Carbs or no carbs?

As of right now, i'm 6'2, and right around 217 lbs. At this point I am still trying to gain weight naturally, and of course eating anything considered worthy of putting on weight. No, I am not trying to get completely shredded right now, just put on some pounds, and I was wondering if carbs will help. I've heard all this stuff about carbs being bad, but I wanted to get some of yall's opinions. For example, tonight, I will eat 2 or 3 potatos right before I go to bed aldong with a peanut butter sandwhich or two. So, all in all, will carbs help me put on *lean* muscle or is it better to just focus on calories and protein?? Thanks a lot guys

You've come to the right place bro,
In order to gain some weight, regardless if it's lean muscle or fat, weight in general, you'll definately need carbs.

In order to 'bulk' without carbs, you'd have to eat an insane amount of protein to make up for the calorie deficiency from the lack of carbs. I'm talking about 600-1000g Protein! On top of 100g Fat! That's way too much.

The best thing to do is figure out your Basil Metabolic Rate (the rate at which you naturally burn calories) then take into account your daily activities and see if your output (activity) is greater than your input (food).

If it is, you're losing weight. If it isn't, you should be gaining weight. If you're somewhere in between, add in an extra 250-300 calories to your daily intake and even though it may be very gradual, the weight you put on should be in favour of lean muscle.

But yep, you'll need carbs to gain weight just based on the calorie count and how unhealthy it would be to try to make up the extra calories with excess protein and fat.

Oh, and about your late night snacks of potatoes and peanut butter sandwhiches? That's a dangerous combo to have before bed. If it's a constant snack, the added fat you may have put on may largely be due to those late night bulkers.

Try eating them immediately after a workout or sometime earlier on in the day. Not so late or close to your bed time.

Thanks Ronny. Yah, I always have a protein shake right after a workout and I've always been told that you need to eat a lot before you go to bed or else your muscles will start to deterioate because of the lack of calories in your body. So, I've always shoved my face before bed with as much protein, carbs, ect. Also, I think my intake compared to how much a I burn is on the good side, because i've gained about 10 lbs. or so in the last 2 weeks. Thanks for the advice for I'll keep getting those carbs!

No problem bro! The idea about eating a lot before you to bed so you don't eat away at muscle (catabolism) is true to an extent. But it's not quantity that matters, but quality. If you're fearful of that, try working out in the morning so you have all day to eat a good amount of protein, carbs and fat to help repair your body.

Good luck bro!