as I think variety is beneficial.

I think I remember you being STEM educated….there’s a journal for this- “Mass”. I don’t read it, but it comes recommended by people I trust.

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Originally Posted by Disciple

I am in no position to give advice but I wonder a few things.

Why are fats the majority of your calories? I'm getting 1.25g protien/lb body wt. Should I get more? I dont like carbs and avoid sugars, that leaves fat.

Why are sugars three times dietary fiber? Twice? Whats a good ratio? I got advice to add beans which should help, as will more nuts. My sugars come from peppers and bananas.

Why are you trying to add almost a thousand calories over baseline at age 34? Assuming you aren't new to resistance training and you aren't taking testosterone, most of that will go to fat according to research I've seen on realistic lean mass gains. I dont know what baseline is, but I wont put on weight if I dont increase calories

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My responses in red

1168, thanks. I am doing this with just food and a protein shake 1x/day. The only other supplement is a half tsp creapure.
My purpose is well rounded athlete. I rock climb, hike, shoot competitions, etc. I'm trying to hit my peak (I'm really close) then slim down for summer to look good since I'm single again. I'm trying to go to church and find my trad wife lol.
Good thoughts on timing - I was going in the AM and got a bit lazy... I'll start back into that routine.
No digestive issues and no gas. I get tons of roughage (spring mix, kale, peppers)

My cardio has been pretty intense - I keep my heart rate between 160 and 180, because it's horrible... I have seen an improvement now after about 1 month.
I am STEM educated (ChemE) - I'll look for that article. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by MegademiC

My responses in red

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Probably more protein than you realistically need, and don’t sell carbs short. They give you the energy you need to push yourself farther in your workouts.

https://youtu.be/l7jIU_73ZaM

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Originally Posted by Inkslinger

Probably more protein than you realistically need, and don’t sell carbs short. They give you the energy you need to push yourself farther in your workouts.

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Yeah, I don’t think I’ve ever managed to even hit 1g/lb bodyweight/day in protein. I once had a supervisor that gave me grief on that, like everyday, but he’s medically retired and I’m not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inkslinger

Probably more protein than you realistically need, and don’t sell carbs short. They give you the energy you need to push yourself farther in your workouts.

https://youtu.be/l7jIU_73ZaM

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Edit - just watched the video... good stuff, I'm basically trying to get to the 20% surplus. [/edit]

Its not that I dont want them... I dont like them, especially grains. If I eat more than a cup 3 days in a row, I just cant eat any more. Like I'll gag trying to eat it, and it's not the flavor, it sits wrong in my gut or something.
I can try to incorporate more potatoes.

My normal diet not tracking anything will have a few days of nothing but meat and vegetables mixed in.

How many carbs should I be getting to make sure I have the energy available to optimize my workouts?

Potatoes are one of the better carb sources, from what I’ve been told.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by MegademiC

Edit - just watched the video... good stuff, I'm basically trying to get to the 20% surplus. [/edit]

Its not that I dont want them... I dont like them, especially grains. If I eat more than a cup 3 days in a row, I just cant eat any more. Like I'll gag trying to eat it, and it's not the flavor, it sits wrong in my gut or something.
I can try to incorporate more potatoes.

My normal diet not tracking anything will have a few days of nothing but meat and vegetables mixed in.

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Just get your carbs from fruit.

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Originally Posted by Inkslinger

Just get your carbs from fruit.

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Perfect choice, if your strategy accepts sugars.

I **** up some mangoes like its my job.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Inkslinger

Just get your carbs from fruit.

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Ok, I'll try it out

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Originally Posted by 1168

Perfect choice, if your strategy accepts sugars.

I **** up some mangoes like its my job.

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Yea, mangoes are the best. I'll also smash a ripe pineapple in 1 sitting if the mood's right, haha.

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Originally Posted by Sidneyious

Eat a big breakfast, a medium lunch and an alright early dinner.

It's how I'm losing weight, issue is this 20 year old bear gut I've accrued that's hard to go away.

I have monster thighs, glorious caves, and lately this monster pain in my right thigh like I've been wearing a tourniquet.

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Hey Sid, do you have any back problems? When I had a disc issue, I had pain in my front quad out of this world. Just a thought. Also, I think he is trying to gain weight, maybe I misunderstood responses.

Mega, when I was younger trying to gain weight, I freaked out if I let myself get hungry. It is taxing and expensive trying to gain quality weight, good luck.

PB

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Originally Posted by 1168

Perfect choice, if your strategy accepts sugars.

I **** up some mangoes like its my job.

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If you like bananas, I think they have the best carb to sugar ratio.

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Originally Posted by MegademiC

Why are fats the majority of your calories? I'm getting 1.25g protein/lb body wt. Should I get more? I dont like carbs and avoid sugars, that leaves fat.

Twice? Whats a good ratio? I got advice to add beans which should help, as will more nuts. My sugars come from peppers and bananas.

I don't know what baseline is, but I wont put on weight if I don't increase calories

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"174lb up from 168 (took 4 months) ... and I'm stuck at this weight. Ive been struggling to break 2500-2800."

If your weight is holding at 174 and you are eating about 2650 kcal let's call that your baseline. A macro calculator gives a similar result of 2,665 so I don't doubt it. If you are realistic about how much lean muscle mass you can gain you are probably best served by "gain of 0.5 pound per week" of the options on that macro calculator, which yields 2,915 as your target. If you are lifting like you never have before the "gain of 1 pound per week" option yields 3,165 target. More is just building fat as I figure.

This says you are already eating more than enough protein.

Fiber regulates blood sugar (reduces spikes), improves insulin sensitivity, and is beneficial for cardiovascular health. I don't know that I've seen a clinically supported sugar:fiber ratio but 3:1 just seems high to me.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6586511/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9253671/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/scienc...66149722000263

Unless you are on a ketogenic diet I think you need to find carbohydrate sources you can tolerate. Beans, lentils, peas (fresh or dried), sweet potato and winter squash are some I eat regularly.

Stop with the science and counting macros. Eat like a man. Train like a man. You’ll add mass and strength and gain weight.

I was in the same place in 2018. I was 32 and weighed right around 170. Had the macro counting apps and training books. Friend tried to get me into CrossFit but that sucked. I was ripped but couldn’t put on mass and wasn’t strong. I started following more of a power lifting eating and training regiment and went from 170-172 to 193lbs and the strongest in my gym over the summer. Added a little fat but it was mostly muscle and I looked pretty dang good considering I wasn’t concerned with vanity just functional strength and weight gain.

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Originally Posted by Pappabear

Hey Sid, do you have any back problems? When I had a disc issue, I had pain in my front quad out of this world. Just a thought. Also, I think he is trying to gain weight, maybe I misunderstood responses.

Mega, when I was younger trying to gain weight, I freaked out if I let myself get hungry. It is taxing and expensive trying to gain quality weight, good luck.

PB

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Yes
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It's all in how the body is moving everything, the body doesn't want to work very well at the end of the day.

That's why they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.


Your going to spend that day burning that energy, people try to say that your body burns better at night but that's just bs.

You sleep better when the body isn't working it's ass off trying to burn food.

Height, weight, what you can lift can only go so far naturally.


Don't forget metabolism also plays a part in this. If that's out of wack you can really go nowhere.

I'm not a health expert but I am a cook with a ****ed up metabolism and I try to eat a big meal myself every morning.

Carbs like bread are almost non existent for me and oddly enough alcohol carbs didn't change my weight.

One of the guys in the plant for the last month has been eating oatmeal for breakfast and a salad for lunch and he's not losing any weight at all and he's one of them go for the K's runners.

Like dude you are getting zero proteins and your body will usually burn muscle before fats.

In my experience anyway, take it when you will. Everyone is different, my brother can eat all day, years on end and stay 185.

How is it going?

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Originally Posted by Disciple

How is it going?

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I tried a few different grains, and couldnt break 2200 about 2 days ago... and I felt like garbage the next day, so im scraching that. I also verified wheat is 100% out.

Beans alone in coconut milk curry seems to be okay, and corn tortillas, and maybe potatoes.

I also bought some fruit. Also might drink more milk. I had to take a couple days off the gym to fix some muscle issues, but im getting back tomorrow. Im increasing weights for chest, legs, and arms this week, so if I can maintain close to my goal, it should be productive.

Ill update in a few days with diet progress, Ill be meal prepping suday for the work week so it will be the same diet for a few days in a row.

Are you avoiding wheat entirely? With that reaction it sounds like it would be wise as it may be causing inflammation even in smaller quantities.

If corn tortillas seem OK I suggest you try hominy.

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Originally Posted by Disciple

Are you avoiding wheat entirely? With that reaction it sounds like it would be wise as it may be causing inflammation even in smaller quantities.

If corn tortillas seem OK I suggest you try hominy.

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Yes, i dont eat it anyways because I dont like it (bread, pizza, pasta). I hate wheat beers as well. Ive been pretty much wheat free other than a cookie or doughnut once a month or two. Oddly enough white flour doest cause a reaction like whole or buckwheats do.

Its not gluten, barley, spelt, and farro are fine.

Hominy looks interesting, Ill try some.

TL;DR You have to eat a lot more and lift harder and heavier to put on weight. You're probably like me - it is hard for you to gain weight and it probably seems like your body refuses to budge despite how much food you're putting back.

Ten years ago I was 160-165. Decently strong, ripped, but not big (I'm 5'10"). I started doing more powerlifting (and later, strongman) style work in the gym and had to start eating more (including increasing my protein intake by... a lot, to say the least - protein shakes and whole milk) to keep up with recovery. My lifts shot up but it took two years to gain 20 pounds - and that 20 pounds came on almost overnight, as if my body was finally responding to the increased demand from the heavy weights.

From there I gained weight in spurts, 20 pounds every couple of years, as my lifts continued to climb, until about 2020. I've been sitting at around 240 since then.

I say all that to drive home the point that your body is resistant to change and you will have to force it to put on muscle (you'll gain some body fat along the way, it's natural) to accommodate your level of activity.

I never have measured macros exactly, but with the protein shakes i have been as high as 200 grams a day (not counting whole meals and the milk itself).

I've never been able to gain weight and gave up long ago.
Now I'm 54 and everyone my age is desperately trying to lose weight and I'm still the same, well almost, I'm one pants size bigger than I was in high school.

I've lost count of the times I've been told that the amount of food I eat is going to catch up to me some day, still waiting for that to happen.

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Originally Posted by Scorpion

TL;DR You have to eat a lot more and lift harder and heavier to put on weight. You're probably like me - it is hard for you to gain weight and it probably seems like your body refuses to budge despite how much food you're putting back.

Ten years ago I was 160-165. Decently strong, ripped, but not big (I'm 5'10"). I started doing more powerlifting (and later, strongman) style work in the gym and had to start eating more (including increasing my protein intake by... a lot, to say the least - protein shakes and whole milk) to keep up with recovery. My lifts shot up but it took two years to gain 20 pounds - and that 20 pounds came on almost overnight, as if my body was finally responding to the increased demand from the heavy weights.

From there I gained weight in spurts, 20 pounds every couple of years, as my lifts continued to climb, until about 2020. I've been sitting at around 240 since then.

I say all that to drive home the point that your body is resistant to change and you will have to force it to put on muscle (you'll gain some body fat along the way, it's natural) to accommodate your level of activity.

I never have measured macros exactly, but with the protein shakes i have been as high as 200 grams a day (not counting whole meals and the milk itself).

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That’s awesome looks like our experiences and methods were very similar.

If you are looking to gain weight, but are not eating enough carbs you are converting a lot of the protein you are consuming to glycogen. One mistake made often is what you are basing your numbers on. if you weight 200 pounds but only have 150 pounds of lean mass and you do you calculations based on 200 you will gain more fat. You only need to feed your lean mass, not your body fat.

First thing you need to do is estimate you BF levels, and then base your macros around lean mass. The most important thing you can do is find a carb source that is not fruit. If you are able to eat enough carbs your body will no longer have to convert protein to glycogen. Try quinoa, oatmeal, steel cut oat, rice cereal (hot or cold), or bagels.

since your not gaining weight your not eating enough, or you may have an insulin sensitivity issue that needs to be resolved before moving forward. Your timeline left is not enough time to put on tissue, you could easily gain 5 pounds in that time frame, but it would be water and glycogen.

most people approach gaining weight backwards. they start wherever they are (generally fat or skinny fat) and try to gain weight then cut. The problem with this approach is most people's diets is not the greatest, they have insulin sensitivity issues. They begin to eat a bunch of food and gain weight, but they gain mostly fat. You are much better off dieting hard for 12 to 16 weeks, get bodyfat down to 12% or less, preferably less if possible, and during this period deplete your glycogen stores near the end. You do this by eating very low carb, and depletion workouts. Once this is done begin to add the calories and carbs back in while upping the intensity of the workouts. This will help to put on lean mass, and you do not need to cut after.

Once you gain muscle its important to hold onto it for a while before going into a cut. Once you put on muscle you need to sustain it so you do not lose it while cutting. everyone talks about gaining .5 to 1 pound per week, your not going to put on that amount of weight in tissue weekly.

If your serious about gaining weight find a carb source you can eat daily, and multiple times daily. People put to much emphasis on protein, and forget carbs. If you consume enough carbs your liver will not convert protein to glycogen allowing the protein to be used for building muscle.

macros based on information you have provided to start, i took as much as i could from waht you posted to make it personalized. Definately will need some tweaks, normally fats would be lower and I would increas carbs and protein slightly. macros 303grams of carbs, 168 grams of protein, and 105 grams of fat. this should come out to 2837 calories daily. These numbers are done considering 15% body fat, and roughly 150 pounds of lean mass.

If the bodyfat is way off adjust accordingly, but if your training, and recovery are on point a diet of this nature will allow you to make changes to your physique, if you see no difference you can slowly increase the calories until you do. You need to weigh your food and track everything so you know what is happening. If you are going to diet after 4 weeks like suggested in this post regardless just start now, you will not gain any tissue. If this is for an event maintain the diet through the event and then begin attempting to add muscle when you can dedicate at a minimum of 16 weeks.

Any updates OP?

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Originally Posted by Disciple

I suggest you try hominy.

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Always been curious how it was determined soaking food in lye could become edible again.

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Originally Posted by jsbhike

Always been curious how it was determined soaking food in lye could become edible again.

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I imagine a lot of desperate people through the ages trying to eat anything at hand. How about offal and scraps stuffed into an intestine along with a byproduct of urine and allowed to ferment? That sounds like a punishment but we put its modern derivative on pizza.

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Originally Posted by Rifleman_04

That’s awesome looks like our experiences and methods were very similar.

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Absolutely, I just read back and realized that. That is the way to do it. Trying to count everything exactly is a recipe for frustration.

You have to eat big to grow. You will likely gain some body fat even if you are trying to "eat clean". You may also need to give up any desire to have "abs" if you priority is size and strength. I am not saying it cannot be done without sacrificing size and strength, but I'll take strength any day over visible beach quality abs.


It's all a trade off. A couple of years ago I got up to 180+. At 5ft 4in, I was pretty chubby, but decently strong (for a little fella....nothing too crazy for many people). Now I am down to 165, and while I may have a lost a little strength, I feel a lot better. However, I am not sure that I would be as strong as I am now, at my current weight, without getting a little bigger first.


It's like anything, trial and error, and the more you do it, the better you get at it.


As I get closer to 40, I am happy with my current lifts, but there is sill part of me that always wants more.