Weight gaining advice

[Sark]

Hi all, Quick stats:

Been lifting seriously for about 2 years, but on and off lifting for over 6.
I'm 23 years old
6'1, 161 lbs
1 rm:
Squat 295
Deadlift 405
bench 225

My question is, at what point do you stop adding calories to gain weight, and start analyzing other aspects that go into gaining weight. Eg: blood levels, macro/micro makeup of diet, etc.

Everyone knows the whole, if you're not gaining weight, add more food. Add more food eventually you will start gaining weight.
Well i'm sure everyone agrees that works, but I am eating over 4500 calories a day, and have been for awhile. It's all whole foods mainly, no protein powders, no weight gainers, no supplements besides a multi vit. twice a day. The weight just doesn't add on.

This is just confusing to me as I hear of top level bodybuilders 200+ lbs eating 5k calories, or 4k or 6k. And I am 160 lbs eating almost in that range.
My macros come out to:
261
538c
164f
44g fiber

I eat the same thing every day to make the macro tracking easy. I can post up my full diet if that would help, i'm just looking for some advice as to what I should do to start gaining weight. Whether that be just keep adding food, change the macros around, or see if some blood levels are out of whack.
Thanks.

[Nephets]

You may be just a genetic outlier who has to eat a shit ton to gain weight. If you are having trouble eating the amount your eating you may want to drop your protein a bit and add some healthy fats. Something easy to eat and get a lot of calories without filling you up. Oils and nuts are good for that.

[ghettoboyd]

if your truly eating all your macros with whole foods then now would be a good time to use protein/weight gainer shakes to help you take in extra calories easily...when trying to gain weight with a high metabolism eating strictly clean makes no sense imho...love the advise above about the healthy fats idea...

[Sark]

You may be just a genetic outlier who has to eat a shit ton to gain weight. If you are having trouble eating the amount your eating you may want to drop your protein a bit and add some healthy fats. Something easy to eat and get a lot of calories without filling you up. Oils and nuts are good for that.

At first it was literally hell for me to eat this much, but i feel i've adapted a bit and now my body can handle eating this much. I probably could add another small meal if i had too. I think I will just add more fats then like you suggest, since I feel protein is already pretty high for my bodyweight at least.

[Sark]

if your truly eating all your macros with whole foods then now would be a good time to use protein/weight gainer shakes to help you take in extra calories easily...when trying to gain weight with a high metabolism eating strictly clean makes no sense imho...love the advise above about the healthy fats idea...

It is mainly whole foods, the only thing I have that really isn't is i will usually drink a can of soda, add maple syrup to my oatmeal, and ill drink one of those starbucks mocha things before I work out. Everything else is whole foods like beef, pasta, oats, rice, etc. So I wouldn't say my diet is exactly clean, but it's definitely not a dirty bulk type of diet. Maybe thats part of the problem?

[ghettoboyd]

It is mainly whole foods, the only thing I have that really isn't is i will usually drink a can of soda, add maple syrup to my oatmeal, and ill drink one of those starbucks mocha things before I work out. Everything else is whole foods like beef, pasta, oats, rice, etc. So I wouldn't say my diet is exactly clean, but it's definitely not a dirty bulk type of diet. Maybe thats part of the problem?

that's why I was saying maybe experiment with adding a weight gainer shake to your diet for a quick 1000+ calories but yea I'm saying eat little less clean but start out slow so you don't just get fat...

[Nephets]

with that volume of clean food, im sure your getting all the vitamins and mineral you need on a daily basis. feel free to add a little 'unclean' food into your diet. keep in mind i dont believe in the clean food idea, but you know what i mean.

[Sark]

I'll go ahead and add some fats and some easier to eat dirty foods and see how 5k treats me. Thanks both of you. hopefully i'll get some more weight on my frame (and the bar) this week.

[Sark]

Yesterday:
4708 cal
216p
582c
169f

Not the usual food choice for the day but still close enough macros.
weight today = 160.3

[tarmyg]

Just add Olive Oil to your foods. 10tbsp/day = ~1,000 kcal. Not sure why you would use weight gainers when olive oil is a lot cheaper option.

[Sark]

I don't take weight gainers or other supplements like that and I don't plan to. I stick to food.

Anyways, yesterday's macros and morning weight:

4803 calories
209p
618c
167f

A.m. Weight: 159.8....

I'll add a couple tbsp of olive oil starting next week if there is no weight gain by the end of this week.

[ghettoboyd]

Just add Olive Oil to your foods. 10tbsp/day = ~1,000 kcal. Not sure why you would use weight gainers when olive oil is a lot cheaper option.

that is a great idea actually it never crossed my mind I was just throwing out an easy option for him...

[Jonbana]

you have many options for a home made weight gainer...

some guys take 1-2 shots of olive oil a day that's an easy 500-1200 calories extra

grind oatmeal into a shake add protein powder bananas etc .

ben and jerrys before bed

whole eggs not whites

[Sark]

For what its worth i do make a shake every morning as part of my diet. Milk, nfp greek yogurt, oats, and bananas.
Ends up being 992 calories - 17.3f 170.7c 47.7p. The protein comes mainly from the nfp greek yogurt.

Yesterdays macros and a.m. weight:
5k cals on the dot
277p
594c
177f

Weight: 160.6

[krugerr]

OP - If it helps, my brother is of the same genetic makeup.
He was very skinny 70kg in college. It has taken him six years of consistent training and eating to hit 120kg with the same BF%.

He and I are of very different builds.
I can easily maintain my weight of 130kg on 2500/3000 calories. He on the other hand has to eat himself to a weight, maintain it for a while before dropping the calories back.

So, he was maintaining 110kg on 3500Kcal.
He increased intake to 5000Kcal.
Weight increased to 115kg.
Maintained calories at 5000Kcal for 2 months after hitting weight.
Weight leveled at 115kg.
Reduced calories back to 3500Kcal.
Maintained wight at 115kg.

Rinse repeat.

Ive no evidence, or proof behind it. But his body tends to adjust to a weight once he has hit and maintained it for a while, allowing him to ease off the calories a bit. He then runs at his 3500Kcal for a while before embarking on another bulk.

[Sark]

interesting you mention that, because I too can eat around 3500cal a day without really losing weight, it'll stop at like 158 usually, but it literally takes me 1.5k more calories to start gaining weight again.
Forgot to update the day befores diet and weight:

12/14/16
5041 calories
277p
594c
177f
A.m. weight: 160.8

12/15/16
4730 calories
224p
536c
193f
A.m. weight: 161.6