What's on YOUR plate?

[genemachine]

I've seen a few questions concerning nutrition on the boards lately, and specifically on gaining weight. For those who have seen tremendous weight gain, what was your method, and have you reached your ideal weight? I know that there are many other factors involved in gaining weight (AS) , but specifically what did your food intake look like?

I weighed in at 181 in November (2002) for the Tulsa meet. I am 6' and that makes me ridiculously thin. In the last three weeks I have gained about 25 pounds, which puts me at around 206. I have been following a JM Blakely style eating method to gain weight. Basically I eat everything I can get my hands on, and if I feel like I'm going to puke I bury that fleshly weakness in food.

AM
4:00 - 2 poptarts, Protein shake with Vitamin D milk
4:30 - 1/4 of a box of Cocoa Puffs + large glass of milk
5:30 - Workout
6:45 - 2 Bologna and cheese sandwiches + heaping pile of potato chips, 20oz Soda
8:00 - 2 frozen burritos, Large pile of potato chips 1 quart of Vitamin D Milk
10:00 - 2 peanut butter sandwiches, 1 can pork and beans, 20 oz soda
PM
12:00 - 2 frozen Burritos, chips, soda
2:00 - quart of Vitamin D Milk, 2 PB Sandwiches
4:00 - 1 can pork and beans, 20 oz soda, whatever large desert was left at work with whipped topping

Then I get home from work

5:30 - quarter box of Cocoa Puffs Large glass of milk
6:30 - Various dinner with my wife -- add half dozen eggs
8:30 - some evening snack
9:30 - Protein Shake

As long as I don't die of a heart attack this should continue to work for a while. I'll keep you posted on my weight.

 

[Liftbig]

dude i dont think you are eating enough! j/k good work youll be a SHW in no time. keep it up!

 

[spatts]

I carb rotate. I just eat a hell of alot of REALLY clean food, tailored to the times I train. The more I train, the more carbs I eat....BEFORE training. This way I keep gaining LBM, keep getting stronger, but keep the body fat in check.

Gene...how much of what you're gaining is LBM?

Not all leverage is equal.

 

[MeatHead57]

AOT

geeze thats alot of cals. how many do u think that is? i weighed 110 @ 5'4 and in a week i have went to 125 with eating 2000-2500 cals.

 

[genemachine]

Spatts,

Definately agree on that point, with a few minor exceptions. I am very under my ideal weight, and I have very low bodyfat. I'm not to worried about putting on a couple of pounds of fat, and if need be, I'll drop some of it when I get uncomfortably fat. I'll keep you posted on BF% etc. I try to balance my high glycemic carbs with my protein and non-fatty carbs, but I haven't paid too much attention yet. Could you maybe list a sample day's menu? Curious about your choice of carbs. I have a hard time finding enough clean carbs? Thanks Spatts!

 

[Imnotdutch]

I think there are only somany calories that you can get through clean eating. a couple of years ago I was trying to gain weight.........it took a full 6500 calories per day just to get above 190. I was doing that through clean eating and never seemed to stop chewing / drinking.

I carb rotate. I just eat a hell of alot of REALLY clean food, tailored to the times I train. The more I train, the more carbs I eat....BEFORE training. This way I keep gaining LBM, keep getting stronger, but keep the body fat in check.

Gene...how much of what you're gaining is LBM?

Not all leverage is equal.

 

[spatts]

I hear ya. Fortunately, I've never needed to go that high. TheProject is a hardgainer though. That stinker packs away at LEAST 6000 cals a day, NOT CLEAN AT ALL, and still never gains weight.

 

[spatts]

GM, here are some old spreasheets of my cutting and bulking diets. Remember, I rotate the carbs, so these spreadsheets represent a median...some days higher, some lower:

http://www.asylum-strength.com/spat-cutting.htm
http://www.asylum-strength.com/spat-bulking.htm

Also, last time I cut I was training at 6AM, so ignore the funky times on things. You can still get an idea of food choices.

 

[TheProject]

I hear ya. Fortunately, I've never needed to go that high. TheProject is a hardgainer though. That stinker packs away at LEAST 6000 cals a day, NOT CLEAN AT ALL, and still never gains weight.

Apparently I need to add some cocoa puffs and bologna to my diet.

 

[Imnotdutch]

Apparently I need to add some cocoa puffs and bologna to my diet.

After I while I got lazy and went for unclean alternatives for calories.............oh and growing old decreased my calorie needs by a fair amount

2 litres of milk is approx. 1000 calories.
250g of chocolate is approx. 1000 calories.

 

[Vulgar_Display_Of_Power]

GeneMachine-

Id have to say part of your problem is being young. I was young at one time and it was hardas hell to put on weight. Check out massmonsters.com, Mr.X from the diet board has quite a few diet articles(some bulk up routines too) on there that might give you more insight. --Thats a shitload of food your taking in, and it might just take a couple of years of eating likethis for awhile.



How old are you, BTW?

 

[genemachine]

Yeah, my shimmer of hope is that my workout partner dg21 was my weight two years ago. He ate like this, and gained solid weight like crazy(He's shooting for 300lbs now). If he can do it, so can I. BTW DG21, if you see this post, how has the holiday eating been going?

 

[Vulgar_Display_Of_Power]

Jesus- DG21 was at that weight 2 yrs ago? I would have assumed he was at least that when he was born! I guess that just goes to show theres still hope for us little fellows!

 

[IrishPower]

if you cant eat well

when i am getting close to a meet, my appetite sucks ass for various reasons. last meet, i started packing in Ensure Plus every day.

i put back on a lot of weight and my friends said i looked the biggest in years.

now, ensure isn't the cleanest source of calories... its mostly sugar and crappy protein, but it is calories.

i was drinking 6 ensure's @ 350 calories
at least 3 3-scoop optimum protein shakes @50-75 gr protein a piece and eating 3 meals a day. this worked pretty well.

i am getting ready to go back to this as i am 12 weeks out from canada.

 

[dg21]

Hey Genemachine, eating has been going pretty well. It really sucks sometimes but I'm putting it away. People say I'm looking bigger. The scale read 298 after a big meal, so a few more weeks and I'll be there.

VDOP- I was 180 almost two years ago. This was when I was playing soccer and training to run 2 miles in 12 minutes. In high school if i decreased my running and ate normal I would go up to 200 real quick.

 

[beercan89]

That diet is filthy. There is no reason to be drinking soda......eating so close together is just going to make you crap more....I'd stick to 2.5 hrs minimum in between meals....For cereal, instead of cocoa puffs, have golean by kashi, it has 8 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber per serving.....I'd also ditch the chips and make sure my sandwitches were on whole grain bread, as well as, cold cut chicken, turkey, or roast beef instead of bologna. If you wanted to, on workout days, you could replace the chips cals with pasta, then on off days you could replace the cals with protein powder. Umm, good call on the milk, pm me if you have any more questions.

 

[AnimalMass1]

That diet is filthy. There is no reason to be drinking soda......eating so close together is just going to make you crap more....I'd stick to 2.5 hrs minimum in between meals....For cereal, instead of cocoa puffs, have golean by kashi, it has 8 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber per serving.....I'd also ditch the chips and make sure my sandwitches were on whole grain bread, as well as, cold cut chicken, turkey, or roast beef instead of bologna. If you wanted to, on workout days, you could replace the chips cals with pasta, then on off days you could replace the cals with protein powder. Umm, good call on the milk, pm me if you have any more questions.

This is heresy on a powerlifting board. You must be lynched now. Bring on the pie!

AnimalMass

 

[Liftbig]

That diet is filthy.

damnit man we're powerlifters seriously though i could care less how clean or dirty my diet is. im more concerned with getting enough calories and macronutrients(i used a big word).
but that doesnt mean i eat like shit though, i drink alot of water, i dont eat chips, french fries, desserts, etc. i try to eat mostly complex carbs and get protein from milk eggs meat. sometimes its not always possible though becuase of money issues(in case you didnt know, i live with my parents and they have to buy food for a house of 6, so they have to get whats economical, but we always have milk eggs etc). as far as gaining weight is concerned my philosohpy is the more calories the better. you can always try and burn some fat off later, and no one becomes a fatass over night, so you can pay attention and tailor your food intake accordingly.

 

[benchmonster]

I ate a medium Mazzio's meatlover's pizza last night at 9:00 p.m. Eating 4 breakfast burrito's right now for breakfast. Doing 2 or 3 protein shakes per day on top of regular meals and whatever falls in, and am weighing 230 lbs at the moment. Going up to 240 or so for my next meet.

I was skinnier at Genemachine's age than he is, and obviously much shorter too. I weighed an imposing 165 when I was your age Gene and decided it was time not to be skinny any more. Went on a diet plan similar to what you laid out in the start of this thread, went to 185 clean over the course of a summer and have never been below 185 since then.

That was, of course many moons ago, and I don't eat nearly that much anymore, nor do I need to. But Genemachine, I think you are on the right track bro.

B.

 

[spatts]

Do you guys ever think about your immune system? The repair hub? The hard drive? There are great reasons outside of physique to eat clean(er). Ask yourself what the food has to offer you. It seems like so much focus is placed on what to avoid in food...macronutrients, that the micronutrients that catalyze the building and repair are lost in the shuffle. How many of you know how many water soluble and fat soluble vitamins you get? How many of you complain of joint and tendon pain? I'm not trying to get preachy...I gotsta have my cheddar peppers, but really. Eating crap food 24/7 isn't something that makes you tougher, it deprives you of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to keep up with what you do to it. Bfold comes to mind. He's one big mofo. His policy? Get all your nutrients in, and THEN start piling whatever the hell you want on top of that...but don't neglect the building blocks that put you on the pedestal in the first place. Eat the pizza and burritos if you must, but throw in a veggie or something too. At least you will absorb more of the nutrients in the pizza, and lower the insulin spike too.

 

[Imnotdutch]

Personally I dont have time , nor am I anal enough, to count all of the nutrients that I take in. I'm sure you have an answer to this but what is wrong with popping a few pills to top up the vits and minerals?

BTW what the hell is a cheddar pepper?

Do you guys ever think about your immune system? The repair hub? The hard drive? There are great reasons outside of physique to eat clean(er). Ask yourself what the food has to offer you. It seems like so much focus is placed on what to avoid in food...macronutrients, that the micronutrients that catalyze the building and repair are lost in the shuffle. How many of you know how many water soluble and fat soluble vitamins you get? How many of you complain of joint and tendon pain? I'm not trying to get preachy...I gotsta have my cheddar peppers, but really. Eating crap food 24/7 isn't something that makes you tougher, it deprives you of vitamins and minerals that your body needs to keep up with what you do to it. Bfold comes to mind. He's one big mofo. His policy? Get all your nutrients in, and THEN start piling whatever the hell you want on top of that...but don't neglect the building blocks that put you on the pedestal in the first place. Eat the pizza and burritos if you must, but throw in a veggie or something too. At least you will absorb more of the nutrients in the pizza, and lower the insulin spike too.
Image: http://userpages.prexar.com/gove//smile2/soapbox.gif

 

[AnimalMass1]

Well, I agree and disagree here.

I know the way genemachine eats, and he doesn't eat vegetables or fruits, but he does get his protein in and his carbs (and plenty of fat.)

Now I think GM can do better at getting in his vitamins, antioxidants, etc. through veggies and whatnot, but I don't think there is any reason to be a bodybuilder when you want to weigh 300 lbs.

I think BFold has the right attitude however. Make sure you are getting what you need, and then pile anything and everything on top of that.

AnimalMass

 

[genemachine]

Those veggies have been haunting me since I was a child... First mom, then you guys Ok, I'll add the veggies. Food has lost its taste anyway... off to the fridge.....

 

[spatts]

dutch, or not dutch as the case may be, there's nothing wrong with vitamins and minerals as supplements. I take them as insurance. They aren't absorbed as well though. Food is better, as always. 2nd best is probably good enough.

Oh, my....cheddar peppers are these nifty little hot peppers stuffed with cheese and deep fried. Fried foods make me sick, in general, but I'm willing to feel like crap for these now and then.

Since when does putting the best gas in your car, so to speak, make you a bodybuilder? Like I told Genemahine earlier, anyone can put on shit weight. So you throw on 50 pounds in 2 months. More crap under your skin to move. It's not muscle...it MIGHT be leverage up to a point, but count on being slower. Why not take your time, treat your body right, and put on MUSCLE. Hell yeah, it would be great to hit 300. Hitting it at 15% fat rather than 50% would be nice too.

Concrete supports more weight than mud.

 

[beercan89]

I eat like crap too, but there's a point when it becomes counterproductive. Spatts had a valid point with the concrete and mud analogy. Eating pasta will get you a lot further in a workout than chips and soda, as will protein shakes do more for your recovery than these items. After business is taken care of, I'll throw down some bacon cheddar burgers....

One more suggestion for the poster (and anyone else for that matter) would be to take 4 scoops of nlarge with 2 grams of c powder and 5 grams of creatine right after training...

 

[AnimalMass1]

I agree beercan. (Except I don't know what 2 grams of c powder is?) - (cocaine?-lol)

But I can speak for GM when I say that he and I both have big ass protein shakes after working out.

As a matter of fact, after all this talk where it looks like I eat like shit all the time, let me share my eating habits with you all...

5:00am - protein shake (30g fast acting high quality whey plus 50g dextrose and 5 grams creatine.) - This is to get some carbs and protein in me quick since I work out at 5:30.

5:30am - workout

7:00am - post workout - protein shake with 100g protein, 100g dextrose, and 5 grams creatine. (vitamin, other pills that you don't care about)

9:00am - breakfast (usually either eating out at staff meeting where I have chicken fried steak and eggs, or a chicken sandwhich, etc. - or if at home I have a huge glass of whole milk (64oz.), and some form of leftovers (hamburger helper, etc.)

12:00pm - Hamburger Helper, Taco Salad, Pizza, Chicken Fingers, etc.

3:00pm - Usually another huge glass of milk (64oz.) and some other form of food (whatever I can find) - but 64oz of whole milk gives me a pretty good amount of protein, carbs, and fat.

6:00pm - Dinner with wife (This is the most balanced meal of the day, usually including a lean meat (chicken, lean beef, crawfish tonight , and rice of some sort, with vegetables and maybe a can of pineapple.)

8:00pm - Another huge glass of milk and maybe a dessert of some sort.

10:00-11:00pm - Casein Protein Shake (50g) along with a big nasty swig of flaxseed oil.


Not enough of vegetables, although I usually have some form of green vegetable at least once per day, either at breakfast or dinner.

Also, all along this time I drink everything in sight. In a day I drink a full gallon of milk, at least 4 20oz glasses of water (not counting the 64oz of water or gatorade I drink during my workout), and another 5-6 glasses of soda (I know - it's horrible for you, but I'm a powerlifter and don't drink coffee, so lay off.


AnimalMass

 

[Imnotdutch]

Ok I see where you are coming from........I only wish i had time to count everything that I eat........I wish I had time to eat everything that I wanted to eat And Iwish I had time to train asoften as I wanted too. So for now, second best it has to be (sometimes I wish I had a 9-5 office job that I can just forget about when I go home).

I do take your point about not wanting all of that fat........I'm happy to maintain weight so long as I am getting stronger.

BTW I hope I didn't come across as an ass in that last post.......

dutch, or not dutch as the case may be, there's nothing wrong with vitamins and minerals as supplements. I take them as insurance. They aren't absorbed as well though. Food is better, as always. 2nd best is probably good enough.

Oh, my....cheddar peppers are these nifty little hot peppers stuffed with cheese and deep fried. Fried foods make me sick, in general, but I'm willing to feel like crap for these now and then.

Since when does putting the best gas in your car, so to speak, make you a bodybuilder? Like I told Genemahine earlier, anyone can put on shit weight. So you throw on 50 pounds in 2 months. More crap under your skin to move. It's not muscle...it MIGHT be leverage up to a point, but count on being slower. Why not take your time, treat your body right, and put on MUSCLE. Hell yeah, it would be great to hit 300. Hitting it at 15% fat rather than 50% would be nice too.

Concrete supports more weight than mud.

 

[beercan89]

*Vitamin C powder. Keeps cortisol down and cell repair up.

The purpose of the powder is to allow it to be transported directly by the carbs, rather than waiting for a pill to melt in my stomach.

 

[spatts]

I use all liquid sups...similar reasons.