lustforlife

I'm about 125-130 lbs, 5'8, and trying to add muscle weight. I consume a good amount of protein from my diet; I have peanut butter with breakfast and lunch, have lentil soup every day for lunch, eat a lot of nuts, beans, and have some kind of protein with dinner (tofu, seitan, tempeh, etc). I have my workout posted in the online journals section, but I do a four day split of chest/ triceps, back/ biceps, shoulders, and legs. I jog for a mile before each workout and do twenty minutes of cardio (jogging to sprinting) three times a week. I put on 7 pounds of lean muscle recently (10 before I dropped the fat I added with it), and this was before I started taking protein. I also had to cut back on my calories a bit since I was getting a gut. The protein has definitely helped with adding lean muscle, so I'm just wondering if I should take more. I'd love to eventually weigh 140-150, though that might take awhile since I don't want to add fat first. Especially not until the fall anyway. I do look much bigger than I weigh fortunately, but I hate being so light. If I ever get to my desired weight range, I'll be enormous! haha. Not sure I'll be able to achieve it, but it's worth a shot.

Still going strong with this routine. However, I've amended my chest workout slightly with amazing results! Here's what I'm doing now:

Day 1: Chest/ Triceps

Dumbbell Bench press (45 lb dumbbells) 3 sets of 8-10

Incline Dumbbell bench press (40 lb dumbbells) 3 sets of 6

Lower cable crossover (110 lbs) 1 set of 8-10, then two immediate drop sets (also 8-10 reps); first at 55 lbs, second at 35. Followed by two additional sets at 110 lbs, 8-10 reps.

Upper cable crossover (110 lbs) 1 set of 8-10, then two immediate drop sets (also 8-10 reps); first at 55 lbs, second at 35. Followed by two additional sets at 110 lbs, 8-10 reps.

Cable Flyes (85 lbs) 1 set 8-10, 2 immediate drop sets, then 2 regular sets.

Kickbacks (30 lb dumbbells)

Tricep pulldown (90 lbs)

Kneeling Cable Pulldown (90 lbs, 4 sets of 15)

Not sure if it's the drop sets, or the cable exercises, but my chest is definitely getting wider instead of just larger. That was an issue I had that has since started to go away. Here's the rest of my workout routine and progress report (usually 3 sets of 6-10 unless otherwise specified):

Day 2: Back/ Biceps/ Obliques

Lat Pulldowns (Cable, 105 lbs)

Wide Grip Rows (80 lbs, plus weight of machine; the one you sort of lay on with the long pole coming out of it)

Close Grip Rows (cable, 100 lbs)

Reverse Flyes (machine, 75 lbs)

Standing rotating curls (30 lb dumbbells)

Hammer Curls (25 lb dumbbells)

Preacher Curls (50 lbs, machine)

Crunches on swiss ball (3 sets of 25)

Day 3: Shoulders

Seated shoulder press (85 lbs, machine)

Front raises (25 lb dumbbells)

Lateral raises (30 lb dumbbells)

Shrugs (55 lb dumbbells)

Reverse cable flyes (35 lbs)

Cable Rotation (50 lbs, 4 sets of 15)

Day 4: Legs

Squats (1 set at 150 lbs, 2 at 170. Going back up in weight after giving my knee a rest)

Deadlifts (150 lbs)

Leg press (1 set at 230 plus weight of machine, 2 sets at 290 plus weight of machine)

Leg extension (110 lbs)

Calf raises (180 lbs, 3 sets of 15)

Incline pushups on Bosu ball (3 sets of 20)

Crunches on Bosu ball (3 sets of 25)

Apologies if this has been answered before.

So I recently started taking soy protein supplements and have definitely noticed a difference. Question is, what's the right amount?

Currently I take one scoop before working out, and one after. I'm using the GNC brand which has like 22 grams per scoop. Should I take an additional scoop at night? What about days that I don't work out? I'm currently not taking any protein on these days (apart from food obviously).

Thanks!

Hooray for progress! I've added cardio to lose the fat I gained with muscle, and have lost some weight, but I look the best I've ever looked in my life! I definitely look heavier than I am, maybe I just have a small frame and shouldn't get hung up on a number? Anyway, in addition to the slow 10 minute mile I run as my warmup, I now jog then sprint for 20 minutes 3 times a week. Only about 2 miles because my bad knee doesn't allow me to run faster without suffering major repercussions.

Can someone look this over and give me some feedback? My questions are, can I add a fourth set to some of my exercises if I'm unable to add weight? Also, is it really bad if I hold the bar underhand when doing deadlifts? This way my sweaty hands don't cause me to lose my grip and not do as many reps. Also some diet feedback would be appreciated as well, I'll post that below. I'm sure you're all going to tell me to eat more since I've reduced my caloric intake (from 3500-4000 calories a day to about 2500), but the bulking I was doing left me with a gut which is now almost gone. I almost have a six pack for the first time in my life!

Day 1: Chest/ Triceps (3 sets of 8-10 unless otherwise specified.)

Dumbbell Bench press (45 lb dumbbells)

Incline Dumbbell bench press (40 lb dumbbells)

Flyes (machine, 90-100 lbs)

Kickbacks (30 lb dumbbells)

Tricep pulldown (90 lbs)

Crunches on Swiss Ball (3 sets of 25)

Alternate between two of these every week:

Incline dumbbell flyes (25 lb dumbbells)

Lower cable crossover (110 lbs)

Decline bench press (barbell, 100 lbs)

Upper cable crossover (110 lbs)

Decline dumbbell flyes (30 lb dumbbells)

Day 2: Back/ Biceps/ Obliques

Lat Pulldowns (Machine, 105 lbs)

Wide Grip Rows (80 lbs, plus weight of machine; the one you sort of lay on with the long pole coming out of it)

Close Grip Rows (cable, 100 lbs)

Reverse Flyes (machine, 75 lbs)

Curls (25 lb dumbbells)

Hammer Curls (20 lb dumbbells)

Preacher Curls (40 lbs, machine)

Kneeling Cable Pulldown (90 lbs, 4 sets of 15)

Day 3: Shoulders

Seated shoulder press (40 lb dumbbells- switching to a machine this week. I realized that if I save the energy lifting the dumbbells off of the ground, I can probably go a lot heavier)

Front raises (20 lb dumbbells)

Lateral raises (30 lb dumbbells)

Shrugs (55 lb dumbbells)

Reverse cable flyes (35 lbs)

Cable Rotation (50 lbs, 4 sets of 15)

Day 4: Legs

Squats (1 set at 150 lbs, 2 at 170. Going back up in weight after giving my knee a rest)

Deadlifts (150 lbs !! Happy about this)

Leg press (1 set at 230 plus weight of machine, 2 sets at 270 plus weight of machine)

Leg extension (90-100 lbs. used to alternate weekly between split squats, lunges and reverse lunges, but these fuck up my bad knee)

Calf raises (180 lbs, 3 sets of 15)

Incline pushups on Bosu ball (3 sets of 16-20)

Crunches on Bosu ball (3 sets of 25)

Diet:

9:30 am - One cup of oatmeal with blueberries and raw almonds or walnuts. Coffee with soymilk. (As it is soon going to be too hot in my apt to eat oatmeal, would a peanut butter sandwich and a protein/ blueberry shake be sufficient for a pre workout meal?)

10:30 am - 12:30 pm - Workout

1:00 pm - One scoop soy protein isolate powder, one bowl lentil soup with nutritional yeast, one peanut butter sandwich on multigrain bread.

3:00 pm - Almonds, or a banana

6:30 pm - Protein (tofu, seitan, etc), with veggies. Big portions. Try to avoid carbs now in the evening, though I make vegan pizza once a week and have the leftovers the following lunch.

8:00 pm - light snack, nuts, apple, cucumber with hummus, carrots, etc.

10:00 pm One scoop soy protein isolate powder

Thanks guys!

I can definitely add weight to my deadlift, I was doing 8-10 reps. I also realized that if I hold the bar underneath (instead of over) that I don't have the grip problem.

Switching to a split has been beneficial, I just haven't made as many gains as I would have liked to, and I don't want to be fat for the summer. With the split, whatever I work out on a given day is now sore for days. It also helped that I switched it up from barbells to dumbells, that gave my body quite a good shock.

The full body exercises were keeping me lean, but that was about it. And I'm still doing all the same multi joint exercises, I just split them up differently. I guess I'm pretty muscular (for me) right now. Maybe focusing on my actual weight isn't a good idea as my muscles are quite large for my small frame. I'd still love to be 150 lbs and lean, but maybe that's far off/ not possible.

Also wanted to add that while some weights have stayed the same for a few months, my form has gotten much better which is equally/ more important.

And I want to experiment with my diet a bit. I know some people are more carb or fat sensitive (as far as adding body fat goes), and I tend to eat a ton of carbs. Not sure what I'm going to substitute for oatmeal now that the weather is getting warmer. It's too hot in my apt to eat a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning. Maybe a pb sandwich and a protein shake?

Thanks for the advice! I guess I should clarify. I switched to a split since I had plateaued with gains as per someone else's advice. It's hard getting conflicting information online.

As for body fat gain, I'm not so sure it's the isolation exercises or the pot I started smoking to increase my appetite. It lead to poor food choices usually late at night, such ad baked tortilla chips and sugary salsa.

I can go up in weight in deadlift now for sure. Someone suggested lower weight/ higher reps which I followed. I am happy that I can run again though, I really missed it.

As there isn't much activity on this board, I ceased from posting for awhile. Here's my update/ current status:

I ended up gaining 10 lbs in total, which I guess isn't bad in only a few months. I recently switched my routine to a split, which has been very beneficial (I'll post it below).

Unfortunately, with this weight came some extra fat (mostly around my stomach) that I'm not pleased about since summer is right around the corner. I've added 20 minutes of cardio 3 times a week. I jog then sprint for about 2 miles, in addition to the mile that I jog before all of my workouts. I'm more than a little frustrated that I'll now end up losing about half of what I put on, and I'm worried that I might not ever be able to have a muscular body with low body fat. Am I feeling badly for myself or could I just have bad genes? I'm also reducing my caloric intake from 3500-4000 calories a day to about 2500. I've also started taking soy protein before and after working out.

Day 1: Chest/ Triceps (3 sets of 8-10 unless otherwise specified. I also recently switched from barbells to dumbbells, hence the lower weight. Now that I’m adjusting to the new motion, I’m adding weight almost weekly)

Dumbbell Bench press (45 lb dumbbells)

Incline Dumbbell bench press (40 lb dumbbells)

Flyes (machine, 90-100 lbs)

Incline dumbbell flyes (25 lb dumbbells)

Lower cable crossover (110 lbs)

Kickbacks (30 lb dumbbells)

Tricep pulldown (100 lbs)

Alternate between all of these (a different one every week):

Decline bench press (barbell, 120 lbs)

Upper cable crossover (110 lbs)

Decline dumbbell flyes (25 lb dumbbells)

Crunches on Bosu Ball

Day 2: Back/ Biceps/ Obliques

Lat Pulldowns (Machine, 105 lbs)

Wide Grip Rows (80 lbs, plus weight of machine)

Close Grip Rows (cable, 90 lbs)

Reverse Flyes (machine, 60 lbs)

Curls (25 lb dumbbells)

Hammer Curls (20 lb dumbbells)

Preacher Curls (25 lb dumbbells)

Cable Rotation (50 lbs)

Day 3: Shoulders

Seated shoulder press (40 lb dumbbells) (might switch to a machine or a barbell; I've been doing this for years and should be able to go much heavier)

Front raises (20 lb dumbbells)

Lateral raises (25 lb dumbbells)

Shrugs (55 lb dumbbells)

Reverse cable flyes (35 lbs)

Crunches on Swiss Ball

Day 4: Legs

Squats (1 set at 130 lbs, 2 at 150. Had to go down from 180 as I have a bad knee)

Deadlifts (130 lbs)

Leg press (1 set at 230 plus weight of machine, 2 sets at 270 plus weight of machine)

Leg extension (90-100 lbs. used to alternate weekly between split squats, lunges and reverse lunges, but these fuck up my bad knee)

Calf raises (180 lbs, 3 sets of 15)

Crunches on Bosu Ball

Planks

Any advice/ feedback is much appreciated. I was hoping to be 135 (and lean) by the summer, and that didn't happen. Maybe I'll try bulking again next fall. Or maybe there are some red flags as to what I might not be doing.

Thanks!

So my workouts have stayed the same now that I've added a set to everything, hence no posts. Does anyone feel like going over what I've been doing and maybe make some suggestions for changes? I think it's time to shock my body a bit.

I gained another pound after losing two, so now I'm at 124. The weight gain has been slowing down, though my workouts have been great. I've definitely added some body fat to my stomach which I'm not crazy about. Should I add some cardio? I'm guessing no. I work out really hard, lift pretty heavy weights for my size, not sure why I'm not progressing as quickly as I'd like. I don't think my body is where it should be based on the quality of my workouts/ diet. Maybe even more food? Right now I'm at 1 1/4 cup oatmeal for my pre workout breakfast with soy milk, blueberries, and walnuts, a slice of toast with peanut butter, coffee, and a banana. For lunch it's a peanut butter sandwich with a bowl of lentil soup and a piece of fruit. If I don't eat directly after working out I have a clif builder bar. Snack every two hours (fruit, nuts, clif builder bar, baked chips with salsa, whole grain crackers with hummus, etc), large dinner, etc.

Oh, I'm still currently working out 4X a week for about an hour or a little over that. Would adding a day help, or hinder? I know working out too frequently can in fact burn new muscle tissue instead of fat.

Thanks!

Bummer.

On a positive note, I gained another pound! 5 so far, 12 to go. Though now I'm aiming for 140 by the end of April. That way I can spend May doing more cardio and burning whatever fat I gain with this weight. New goal weight is 150. I think I can do it if I've put on 5 pounds so quickly. Today's workout is below. It went exceptionally well except for the bar sliding off my shoulders when I tried my first set of squats. I used this new pad that my gym got, and it was too slippery. Also, I don't think I can do four sets of deadlifts; my hands get too sweaty towards the third/ fourth sets and I can't hold the bar. Does anyone have tips for this? I refuse to use gloves. Maybe if I do 3 sets of 8 instead of 4 sets of 6? Suggestions would be much appreciated.

Bench Press (Barbell) warmup with bar, 10 reps. One set at 100 lbs, 7 reps. Two sets at 110 lbs, 4 reps. One set at 90 lbs, 8 reps.

Squats (Barbell, 180 lbs) 4 sets of 6

Dead Lift (Barbell, 130 lbs) 4 sets of 6

Seated Shoulder Press (35 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 6

Preacher curls (50 lbs) 4 sets of 6

Lat pull down (110 lbs) 4 sets of 8

Tricep pull down (90 lbs) 4 sets of 8

Flyes (machine) 2 sets at 90 lbs, 8 reps. 2 sets at 100 lbs, 6 reps.

Crunches on Bosu Ball (3 sets of 25)

Planks (2 for one minute each)

Stupid question, but should I be worried about getting stretch marks by adding weight so quickly?

Thanks!

Thanks! This adding an extra set of everything on top of all these extra calories has been working out great. I even added 20 more pounds to my leg press!

Here's what I did today:

10 minute cardio warmup (a little over a mile on the treadmill)

Incline Bench Press (Barbell) Warmup with bar, 10 reps. 2 set 90 lbs, 6 reps. 2 sets 100 lbs, 4 reps

Leg Press (not including the weight of the machine) 250 lbs, 1 set of 8. 270 lbs, 3 sets of 8.

Wide Grip Rows (new machine; the one with the pole sticking out of the middle to add plates) (70 lbs; not including starting weight) 4 sets of 8

Front Raises (25 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 8 (per arm)

Hammer Curls (30 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 6 (per arm)

Tricep Kickbacks (30 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 10 (per arm)

Calf Raises (160 lbs) 4 sets of 15

Reverse Flyes (70 lbs) 4 sets of 8

Pushups on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 18

Crunches on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 25

And even more good news... I gained three more pounds! Not bad for just a little over two weeks, right? So I did four sets of everything again today. It was tough! Wondering if I really need to do four sets of single joint exercises, or should I just add a set for multi joint exercises? Anybody?

10 minute cardio warmup on treadmill (a bit over a mile)

Decline bench press (Barbell) 1 set 110 lbs, 8 reps. 2 sets 120 lbs, 4 reps 1 set 110 lbs, 8 reps.

Dumbell Curls (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 6 (per arm), 1 set of 4

Lateral Raises (25 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 8

Split Squats w/ Dumbells (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8 (per leg), 1 set of 6 (I think I can do 3 sets of 8 next time, these kind of hurt my bad knee though.)

Upper Cable Crossover (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8, 1 set of 8 at 95 lbs.

Lower Cable Crossover (95 lbs) 3 sets of 8, 1 set of 8 at 80 lbs.

Close Grip Cable Row (110 lbs) 3 sets of 6, 1 set of 8 at 100 lbs.

Leg Curls (90 lbs) 3 sets of 8, 1 set of 8 at 80 lbs.

Cable Twists/ rotation (for obliques; 35 lbs) 6 sets (3 on each side) of 10

More good news! While I wasn't able to go up in weight in anything today, I was able to add a set to every exercise. I'm planning on being pretty damn sore tomorrow.

Bench Press (Barbell) warmup with bar, 10 reps. One set at 100 lbs, 6 reps. Two sets at 110 lbs, 4 reps. One set at 90 lbs, 8 reps.

Squats (Barbell, 180 lbs) 4 sets of 6-8

Dead Lift (Barbell, 130 lbs) 4 sets of 6 (could have done more but my sweaty hands couldn't hold the bar)

Seated Shoulder Press (35 lb dumbells) 4 sets of 6-8

Lat pull down (110 lbs) 4 sets of 8-10

Tricep pull down (80 lbs) 4 sets of 10

Flyes (machine) 2 sets at 90 lbs, 8 reps. 2 sets at 100 lbs, 6 reps.

Crunches on Bosu Ball (3 sets of 25)

Planks (2 for one minute each)

Hey Clark. Love The Smiths too (and am also a musician/ former martial artist). You look like you have quite a large frame with lots of muscle on it. My advice is to maybe add higher reps/ lower weight for a little while. Maybe also do some circuit training to keep your heart rate up/ burn more fat. By changing it up you'll shock your body which is good for getting out of plateaus. For adding more muscle mass, I'd also try doing full body workouts for awhile, focusing on as many multi joint exercises as possible. That will also shock your body into changing. I'd add a deadlift to your routine too, it's a great exercise. How many days a week do you workout? Every other day is good because it gives your muscles an opportunity to rest and grow. Maybe add some cardio on your off days.

Good news! I went up 20 lbs in my leg press today, and felt like I could easily go up 20 more. Having trouble upping my reps with my bench press, any suggestions? Maybe If I go down in weight for a fourth set?

Here's what I did today:

10 minute cardio warmup (a little over a mile on the treadmill)

Incline Bench Press (Barbell) Warmup with bar, 10 reps (I always do this with all bench exercises but forgot to include it) 1 set 90 lbs, 8 reps) 2 sets 100 lbs, 4 reps

Leg Press (250 lbs - not including the weight of the machine) 3 sets of 8

Wide Grip Rows (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Front Raises (25 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8

Hammer Curls (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 6

Tricep Kickbacks (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 10

Calf Raises (160 lbs) 3 sets of 15

Reverse Flyes (70 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Pushups on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 18

Crunches on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 25

Ok, I'm starting to get a gut and am losing all ab definition. Will this level out/ go away? I'm working out really hard, eating well, etc. Here's what I did yesterday (today is a rest day):

10 minute cardio warmup on treadmill (a bit over a mile)

Decline bench press (Barbell) 1 set 110 lbs, 8 reps) 2 sets 120 lbs, 4 reps

Dumbell Curls (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 6

Lateral Raises (25 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8-10

Split Squats w/ Dumbells (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8

Upper Cable Crossover (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Lower Cable Crossover (95 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Close Grip Cable Row (110 lbs) 3 sets of 6-8

Leg Curls (90 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Cable Twists/ rotation (for obliques; 35 lbs) 6 sets (3 on each side) of 10

I gained my first pound! 16 more to go (for now!). Maybe the two days off helped. Today's workout:

10 minute cardio warmup (a little over a mile on the treadmill)

Bench Press (Barbell, 110 lbs) 3 sets of 4-6

Squats (Barbell, 180 lbs) 3 sets of 6-8

Dead Lift (Barbell, 130 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Seated Shoulder Press (35 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 6-8

Lat pull down (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8-10

Tricep pull down (80 lbs) 3 sets of 10

Flyes (machine, 100 lbs) 3 sets of 6-8

Crunches on Bosu Ball (3 sets of 25)

Planks (2 for one minute each)

Worked out again yesterday, was still pretty sick so I'm taking today off. I guess 4 days in a row isn't a good idea anyway since I'm trying to add muscle. Starting to feel bloated from all this food, but have yet to gain a pound.

Yesterday:

9:30 - 1 1/4 cup oatmeal with walnuts and a bit of soy milk, one slice of toast with peanut butter, one banana, coffee

11:00 - Workout:

10 minute cardio warmup (a little over a mile on the treadmill)

Incline Bench Press (Barbell) 1 set 90 lbs, 8 reps) 2 sets 100 lbs, 4 reps

Leg Press (230 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Wide Grip Rows (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Front Raises (25 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8

Hammer Curls (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8

Tricep Kickbacks (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 10

Reverse Flyes (70 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Pushups on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 18

Crunches on Bosu Ball 3 sets of 25

12:30 - Clif Builder bar

1:00 - Lentil soup and peanut butter sandwich

3:00 - Banana

5:00 - crackers and dr. cow nut cheese, raw almonds

7:00 - stew of squash, sweet potatoes, tempeh, black beans.

11:00 - almonds, a bite of vegan chocolate cake, no icing

Well today was a bit discouraging. I weighed myself for the first time since I've nearly doubled my caloric intake a week ago. And? Still 118 lbs. I don't get it. I don't look 118 lbs. Most people guess that I'm 140-150. I have very large muscles for my small frame, why do I weigh so little?

Feeling badly for myself aside, here's what I did.

5 minute cardio warmup on elliptical (still too weak to run)

Decline bench press (Barbell) 1 set 110 lbs, 8 reps) 2 sets 120 lbs, 4 reps

Dumbell Curls (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 6

Lateral Raises (25 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8-10

Split Squats w/ Dumbells (30 lb dumbells) 3 sets of 8

Upper Cable Crossover (110 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Lower Cable Crossover (80 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Close Grip Cable Row (100 lbs) 3 sets of 6-8

Leg Curls (90 lbs) 3 sets of 8

Calf Raises (160 lbs) 3 sets of 12

Cable Twists/ rotation (for obliques; 35 lbs) 6 sets (3 on each side) of 10

Still eating a ton every two hours with very large pre and post workout meals. Trying to avoid carbs after 6pm, almonds at night, etc.

Thanks LocalBrada!

So I returned to the gym after four days off. I should have waited one more day as I'm still pretty weak and my cold has started to settle in my lungs, but I'm stubborn.

Good news is, due to all of the extra calories I'm eating, while still very sick I didn't have to go down in weights in anything. In fact, I was able to add two reps to my bench press. I know that doesn't sound like much, but in my condition it's quite a feat. I will weigh myself tomorrow at the gym to see if I've gained any weight in my first week of bulking. I already feel bigger actually and surprisingly I don't think my body fat has gone up. What was I thinking with my diet before?? Haha. Went back to 1 1/4 cup of oatmeal for breakfast with walnuts, toast with marmite (soon to be replaced with peanut butter, it's too expensive esp considering I'm spending way more on food now), and a banana. Breakfast is starting to feel like a normal amount of food for me which is awesome. For lunch I had a peanut butter sandwich, lentil soup, and an apple. About to have another banana and some almonds, followed by a builder bar in a few hours. Only hard part for me is dinner as that's when I work, and there aren't many vegan food options by me apart from pasta and other carbs.

Still can't post progress photos. Hmm.

So random, but:

Guns N Roses

Zeppelin

Stones

Gang of Four

Ramones

Peaches

Bowie

Madonna

Lady GaGa

MIA

Beastie Boys

to name a few.

My mixes vary though. Some days they're more 70's cock rock, other days more punk, some days mostly gay, etc.

Still eating a lot. My stomach is starting to expand and now I'm actually getting hungry every two hours which is a really good sign. Didn't get to eat quite as much on Saturday as I worked a double. Then yesterday woke up with a bad cold so I've had to take 4 days off from the gym (including today). Still managed to eat a lot yesterday though. I keep forgetting to eat almonds for my last meal, but will hopefully remember to tonight. I've decided to forgo 1 1/2 - 2 cups of oatmeal in the morning, and instead stick to 1 cup with walnuts, a piece of toast with marmite, and a banana. I just felt really sick. Hopefully my first workout tmrw will be awesome as I've been eating so much and have had 4 days of rest.

Good lord, 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal is painful to consume. Thinking of going back to 1 cup, maybe 1 1/4 with walnuts, and a slice of multi grain toast with marmite.

Working doubles today and tomorrow, so these will be my rest days. I should still be eating a lot on my off days right?

So for an update I've taken localbrada's generous advice and I'm upping my caloric intake by at least 50%. It is not easy, but I think it's really what I need. I feel like I'm going to vomit sometimes, but I'm guessing that'll pass once my stomach expands. Haven't noticed an increase in performance yet during my workouts, but that could be because I feel so full. Hoping the cramps during my warmup runs go away too.

Here's what I ate yesterday:

9:30 - 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal with 1/4 cup walnuts, a bit of soy milk and coffee

11:00 - workout

PM

12:30 - Post workout banana, then had to run some errands

1:30 - Large bowl of lentil soup, peanut butter sandwich (on multi grain bread), and apple

4:00 - Vegan brown rice protein bar (330 calories)

5:30 - almonds, and a few multi grain crackers and hummus

7:00 - Seitan with steamed spinach and mashed sweet potatoes

9:00 - More almonds

And today:

9:30 - 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal with 1/4 cup walnuts, a bit of soy milk and coffee

11:00 - workout

PM

12:30 - Post workout vegan protein bar (I forget the brand, but I'm switching to the Clif Builder bars as I've found out they're vegan and contain a bit less sugar)

1:30 - Large bowl of lentil soup, peanut butter sandwich (on multi grain bread)

4:00 - Banana

6:00 - Clif Builder bar

8:00 - Some multi grain pasta salad with tofu and sun dried tomatoes (I work in a cafe so no time for a big meal)

11:00 - 2 homemade black bean burgers, no bun, baked sweet potato fries.

Here's what I currently look like, at 5'8 and 118 lbs. I'll post a new photo in three weeks. My goal is to gain 17 lbs over the next few months. Any additional suggestions are welcome.

Edit: still can't upload a photo.

Stupid question, but will eating more make me fat first?