Following Advice ~Upping Cals~

Ok so I've been trying to ditch my stubborn ways and adapt to a better schedule to see what happens.

• No more than a 500 cal deficit daily
• Gradually increasing sleep
• Increase carbs (good stuff, not the naughty stuff)

So I have done pretty well with it thusfar... taking in from 1450-1800 cals now a day... (I was taking in 1150-1290 or so before). Mostly natural sources... only eat one protein bar a day & no shakes until Jan (re-start creatine cycle)

Taking Melatonin, and last week I got 7 hours a night, this week getting 7.5 hours.... hopefully next week I'll shoot for 8/nt.

Matching carbs to protein... and eating about 250 cals every 2 hours.

Now people said I would damage my metabolism on a low cal diet like I was, and I assumed I would gain upon upping my cals. After 2 wks I haven't gained anything (wasn't really losing before though either), but man I feel hella weighted down from all the excess food! Has anyone else ever gotten this way?

Any tips on how to feel less bloaty and more lean? I'm looking to "spot reduce" my stomach flab... it's the only little bit left I have. I have heard that smaller portions can help with this when your diet's already pretty clean.

Hey Mel - that is great!    You look wonderful & have come a long way!  Good for you!

The only thing that's kinda frustrating me is the weight gain *eh-hem* non-scale weight gain. I fell hella fat, and I visually look bloaty in the belly... what was a square stomach is now kinda flubb-puffy... make sense? But I haven't gained anything on the scale... still floating from 136-138 and that's only about a lb more than before...

Thanks so much for the encouragment/compliment tho :). I still never have an "end result" lol... always pushing for more ya know?

• No more than a 500 cal deficit daily -> did this
• Gradually increasing sleep -> did this
• Increase carbs (good stuff, not the naughty stuff) -> did this

So I have done pretty well with it thusfar... taking in from 1450-1800 cals now a day... (I was taking in 1150-1290 or so before). Mostly natural sources... only eat one protein bar a day & no shakes until Jan (re-start creatine cycle) -> This got moved to February 12th... got sick and had to take time off the gym.

Taking Melatonin, and last week I got 7 hours a night, this week getting 7.5 hours.... hopefully next week I'll shoot for 8/nt. -> Pretty much have been getting 7-7.5hrs sleep weeknights, and 9 weekends. 

Matching carbs to protein... and eating about 250 cals every 2 hours. -> Doing very well with balancing carbs & protein... still habitually low in fat.

So I followed this plan. Then I lost 3lbs. Then I upped again to 1800-2200 per day and I lost 5lbs. I got down to about 132 consistently. The bf complained I was too skinny and I needed more muscle.

So I started creatine 02/12 again. Last cycle was tremendous gains and I cut up - no bloat (also was starving on 1200 cals a day). This time I am eating more to gain muscle... eating about maintainance (sometimes a little above sometimes a little below). I have packed on the pounds big time!! I am now at 138-139 and popping out of a size 5. My meals are clean for the most part (for example I ate at chevy's today and just ate the meat, veggies, and then 3 tortillas ). I'm totally feeling like I'm failing here... And I am lifting more heavier weights but I feel like a blimp lifting heavier weights.

Any females out there bulking??? I want more muscle and less fat and it seems as though the only way to do that is to increase cals and lift heavier... which is fine I can do that. BUT I feel like a whale and I need to know kind of what to expect and what to eat. Should I shoot for clean eating and just eat a lot of it?? Should I eat beef and whole eggs?? I'm at a loss for "gaining". help!  

hey Mel - good for you!  You are looking nice!  That creatine is probably responsible for your "bloaty" feeling.  That is what happened to me when I tried it.   It is amazing that you lost weight by upping cals!

I know when you bulk it is normal to gain some fat along with the muscle, but if you were too skinny that is ok! 

I am doing NROLFW and Alwyn Cosgrove says to shoot for 40 carbs 30 protein 30 good fat.  I am sure it is dependant on the person.  I find it hard to count everything myself, so I just do the clean(er) eating thing!

With all due respect, since I know its been hard for you to increase your cals, but eating maintainence calories does not constitute bulking.

For a bulk you would be eating probably 2000-2500 kcal every day and lifting heavy around 4 times a week with little cardio whatsoever, if at all. Unless this is what you're doing, in which case, word to the bulk! Lift heavy heavy heavy. Compound movements, reps around 5-8 or less. Longer wait times between sets. You should be increasing every time you lift.

You're going to gain fat. The best you can hope for is a 3:1 muscle/fat ratio. This is an awesome ratio and almost impossible to do unless your diet is spot on. I wouldn't aim for it. I would just concentrate on one thing at a time. If you want to bulk, bulk. Make the decision and just do it.

Then later, cut. Do it after about 8 weeks of bulking. Take the extra carbs out of your diet, drop your weights(which should have increased substantially during bulking) and increase your reps.

 Focus on compound movements. You probably don't even need to increase the cardio that much as this point, but maybe throw in some HIIT two or three times a week after your workout outs. 

The fat will come off pretty quick b/c you will have revved your metabolism up like no ones business during your bulk.

You will gain weight. I would just put your scale away for a while and buy some bigger pants. You will also retain about 5 lbs of water initially which could take up to 3 weeks or so to come off, so you will feel bloated but don't worry its not fat.

Just power through it and you can do it. The end result will be worth it.

This is interesting, the article just posted the other day and it's directed towards men, but the concept is the same.

Get Big without getting fat

One interesting tip I saw on the last page for adding calories if you're just not hungry - a shot of extra-virgin olive oil. 

"Just get yourself a standard shot glass — a "single," or 1.5 ounces. Now fill it with extra virgin olive oil and toss it back. Do that three times in one day and you'll add 900 squeaky-clean calories to your daily intake."

Spends a lot of time advising how you should experiment to find the right amount of extra calories.  At the end, summarizes the two rules:

"Really, the key to adding muscular weight without excess fat gain is to follow these two rules:

Rule #1: Train hard and eat more than maintenance, but not much more. About 800 to 1,000 extra calories a day will do it.

Rule #2: Get those extra calories from clean foods and supplements."