Bulking: how much junk do you eat?

[SteelWeaver]

OK, I have 2 months to gain what muscle I can before I have to go back to dieting. I'm on a nice clean (BORING AS HELL) bulking plan punctuated with chocolate eclairs and choclate chip cookies(am I NEVER gonna be able to pass up sweet stuff easily ever again?).

Here's my question- when trying to gain, how often do you have a cheat meal - something you haven't laboriously macronutrient-ratioed and calorie-calculated to death before it's even cooked?

And if you do have this type of meal, do you cut carbs/cals or whatever during the rest of the day to make up for it?

 

[Gladiola]

I thought it was most common to have a 'cheat meal' 1X per week? I've also asked a few times, basically, "OH NO! I had an entire cheat day! What do I do? Cut carbs?" & was told - "Get over it & get back to eating clean."

So essentially - I think the cheat meal is considered a good thing, & no, don't cut carbs to make up for it.

As for sweets - I find I can indulge in a few extra handfuls of nuts, even eat a little more fruit & dairy, but chocolate -> I gain fat! Even if I have 300 extra cals worth of heathly stuff, but 200 extra cals of junk, & I gain!

 

[smallmovesal]

well, i'd ask you how your body is responding to the junk you're eating... if you're getting "moo" like spatts did, then follow what she said.

otherwise, if you aren't having a fat increase problem with it, just leave it in and stay happy (my philosophy)

 

[SteelWeaver]

Nice philosophy smalls I'm gonna go with that. Bye bye choco

I guess the problem is it's hard to tell how much is just natural post-comp gain, how much is just water, what's muscle, etc. I'm not getting outrageously moo, because I'm fairly strictly in control most days - very clean, and set cals, ratios (iso). The small junk I can cut out - it's hard to pass up, but whatever, it IS affecting things.

So what about the proverbial "cheat meal"? I was thinking if I cook it myself, and make sure everything in it is whole foods, as far as possible, (like whole wheat homemade pizza crust ) that not macro-ratioing one meal a week would be OK. I'm going to do this anyway (so why is she asking the question ) - just wondering if there's any kind of standard/common approach?

Spatts - I do remember that thread - it was one of the first I read on this board. I remember thinking, when W6 said "I weigh 270 pounds and I don't eat 400g carbs a day" - MY GOD, there are some HUGE women on this board! Bwaa ha ha ha ha! Then I realised he was a man ...

For some unexplained reason I have an aversion to carb-rotating. I'm sure once I try it, I won't have any problems with it. Maybe I'm just lazy. If I go the way of the moo in a big way, I'll hit the rotations. For now ... sigh, bye bye choco-pie.

 

[Robert Jan]

I eat completely clean when bulking...

 

[MS]

It kinda depends on how serious you are about your goal. If I only had two months to 'bulk' I would be rotating everything in a very strict manner, including total calories, protein and carbs. But this is not a lot of fun....and takes a lot of control when you've just come off a pre-comp diet. The Iso is easiest to stick to and still give you decent gains, but make sure those little extras are only happening one or twice a week, and not slipping in every day. Also, if you're gonna cheat, it would be better to avoid the high sat fat stuff (like pizza) and go for the carbs (sweets). Same deal as if you were cutting. But again, it depends on how serious you are and how much you are willing to let your BB goals interfere with your life!

 

[SteelWeaver]

Mmm. Well, as you know, I'm very serious. And by this point, my BB goals have already interfered so much in my life that they basically ARE my life, for good or for bad ... I've been known to sneak my own food onto plates in restaurants, on the rare occasions I go out, if that's any indication. With a plan, contol isn't an issue.

So please tell me how you would rotate everything, and I'll start tomorrow. Ratios, grams per kilo - however you wish to present it.

Does calorie rotation happen simply as a by-product of carb-rotation? Why rotate total calories when trying to gain, anyway?

Thank you in advance

 

[SteelWeaver]

bump for some numbers/ratios/pointers from MS

 

[smallmovesal]

bump for some numbers/ratios/pointers from smalls

glad you asked.

first, start with a two bacon and egg mcmuffin meal.. supersize it (for extra hashbrowns) and get an orange juice

for lunch, have something like a turkey sandwich and an apple... gotta keep it healthy

maybe have a shake for a snack

for supper, try a #3 supersized from mcdonald's

another shake for a snack

voila.

how'd i do?

 

[SteelWeaver]

glad you asked.

<snip>

voila.

how'd i do?

You're not good for me girl! It's not good for my boss to see me doubled over in front of my computer!

As for how you'd do ... I think I'd need a closer look ... OH! I see - how DID you do? Mmm, I'd have to toss the bacon, being veggie, but I could substitute a Mac shake for that, then maybe a couple of chocolate eclairs with some snickers on the side instead of the patties for meal four.

Now, MS, about those numbers ... I'm not too proud to beg:






(where's the friggin' begging icon? grr)

 

[smallmovesal]

i just essentially outlined how i eat...

except i haven't been lifting lately for some reason. i swear i will again soon.

 

[makedah]

I've been known to sneak my own food onto plates in restaurants, on the rare occasions I go out, if that's any indication.

That is SO funny! I can imagine the server coming by to see if "everything is okay" and spotting some brown rice on your plate!

 

[SteelWeaver]

makedah, I've received some seriously suspicious looks - the server who comes by several times, craning their neck, just not sure whether I'm sharing my dinner-partner's food, or WHAT the hell that is on my plate, LOL! Luckily in Japan they're FAR too circumspect to challenge me on it - you can get away with almost anything here.

smalls - I have only one thing to say: BAD GIRL!!! Now get your ass back in that gym!

(You can leave the shake here, and it better be chocolate)

 

[Arioch]

If you are serious trying to bulk, the work required to digest your food should cause your body to burn heat through the thermic effect of feeding. If you eat so much you work up a sweat, you on your way.

I actually did this Saturday night courtesy of all you can eat prime rib and shrimp.

 

[SteelWeaver]

LOL! I start sweating the moment someone at work comes by with a tray of chocolates

I wonder if there's such a thing as the thermic effect of drooling?

 

[lil k]

I always sweat over my oatmeal. It was kind of a joke between my old trainer and I. He'd ask me if I wanted to do some cardio, or just have some oatmeal.

 

[Arioch]

Well, I even managed to out eat my son. It was some sort of panic reflex knowing that I was going to start dieting the next day.

Sigh.

 

[Gladiola]

Well, I even managed to out eat my son. It was some sort of panic reflex knowing that I was going to start dieting the next day.

Sigh.

DIET?!

What happened to, "Eat many cow, grow strong like bull?!"

This outta be entertaining.

<Runs from the OL Bar>

 

[Gladiola]

1. 2 weeks ago on a free vacay from Hell - no wait, that would mean hanging out with Arioch & that would be fun - OK it was just a crappy vacay in Freeport - Bahamas. Awful.

2. Traveling for work

3. They're monitoring my internet use at work now.

 

[Arioch]

What happened to, "Eat many cow, grow strong like bull?!"

It ran away screaming when I stepped on the scale at 270. I have no desire to cut 28 pounds later in the year to make weight.

And the great thing about a CKD is that I still eat quite a bit of real food (beef).