# Not gaining...



## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Upped my cals to 3000 a couple of weeks ago. Weighed myself this morning and lost 2lbs. Should I increase 3200 or 3500?

Stats are:

182lbs

12%BF

6 foot

26 year old


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## TheNewGirl (Oct 6, 2014)

If you could post what a typical day of eating is like (preferably with the the food measured) you will get a lot more response


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

TheNewGirl said:


> If you could post what a typical day of eating is like (preferably with the the food measured) you will get a lot more response


Well it can vary on a daily basis but my macros:

190g protein

102g Fat

340g Carbs


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

if u not gaining and loosing weight then bump it up again


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

Try up fats lower carbs if u can


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Sambuca said:


> Try up fats lower carbs if u can


Any particular reason?


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

3k cals is only 16.5 cals per lbs... not enough to add weight for me.

How's the hunger... you should be feeling pretty full most the day if trying to add weight.


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Big ape said:


> if u not gaining and loosing weight then bump it up again


Thinking of just bumping upto 3500 as 2lbs in quite a bit but just not sure if it was maybe just a fluctuate in weight and in actual fact I could have stayed the same etc if you know what I mean.


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

rsd147 said:


> Any particular reason?


Judging by your stats I would say your similar to me and deal with carbs to efficiently.

So keep mega Amounts of carbs around workouts then rest of meals plenty of protein fats

Avocado

Cashews, macadamias, pecans

Olives

Coconut oil

Lean mince

Pine nuts


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## 31205 (Jan 16, 2013)

I'm about your weight but 5 ft 8 so fair bit shorter. I wouldn't gain off 3000 cals. I was eating 4000 and still struggling to add weight. I was doing around 300 p 500 c and rest fat. Maybe 90? Can't remember. But I see people heavier than me gaining weight eating less than me. Just eat more mate till scales start moving.


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Sambuca said:


> Judging by your stats I would say your similar to me and deal with carbs to efficiently.
> 
> So keep mega Amounts of carbs around workouts then rest of meals plenty of protein fats
> 
> ...


I respond well on carbs to be honest, will try what you said and see how it goes.


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

Sambuca said:


> Judging by your stats I would say your similar to me and deal with carbs to efficiently.
> 
> So keep mega Amounts of carbs around workouts then rest of meals plenty of protein fats
> 
> ...


maybe hes just got a fast metabolism and needs to eat more to gain?

agree up fats to get more calories in but to change hes eating pattern aint gonna make a difference if hes not eating enough


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

Big ape said:


> maybe hes just got a fast metabolism and needs to eat more to gain?
> 
> agree up fats to get more calories in but to change hes eating pattern aint gonna make a difference if hes not eating enough


Oh Ye I agree but as you know picking right fats it's easy to eat high calories. Just an avenue he can research


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Sambuca said:


> Oh Ye I agree but as you know picking right fats it's easy to eat high calories. Just an avenue he can research


I have alot of nut butters, olive oils and organic butter to bump my fats up


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## Ultrasonic (Jul 13, 2004)

How often do you weigh yourself? As you say there can be day to day variability so while you are trying to get a handle on this it might be worth weighing yourself daily for a bit. I've been doing this myself recently and have seen differences of about 1lb on subsequent days.

My suggestion would be to weigh yourself daily and try upping calories by say 100 kcal each week until you find the right level. Or possibly 200 the first week as you have been losing weight and then 100 after that.


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## Bensif (Aug 28, 2011)

Are you on any gear?

I weigh less but eat 4250-4500 calories a day. I would say you need more food at your weight and especially height. Your frame will be big, you need to feed it!


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## ConP (Aug 18, 2013)

Sambuca said:


> Judging by your stats I would say your similar to me and deal with carbs to efficiently.
> 
> So keep mega Amounts of carbs around workouts then rest of meals plenty of protein fats
> 
> ...


Agree with this.


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Bensif said:


> Are you on any gear?
> 
> I weigh less but eat 4250-4500 calories a day. I would say you need more food at your weight and especially height. Your frame will be big, you need to feed it!


Not on gear but I think I certainly need to eat more


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Just weighed myself after upping my calories from 3000 to 3500 and lost 1b. Should I up a gain or leave another week.


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

rsd147 said:


> Just weighed myself after upping my calories from 3000 to 3500 and lost 1b. Should I up a gain or leave another week.


Bump


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## notorious1990 (Mar 10, 2008)

What was your diet like previous to this? As an increase in calories after a period of dieting can jump start the metabolism causing further weight loss.

Have you got physical job? daily activities? training frequency?


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

notorious1990 said:


> What was your diet like previous to this? As an increase in calories after a period of dieting can jump start the metabolism causing further weight loss.
> 
> Have you got physical job? daily activities? training frequency?


I was cutting for quite some time. Ate at maintenance for around a month and since then increased calories. Ate at 3000 and monitored for a few weeks, but lost 2lbs. Bumped up to 3500 cals last week and have lost a pound. Overall I have gained a little but over a period of time.

Not got a physical job, office job. Train 3 times a week and play football once a week. What do you suggest?


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## Boshlop (Apr 1, 2012)

rsd147 said:


> I was cutting for quite some time. Ate at maintenance for around a month and since then increased calories. Ate at 3000 and monitored for a few weeks, but lost 2lbs. Bumped up to 3500 cals last week and have lost a pound. Overall I have gained a little but over a period of time.
> 
> Not got a physical job, office job. Train 3 times a week and play football once a week. What do you suggest?


if you have upped the food have you kept fluid the same? eating more could quite easily stop you drinking as much. i find bulking up that if i weigh my self in the morning my weight is lower and im generally quite dry but once its to around 18:00 im back to full volume and vascularity from carbs in the system. up the diet, but try weighing your self am and pm and take a average to be sure its not just bad timing making you think you weigh less


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Boshlop said:


> if you have upped the food have you kept fluid the same? eating more could quite easily stop you drinking as much. i find bulking up that if i weigh my self in the morning my weight is lower and im generally quite dry but once its to around 18:00 im back to full volume and vascularity from carbs in the system. up the diet, but try weighing your self am and pm and take a average to be sure its not just bad timing making you think you weigh less


I drink just as much if not more so unsure. May keep cals the same for one more week and see what happens.


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## aad123 (Dec 7, 2011)

For the past month or two I have been slowly increasing my food intake following a long slow cut and even though I have added in almost 1000 calories I am still not gaining weight. This is not an issue for me but it does highlight the point rasised by @notorious1990 that your metabolism will speed up when you add in extra calories.

I go for a gradual increase every week and eventually I will hit the gaining phase. This approach may work for you ?


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

aad123 said:


> For the past month or two I have been slowly increasing my food intake following a long slow cut and even though I have added in almost 1000 calories I am still not gaining weight. This is not an issue for me but it does highlight the point rasised by @notorious1990 that your metabolism will speed up when you add in extra calories.
> 
> I go for a gradual increase every week and eventually I will hit the gaining phase. This approach may work for you ?


Might increase by 200 and monitor this?


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## notorious1990 (Mar 10, 2008)

rsd147 said:


> I was cutting for quite some time. Ate at maintenance for around a month and since then increased calories. Ate at 3000 and monitored for a few weeks, but lost 2lbs. Bumped up to 3500 cals last week and have lost a pound. Overall I have gained a little but over a period of time.
> 
> Not got a physical job, office job. Train 3 times a week and play football once a week. What do you suggest?


If you feel comfortable eating more then do so, but your body will adjust to the extra food and eventually level out.

Don't forget just because the scales arnt moving it doesn't mean your not gaining.

Are you progressing in the gym?? is your body changing??


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

Pile the food in mate.I have to eat 5000 cals on a bulk cos i burn it off too quick.


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## curtisfisher (Nov 9, 2014)

You should stop worrying so much about all these technicalities. You just need to start eating everything in sight and lifting big. If you want to get big, you have to eat big and lift big.

You can't do 2 things at once. Either you're going to get cut or get big.


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## banzi (Mar 9, 2014)

At 12% BF you don't want to be getting any fatter, just eat around 200 cals a day over maintenance.

You will thank me later when you have gained muscle without the excess fat that comes with higher cals.


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## banzi (Mar 9, 2014)

curtisfisher said:


> You should stop worrying so much about all these technicalities. You just need to start eating everything in sight and lifting big. If you want to get big, you have to eat big and lift big.
> 
> You can't do 2 things at once. Either you're going to get cut or get big.


Total nonsense.

Eat big to get fat, thats your lot mate.

Eat 300 cals over maintenance and you will gain exactly the same amount of muscle you would eating 3,000 cals a day over maintenance but without all the fat.


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

Well from when I first posted I was 182lbs. Been consuming 4000cals for 3 weeks and now 185lbs so its about right really. Just thought I would update you


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## Dboy90 (Dec 4, 2014)

I have the same trouble. I'm 5'4 (proper midget) I weigh around 11 1/2 stone and I need 3500 just to maintain body. If I want to gain I need around 4200. My metabolism is stupidly quick.


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## nWo (Mar 25, 2014)

Dboy90 said:


> I have the same trouble. I'm 5'4 (proper midget) I weigh around 11 1/2 stone and I need 3500 just to maintain body. If I want to gain I need around 4200. My metabolism is stupidly quick.


What's your activity level? Obviously if you do an active job then you're gonna burn several hundred calories every day. If not though that's mental :laugh:


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## Dboy90 (Dec 4, 2014)

My activity level is pretty relaxed. I don't do much cardio and I'm a welder fabricator so my job isn't that strenuous. It's a huge burdon on gains. Plus no matter how much I eat, I still feel hungry straight after. Hopefully the metabolism will slow down as I get older. I want more than 7% bf one day!


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## ThePariah122678 (Jul 15, 2014)

FelonE said:


> Pile the food in mate.I have to eat 5000 cals on a bulk cos i burn it off too quick.


I'm glad I've had a slow metabolism all my life I hate eating even over 3k


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

ThePariah122678 said:


> I'm glad I've had a slow metabolism all my life I hate eating even over 3k


At first I loved it but it's hard work now. Much prefer cutting because I'm not naturally a big eater.


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## ThePariah122678 (Jul 15, 2014)

FelonE said:


> At first I loved it but it's hard work now. Much prefer cutting because I'm not naturally a big eater.


They say working out is good because you get to eat more food to which I respond "No working out sucks because you HAVE to eat more food" it's not fun to eat 3000+ calories every day XD


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

ThePariah122678 said:


> They say working out is good because you get to eat more food to which I respond "No working out sucks because you HAVE to eat more food" it's not fun to eat 3000+ calories every day XD


Exactly mate. The novelty soon wears off.


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## ThePariah122678 (Jul 15, 2014)

FelonE said:


> Exactly mate. The novelty soon wears off.


You're a trooper for eating 5000 you deserve a ****ing knighthood or something


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

ThePariah122678 said:


> You're a trooper for eating 5000 you deserve a ****ing knighthood or something


Only 4 more weeks thank fudge lol


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

FelonE said:


> Only 4 more weeks thank fudge lol


How you hitting cals? Just hitting protein requirement and the rest with anything or you hitting each macro nutrient?


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

rsd147 said:


> How you hitting cals? Just hitting protein requirement and the rest with anything or you hitting each macro nutrient?


Just keeping all macros high


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## rsd147 (Nov 14, 2012)

FelonE said:


> Just keeping all macros high


Ive reduced mine slightly to 3800.

Protein - 190g

Fat - 106g

Carbs - 520g

Are you doing yours like this or just making sure you hit the protein and thats it?

Reason Im asking is do we over complicate things? As long as we hit protein target and fat is a minimum of 15% overall calories then could we not have more protein and fats that day rather than a specific number of carbs and ensuring we have to hit each marco target


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## FelonE1 (Dec 23, 2013)

rsd147 said:


> Ive reduced mine slightly to 3800.
> 
> Protein - 190g
> 
> ...


Just making sure protein and carbs are high more than anything mate.

Protein-302g Carbs-645 Fats-186

That's my macros atm


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## bail (Mar 19, 2010)

banzi said:


> Total nonsense.
> 
> Eat big to get fat, thats your lot mate.
> 
> Eat 300 cals over maintenance and you will gain exactly the same amount of muscle you would eating 3,000 cals a day over maintenance but without all the fat.


I thought it was 200kcals over maintance ??

Tbh I would Say that is a good Starting point but if your weight is stalling then I would up it from their

And Tbh who really knows their true maintenance cals??

Just through some fitness app??

So in a way I would agree with this work out "maintenance" cals

Then when weight stalls up them again etc


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## IGotTekkers (Jun 6, 2012)

**** me 3000 cals is breakfast and a snack. Eat more mate


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## banzi (Mar 9, 2014)

bail said:


> I thought it was 200kcals over maintance ??
> 
> Tbh I would Say that is a good Starting point but if your weight is stalling then I would up it from their
> 
> ...


300/200. it makes no difference, anything over calorific maintenance will allow you to gain muscle, hell you can even gain in a calorific deficit as long as the deficit doesn't go on too long.


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