Trying to bulk, not going so well...

[Northstar]

I am 5,10" and 135 lbs give or take (so pretty damn lean, right?). Been working out for 5 weeks now and have been trying very hard to bulk. If anything I have been losing weight (still seem to be gaining muscle), but have no fat at all to be losing. I eat about 7-8 meals a day and usually somewhere in the range of 3-4 thousand calories. Still can gain no weight, and have been getting a really irritated bowel it seems... compared to how I am when eating normally. I get a lot of gas, bloating and pain, even drinking 12+ glasses of purified water daily. I could eat tons if it were not for my bowel issue. When I really eat for a couple of days I will end up backed up and eventually with the runs and end up not eating much for a day or two, completely counter productive. So maybe I need to focus more on packing in calorie dense foods instead of just lots of food? Heres a typical days eating for me.

 

Breakfast: Vega shake with berries and rice milk or Granola w/nuts and seeds and rice milk

 

Mid morning: Hommus on whole grain bread and/or assorted fruit

 

Lunch: Pasta salad and/or falafel hommus wrap

 

After lunch: Large orange and/or banana

 

Mid afternoon: Salsa and avocado with whole grain tortilla chips and/or cashews or almonds or pumpkin or sunflower seeds

 

Dinner: Stir fry and rice and/or Bean or lentil soup

 

After workout (workout around 7-8 pm): Vega energy bar OR just started Sun warrior rice protein

 

Before bed: Peanut butter toast and/or Fruit salad

 

 

Any advice or suggestions appreciated.

[nealraj006]

Too many grains/grain products? Try getting in more vegetables, nuts, and fruits instead of grains for the calories.

Cut out processed foods like soy milk, bars, etc. Make your own mixes

[Northstar]

Good suggestion, but I usually do get more vegetables than I wrote there. I usually have small veggie snacks like carrot sticks or red pepper, and I usually have a salad. I dont really know if you can put Vega in the same category as processed foods, sure it is processed but from whole foods... hence "whole food health optimizer".

[Octopussoir]

Hummus,pastas,breads.... All crap foods.

 

Eat some oatmeal in the a.m. With a nut milk,banana(fruit), and a blend of nuts splash it with cinnamon mix and eat.

 

On your way out for the morning grab your vega(in a shaker) and go.

 

From what I see your eating whatever u can but it's not all quality...

 

Ditch breads, chips, dips, pastas, etc and replace them with other foods.

 

Make a full cup of quinoa instead of pasta and add some baked tofu or heaping amount of veggies with it. Or do like I do and have quinoa,tofu, and veggies...

[medman]

I just want to jump in and defend hummus. Well, at least to ask a question about your hummus...are you using store-bought or homemade? The store-bought kind is definitely on par with dips as octopussoir suggested...they have way too much oil and crap in them. But homemade kinds can be great IMHO, mine is mostly chick peas and seasoning, with a small amount of tahini as the only source of fat. It's much lower-calorie, lower-fat, and higher-protein than anything you'll find at the grocery store.

[Northstar]

Yeah, I should probably cut down on the breads and pasta, some days I eat no wheat at all though. I just started eating barley and quinoa recently. My hummus is home made with tahini, dill, and olive oil... though I probably use a bit much oil.

[CollegeB]

Recently i've been making up a crock pot full of beans and either wild rice or barley (careful with cooking times; beans need longer than the grains). I'll eat the mix throughout the week with some veggies tossed in, maybe some tofu, tvp or veg crumbles...whatever I've got. Season it how you like. The results are never really what I'd serve to anyone but it's good nutrition at grab n' go speed.

[xjohanx]

Too many grains/grain products? Try getting in more vegetables, nuts, and fruits instead of grains for the calories.

 

Seriously? The dude has problem gaining weight and you're suggesting that he replaces his current foods with other foods that has a lower calorie density? To me that sounds very counter productive.

 

I too have experienced bowel problems while bulking and I think a lot of vegans who are trying to bulk up with mostly whole foods and has a high energy expenditure have that problem. Why the problem occurs is probably different from person to person but most likely it's due to high volume foods (low calorie density) and/or high fiber intake.

The grains and grain products you have chosen are all made from wheat and whole wheat is really rich in fiber, so are oats, rye and barley too. Usually it's around 10-16 grams of fiber per 100 gram (dry weight). Buckwheat is around 6 grams of fiber, millet is around 3 and brown rice 3-4 so maybe switching some of your wheat for those would help.

Vega has a lot of different products it seems but if you're using the "normal" one I would advice you to switch it to another protein powder. Vega adds fiber and non-digestible sugars, this is probably great for non-vegans and people who never eat legumes but it's very unnecessary for you. Check out trueprotein or something, you will save both gas and money.

Blending foods can decrease the effect of fiber which in your case would be a good thing. I often use millet or buckwheat flakes (it's like oats but made of buckwheat/millet, steam prepared etc) for blending into smoothies (you can't do that with non-steam prepared starches). Also blending roasted nuts/seeds, dates and those flakes together makes awesome desserts/snacks if you roll it up to balls. Hummus is for this reason a very awesome food for bulking. I never have it on sandwhiches but I roast sweet potatoes and/or potatoes in the oven or chop up some veggies and just dip it into the hummus. It's delicous.

Something that helped me a lot was that I stopped eating so damn frequently. This is different for everyone I guess but eating ever 3-4 hours really stressed my digestive system out. Try giving your GI tract a break and stick to 3 meals a day maybe. If you work out after dinner increase it to 4 so you can have a post workout meal too.

 

I dont really know if you can put Vega in the same category as processed foods, sure it is processed but from whole foods... hence "whole food health optimizer".

 

Make no mistake here, Vega is a highly processed food just like sugar and oil.

[Northstar]

College, I do that occasionally, baked barley and beans.

 

Johan, thanks for the info. Your probably right with the Vega, I just meant it should not be put in the same group as all those very unhealthy processed foods. I really only take it because I am paranoid about B12 and some what iron... but its not everyday, probably 3-4 times a week. I could probably just start taking a B12 vitamin.

 

I just started taking Sun Warrior brown rice protein after workouts, any recommendations what kind of smoothie I should put it in? Would berries be good? I like eating more times throughout the day because it keeps my heartburn at bay (been a problem ever since my stomach illness), but that may be causing the bowel issues so I cant really win.

[Fallen_Horse]

As for stomach issues, are you chewing thoroughly? I noticed that sometimes I don't chew well enough and that gives me troubles digesting (especially beans!)...

[Northstar]

Fallen, Me too, sometimes... but I usually do chew alright. I find the speed I eat can give me more problems, if I take it slow its easier to digest so I usually do.

[DCNINJA]

A lot of talk on diet here. I agree with most of it. Eat more protein. Take in good carbs like oatmeal. Best diet advice ever is to drink more water (1 gallon a day min.). Make sure you are getting enough nutrients.

 

What do your workouts look like? Are you dead assing around on machines or do you hit it hard to failure on things like deadlift, squats, presses, and the like?

[Northstar]

Started eating oatmeal for breakfast and yesterday made quinoa/lentil/bean salad which was awesome, definitely going to make that a staple. I have been having heartburn problems as well and in the last couple days have cut out all refined wheat and its gotten a lot better.

 

I workout pretty hard. Heres what I have been trying the last four weeks per the gaining muscle thread (with some extras) in the bodybuilding section and have been noticing very good increases in strength and muscle growth.

 

Monday, wednesday, friday weight lifting- alternating workout days 1 and 2. Dynamic warmup and 5 mins cardio before, 5 mins cardio after and some stretching.

Tuesday and thursday cardio if I feel like going to the gym.

 

Weights Day 1:

Everything 2 sets except crunches and calves

Pullups (started at 8, up to 13)

Dips (started at 9, up to 16)

Squats (90-100 pounds, 10 reps)

Lat pulldown (probably unnecessary with the pullups but its fun, 100-120 lbs, 10 reps)

Straight arm raises (15 and 12 lbs, 12 reps each)

Crunches (Arms overhead, 30+)

Calve raises (40 lbs, 25 reps)

 

Weights Day 2:

Again, 2 sets except crunches and calves

Dumbell press (35-40 lbs each, 10ish reps)

Dumbell row (40-45 lbs, 12 reps)

Deadlifts (90-100 lbs, 10ish reps)

Bicep curls (25-30 lbs, 10ish reps)

Crunches

Calves

Edited March 9, 2010 by Northstar

[Adena]

It's good to see that you're doing bench press, squats, and deadlifts. Try doing them with heavier weight for less reps. Three to five reps is great for strength (and mass) gains.

[Northstar]

Oops, meant to have that as dumbell press, but I guess thats still essentially the same concept as a bench press. I will try increasing the weights faster.

[Wobbly Lifter]

Dude, you are eating what seems like a small amount. Increase the amount of food and the calorie density of what you consume. xjohanx has given lots of great tips. also like Adena said lift heavier weights on deadlifts and squats. honestly 100 pound deadlift isn't going to do much for any but the very beginner. I'm sure you can do far more.

 

One last thing, that worker really well for me, was to keep track of calories. in is a lot of work which can be a major downside, but if you have the engery it's a surefire way to control your weight.

[Northstar]

Like I said I get close to 4 thousand calories daily, that seems like a fair amount for someone who weighs 135 pounds, but I guess not since I am not gaining weight. Squats and deadlifts are pretty difficult for me because I have a bad ankle thats had multiple surgeries.

Anyone have recommendations for different leg workouts I should try?

[Octopussoir]

-Try vegetarian baked beans(family size) right before a workout. Youll never have more energy or feel stronger than this^^

 

-Sunwarrior needs no berries. Mix it with cold water and some cinnamon and shake or use a magic bullet and make it even smoother.

 

-Wanna know a trick on how to throw down on a cup of cooked quinoa at a time? Boil it until its done, then throw it in a skillet with some Earthbalance butter and some olive oil, then cook until its a lil brown and splash it with some light soy sauce. Add mushrooms, broccoli, tofu, garlic powder, black pepper, etc... trust me you will eat big if you do this!!!

 

-pastas and crap make me feel like ive eaten emptiness. No real nutrients there just fillers. I rarely ever touch it and always feel unsatisfied when I do until im "bloat-full."

 

 

When making your food have an avacado with it. Thats a staple at nighttime usually. No matter what meal it is I almost always add an avacado when I have them.

[Northstar]

Octo, I often make big batches of baked barley and beans, its great. I have stopped eating pasta and for the most part bread, and have been feeling somewhat better. I cant get the sunwarrior down without it being in a shake with something else, otherwise it upsets my stomach. I will try making quinoa that way. Thanks

[KatimaDanny]

It could also be your work out routine as well that is not helping you gain any weight. Are your routines varied? You don't want to stick to your old routine. The routine is just as important as what you eat. Food can only do so much for you.

 

I know the problem your going through in terms of gaining weight, I have been there before. The problem was not my diet, but my routine. When I changed it every 3 weeks I started to gain a lot more again.

 

but as for your diet, yeah, make sure you stay away from that processed food. They are more harm than good. your stomach problem could be coming from those products. Also, When food is cooked, it is acid forming, causing your stomach to go off a bit on the ph scale. have you ever notice that when you eat something cooked, you feel a lot more heavier then when you eat something that is raw? That is because raw food are more alkaline forming then cooked, and raw food is more easily digested due to the fact the enzymes in it are alive. In cooked food there are no enzymes that are alive (and if there is it is very little).

 

for the hummus, instead of buying the store bought ones try this instead...

 

1 and a half cup of Sprouted or cooked lentil (or chickpeas. I use lentils cause they have more protein)

2 tbsp tahini

2 tbsp lemon

sea salt to taste

blend it all in a food processor, or mash them all by a masher of some sorts.

 

(you can sprout lentils yourself. to sprout lentils or any kind of bean, 1. put beans in ball of water over night and cover beans with towel or plate. 2. drain water and rinse beans. 3. rinse beans 2- 3 times a day for 30 seconds to 1 minute. 3. wait for 2-4 days till beans start to sprout. 4. once beans sprout a tale, they are good enough to eat. I usually wait till my tails are 1/4 long. once they sprout, you must eat them in the next 2-3 days. if not, the sprouts will go bad. You can do this with grains too. When you sprout something, you can eat it raw. Not only that, the nutritional profile of that bean is increased. protein is increased by 30% for example. 1 cup of cooked lentils is = to about 17 grams of protein. but 1 cup of sprouted lentils is = to like 30 something grams of protein. it is quite the difference eh? mind you, sprouts taste a lot different from the cooked counterpart. so you want to find good recipes so they taste good. Sprouts also have living enzymes in it too, making it easier to digest and may help lesson the stomach problems.)

[Northstar]

Katima, I think my routines are fine. I have been gaining muscle and strength. I have always found it hard to gain weight, high metabolism. I do make my own hummus, the same way you described. The sprouting sounds interesting, I will give it a try. Thanks

[Wobbly Lifter]

Like I said I get close to 4 thousand calories daily, that seems like a fair amount for someone who weighs 135 pounds, but I guess not since I am not gaining weight. Squats and deadlifts are pretty difficult for me because I have a bad ankle thats had multiple surgeries.

 

Sorry to have sounded like an asshole, but with 8 meals I'd assume the portions would be pretty small. Are you measuring what you eat and actually figuring out the calories. I know I used to very much overestimate how much I ate, until I really looked at it.

 

With a bad ankle I don't really know how to help with leg workouts, which are a key driver of weight gain. I guess just keep everything as heavy as you can manage.

 

Other advice is get the easy calories where and when you can. I may get flak for this, but don't worry about health after a point. When I last had a successful bulk(15 pounds in 3 months) I made sure I had a normal amount of healthy food(like 2000 calories), but after that it was whatever. A 270 gram bag of chips(9 oz) and a container of store bought hummus is 1800 calories about, and can be easily finished off watching Colbert before bed. Don't drink water, drink juice it still hydrates you(albeit slightly less) but 2 liters of apple juice, for example, is almost 1000 calories. add lots of oil to what you cook, it makes food more palatable, in general, and can add lots of calories(1 tablespoon is 120 calories). Add oil to shakes. Add peanut butter to shakes. etc.

 

Even just an extra tablespoon of oil at each meal, and juice over water, would mean an increase of almost 2000 calories a day.

[Northstar]

No worries man, you weren't but if I ever need to be set straight please do be an asshole.

I have measured my calories properly. I dont think my stomach could handle all that juice, but I do use olive oil a fair amount. I think I kind of do the same thing, the large majority of my calories are very healthy but I eat some stuff just for the caloric content.

[Wobbly Lifter]

2 liters of juice sounds like a lot, but it's only half a cup every waking hour, which is pretty much unnoticable when spaced out that way. anyways good luck.

[sosso]

Just as an example of a way to get some really easy and tasty extra calories, I have two PB&J sandwiches almost every day. With the particular bread that I use and 2 tbsp of peanut butter on each sandwich I get 40g protein and 990 calories.