Thread: My lean bulking diet

How long have you been on this diet? Have you change your calories intake while gaining weight? For instance, your maintenance caloric intake will differ when you are 160 lbs from 170 lbs, you get what I'm trying to say? So, if you aren't gaining weight, then up your calories more until you start gaining again.

Originally Posted by alan84

How long have you been on this diet? Have you change your calories intake while gaining weight? For instance, your maintenance caloric intake will differ when you are 160 lbs from 170 lbs, you get what I'm trying to say? So, if you aren't gaining weight, then up your calories more until you start gaining again.

I have been on this diet for 6 months, I have changed my protein around. So, what should I up, ( Protein, Carbs, Or Fats ) and by how much would you say?

How much do u weigh right now?

Originally Posted by alan84

How much do u weigh right now?

173lb-176lb

Originally Posted by Jonnman

173lb-176lb

Based on your current weight, your caloric maintenance( which is the amount of calories that you need to keep at the same wieght) is around 2600 calories a day. In order to gain weight, bulk, you need to run a surplus of around 500 calories, that would put you on around 3100 calories a day. Now, you need to go to fitday.com and enter a typical day of your meals in and report back with your macros( total calories, protein, carbs, and fats)

Originally Posted by alan84

Based on your current weight, your caloric maintenance( which is the amount of calories that you need to keep at the same wieght) is around 2600 calories a day. In order to gain weight, bulk, you need to run a surplus of around 500 calories, that would put you on around 3100 calories a day. Now, you need to go to fitday.com and enter a typical day of your meals in and report back with your macros( total calories, protein, carbs, and fats)

Okay, just got back from fitday.com here are the calories that I'm taken in right now...

Total
3,017
118.6
231.5
267.7

SO, what should I bump up?
Egg, white only, raw

154
0.5
2.2
32.4

Egg, whole, raw

72
5.0
0.4
6.3

Quaker Oatmeal Squares

212
2.4
43.9
6.2

Grapefruit, raw

82
0.3
20.7
1.6

Ground beef, raw

576
45.4
0.0
38.9

White potato

147
3.4
27.4
2.3

Fiber One

10
0.2
4.2
0.3

Protein powder

200
4.5
24.5
15.5

Chicken, breast

443
17.5
0.0
67.0

White potato

147
3.4
27.4
2.3

Spinach, raw

7
0.1
1.1
0.9

Broccoli, cooked

103
5.1
13.2
4.4

Asparagus, cooked

47
2.6
4.8
2.8

Protein powder

200
4.5
24.5
15.5

Almond butter

101
9.5
3.4
2.4

Fish, tilapia, cooked, dry heat

290
6.0
0.0
59.3

Puffed rice cake

70
0.5
14.7
1.5

Spinach, raw

7
0.1
1.1
0.9

Broccoli, cooked

103
5.1
13.2
4.4

Asparagus, cooked

47
2.6
4.8
2.8



Total
3,017 Total
118.6 fats
231.5 carbs
267.7 protein

Ok, you are eating in a surplus. However, your body might got used to the same caloric intake for the last few months. I would suggest to add extra 200 calories to your current diet and see if you will gain weight. If I got it right, you are taking 267 g of protein per day, which is fine. Fats are 118 And 231 g of carbs. I would put the extra 200 calories in carbs, such as sweet potato, brown rice or oatmeal, as long as it's a complex healthy carb. Try that out for couple of weeks and see how that goes.

couple things I would do bro.

1. Drop the egg whites, replace with whole eggs
2. For the love of god please do not drive yourself crazy counted the calories in your brocolli in spinach
3. Up the fats, remember protein and fat are the real growth promoters and we as humans could never eat another carb a day in our life and continue to gain muscle mass without hesitation.

Originally Posted by damonstertraps

couple things I would do bro.

1. Drop the egg whites, replace with whole eggs
2. For the love of god please do not drive yourself crazy counted the calories in your brocolli in spinach
3. Up the fats, remember protein and fat are the real growth promoters and we as humans could never eat another carb a day in our life and continue to gain muscle mass without hesitation.

Now, should I up the protein, and fats or up the carbs. I'm afraid to up carbs, due to fat gain.

Originally Posted by Jonnman

Now, should I up the protein, and fats or up the carbs. I'm afraid to up carbs, due to fat gain.

Well I would up the fats first personally. Nothing wrong with more protein though. I highly doubt some more fish or chicken would lead to any fat gain, but some more rice cakes probably will.

Originally Posted by Jonnman

Now, should I up the protein, and fats or up the carbs. I'm afraid to up carbs, due to fat gain.

No need to up the protein, either fats or carbs. I said carbs because they give you energy to workout harder, but it's your choice bro. On another note, bulking = fat+ muscle gains, you can not expect to put on muscle only without fat. However, you can minimize it by eating clean and doing two to three sessions of cardio a week of 20 min each.

Originally Posted by alan84

No need to up the protein, either fats or carbs. I said carbs because they give you energy to workout harder, but it's your choice bro. On another note, bulking = fat+ muscle gains, you can not expect to put on muscle only without fat. However, you can minimize it by eating clean and doing two to three sessions of cardio a week of 20 min each.

you must be one of the lucky ones. carbs makes me sleepy as shit and I can barely get off the coach let alone workout, I look like shit on keto but boy do I feel great (:

Originally Posted by alan84

No need to up the protein, either fats or carbs. I said carbs because they give you energy to workout harder, but it's your choice bro. On another note, bulking = fat+ muscle gains, you can not expect to put on muscle only without fat. However, you can minimize it by eating clean and doing two to three sessions of cardio a week of 20 min each.

Okay I will go with this first, up carbs, and put it to the test. I will keep you updated in a few weeks.
My diet is really clean, anyways thanks for the time, guidance, and input/info.

Originally Posted by damonstertraps

Well I would up the fats first personally. Nothing wrong with more protein though. I highly doubt some more fish or chicken would lead to any fat gain, but some more rice cakes probably will.

I'm cutting out the rice cake right now.