Vegan Bodybuilding & Fitness

I am trying to gain muscle but I am trying to gain too fast, and eating like a horse. That is crazy. I am 6'3" and 218 lbs right now and I keep watching the scale each day. I have to slow down. I need to take a slower approach, stay more lean and gain muscle slowly over time as I slowly increase strength and keep protein intake good. I can't deal with this belly fat I am gaining. I am afraid I will have trouble losing it, even though in the early 90s I had more fat and I was able to get very lean and even 3-4 years ago I was only around 185 lbs so I can fluctuate depending on diet, for sure.

It all depends on how well you're able to diet down without losing too much of your gains.

If you're a diet whiz and can shed 10 lbs. of pure fat with almost no muscle loss in 4-6 weeks, then it's not such a big deal to put on a bit of fat with your bulking. BUT, if you're like me and suck at cutting, then it's definitely important to eat just enough to gain without going overboard.

All depends on your comfort level with dieting off the excess as well as what your short-term goals are. If you can handle bulking for a few months and then cutting for a month afterward, go for it, but use your experience and goals as your guide on this one!

You will likely get nowhere if you are constantly undermining any gains because of your fear of gaining fat.

Good points, but sometimes I think what Tarzan said here is dead on. I can't be afraid because I could undermine my gains. I gauge a lot by my stomach if I see fat increasing on my midsection. I think I may need to up my protein as well.