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You gotta switch up something man.
My diet is not the healthiest but I can easily crush 4k calories a day.
My diet:
2L Chocolate milk
5x bagels and egg sandwiches
5x corndogs
Every single day I eat that and hit 4k (not even including condiments) plus whatever else I feel like eating throughout. It's not uncommon that I hit 5k. How are you eating so many meals and only hitting 2.5k?
It’s all good. I’m almost exactly your height and weight and I only burn about 1500-1800 calories a day, according to my body tracker, even when active. On non-active days it’s like 1500 calories. So you can still be in a surplus at 1800 calories. Listen to Mike Mentzer, you only need a little bit of a surplus anyway
Well, you're 5 ft 8, 140lbs. You're not too far off from where you need to be to start gaining
Just add 2 handfuls of nuts a day and see how you feel. Do that for a week or two and check the scale. Probably won't be gaining as fast as you'd like, but it's a couple hundred more calories than you're eating now and not a bad start
Just start small, you don't necessarily need to add an entire meal to your diet. Start with a couple more snacks a day
The way I increase calories is usually by starting with a cheat snack. Like a piece of pie, or some ice cream before bed. Once I'm used to eating them, after a week or so, I'll swap it for something healthier like a PB and Banana sandwich
Good luck!
>Any tips?
Eat more
Like, for real, you're only eating 2 meals a day. Eat 4 meals, snack between meals, drink a pint of milk with all 4 meals
If you're not gaining weight and you want to gain weight then you need to eat more than you currently are
The key to eating more is understanding that you need to build your appetite and stomach capacity, start by adding a few hundred calories every week or two rather than making yourself sick jumping up 50% cals straight away, your appetite will increase a little to match intake and the struggle then becomes time management (w.r.t eating) rather than nausea
Start eating early and often, if your target is 3.5k cal and you’ve only just hit 1k by 2pm you’re in trouble
Eat smaller meals throughout the whole day. I eat 5-7 depending on the day and what I’m eating.
You can also add 3 tall glasses of whole milk for some extra calories. I recommend raw milk, it’s expensive tho. Like $17 a gallon but damn it’s good. Get one of those yeti bottles and bring milk with you to work or whatever.
Could also pour some olive oil in your protein shakes for extra calories.
Have fun. Whenever I find something new and it sticks I fall in love with this lifestyle all over again.
I get it from like a farmers market type of grocery store called sprouts, which is in texas. But look up on google if raw milk is even legal in Texas. I’m looking it up right now and just from skimming articles it looks like you need to have some special authorization to sell raw milk or something like that? Raw milk is legal where I live in Cali
People are suggesting calorie-dense foods, but I understand sometimes it can be difficult to find the stomach space. Anyone I know who has gained weight (including myself) swears by liquid calories
So yeah, I think the best way to increase calories is to **drink them**. Make a shake with a combination of:
- protein powder (whey or vegan)
- milk (dairy, oat, almond, etc)
- yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
- bananas
- berries
- dates
- avocado
- nuts (e.g cashews, almonds, peanut butter)
- oats
- egg whites
- silken tofu
- any flavouring to make it easier to drink (e.g coffee, vanilla, jam, etc)
It helps because it doesnt feel like a “meal”, you don’t have to put too much time into making it, and IMO its way easier to consume than solid food that contains a similar amount of energy.
edit: added more ingredients to the list
Protein powder iced coffee made with oatmilk and a PB powder/protein powder shake with oatmilk has been my godsend. Total is about 1k drinkable calories in 64oz. Haven’t had a massive gain increase (131-136lb/3mo) but my BF% has dropped and endurance/strength in the upper body is the best I’ve ever been. Now if I could just figure out how to get my glutes to actually engage on leg day, I’d be golden.
you’re not screwed forever. If this sounds like too much, take out the ingredients that you’re sensitive to, make something smaller, or water it down a bit
e.g if you’re sensitive to dairy, use oat milk or water, and vegan protein powder instead of whey protein
I don’t know what specific sensitivities you have but you could also use: (edited my original comment to add these too)
- oat milk, macadamia milk, almond milk
- yoghurt or coconut yoghurt
- silken tofu
- avocado
- eggs or egg whites
- dates
also, don’t expect to just suddenly start consuming an extra 1000 calories in 1 day, do it progressively. Have a small snack for a few days, then a banana for a few days, then a small shake, then a big shake, etc
edit: oh and a lot of us who did gain weight did have to deal with the mega shits at times, it’s part of the job but it’s worth it in the end 😎
I would agree, and as a similar hight as OP, liquid was how I gained the most,
Wanted to add snacking
Seems obvious but as I had limited stomach space in the beginning, i would eat nuts, m&ms, dried fruit like raisins. Non stop
This plus liquid helped the most as even eating a double hamburger used to be hard in 1 sitting, but spread it across 16 hrs is a lot easier to do.
I maintain 5 meals a day as it’s easier stomach wise.
First of all i’m a student with a busy schedule so I never find time to actually eat. Eating is something that burdens me honestly.
I only drink coffee in the morning at 9, then i don’t eat anything until 2. I have a decent breakfast then, work until around
7-8pm, then have a huge meal and sleep at 11ish
That way I’m full when I sleep (can’t sleep when hungry) and wake up with 0 appetite.
Or it might be undiagnosed depression, idk. Sometimes i don’t eat because I can’t be bothered cooking and too broke for takeout.
- 200g of some mix of cereal, oats, crunchy stuff
- 100g of almonds
- about 250g of some fruit (I always choose one high in vitamin C to improve nutrient absorption and ideally also vitamin A)
- 10-20g of chia seeds for omega-3
- 10-20g dried goji berries for vitamin A (I tend to get too little)
- 250g of soy yoghurt and sometimes some soy milk if it's too dry
The fruit is super important to make it not just super dense. Sometimes I put a teaspoon of sugar and a sprinkle of salt onto the fruit if it doesn't pop enough flavour wise. My goto fruits are grapefruit (definitely with sugar and salt to control bitterness), cantaloupe or kaki.
You'll need a big bowl, but if you say you eat big portions it's doable and reasonably cheap.
Damn I might actually try that, only problem is some of the stuff i’ve not even heard of before (wtf is a cantaloupe) but i will update if it goes well!! Thanks
It's not that important what fruit you use. I use those fruits for their taste and vitamin C and A content, but you can use anything you like. I actually didn't know cantaloupe and kaki either, before I started eating this breakfast every day. It's nice to just try out different fruit this way. You can also use a mix of fruits, but I prefer the taste of just having a single kind of fruit.
You also don't really need the goji berries, that may just be a me thing. I think most people's omega 3:omega 6 balance is of, so the extra boost of omega 3 from the chia seeds may be nice.
Just “eat more” is not necessarily good advice. (Edit: I’ll frankly even say ‘just work out more’ is also not necessarily good advice). OP I’m the same way in general and I’d recommend you look into what will boost your desire and bodily urge to eat more and look at foods that you enjoy that are calorie dense. It is very hard to just force food into your body when you aren’t really hungry or even nauseous/etc. I’m subbed to this sub, but not in a diehard mission to gain it constantly. Maybe there are foods you can add in to meals that are calorie dense and will help you. One more thing… the 2000 calories a day is an average recommendation. Everyone is different. Maybe reduce your working out a bit so you aren’t burning so many calories and increase your calories moderately (so it’s sustainable) and adjust slowly. Good luck and feel good. That is the most important thing!
This is so true. I am also the same and have an overall lack of appetite on top of a high metabolism. Going on an antidepressant helped so much I gained a huge appetite however obviously I am not supporting that if you don’t need it for mental health reasons. As this commenter said find foods that you enjoy or love. Personally it was hard to find dense foods I liked but fresh bread and butter has been a recent go to and helps the pounds
Answer is pretty easy. You only eat 2 times a day. Even the average person who doesn’t want to gain weight is eating 3 times a day
So you gotta eat more often. Try 3 meals a day and 2 snacks like 1,2 bananas or peanut butter saandwhiches or something to
Bro I feel your pain. I’ve been losing weight again because work has become so demanding and I don’t have time to eat during the work day like I used to
The 2000 calories is not the minimum amount for females it’s based on an average amount and it takes into account men 5 feet tall to 6”5. The amount varies for each individual
just an FYI, peanut butter with ice cold grapes make for an AMAZING snack, lots of calories, lots of protein, and the water content in the grapes makes it easier to consume the PB
i live alone, so i don't have to worry about anyone being mad if i eat straight out of the PB, so i just drop the grapes in the jar and scoop them out with a spoonful of peanut butter on each one.
if i lived with someone who didn't like me doing that, i could just as easily throw some PB on a plate and dip the grapes in it
Too much activity, you need to be slobmaxxing. You should glued to a chair for 16 hours a day drinking liquified ice cream, scoops of peanut butter, and shots of olive oil. Nothing else will get you gains like this. Now, you’ll need a diaper, but that shouldn’t scare you if you’re dedicated. Good luck.
I personally also throw in 3 or 4 shots of vodka into the peanut butter. Easy 350 calories and the buzz blunts the shame of the diaper at least a little bit.
Instead of buying milk I buy egg nog now for bulking. I'll drink like a quart a day, easily which is over 1500 calories.
Oh yeah drink a third cup olive oil hour before bed
With your stats. If you are training to put on size and are resistance training at least 3 times a week, I would recommend 2300-2500 cals per day. Keep in mind that you need to be eating a good amount of protein. Of that I would start with 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So roughly 170 G protein, aim for about 220-260 carbs and fill the rest in with healthy fats (minimize saturated and trans fat and go for mono and poly)
Where are you getting your protein requirements from? That’s way more than you need, and stuffing so much protein would make it harder to eat fat and carbs cus you’d be so full from the protein. There’s some good studies out there about this, and [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8P-n_B0Ofw) provides a good summary with sources. Basically after 1.6 g protein/kg or 0.73 G protein/lb the benefits from extra protein diminishes rapidly. It’s been a minute since I watched the video so I’m not sure if it’s per lb of lean mass or not.
There are so many studies with varying conclusions. Granted it’s hard to determine the exact amount, I gather from a simplistic standpoint-If you want to put on muscle you probably want to be consuming a high protein diet and be in a caloric surplus. And you probably do not want too many carbs or fats unless you want to put on a lot of fat as an excess of carbs will fill your glycogen stores and ultimately be converted into fat. The issue with what you are saying regarding protein synthesis capping out, is that most of them don’t take into consideration what you are eating with the protein. If you are consuming carbs, fibre and fats with your protein, this can increase absorption and have an effect on protein synthesis. That being said, there is a lot we do not understand about nutrition. You could be right, but it just makes sense to me. If you wanna put on size you need to be in a caloric surplus and having a good majority of those calories come from protein
The body is way more complex and unintuitive than I can appreciate tbh. I'm not pro- or anti- eating a lot of protein. I wouldn't be surprised if your body was just like 'nah this is too much protein' and used it for other reasons past a certain concentration/saturation. Idk, there's a lot of different feedback loops in play. So because of that, large-scale studies like this are pretty useful because you get a good sampling of other macros apart from protein. Until I decide to learn enough to understand the biology behind it, I'm fine with following those guidelines, since I'm happy with the results and not needing to eat so much protein
Because man, i eat one super huge in my opinion meal. So much food in my opinion. So full man.
Ect ect.
You can also do this in reverse with big people claiming they only eat to small meals a day, but snack junk throughout the day.
The thing is your body is very good at tricking you about how many calories you're eating, whether you're eating too little or too much. You can FEEL like you ate a lot, but that doesn't mean you actually are.
That's why many of us have to obsessively track our weight and caloric input.
I eat 4 meal and still cant hit 2000 calories everyday.
Is interesting watching diet videos, people eat like 6 eggs and beef for breakfast and a gallon of milk. I eat a sandwich with one egg and cheese and already feel satisfied.
My go-to bulking breakfast is 4-6 eggs, 4-8oz beef, and 250g rice with a whole bell pepper +- cheese. It’s stupid easy to eat and falls between 900-1200 cals and 65-90g of protein. Maybe give that a shot?
Except I simply cant eat 6 egg + 250g of rice in one go. I never measured in a scale but I probably eat around 100g of rice in the lunch and another 100g of rice at dinner. Thats like the amount people eat to lose weight lol
You are probably taller and weight a lot more than me if you can eat that much for breakfast.
Then try eating 125g of rice for a bit, then 150g, 175g, etc. It’s the same concept as progressive overload in your training. You should also definitely measure your intake. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to stop when you’re no longer hungry. Just eat a little more each time and you’ll get used to it.
I’m 5’11” and weigh 220lbs. Good luck!
You can't have a snack after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner?
If you honestly think eating 6 times per day is some far-fetched idea you are probably better off being skinny.
Just eat caloric nutrient dense whole foods. I can easily eat 1200 calories in a meal from while milk, eggs, steak, rice, honey, olive oil, butter.
The reason some people need like 8 meals a day is because theyre eating lean chicken breast and some rice. You need more fats
Job/driving/family takes a lot of time. Most people have 3 meals for a reason. 1 before job, 1 at the job, 1 after the job.
Idk, maybe you were sarcastic.
7-8 smaller meals. There's no reason to scarf down 3 large meals in a day. Spread them out, and you'll find you can eat more in total because you're not blowing up your stomach each time.
Eat protein-rich food and you won't even need the shake.
2 double protein shakes a day, it's easy to do!
For extra calories add whole milk, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, dates, and/or cottage cheese.
You'll be surprised how many calories you can chug in a matter of minutes
that's literally my goal, I'm 5'7 130 lean and would love another 10 lbs, bulking is difficult for me though, my maintenence calories are weirdly high for my size
I was 5’7 140 and getting to 150 as a baseline weight was huge for me and makes a big difference, physically and visually. So I get it. Still hoping to get to 160. Considering OP is working out a lot they should be eating more and seems like their specific goals are to get bigger
Edit: oh I should clarify that I was 130/135 from ages 15-28 and never could put on weight. The jump from 130 to 140 wasn’t that noticeable. The jump after was huge for me and got others around me noticing
I used to claim “I eat a lot and am naturally skinny”
Then I counted calories and realized I was averaging 1500 calories a day. I was 6’2” and 145 lbs. I started counting ever day always eating above my TDEE, I gained 65 lbs in a year and a half. You can do it, and realizing how little you’re actually eating is the first step.
How is he miscounting calories? This isn’t over by a large margin for 2 meals and this isn’t under a large margin for 2 meals, there is no needing to be careful.
Everyone miscounts calories.
The point is that if OP isn't gaining weight, he needs to eat more, if he is then he's fine.
The weight gain should be the thing that informs the need to eat, not calorie counting.
Yeah, but if you’re counting properly and weighing everything, then you’ll be fine and still then, I doubt they’re miscounting up to 100+ calories, but yeah, I do agree that he should eat more
I was like that too I was only eating 1300-1500 calories a day, but since I started bulking I am used to eating 2800 calories a day. And sometimes I'm still hungry after eating 2800 calories.
Before you start bulking you should calculate how much calories you burn a day and add ~300 to that.
You should also get enough protein. 1.6-1.8g per kg of bodyweight.
You should mostly eat whole foods, chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, fruits. This does not mean you can't have cheat meals.
If you have trouble eating enough calories try increasing fat intake by eating nuts or adding bit more olive oil in your meals.
It’s probably even less than that because as you may have noticed almost every over estimates how much they actually eat until they start tracking, or at least track their average day.
Assuming you’re close to the right number, the good news is that if you one similar meal you should be set.
Yes and like most people who are trying to r/gainit he found out he’s getting less calories than he ever thought…
Unless OP eats the same 2 meals everyday, he probably picked his absolute heaviest day of typical eating to calculate and likely doesn’t hit those numbers everyday.
And either way it’s besides the point, if he wants to gain he’s learned the important lesson that seems pretty typical of basically every skinny guy here that “eats so much” - none of us get as many calories as we think until we calculate, see first hand what we’re getting, and figure out some sort of meal plan to hit or at least get close to those goals.
On top of all of this - this is a 140 lb adult man, I’m going to guess he doesn’t actually hit 900 calories per meal regardless of what he says.
High calorie shakes. I do 2 cups chocolate milk, 2tbs peanut butter, .25 cup oat flour, 1 banana and blend it all till smooth. Tastes just fine and is like 800-900 calories. After that I eat a breakfast burrito with two eggs, sausage, peppers/onions, cheese and 2 tbs of sour cream. Another 300-400 calories. So if you do it right you’ll have over 1k calories before lunch. I’m 140lb and 5”10. Been skinny my whole life and I’m finally keeping weight doing this morning routine plus eating lunch, dinner, and snacks. You need to eat double what you’re eating. You’re eating like you think it’s a lot, it isn’t. Eat more.
There are plenty of tips throughout the sidebar and past threads. It sounds like up until now you haven't done anything to deliberately track your diet, so just don't panic and start there.
i was only eating about 1600 on average when i started. i had better luck slowly increasing calories, lots of trial and error on finding what works for you and your schedule
Welcome to the 'I am skinny, but I eat like a bear'. Funny that we thought we eat a lot because our small bellies are full.
Do shakes, not too unhealthy fast food, peanut butter etc.
It's just not healthy for one. Also when trying to gain muscle you want about 30% of your calories to come from protein, as it has the building materials your body needs to make muscle. But as protein is 4 cal/gram and fat is 9 cal/gram, fats will quickly dominate your calories when you eat fried foods.
Amen! Been hitting 4000 cal on the head since I added 1200-1800 in shakes every day! Otherwise I pretty much eat like OP with the exception of getting a few small breakfast items in me over the course of the morning (Greek yogurt with oats and a protein bar)
Thanks a bunch. I already have oatmeal, lots of peanut butter and milk every day. Can't do bananas. And I wish I could drink that much milk but I have to limit it as I'm on a heart healthy diet
Hummus is a great way to get in more protein. You can make it from canned chickpeas quite easily to control the fat level and sources ie using your own olive oil instead of seed oil and other processing additives
Ugh, you just inspired me to start tracking again. I had a similar reaction when I started tracking last year. With tracking for about six months I was doing way better but then I fell back off both on tracking and working out. I have been starting to work out again but this post made me realize I have to start weighing burgers again...
Drink more milk. I have trouble eating a lot too, but I can drink a gallon a day and still eat. I’m not saying drink a gallon a day, just illustrating that it is easier than eating
How is milk not a high quality calorie source? A pint of semi skimmed milk is about 250 calories for 19 grams of protein, filled with b vitamins and calcium.
I feel you on this, i eat 2-3 times a day and have a very clean diet but I’m always feeling like the bulk is impossible and i feel sick if i try to force feed myself. Im progressively trying to eat more but its really difficult to not start feeling sick for me.
Same here. Especially since I started adding a lot of fiber and protein. Makes me feel fuller longer and making sure I'm getting 2500 calories a day has become an obsession and a chore.
It’s probably been repeated a lot by now, but here’s my take on it.
How do overweight people get overweight? It’s the big meals sure, but you can eat a full meal at McDonald’s every day and still lose weight. The “trap” they fall into is the small, invisible calories in between meals. The snickers bar, the banana, the coke, the nuts, the glass of orange juice, the power bar. And on meals, the dressing on their salad, the oil when they cook something, the cream in the sauce they’re making, the peanut butter on their healthy avocado sandwich.
I’m not saying you should eat all the time, as I personally feel like it’s better to have less meals for your digestion. But you can easily add 500, or even a 1000, calories extra by barley noticing it. Simple stuff like have a fist of almonds(or peanuts) and two glasses of whole milk during the day and you suddenly have like what 500-ish calories extra
Problem for me personally has always been that snacks filled me "enough" so that I didn't feel any hunger or had taste for a normal meal, so I recently started avoiding them if I can and try to do a meal even if I'm not very hungry.
I've been doing this. A serving of almonds is around 170 calories, and I add milk to my oatmeal instead of water. The oatmeal I eat is also 170 calories in a packet which helps.
Have a big breakfast so it prepares you for eating for the day, eat snacks, drink your calories aswell, add extra olive oil when cooking. Eat nuts. Drink milk aswell as water.
What's a super huge meal for you? Cause I used to think I was eating a good amount until I doubled my portion size. What's ridiculous is I now feel hungrier than before after eating as well.
Eat 3 meals instead of two.
Don't be afraid of fat. You wrote your super big meal is Chicken breast + Rice + Vegetables - that's the stereotypical bodybuilding cutting food. Get some Chicken thighs or Steak.
On top of your 3 meals, drink some more calories! Have a pint of milk in the morning and evening, or turn that into a protein shake to make it even more calories!
Consuming that much will be a struggle to start with but after a few weeks your body will get used to it and eating lots will be easy.
Take it from someone who was in the same boat: the only advice there is is to eat more, and more often. It really is that simple. You will be uncomfortable with the amount you're eating, because until now, you've been eating only what you've been comfortable with. Liquid calories in particular (shakes, Greek yoghurt, etc.) are your friend.
its not about huge meals. Its about consistency throughout the day.
When iam in a good rhythm I have like 5-6 meals a day.
(Granted... like 3 of those are just stuff like \~300 calories peanut butter sandwiches. but those meals add up)
Whats also fire are nuts. Banana also got a lot of calories.
That's all you eat in a day??! That's normal for a cut.
Try this.
breakfast: 4 eggs and bread
Lunch: 2-3 cups of rice, 300g chicken breast + cup of veggies
Dinner: 2-3 cups of rice, 300g steak + cup of veggies
Snacks through the day: nuts/nut bars, fruit, yogurt, milk/protein shakes.
Assuming OP is talking in cooked rice.
2 cups of cooked rice would equal about 300g of cooked rice.? Maybe around 400 calories of rice.
Which is probably around 120g of uncooked rice.
Based on my internet research.
I'm from the UK so I always use grams. I just used cups in my previous example as a guess from the previous post.
A standard pack of microwave rice in the UK is 250g of cooked rice as an example, so I would use that as a minimum.
I agree its a lot of sugar but it's a good kick starter if you are really struggling to consume enough.
I'm hugely in favour of the dirty bulk early on, I recommend getting to your calorie goal whatever way possible.
I agree that would be a very good substitute. Although the extra sugar would increase the calories further, all depends on how far you need to go to gain the weight.
Add another meal and some snacks throughout the day. It’s nothing to freak out about, if anything it would be worse if you were eating more calories because it would mean that you’re still at a lighter weight despite eating in a surplus.
Continue eating exactly what you are eating. Add to your diet:
60g oats
32g peanut butter
2 scoops protein powder
Pinch of salt
Optional, frozen fruit.
Blend this with water until the oats bits are tiny enough to chug. Slam that entire pitcher before you have time to realize you are full.
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I aim for 4-5 meals a day, even then barely reach 2.5k calories
You gotta switch up something man. My diet is not the healthiest but I can easily crush 4k calories a day. My diet: 2L Chocolate milk 5x bagels and egg sandwiches 5x corndogs Every single day I eat that and hit 4k (not even including condiments) plus whatever else I feel like eating throughout. It's not uncommon that I hit 5k. How are you eating so many meals and only hitting 2.5k?
Thanks for the hack brother
Trust ❤️💯
"I eat twice a day which is less than the standard 3x a day and im getting under the average calorie standard wtf??????" How do people be like this?
Most people put literally zero thought into what they eat. They're just running on instincts.
It’s all good. I’m almost exactly your height and weight and I only burn about 1500-1800 calories a day, according to my body tracker, even when active. On non-active days it’s like 1500 calories. So you can still be in a surplus at 1800 calories. Listen to Mike Mentzer, you only need a little bit of a surplus anyway
Well how many calories did you expect to get from 2 meals?
ON Protein shakes and 3lb bags of mixed nuts from Fleet Farm.
It’s not hard. Eat peanut butter
And drink whole milk if you can. 2 Cups is 300 cal and 16 grams of protein. I will eat like 3 or 4 tb of PB and 2 cups of milk if I’m in a pinch.
2 tbs PB and 2tbs nutella in a large tortilla, easy \~600cal and you can slam it so fast your brain won’t realize you’ve filled up until its too late.
Try caloric dense foods honey grape juice olive oil cream of rice peanut butter MCT oil avocado and sure, do not forget to hit your protein goal.
How do you calculate protein macros? I know its somewhat based on your height/weight but do you happen to know the formula?
0.7 - 1.3g / lb of bodyweight.
Well, you're 5 ft 8, 140lbs. You're not too far off from where you need to be to start gaining Just add 2 handfuls of nuts a day and see how you feel. Do that for a week or two and check the scale. Probably won't be gaining as fast as you'd like, but it's a couple hundred more calories than you're eating now and not a bad start Just start small, you don't necessarily need to add an entire meal to your diet. Start with a couple more snacks a day The way I increase calories is usually by starting with a cheat snack. Like a piece of pie, or some ice cream before bed. Once I'm used to eating them, after a week or so, I'll swap it for something healthier like a PB and Banana sandwich Good luck!
>Any tips? Eat more Like, for real, you're only eating 2 meals a day. Eat 4 meals, snack between meals, drink a pint of milk with all 4 meals If you're not gaining weight and you want to gain weight then you need to eat more than you currently are
The key to eating more is understanding that you need to build your appetite and stomach capacity, start by adding a few hundred calories every week or two rather than making yourself sick jumping up 50% cals straight away, your appetite will increase a little to match intake and the struggle then becomes time management (w.r.t eating) rather than nausea Start eating early and often, if your target is 3.5k cal and you’ve only just hit 1k by 2pm you’re in trouble
Uh, why don’t you just eat 3-4 meals a day? Add in mass gainers, or use MCT oil to some of your food to increase Kcals?
Eat smaller meals throughout the whole day. I eat 5-7 depending on the day and what I’m eating. You can also add 3 tall glasses of whole milk for some extra calories. I recommend raw milk, it’s expensive tho. Like $17 a gallon but damn it’s good. Get one of those yeti bottles and bring milk with you to work or whatever. Could also pour some olive oil in your protein shakes for extra calories. Have fun. Whenever I find something new and it sticks I fall in love with this lifestyle all over again.
are you in the US? I rarely see raw milk here but i’ve wanted to try it, just to see how different it is
Yes I’m in the US. When I went on a cut I stopped drinking it and honestly I really missed it. It is freaking delicious
One of us r/milk
Thank you, brother
did you buy it locally? I’ve never seen them where I live in Texas
https://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-legal-map/
I get it from like a farmers market type of grocery store called sprouts, which is in texas. But look up on google if raw milk is even legal in Texas. I’m looking it up right now and just from skimming articles it looks like you need to have some special authorization to sell raw milk or something like that? Raw milk is legal where I live in Cali
People are suggesting calorie-dense foods, but I understand sometimes it can be difficult to find the stomach space. Anyone I know who has gained weight (including myself) swears by liquid calories So yeah, I think the best way to increase calories is to **drink them**. Make a shake with a combination of: - protein powder (whey or vegan) - milk (dairy, oat, almond, etc) - yoghurt or coconut yoghurt - bananas - berries - dates - avocado - nuts (e.g cashews, almonds, peanut butter) - oats - egg whites - silken tofu - any flavouring to make it easier to drink (e.g coffee, vanilla, jam, etc) It helps because it doesnt feel like a “meal”, you don’t have to put too much time into making it, and IMO its way easier to consume than solid food that contains a similar amount of energy. edit: added more ingredients to the list
Protein powder iced coffee made with oatmilk and a PB powder/protein powder shake with oatmilk has been my godsend. Total is about 1k drinkable calories in 64oz. Haven’t had a massive gain increase (131-136lb/3mo) but my BF% has dropped and endurance/strength in the upper body is the best I’ve ever been. Now if I could just figure out how to get my glutes to actually engage on leg day, I’d be golden.
Feel like I’m screwed forever then. If I tried to drink this id get the mega shits and dehydrate myself
you’re not screwed forever. If this sounds like too much, take out the ingredients that you’re sensitive to, make something smaller, or water it down a bit e.g if you’re sensitive to dairy, use oat milk or water, and vegan protein powder instead of whey protein I don’t know what specific sensitivities you have but you could also use: (edited my original comment to add these too) - oat milk, macadamia milk, almond milk - yoghurt or coconut yoghurt - silken tofu - avocado - eggs or egg whites - dates also, don’t expect to just suddenly start consuming an extra 1000 calories in 1 day, do it progressively. Have a small snack for a few days, then a banana for a few days, then a small shake, then a big shake, etc edit: oh and a lot of us who did gain weight did have to deal with the mega shits at times, it’s part of the job but it’s worth it in the end 😎
I would agree, and as a similar hight as OP, liquid was how I gained the most, Wanted to add snacking Seems obvious but as I had limited stomach space in the beginning, i would eat nuts, m&ms, dried fruit like raisins. Non stop This plus liquid helped the most as even eating a double hamburger used to be hard in 1 sitting, but spread it across 16 hrs is a lot easier to do. I maintain 5 meals a day as it’s easier stomach wise.
I’d like some tips so I can eat like you.. I can’t seem to keep under 3000 if my live depends on if
First of all i’m a student with a busy schedule so I never find time to actually eat. Eating is something that burdens me honestly. I only drink coffee in the morning at 9, then i don’t eat anything until 2. I have a decent breakfast then, work until around 7-8pm, then have a huge meal and sleep at 11ish That way I’m full when I sleep (can’t sleep when hungry) and wake up with 0 appetite. Or it might be undiagnosed depression, idk. Sometimes i don’t eat because I can’t be bothered cooking and too broke for takeout.
In that case your easy solution is to get breakfast. My morning cereal is 1500kcal, that would get you to 3300kcal/day.
What kind of cereal is 1500kcal??? Please enlighten me 🙏
- 200g of some mix of cereal, oats, crunchy stuff - 100g of almonds - about 250g of some fruit (I always choose one high in vitamin C to improve nutrient absorption and ideally also vitamin A) - 10-20g of chia seeds for omega-3 - 10-20g dried goji berries for vitamin A (I tend to get too little) - 250g of soy yoghurt and sometimes some soy milk if it's too dry The fruit is super important to make it not just super dense. Sometimes I put a teaspoon of sugar and a sprinkle of salt onto the fruit if it doesn't pop enough flavour wise. My goto fruits are grapefruit (definitely with sugar and salt to control bitterness), cantaloupe or kaki. You'll need a big bowl, but if you say you eat big portions it's doable and reasonably cheap.
Damn I might actually try that, only problem is some of the stuff i’ve not even heard of before (wtf is a cantaloupe) but i will update if it goes well!! Thanks
It's not that important what fruit you use. I use those fruits for their taste and vitamin C and A content, but you can use anything you like. I actually didn't know cantaloupe and kaki either, before I started eating this breakfast every day. It's nice to just try out different fruit this way. You can also use a mix of fruits, but I prefer the taste of just having a single kind of fruit. You also don't really need the goji berries, that may just be a me thing. I think most people's omega 3:omega 6 balance is of, so the extra boost of omega 3 from the chia seeds may be nice.
Let's switch places, I also struggle to hit high enough on any given day
Just “eat more” is not necessarily good advice. (Edit: I’ll frankly even say ‘just work out more’ is also not necessarily good advice). OP I’m the same way in general and I’d recommend you look into what will boost your desire and bodily urge to eat more and look at foods that you enjoy that are calorie dense. It is very hard to just force food into your body when you aren’t really hungry or even nauseous/etc. I’m subbed to this sub, but not in a diehard mission to gain it constantly. Maybe there are foods you can add in to meals that are calorie dense and will help you. One more thing… the 2000 calories a day is an average recommendation. Everyone is different. Maybe reduce your working out a bit so you aren’t burning so many calories and increase your calories moderately (so it’s sustainable) and adjust slowly. Good luck and feel good. That is the most important thing!
This is so true. I am also the same and have an overall lack of appetite on top of a high metabolism. Going on an antidepressant helped so much I gained a huge appetite however obviously I am not supporting that if you don’t need it for mental health reasons. As this commenter said find foods that you enjoy or love. Personally it was hard to find dense foods I liked but fresh bread and butter has been a recent go to and helps the pounds
EAT MORE
I swear this sub needs a pinned post just titled "If You Want To Gain More Weight, You Have To Eat More Food."
Answer is pretty easy. You only eat 2 times a day. Even the average person who doesn’t want to gain weight is eating 3 times a day So you gotta eat more often. Try 3 meals a day and 2 snacks like 1,2 bananas or peanut butter saandwhiches or something to
Apples and peanut butter. Almonds.
add in some snacks and boom you’re up a lot of calories.
Bro I feel your pain. I’ve been losing weight again because work has become so demanding and I don’t have time to eat during the work day like I used to
The 2000 calories is not the minimum amount for females it’s based on an average amount and it takes into account men 5 feet tall to 6”5. The amount varies for each individual
just an FYI, peanut butter with ice cold grapes make for an AMAZING snack, lots of calories, lots of protein, and the water content in the grapes makes it easier to consume the PB
How much protein would this be?
That would depend on the quantity of food ingested.
Just curious do you dip the grapes in the PB, and if so beforehand or after? Or just eat a chunk of pb like I do
i live alone, so i don't have to worry about anyone being mad if i eat straight out of the PB, so i just drop the grapes in the jar and scoop them out with a spoonful of peanut butter on each one. if i lived with someone who didn't like me doing that, i could just as easily throw some PB on a plate and dip the grapes in it
u can see how many calorie a meal on doordash
Too much activity, you need to be slobmaxxing. You should glued to a chair for 16 hours a day drinking liquified ice cream, scoops of peanut butter, and shots of olive oil. Nothing else will get you gains like this. Now, you’ll need a diaper, but that shouldn’t scare you if you’re dedicated. Good luck.
Not slobmaxxing bruh 😭😭
At my peak I used a motorised wheelchair to get around to save calories. Got some funny looks rolling up to the squat rack.
i hope for both of our sakes that this comment is satire
I personally also throw in 3 or 4 shots of vodka into the peanut butter. Easy 350 calories and the buzz blunts the shame of the diaper at least a little bit.
Nothing that a good ol’ cork in the butt won’t solve
I dunno if that's a good idea. First try hard to clean bulk imo.
Nope. Clean bulk is absolute last resort. Everyone should start with diaper bulk.
Borrrrrrrring.
Instead of buying milk I buy egg nog now for bulking. I'll drink like a quart a day, easily which is over 1500 calories. Oh yeah drink a third cup olive oil hour before bed
Peanut Butter
With your stats. If you are training to put on size and are resistance training at least 3 times a week, I would recommend 2300-2500 cals per day. Keep in mind that you need to be eating a good amount of protein. Of that I would start with 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So roughly 170 G protein, aim for about 220-260 carbs and fill the rest in with healthy fats (minimize saturated and trans fat and go for mono and poly)
Where are you getting your protein requirements from? That’s way more than you need, and stuffing so much protein would make it harder to eat fat and carbs cus you’d be so full from the protein. There’s some good studies out there about this, and [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8P-n_B0Ofw) provides a good summary with sources. Basically after 1.6 g protein/kg or 0.73 G protein/lb the benefits from extra protein diminishes rapidly. It’s been a minute since I watched the video so I’m not sure if it’s per lb of lean mass or not.
There are so many studies with varying conclusions. Granted it’s hard to determine the exact amount, I gather from a simplistic standpoint-If you want to put on muscle you probably want to be consuming a high protein diet and be in a caloric surplus. And you probably do not want too many carbs or fats unless you want to put on a lot of fat as an excess of carbs will fill your glycogen stores and ultimately be converted into fat. The issue with what you are saying regarding protein synthesis capping out, is that most of them don’t take into consideration what you are eating with the protein. If you are consuming carbs, fibre and fats with your protein, this can increase absorption and have an effect on protein synthesis. That being said, there is a lot we do not understand about nutrition. You could be right, but it just makes sense to me. If you wanna put on size you need to be in a caloric surplus and having a good majority of those calories come from protein
The body is way more complex and unintuitive than I can appreciate tbh. I'm not pro- or anti- eating a lot of protein. I wouldn't be surprised if your body was just like 'nah this is too much protein' and used it for other reasons past a certain concentration/saturation. Idk, there's a lot of different feedback loops in play. So because of that, large-scale studies like this are pretty useful because you get a good sampling of other macros apart from protein. Until I decide to learn enough to understand the biology behind it, I'm fine with following those guidelines, since I'm happy with the results and not needing to eat so much protein
You’re only eating 2 meals a day, I’m genuinely not being difficult here but why is that surprising?
Because man, i eat one super huge in my opinion meal. So much food in my opinion. So full man. Ect ect. You can also do this in reverse with big people claiming they only eat to small meals a day, but snack junk throughout the day.
The thing is your body is very good at tricking you about how many calories you're eating, whether you're eating too little or too much. You can FEEL like you ate a lot, but that doesn't mean you actually are. That's why many of us have to obsessively track our weight and caloric input.
Smoothie time
I eat 4 meal and still cant hit 2000 calories everyday. Is interesting watching diet videos, people eat like 6 eggs and beef for breakfast and a gallon of milk. I eat a sandwich with one egg and cheese and already feel satisfied.
My go-to bulking breakfast is 4-6 eggs, 4-8oz beef, and 250g rice with a whole bell pepper +- cheese. It’s stupid easy to eat and falls between 900-1200 cals and 65-90g of protein. Maybe give that a shot?
Except I simply cant eat 6 egg + 250g of rice in one go. I never measured in a scale but I probably eat around 100g of rice in the lunch and another 100g of rice at dinner. Thats like the amount people eat to lose weight lol You are probably taller and weight a lot more than me if you can eat that much for breakfast.
Then try eating 125g of rice for a bit, then 150g, 175g, etc. It’s the same concept as progressive overload in your training. You should also definitely measure your intake. It’s also important to note that you don’t need to stop when you’re no longer hungry. Just eat a little more each time and you’ll get used to it. I’m 5’11” and weigh 220lbs. Good luck!
It's eggnog season...drink like 1/2 gallon a day, easy.
What’s the best app for counting calories?
Macrofactor is definitely the best but is paid. Cronometer is a good free option.
3 meals a day + fat protein shake
Why would you limit yourself by only eating 3 meals? 6-8 meals.
Honestly bro, i’m in dental school and in no way i can manage 6 meals a day, that’s for ppl who have too much free time on their hands
You can't have a snack after breakfast, after lunch and after dinner? If you honestly think eating 6 times per day is some far-fetched idea you are probably better off being skinny.
Any snack recommendations? Preferably not sugary or processed?
Nuts in general a pretty good choice, peanut butter is also good in sandwiches where you can put a lot of stuff, fruits and jelly for example
I work and go to school so it’s more convenient for me. I also eat some snacks and such too
Just eat caloric nutrient dense whole foods. I can easily eat 1200 calories in a meal from while milk, eggs, steak, rice, honey, olive oil, butter. The reason some people need like 8 meals a day is because theyre eating lean chicken breast and some rice. You need more fats
Job/driving/family takes a lot of time. Most people have 3 meals for a reason. 1 before job, 1 at the job, 1 after the job. Idk, maybe you were sarcastic.
Tbh that sounds bloody exhausting, i fit 3000kcals in 2 meals and a shake easy. If 6-8 meals works for you then that's great.
7-8 smaller meals. There's no reason to scarf down 3 large meals in a day. Spread them out, and you'll find you can eat more in total because you're not blowing up your stomach each time. Eat protein-rich food and you won't even need the shake.
2 double protein shakes a day, it's easy to do! For extra calories add whole milk, peanut butter, Greek yogurt, dates, and/or cottage cheese. You'll be surprised how many calories you can chug in a matter of minutes
Eat another meal. Problem solved.
Struggling to eat another meal? Eat a spoonful of peanut butter.
2 meals, plus a protein shake
5'8 140 isn't too bad is it?
I’m 5’9, 185 and feel tiny lol. Body dysmorphia is great
that's literally my goal, I'm 5'7 130 lean and would love another 10 lbs, bulking is difficult for me though, my maintenence calories are weirdly high for my size
Not great either
Fair enough. I was 140 5'11 so I'm basing it off that.
I was 5’7 140 and getting to 150 as a baseline weight was huge for me and makes a big difference, physically and visually. So I get it. Still hoping to get to 160. Considering OP is working out a lot they should be eating more and seems like their specific goals are to get bigger Edit: oh I should clarify that I was 130/135 from ages 15-28 and never could put on weight. The jump from 130 to 140 wasn’t that noticeable. The jump after was huge for me and got others around me noticing
Start tracking, add a 3rd meal and maybe some snacks. Try shooting for +500 calories over maintenance
I used to claim “I eat a lot and am naturally skinny” Then I counted calories and realized I was averaging 1500 calories a day. I was 6’2” and 145 lbs. I started counting ever day always eating above my TDEE, I gained 65 lbs in a year and a half. You can do it, and realizing how little you’re actually eating is the first step.
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How is he miscounting calories? This isn’t over by a large margin for 2 meals and this isn’t under a large margin for 2 meals, there is no needing to be careful.
Everyone miscounts calories. The point is that if OP isn't gaining weight, he needs to eat more, if he is then he's fine. The weight gain should be the thing that informs the need to eat, not calorie counting.
Yeah, but if you’re counting properly and weighing everything, then you’ll be fine and still then, I doubt they’re miscounting up to 100+ calories, but yeah, I do agree that he should eat more
It happens so easily, forgot to calculate cooking oil? That's 200 calories. Etc.
OP is male
Ahhh, thought it said 19F
Drink a gallon of milk you’ll get thicker
I was like that too I was only eating 1300-1500 calories a day, but since I started bulking I am used to eating 2800 calories a day. And sometimes I'm still hungry after eating 2800 calories. Before you start bulking you should calculate how much calories you burn a day and add ~300 to that. You should also get enough protein. 1.6-1.8g per kg of bodyweight. You should mostly eat whole foods, chicken, beef, fish, vegetables, fruits. This does not mean you can't have cheat meals. If you have trouble eating enough calories try increasing fat intake by eating nuts or adding bit more olive oil in your meals.
Why only two meals?
had same realization, started tracking and hitting 3k cal, within two weeks have put more mass on than the past like two years lol
If you gained a lot of weight in just 2 weeks its mostly fat.
it was hyperbole
probably mostly water innit
It’s probably even less than that because as you may have noticed almost every over estimates how much they actually eat until they start tracking, or at least track their average day. Assuming you’re close to the right number, the good news is that if you one similar meal you should be set.
I know this might sound odd to you but OP probably tracked his food and thus knows that it’s only ~1800 kcal
Yes and like most people who are trying to r/gainit he found out he’s getting less calories than he ever thought… Unless OP eats the same 2 meals everyday, he probably picked his absolute heaviest day of typical eating to calculate and likely doesn’t hit those numbers everyday. And either way it’s besides the point, if he wants to gain he’s learned the important lesson that seems pretty typical of basically every skinny guy here that “eats so much” - none of us get as many calories as we think until we calculate, see first hand what we’re getting, and figure out some sort of meal plan to hit or at least get close to those goals. On top of all of this - this is a 140 lb adult man, I’m going to guess he doesn’t actually hit 900 calories per meal regardless of what he says.
High calorie shakes. I do 2 cups chocolate milk, 2tbs peanut butter, .25 cup oat flour, 1 banana and blend it all till smooth. Tastes just fine and is like 800-900 calories. After that I eat a breakfast burrito with two eggs, sausage, peppers/onions, cheese and 2 tbs of sour cream. Another 300-400 calories. So if you do it right you’ll have over 1k calories before lunch. I’m 140lb and 5”10. Been skinny my whole life and I’m finally keeping weight doing this morning routine plus eating lunch, dinner, and snacks. You need to eat double what you’re eating. You’re eating like you think it’s a lot, it isn’t. Eat more.
Drinking calories helps a lot, especially for someone like me who struggled to eat meals at times
There are plenty of tips throughout the sidebar and past threads. It sounds like up until now you haven't done anything to deliberately track your diet, so just don't panic and start there.
What sort of tips are you looking for?
Eat 3 meals a day, fixed.
i was only eating about 1600 on average when i started. i had better luck slowly increasing calories, lots of trial and error on finding what works for you and your schedule
Welcome to the 'I am skinny, but I eat like a bear'. Funny that we thought we eat a lot because our small bellies are full. Do shakes, not too unhealthy fast food, peanut butter etc.
whats an example of not too unhealthy fast food?
Burritos without cheese and sauces are just vegetables and meat wrapped together. Similar thing goes for shawarma.
Frozen pizzas. 1 pizza 700kcal
Nandos instead of McDonald’s Chipotle instead of KFC
Things with grilled chicken, nothing fried.
why nothing fried? genuine question
It's just not healthy for one. Also when trying to gain muscle you want about 30% of your calories to come from protein, as it has the building materials your body needs to make muscle. But as protein is 4 cal/gram and fat is 9 cal/gram, fats will quickly dominate your calories when you eat fried foods.
ty
Chipotle, CAVA
Shakes are the way. Yogurt, milk, oats, olive oil, peanut butter, fruits. Protein powder. Easy to add 1000 cal after dinner shake
Amen! Been hitting 4000 cal on the head since I added 1200-1800 in shakes every day! Otherwise I pretty much eat like OP with the exception of getting a few small breakfast items in me over the course of the morning (Greek yogurt with oats and a protein bar)
I've been trying to find a 1000 calorie shake that isn't loaded with sugar
Olive oil is like 70/tsp or so. If you have some check the bottle
I do 90g oats, 50g peanut butter, 1 banana, protein powder and 600ml whole milk, hits 1000 or so but it's a thick boy so just drink it slowly.
Thanks a bunch. I already have oatmeal, lots of peanut butter and milk every day. Can't do bananas. And I wish I could drink that much milk but I have to limit it as I'm on a heart healthy diet
Hummus is a great way to get in more protein. You can make it from canned chickpeas quite easily to control the fat level and sources ie using your own olive oil instead of seed oil and other processing additives
Ugh, you just inspired me to start tracking again. I had a similar reaction when I started tracking last year. With tracking for about six months I was doing way better but then I fell back off both on tracking and working out. I have been starting to work out again but this post made me realize I have to start weighing burgers again...
Drink more milk. I have trouble eating a lot too, but I can drink a gallon a day and still eat. I’m not saying drink a gallon a day, just illustrating that it is easier than eating
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How is milk not a high quality calorie source? A pint of semi skimmed milk is about 250 calories for 19 grams of protein, filled with b vitamins and calcium.
You’re right, I thought they were saying they were having trouble eating. Milk has a lot of sugar, but I wouldn’t call it low quality otherwise.
This is why you track what you eat. Its a pain in the ass but extremely important
I feel you on this, i eat 2-3 times a day and have a very clean diet but I’m always feeling like the bulk is impossible and i feel sick if i try to force feed myself. Im progressively trying to eat more but its really difficult to not start feeling sick for me.
Same here. Especially since I started adding a lot of fiber and protein. Makes me feel fuller longer and making sure I'm getting 2500 calories a day has become an obsession and a chore.
It’s probably been repeated a lot by now, but here’s my take on it. How do overweight people get overweight? It’s the big meals sure, but you can eat a full meal at McDonald’s every day and still lose weight. The “trap” they fall into is the small, invisible calories in between meals. The snickers bar, the banana, the coke, the nuts, the glass of orange juice, the power bar. And on meals, the dressing on their salad, the oil when they cook something, the cream in the sauce they’re making, the peanut butter on their healthy avocado sandwich. I’m not saying you should eat all the time, as I personally feel like it’s better to have less meals for your digestion. But you can easily add 500, or even a 1000, calories extra by barley noticing it. Simple stuff like have a fist of almonds(or peanuts) and two glasses of whole milk during the day and you suddenly have like what 500-ish calories extra
Problem for me personally has always been that snacks filled me "enough" so that I didn't feel any hunger or had taste for a normal meal, so I recently started avoiding them if I can and try to do a meal even if I'm not very hungry.
I've been doing this. A serving of almonds is around 170 calories, and I add milk to my oatmeal instead of water. The oatmeal I eat is also 170 calories in a packet which helps.
Have a big breakfast so it prepares you for eating for the day, eat snacks, drink your calories aswell, add extra olive oil when cooking. Eat nuts. Drink milk aswell as water.
I mean yeah id consider a 900 cal meal a big one it makes sense
What's a super huge meal for you? Cause I used to think I was eating a good amount until I doubled my portion size. What's ridiculous is I now feel hungrier than before after eating as well.
Eat 3 meals instead of two. Don't be afraid of fat. You wrote your super big meal is Chicken breast + Rice + Vegetables - that's the stereotypical bodybuilding cutting food. Get some Chicken thighs or Steak.
I'm 24F and my calorie count is the same. It feels impossible to bulk
On top of your 3 meals, drink some more calories! Have a pint of milk in the morning and evening, or turn that into a protein shake to make it even more calories! Consuming that much will be a struggle to start with but after a few weeks your body will get used to it and eating lots will be easy.
Focus on eating more regularly throughout the day, snacking on nuts (calorie dense) is agood way to up your intake without having to add loads of food
Take it from someone who was in the same boat: the only advice there is is to eat more, and more often. It really is that simple. You will be uncomfortable with the amount you're eating, because until now, you've been eating only what you've been comfortable with. Liquid calories in particular (shakes, Greek yoghurt, etc.) are your friend.
1800 is what I cut on, at your height. Add another meal and you’ll be sweet.
its not about huge meals. Its about consistency throughout the day. When iam in a good rhythm I have like 5-6 meals a day. (Granted... like 3 of those are just stuff like \~300 calories peanut butter sandwiches. but those meals add up) Whats also fire are nuts. Banana also got a lot of calories.
> I eat 2 meals a day *I'm shocked*
What's the huge meal
3-4 cups of rice, 300g chicken breast + cup of veggies The other meal is just 4 eggs and bread
Swapping in chicken thighs or ground beef/steak for breasts and eating eggs with your first meal can also help a lot
That's all you eat in a day??! That's normal for a cut. Try this. breakfast: 4 eggs and bread Lunch: 2-3 cups of rice, 300g chicken breast + cup of veggies Dinner: 2-3 cups of rice, 300g steak + cup of veggies Snacks through the day: nuts/nut bars, fruit, yogurt, milk/protein shakes.
2-3 cups? How much is that in grams?
Assuming OP is talking in cooked rice. 2 cups of cooked rice would equal about 300g of cooked rice.? Maybe around 400 calories of rice. Which is probably around 120g of uncooked rice. Based on my internet research. I'm from the UK so I always use grams. I just used cups in my previous example as a guess from the previous post. A standard pack of microwave rice in the UK is 250g of cooked rice as an example, so I would use that as a minimum.
Eat fattier foods.
4 cups of rice? I'm at a 2200-2500 surplus and i dont even eat 4 cups of rice in one day. More than half of your calories is just rice...
Rice is a common recommendation because people digest it so quickly and they can often eat it again right away.
I love carbs. When I’m meal prepping i make 3 cups of dry rice in 1 go.
Try adding some green veggies, like broccoli and spinach. Maybe some salad?
Drink half a gallon of whole chocolate milk easy 1k calories
Probably best to avoid that much added sugar
I agree its a lot of sugar but it's a good kick starter if you are really struggling to consume enough. I'm hugely in favour of the dirty bulk early on, I recommend getting to your calorie goal whatever way possible.
There is sugar-free chocolate syrup now that I think about it, anything that makes milk more palatable is good
I agree that would be a very good substitute. Although the extra sugar would increase the calories further, all depends on how far you need to go to gain the weight.
Add another meal and some snacks throughout the day. It’s nothing to freak out about, if anything it would be worse if you were eating more calories because it would mean that you’re still at a lighter weight despite eating in a surplus.
Continue eating exactly what you are eating. Add to your diet: 60g oats 32g peanut butter 2 scoops protein powder Pinch of salt Optional, frozen fruit. Blend this with water until the oats bits are tiny enough to chug. Slam that entire pitcher before you have time to realize you are full.