# Bulking nutrition



## chevybuff (Sep 8, 2016)

Currently eating around 3600 calories from "clean" foods.  Gaining about a pound a week.  My stats are 6 feet tall and 185 pounds,  hitting the gym 4 to 5 times a week.  My question is, I know I am in the right range for gaining but still hungry,  anyone else have the same problem?


----------



## automatondan (Sep 8, 2016)

chevybuff said:


> Currently eating around 3600 calories from "clean" foods.  Gaining about a pound a week.  My stats are 6 feet tall and 185 pounds,  hitting the gym 4 to 5 times a week.  My question is, I know I am in the right range for gaining but still hungry,  anyone else have the same problem?



What is "clean" food? Are you Kosher??? 

And obviously, if you are trying to gain and you are still constantly hungry, eat more. 

If I were you I would spend some time in the diet and training section here on the forum... Look into getting your TDEE and macros all figured out and find out exactly what you will need to gain weight properly. You will find diet to be key, not something that is secondary. And theres a lot more to it than just "eating clean."


----------



## chevybuff (Sep 8, 2016)

I dieted down from 255 lbs I know what I am doing in the kitchen.  Chicken brown rice broccoli beef yams oats are my staples for "clean" foods.  Been on here for a while just don't post a lot.  I use myfitnespal for my macros and log.  I eat between 250 - 300 g of protien 400g of carbs and 75 to 100 of fats in a day.  Just wondering if others have the same issue of being slightly hungry still.  What they have done to control it or not.  Or if they have some suggestions .


----------



## automatondan (Sep 8, 2016)

Ok good man, glad you are tracking your macros and know what you are doing... I still say just eat more if you are hungry and training seriously. Your body is telling you it needs more calories. I personally keep protein bars on hand for those cravings and also sometimes grab a huge spoonful of peanut butter when I dont have a protein bar handy... Or make some soft-boiled eggs. Or a whole fricken box of pasta. Or two steaks. And a pizza.... 

In all seriousness, ive recently discovered that the more calories I eat spread out througout the day the better I look and feel. If I dont eat as much for a few days, I actually tend to look fatter and feel crappier than when I eat like a crazy wild animal. This is kinda a new doscovery for me. So I say eat away dude...


----------



## Joliver (Sep 8, 2016)

Disregard the last comment...he's retarded.  I'm sure your mom is a fine person.


----------



## MrRippedZilla (Sep 8, 2016)

chevybuff said:


> I dieted down from 255 lbs



You just answered your own question 

Depending on how long you've been feeling like this, it is highly possible that your body is simply doing what it can to get you back to a certain weight range regardless of how you gain that weight (fat vs muscle). This involves keeping Leptin low, Ghrelin & NPY high and so on in order to upregulate your appetite and get you to fatten up (look into the set point theory for more info). 

You can try manipulating your food choices (more fibre, lower caloric dense foods), playing with meal frequency (higher or lower, try both), depending on what times of the day you feel the most ravenous you can play around with nutrient timing as well, etc. 
Honestly, the only way to truly shut off those appetite signals is to get back to whatever weight range your body is looking for - mental discipline is key in this game.


----------



## automatondan (Sep 8, 2016)

MrRippedZilla said:


> You just answered your own question
> 
> Depending on how long you've been feeling like this, it is highly possible that your body is simply doing what it can to get you back to a certain weight range regardless of how you gain that weight (fat vs muscle). This involves keeping Leptin low, Ghrelin & NPY high and so on in order to upregulate your appetite and get you to fatten up (look into the set point theory for more info).
> 
> ...



Glad someone like Zilla responded... A little smarter than the common folk like me...


----------



## PillarofBalance (Sep 8, 2016)

MrRippedZilla said:


> You just answered your own question
> 
> Depending on how long you've been feeling like this, it is highly possible that your body is simply doing what it can to get you back to a certain weight range regardless of how you gain that weight (fat vs muscle). This involves keeping Leptin low, Ghrelin & NPY high and so on in order to upregulate your appetite and get you to fatten up (look into the set point theory for more info).
> 
> ...



My first suggestion would be to increase fats a bit. They tend to help keep people a bit more full. AND the folks who fall for the clean eating nonsense tend to be so low in fats they are starving and don't recover well.


----------



## MrRippedZilla (Sep 8, 2016)

PillarofBalance said:


> My first suggestion would be to increase fats a bit. They tend to help keep people a bit more full. AND the folks who fall for the clean eating nonsense tend to be so low in fats they are starving and don't recover well.



Depends - fats help some and do nothing for others.
At 75-100g per day at 185 lbs,  I don't think OP's fat intake is that low though it's still worth experimenting with to see what works for him. 

Intermittent fasting is something that deserves a shout out here too.
I know people bitch about it all the time but I've found it to be incredibly effective at helping people stay lean year round (maximizing cals into your hunger windows does that). 

But honestly, as I said before, if it is related to set point then it all comes down to the mind because none of that nutritional stuff (beyond bumping up cals) is going to make much of a difference in the long run.


----------



## CardinalJacked (Sep 8, 2016)

More Yams like a real 5 percenter would


----------



## chevybuff (Sep 8, 2016)

Thanks for the replies.  I have tried to lower the carbs and increase fats,  it worked for a bit.  I'll look into intermittent fasting.  I know when I dieted down food was on my mind all the time, it definitely is a mental game.  By the way, Was it good for you joliver?


----------



## Joliver (Sep 8, 2016)

chevybuff said:


> Thanks for the replies.  I have tried to lower the carbs and increase fats,  it worked for a bit.  I'll look into intermittent fasting.  I know when I dieted down food was on my mind all the time, it definitely is a mental game.  By the way, Was it good for you joliver?



I'm married. Nothing is good anymore. Even my favorite foods taste bad. Hey...there is a thought...get married. That oughta zap your appetite.

You'll like intermittent fasting. Very effective. 

You'll eventually reach a point where your body decides your new weight is the set point and will no longer strive to go back to your former weight. You just have to beat those old 255lb eating habits.  That is my problem. I still want to eat like a bulkier person. It's engrained in me.


----------



## ToolSteel (Sep 8, 2016)

I don't understand how people do intermittent fasting without getting the shakes or feeling weak.


----------



## Joliver (Sep 8, 2016)

ToolSteel said:


> I don't understand how people do intermittent fasting without getting the shakes or feeling weak.



Agree. I've never understood how mark bell could bench close to 600 while espousing the low carb life. I guess you can adapt to anything.


----------

