# Haven't Gained Weight In A Month



## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Hi everyone would like to say since joining this forum I've learnt a lot about diet/gaining weight and what it takes.

At the beginning of the year I was 12st with the aim of being a ripped 13st by the end of the year(ideally getting up to 13.5st and cutting down with cardio/diet) and since then I am up to around 12'9, 12'10. Thing is I haven't put on any weight for a month now and I am still trying to bulk. I can't have hit a plateau yet as I've only been training seriously for about 3-4 months.

Here is what my diet looks like.

*7.30AM:* 100g oats, 30-40g of whey protein, one heaped tablespoon of peanut butter.

*10.30AM:* Banana, scotch egg.

*13.00:* Home made chilli concarne with 2 jacket potatoes or packet of Uncle Bens Rice OR 2 jacket potatoes 2 tins of tuna and tin of sweetcorn.

*15.30:* Banana

*17.30:* 30g whey protein

*19.30:* 30g whey protein

*20.00:* Mothers dinner ranges from 1kg chicken with potatoes veg to massive plate of tuna and pasta to huge casserole- always atleast 1000 cals would be my guess.

*22.00:* Pint of semi skimmed milk sometimes another 30g whey protein.

I also have about 4 or 5 teas/coffees through the day with milk and 1 sugar.

I have run outer protein bars which I used to have at 10.30 and 15.30 do you think this has made a difference?

How does the diet look as a whole for gaining?


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## Franko1 (Nov 19, 2008)

Eat more, try less shakes more normal food.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

mate, that diet sucks im afraid.

your macros per meal should be:

meals 1 - 5 30g pro 40g carbs 30g fat (work out whats in your food as its the only way to learn and know if your getting enough)

Meal 6 40g pro 30g fat.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

So I should be looking at 180g of fat a day and 200g of carbs then? I don't think I get 180g of fat but I think I get 200g of carbs and 200g of protein...


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

On The Rise said:



> So I should be looking at 180g of fat a day and 200g of carbs then? I don't think I get 180g of fat but I think I get 200g of carbs and 200g of protein...


sorry, i meant 20g per meal.

Basically mate. looks like your:

a. not getting enough protein from quality sources, more meat

b. not enough cals.

More fats will increase the calories, but so will adding meat (has its own fat).

Most of the time, the amount of protein in these powders is "exaggerated"


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## spudsy (May 13, 2009)

Scotch eggs???????


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

PowerHouseMcGru said:


> mate, that diet sucks im afraid.
> 
> your macros per meal should be:
> 
> ...


can i ask why these are the numbers he needs? i can't understand how you can state this without knowing the guy??

to the OP it is clear that you are not eating enough calories hence why your weight has hit a brick wall....

these meals are not enough and needs changing.....

10.30AM: Banana, scotch egg.

15.30: Banana

17.30: 30g whey protein

19.30: 30g whey protein

if you want to gain weight then eating just protein is the wrong idea.....i am assuming the meal at 19.30 is your post workout meal if i am correct where are the carbs??


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

spudsy said:


> Scotch eggs???????


Food of champions mate.

You do know that all the pro's eat them, right?

:lol:

That said, i think Lou or Sulik did a recipe for them that was using turkey mince which was pretty decent...


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

Pscarb said:


> can i ask why these are the numbers he needs? i can't understand how you can state this without knowing the guy??
> 
> to the OP it is clear that you are not eating enough calories hence why your weight has hit a brick wall....
> 
> ...


I just based it on what i was eating at his weight to gain more. Then if he was gaining too much fat, the logical thing to do would be drop off some calories. If still not gaining, add more.

Was purely based on me, seeing as he gave limited information.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

lol that made me chuckle you guys asking about my scotch eggs. As you can see I still enjoy a few 'bad' foods but atleast it does have an egg in. 19.30 is just a shake when I get home whilst waiting for my dinner...

OK the 10.30 and 15.30 meals are just me eating a banana at my desk. What do you suggest I add to those? my 17.30 is just my shake before I go gym...maybe I should add some oats to that pre workout shake?

Also to PowerHouse what do you mean by companies exagerating the amounts of protein? and also whey protein is as good as any protein isnt it?

Thanks for the informative replies though guys.


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## spudsy (May 13, 2009)

Smitch said:


> Food of champions mate.
> 
> You do know that all the pro's eat them, right?
> 
> ...


Right i'm gonna have 3 whole ones and 3 with the yolks out for breakfast tomoz,Could i swap them for a sausage rolls or pasties if they have no scotch eggs at the garage???


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

On The Rise said:


> lol that made me chuckle you guys asking about my scotch eggs. As you can see I still enjoy a few 'bad' foods but atleast it does have an egg in. 19.30 is just a shake when I get home whilst waiting for my dinner...
> 
> OK the 10.30 and 15.30 meals are just me eating a banana at my desk. What do you suggest I add to those? my 17.30 is just my shake before I go gym...maybe I should add some oats to that pre workout shake?
> 
> ...


Well it has been proven by tests that the stated amount of protein in many of these product actually works out at much less usable protein. Im not sure where i read that, but i have read it on many occasions.

Well, whey is not going to release a steady "stream" of protein in the same way as steak and eggs as it is meant for fast absorbtion. Tbh, im an eater and i just dont feel like shakes work. Have their place, but dont think there should be so many.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

I have a 300g tub of cottage cheese as a snack in the afternoon at work.

If you want to start taking little meals to work with you i sometimes cook up 2x700g packs of lean mince from sainsburys with a load of pre chopped frozen veg and some stock then seperate it into five little plastic pots and have them as ready meals over a couple of days.

Cheap and easy way of getting decent food in you.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

spudsy said:


> Right i'm gonna have 3 whole ones and 3 with the yolks out for breakfast tomoz,Could i swap them for a sausage rolls or pasties if they have no scotch eggs at the garage???


Just don't try a breakfast bar... I did many moons ago and spat it straight out the car window!


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Well thats fair enough its just that I don't like going to the gym after eating a decent meal and if I go home and have a snack Ima be craving more food and not be focused on the gym. Looking at my diet I have to agree that I should get something else in me at 10.30 and 15.30 and maybe have a banana with my shake at 17.30 or some oats...

What you guys recommend?


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Smitch said:


> I have a 300g tub of cottage cheese as a snack in the afternoon at work.
> 
> If you want to start taking little meals to work with you i sometimes cook up 2x700g packs of lean mince from sainsburys with a load of pre chopped frozen veg and some stock then seperate it into five little plastic pots and have them as ready meals over a couple of days.
> 
> Cheap and easy way of getting decent food in you.


I can't stand cottage cheese 

Well atm I cook up about 2 weeks worth of chilli con carne up at home and basically a meal is as much as I can cram into a takeaway tub. I can't really eat a chilli at my desk either so its gotta be something with abitta protein thats not too much hassel- hence the scotch egg idea lol...I did use to have a protein bar with my 10.30 and 15.30 banana but ran out...


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

PowerHouseMcGru said:


> I just based it on what i was eating at his weight to gain more. Then if he was gaining too much fat, the logical thing to do would be drop off some calories. If still not gaining, add more.
> 
> Was purely based on me, seeing as he gave limited information.


thats fair enough mate but to say "this is what you need" is wrong to be fair as he is not you, you have a fast metabolism he might not.....to be honest he lack both fats and carbs in crucial meals to gain weight....


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

It's a tough one, i just have protein shakes when i can't eat.

Probably have about 3 a day some days if i'm busy as i'm office based like you, but am external sales so have to go on frequent prospective client meetings. I chuck in enough protein powder to give me 50g of protein though if i can't get a decent meal.

I suppose ultimately if you want to get big bad enough you'll find a way, i'm just a recreational lifter so you're better off speaking to dedicated people like Pscarb and PHMG to find out how they do it.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Its just hard to find anything quick and easy to eat at the desk thats healthy and has some protein and fats.

To Pscarb I have plenty of carbs and fats in my post workout meal which is as soon as I get home from the gym basically but I just split it to half hour later than the shake for arguments sake.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

Pscarb said:


> thats fair enough mate but to say "this is what you need" is wrong to be fair as he is not you, you have a fast metabolism he might not.....to be honest he lack both fats and carbs in crucial meals to gain weight....


Yeah true, i just thought it was best to give him some info rather than nothing. Imean, yeah, he might put on some fat, but that can always be:

a. nipped in the bud when its noticable

b. sorted at a later date (depending on if you believe gaining fat from being in a large calorie surplus is more benificial to muscle gain than staying lean and trying to gain muscle).


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

having protein shakes when your in a rush and cannot leave the desk is a good way to get protein in, it is the same as i do when on client sites but i also have an amount of mixed nuts in a small container or a bag......

the biggest concern would be the PWO shake....


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

On The Rise said:


> Its just hard to find anything quick and easy to eat at the desk thats healthy and has some protein and fats.
> 
> To Pscarb I have plenty of carbs and fats in my post workout meal which is as soon as I get home from the gym basically but I just split it to half hour later than the shake for arguments sake.


have a carb/protein shake straight away after your workout then an hour later have a meal with P/C/F


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

On The Rise said:


> *Its just hard to find anything quick and easy to eat at the desk thats healthy and has some protein and fats. *
> 
> To Pscarb I have plenty of carbs and fats in my post workout meal which is as soon as I get home from the gym basically but I just split it to half hour later than the shake for arguments sake.


This is simply not true mate.

Time to cook a batch of brown/white rice:20mins

Time to cook 4 chicken breasts:20 mins

Do them both together and total time....20mins!

If you need to wake up 20mins earlier in the morning to do this...then do it!

If you want to do this bad enough, you find time.

Obv, there will be exceptions like pscarb when he is travelling and visiting clients and a shake is the only option, but i also sit at a desk and still get every meal in.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Pscarb said:


> having protein shakes when your in a rush and cannot leave the desk is a good way to get protein in, it is the same as i do when on client sites but i also have *an amount of mixed nuts in a small container or a bag*......
> 
> the biggest concern would be the PWO shake....


Yep, always have a bag of almonds on my desk and in my bag.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

Just so your clear On The Rise (the irony that your not :lol: )

Pscarb is far more experienced than me and you should take whatever he says over me. My opinion is based on me along and his can be based on many clients/people far better than me.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Hmm not sure how much people would like my office smellin like chicken and rice though... I could always sneak it in when I go for a brew and in fact that might be what I do.

To Pscarb whys the biggest concern my PWO shake?

ps I know my username is gay and makes me sound like a tool if someone could let me know if/how I can change it that would be great


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

PowerHouseMcGru said:


> Just so your clear On The Rise (the irony that your not :lol: )
> 
> Pscarb is far more experienced than me and you should take whatever he says over me. My opinion is based on me along and his can be based on many clients/people far better than me.


not true mate, your opinion is just as valid as mine as i do not know the individual either, my point was giving him absalutes with the numbers he may go away and think just by making up those numbers he would gain......



On The Rise said:


> Hmm not sure how much people would like my office smellin like chicken and rice though... I could always sneak it in when I go for a brew and in fact that might be what I do.
> 
> To Pscarb whys the biggest concern my PWO shake?
> 
> ps I know my username is gay and makes me sound like a tool if someone could let me know if/how I can change it that would be great


you are trying to gain muscle so a PWO shake would begin the recovery process, having this shake straight after a session that contains simple carbs and protein is in my opinion the best way to achieve your goals.....

i am in the off season and off cycle so diet is the only way i am increasing my weight...so because of this i have a PWO shake within 5min of leaving the gym then 60min later i have a meal with basmati rice and chicken.....


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Ahh right so pre-workout shakes are not the way forward thats good I will stop using one and use my BBW excel, RAGENO3 and a banana!!


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## kernowgee (Jan 30, 2011)

Franko1 said:


> Eat more, try less shakes more normal food.


^^its what I would do^^, A little more fat too.


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## bayman (Feb 27, 2010)

Whether or not this guy is getting a PWO shake or not is *NOT* going to make or break his gains. I can't believe some of you guys buy into that tosh so hook, line and sinker. People were getting jacked long before PWO shakes... No offence intended here either.

If you're not growing you're not eating enough full stop. Simple. Up your calories. Getting more of your cals PWO is probably a good idea to take advantage of the nutrient partioning effect of working out (basically more cals should go towards muscle growth this way), but by far more important is getting in enough total calories, and protein from real food over the course of the day, month, year. Consistently.

A good starting point for gaining weight / muscle is 16-18cals per LB of bodyweight as a total calorie figure with a breakdown of 40/30/30 % of Protein/Carbs/Fat. Adjust total cals as necessary, more if you're not gaining at the desired rate, less if you're putting on unwanted fat.


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

bayman said:


> Whether or not this guy is getting a PWO shake or not is *NOT* going to make or break his gains. I can't believe some of you guys buy into that tosh so hook, line and sinker. People were getting jacked long before PWO shakes... No offence intended here either.
> 
> If you're not growing you're not eating enough full stop. Simple. Up your calories. Getting more of your cals PWO is probably a good idea to take advantage of the nutrient partioning effect of working out (basically more cals should go towards muscle growth this way), but by far more important is getting in enough total calories, and protein from real food over the course of the day, month, year. Consistently.
> 
> A good starting point for gaining weight / muscle is 16-18cals per LB of body-weight as a total calorie figure with a breakdown of 40/30/30 % of Protein/Carbs/Fat. Adjust total cals as necessary, more if you're not gaining at the desired rate, less if you're putting on unwanted fat.


so adding carbs to his PWO shake will not help him gain weight? are you sure? so the added calories will make no difference? as i have said in my replies to gain weight one way to help this is to place carbs into his Protein drink after the workout then have a Carb/Protein/Fat meal straight after........this is not buying into any thing this is what i have done and still do and it works......not talking about studies but real world results with real people.....

as for the numbers of 40/30/30% why not 35/35/30% my point being the guy has a daily diet that he sticks to now so instead of throwing numbers at him suggest some suitable meals for him like adding fruit or/and nuts to his shakes....of course solid meals will help more than shakes to a degree but not everyone can do this due to work.......


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## bayman (Feb 27, 2010)

Pscarb said:


> so adding carbs to his PWO shake will not help him gain weight? are you sure? so the added calories will make no difference? as i have said in my replies to gain weight one way to help this is to place carbs into his Protein drink after the workout then have a Carb/Protein/Fat meal straight after........this is not buying into any thing this is what i have done and still do and it works......not talking about studies but real world results with real people.....
> 
> as for the numbers of 40/30/30% why not 35/35/30% my point being the guy has a daily diet that he sticks to now so instead of throwing numbers at him suggest some suitable meals for him like adding fruit or/and nuts to his shakes....of course solid meals will help more than shakes to a degree but not everyone can do this due to work.......


Sorry Paul, I misread your point. Of course the carbs (and the extra cals) added to his PWO shake will help. Me personally I'd just rather see him get more total food in.

I posted the numbers as they're a good starting point for most, he could see where his diet is in relation to those and adjust accordingly. I'm always a fan or knowing (even roughly) how many cals and grams of each macro you're getting and the old "just eat more" doesn't always work for everyone, they need structure and figures to aim for to be successful.


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## MarkFranco (Aug 26, 2010)

replace all those protein shakes with meat


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## CJ (Apr 24, 2006)

More actual food, higher calories.

easy to increase with nuts, cheese (any calorie dense food)

I use peanut butter a lot with shakes along with whole milk


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

bayman said:


> Sorry Paul, I misread your point. Of course the carbs (and the extra cals) added to his PWO shake will help. Me personally I'd just rather see him get more total food in.
> 
> I posted the numbers as they're a good starting point for most, he could see where his diet is in relation to those and adjust accordingly. I'm always a fan or knowing (even roughly) how many cals and grams of each macro you're getting and the old "just eat more" doesn't always work for everyone, they need structure and figures to aim for to be successful.


no problem mate.....i am all for knowing what you eat in fact i think it is the only way to gauge progress and have the ability to change when you need....my advice was to aim to help him improve his current diet....

i agree food is better than shakes but sometimes due to work it is not possible....

i think we do both agree that the calories need to raised, common sense dictates not gaining, not eating enough....


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Yeah I mean I guess common sense tells me that its just strange how I from January to late February I put on 9-10lbs and then nothing in March when diet hasn't really changed... I guess more muscle burns more calories and needs more upkeep!


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## Andrew Jacks (Sep 29, 2010)

I hate to state the blindly obvious, but is there any reason OP you have two shakes and no real food except a banana between 1 and 8?


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

On The Rise said:


> Yeah I mean I guess common sense tells me that its just strange how I from January to late February I put on 9-10lbs and then nothing in March when diet hasn't really changed... I guess more muscle burns more calories and needs more upkeep!


this happens all the time mate and when it does you up the calories....my gains have stopped twice since i competed last year each time i raised the calories in all meals and my gains continued...


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

is easy to forget that as muscle mass increases so does the number of calories you need for basic metabolic rate - to gradually keep growing you need to keep gradually increasing calories.

The only time this isn't a factor is if you regularly consume many more calories than you need for metabolism and energy expenditure (ie are doing a full bulk)... this is related to why often a complete newb will grow initially without making any changes at all to his diet, as to start with he has relatively small muscle mass and metabolic needs are covered by that diet. As he grows though his caloric needs (and protein needs) increase, and eventually he gets to a point where gains will slow and stop until diet is changed.

To keep growing you need to keep adjusting diet, especially if you are a 'lean bulker' rather than a 'dirty bulker'.

A second thing is that growth does tend to come in spurts. hormones don't just work through daily cycles, they tend to follow longer cycles too, and this can play a part in growth being sporadic. This is most obvious in children, but the same thing still does apply to adults to a lesser degree.


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Andrew Jacks said:


> I hate to state the blindly obvious, but is there any reason OP you have two shakes and no real food except a banana between 1 and 8?


The only reason is lack of time. But this will have to be changed I realise!


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Dtlv74 said:


> is easy to forget that as muscle mass increases so does the number of calories you need for basic metabolic rate - to gradually keep growing you need to keep gradually increasing calories.
> 
> The only time this isn't a factor is if you regularly consume many more calories than you need for metabolism and energy expenditure (ie are doing a full bulk)... this is related to why often a complete newb will grow initially without making any changes at all to his diet, as to start with he has relatively small muscle mass and metabolic needs are covered by that diet. As he grows though his caloric needs (and protein needs) increase, and eventually he gets to a point where gains will slow and stop until diet is changed.
> 
> ...


OK thats great thanks for all the advice guys I will def be taking all this on board!


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

On The Rise said:


> The only reason is lack of time. But this will have to be changed I realise!


Not a dig... but I find it strange that you struggle to get the cals in when in the office. For me it's the complete opposite as I struggle to stay disciplined at the weekend when I'm up, about and away form the desk.

Like PHMG said it only takes 20 minutes every few nights to prepare load of chicken and rice or mince and pots... eat them cold if the smell is an issue. A big dollop of homemade salsa helps the rice to go down cold, or a few spoonfuls of veg soup if you are able to microwave it :thumbup1:


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

Yeah think I'll have to start doing this. Damn all this eating is gonna get expensive lol...


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

On The Rise said:


> Yeah think I'll have to start doing this. Damn all this eating is gonna get expensive lol...


It can seem expensive when buying in bulk... but then again I used to think nothing of spending £3-5 every day on lunch at the sandwich shop, that easily covers the price of 500g of chicken.


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## bayman (Feb 27, 2010)

Whole Milk. Cheap, calorie dense, full of protein, carbs and fat.

Few pints of that per day plus some other calorific snacks you see you in the right direction./


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## Wardy211436114751 (Jan 24, 2011)

havent drunk whole milk in a while actually may have to try that. To update I'm still stuck around the same weight but getting stronger... I haven't been doing any cardio but is it possible I am replacing fat with muscle very gradually?


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