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hardgainer

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  1. I figured out an awesome way to get enough calories in without feeling bloated... Almond Milk + Rolled oats I buy almonds in the shell and crack them myself...very laborious process, but I find I don't mind doing it in the evening while watching a movie or something... I soak the almonds overnight, and remove the skin in the morning. I the evening, I add roughly 1 ounce of almonds to 3 cups of water and blend them to make almond milk...no need to strain out the pulp...I then boil it and pour it over 2 cups of rolled oats and you can add raisins, seaweeds, dried or fresh fruit, small amounts of molasses or stevia to the oats...Once you have poured the boiling almond milk into the oat + fruit/whatever mixture and lightly mixed it, cover the pot and let it sit overnight...In the morning, it makes perfect muesli...No need to even heat it up, just eat that instead of other grains throughout the day...it digests very easily for me and doesn't aggravate my liver or cause heartburn or anything... I go through great pains to prepare the oats properly because they have a high amount of phytic acid...I buy whole raw oat groats and soak several pounds of them in water for 12-24 hours...This helps neutralize the phytates...contrary to what people say online, raw oats have a similar phytase acitivity to whole wheat and most of the phytic acid gets degraded within that 12-24 hour time frame...I then dehydrate them in my dehydrator...When I'm ready to use them, I roll them using an oat roller and make the muesli described above... It sounds labor-intensive, but it's really not...just requires some organization is all...
  2. Good luck with your training as well! Let me know if you have any tips for quality, calorie-dense meals or snacks that seem to work well for you...I looked at the Vega powder, but the moment I saw all those added vitamins and minerals I ran for the hills...nothing synthetic for me ever! I am also wary of things like brown rice protein and pea protein...it sounds like a refined food to me, but I may go in for it at some point with another brand that doesn't add any supplements... I've also tried various protein/meal-replacement bars that were "organic," and "whole-foods based", etc. I thought it would be a good way to add in some calories...one bar has 200-400 calories depending on brand...But none of them digested that well for me...I think it's because 1) the manufacturer adds a lot of sugar and 2) even if they don't, all of the bars combine nuts and dried fruit, which is an absolutely horrible combination because the nuts take much longer to digest and the fruit ends up fermenting in the digestive tract... I heard someone on this forum talking about making a sumo-wrestler style stew using a slow-cooker...He said he added 4 cups of lentils, 4 cups of split peas, and 2 cups of quinoa, and then added in whatever vegetables were on hand...cooked it all overnight and then just ate that throughout the day...He didn't say how much water to add, but it doesn't seem like such a bad idea in theory...Easy to digest one pot meal, easy to prepare and cooks overnight which saves time...I don't think it will be as calorie dense as sandwiches and wraps though...but maybe it digests more rapidly which would allow you to eat more of it overall throughout the day? Lots to explore still...
  3. Don't know if you are still following this thread...I have the same issue with getting enough calories into my body in one day... I think it comes down to eating foods with high calorie density but also striking a balance to make sure you are not overloading your digestive organs, and eating smaller meals at 2-3 hour intervals...There's just no way for us skinny guys (I am 140 lbs, 5'10") to get enough calories in only 3 meals a day without feeling horrible... Weightlifting is crucial, but also waking up early to workout (6-7 AM) is important too as is going to bed early, around 930-10. I have also found that eating the last meal at around 6-630 PM ensures that food doesn't stagnate in my intestines and that I will be hungry in the morning...I have a banana before I workout, and then I eat loads of freshly rolled raw oats that have been soaked overnight...I cook them in homemade soy milk and I cook some bananas or berries into the mixture as well...I have found that making one pot meals like this helps eliminate digestive difficulty while maximizing calories...1.5 cups of rolled oats cooked in 1.5-2 cups of soy milk and mix a banana into that = approx 1100 calories. Eat an ounce of soaked, skinless, lightly toasted almonds before the oats (to ensure proper digestion) and that's another 160-170 calories. All of this can be eaten in two meals in the morning and gives you at least 1200-1300 calories, and that's just breakfast! I find I can work in at least 3 more meals after that of around 400 calories or more each...2500-3000 calories should be enough to ensure a surplus without compromising the digestive system too much... I think that contrary to popular advice, it's not a good idea to eat too much fat like avocado or olives because this will stagnate the liver and lower overall appetite, while carb-heavy meals do not do this...fats also slow down digestion and this is the opposite of what we need... Protein can come from tempeh, which has over 200 calories in 4 ounces, as well as other beans...I think it's also not a good idea to eat too much protein, even if its vegan because they tend to constipate in large amounts and legumes are difficult to digest...I don't think we should be eating more than 6-8 ounces a day of them...There's also the well-known acidifying effect of eating large amounts of protein...Don't know if this applies to legumes as well...Oats provide a TON of protein, more than any other grain as far as I know... Whole grain sourdough spelt bread is a great option if you can find it in your area...I get mine from Berkshire Mountain Bakery (http://www.berkshiremountainbakery.com/) Steam it for a few minutes until it is moist (so it's not so drying and easier to digest) and fill it with a little avocado and some veggies...easy, portable snack, has at least 350 calories or more...Or you can get the Ezekiel sprouted grain tortillas and do the same...I would avoid the Ezekiel breads though as they all have yeast...I wouldn't advise filling it with beans like the typical Mexican burrito...more difficult to digest and causes heartburn for me...Better to eat it with brown rice, avocado, and veggies...or even leave out the brown rice...you can make 2 or 3 at a time, enough for the whole day... I know this is a vegan forum, but I think small amounts of meat are probably useful for most people 3-4 times a week in very small portions...I might be incurring people's wrath by saying this, but some people do need that added nutrition...
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