Pre-Sleep Bulking Meal

[Somnius]

Hi, I'm another skinny hardgainer. However recently I started doing everything possible to bulk up. My diet is getting better and better. Im cosuming id say about 2000-2500 calories per day now, i know its not that high but itll keep going up. Im researching more and more and finding new ways of increasing the calories with my small amount of time caues of school and low funds. Im 19 btw. Neway, my shift at work is from 5-12. I try to eat as much as possbile at work but with 2 15 minutes breaks its very ahrd. So the meal when I get home is very crucial I think, however I need to sleep right after the meal. What I do now is I have a can of tuna with a little mayo, a peanut butter sandwich on white bread with alittle honey and a glass of milk and juice. What can I add to increase calorie intake, and not disturb my stomach before sleep??? And what can maximize buling potential that I can eat in 15 minutes at work, and if I need to heat it then like 10 minutes.

As well, I've read a few posts on diff oils etc. I wanted to know, is it ok to just take a tablespoon with a meal, like 3 or 4 times a day?

Thanks

[tolinka]

Hey bro I know exactly how you feel.

Ill tell you straight up, before bed I might eat some pasta, rice..if its not prepared and i dont have time i eat 1 cup of oatmeal with milk and a bagel with some peanut butter.

To work I take:

two sandwiches with turkey, chicken, ham...I make it about 400-450 calories each one. I put some salmon cream on it, i know there is fat but oh well i'm bulking and i'm not taking any chances.

Between those snacks, I might also grab a proting bar, or some cookies to bring up my calories. Oh, yeah I've been told peaunuts are good...not just peanut butter but also add some peanuts...

[yellows2k]

My bulk last meal before bed.....serving of Muscle Milk...that's it...
WHy don't you eat a big chunk of your carbs earlier in the day?

[tolinka]

I meant the sandwiches are just snacks....my bad
I take rice, or pasta with me every day to work....i take with me as much as possible

[yellows2k]

White bread is high GI, I don't think you want an insulin spike right before bed.....

[Somnius]

Whats GI? Im thinking its glucose something, and if its true, then glucose gives u the insulin spike right? Ive read a little bit o this before but still a little confused. So insulin spikes are what u want when working out, or after a workout?

[yellows2k]

Yes GI, there is an index that gives out a rating of a food's GI. The higher it is, the bigger of a spike it gives. Big insulin spikes are usually only wanted post workout. All other times you want your blood sugar level plateau in a nutshell. Try replacing your bread with whole wheat bread, although bread is typically high in GI, whole wheat is lower on the GI scale. Usually most things with sugar are high GI, most processed foods, fruit, are usually high GI.

[Somnius]

Well, u just gave me something to add on my nutrition research last... oh man.

[yellows2k]

Here is a list of lower GI, healthier foods

Carbs:
-Oats
-WHole wheat bread
-Veggies
-Brown Rice

Protein:
-Egg whites
-Lean cuts of meat
-Tuna, Salmon
-Cottage cheese, well dairy are a little high GI but for bulking it's reasonable, when I cut I eliminate all dairy
-Protein shakes, I use NLarge2 for my bulking

Fat:
-Natural peanut butter, not Jif or skippys or that unhealthy BS
-Flax seed oil
-Nuts
-Fish Oil

[BIG TEXAN]

Before bed, either a protein shake, with milk if you that much of a hard gainer, or try an egg white omelet(spelling) with some ham and salsa. A can of tuna with a glass of milk. Or just eat a peanutbutter sandwhich..on wheat with a protein shake. Of course you might put on some unwanted weight gain with that one. Yellow's given a good list, just try and see what works for you.

[Somnius]

K thanks, why are low GI foods healthy though. Insulin spikes arent wanted? Im gonna do some research on it, but just wondering. So how about a double cheeseburger, thats not a healthy bulking route? its 1000 calories. OH, and that Nlarge2 , its a good bulking shake, however, that doenst necessarily mean its a good postworkout shake. Care to comment?

[Somnius]

I meant a double whopper with cheese is 1000 calories....

[yellows2k]

You want your blood sugar level stable as possible throughout the day.
No, double cheeseburgers provide more harm than benefits IMO. If you wanna bulk up huge without worry free of fat then by all means, disregard everything I said and eat everything. If a fast food company usually has a sandwich or meal, it usually isn't healthy whether it be from them or any other place. WHy isn't NLarge2 a good bulking shake? I am bulking now and take NLarge2, half a serving, with 50g of dextrose.

[Somnius]

Thanks, don't get me wrong, I'm taking in everything ure telling me and Im going to listen to ur suggestions and I thank u. I still just like to ask questions so that ideas can be elaborated on. I meant that Nlarge2 is a good bulking shake, however, is it a good postworkout shake? And if im like 5 or 6 % bodyfat now, its not gonna bring me up to like 10 or osmething is it if i take it for a couple months, i dont wanna lose my abs...

[BIG TEXAN]

Now a cheeseburger say from a mom's and pop sit down homestyle restaurant isn't all that bad as long as you get it just mustard veggies and MAYBE a slice of cheese, but from a fast food place such as Burger King....yeah it's no good. Full of crap is what it is. Now if you truly are that much of a hard aginer than an "occasional" burger from McD's or such won't hurt. Now I'm stressing occasional, not meaning once or twice a day. Stay with clean foods, just more of 'em. Now at night if you have lean ground chuck and you want to make your own burger go ahead. It's still not a great choice but not "that" bad either. Yellow's right, the only time you want an insulin spike is post workout.

[yellows2k]

Originally posted by Somnius
Thanks, don't get me wrong, I'm taking in everything ure telling me and Im going to listen to ur suggestions and I thank u. I still just like to ask questions so that ideas can be elaborated on. I meant that Nlarge2 is a good bulking shake, however, is it a good postworkout shake? And if im like 5 or 6 % bodyfat now, its not gonna bring me up to like 10 or osmething is it if i take it for a couple months, i dont wanna lose my abs...

When you bulk its envitable you are going to gain some body fat. I'm pretty sure up to 12-13%BF you are most like gonna be able to see your abs. If I had 5-6%BF I would eat so much clean food until I was about 14-15% then cut down again. For me personally, I hope to gain about 30lbs in 3 months then cut about 10-15.

[Somnius]

Ok thanks guys. Im slowly getting all the foods I need to go bulking crazy. I have tons of tuna, I got a big bag of plain oats, I got brown sugar, flaxseed oil, tons of chicken and steak type frozen trays. Eggs, etc etc. I am oging to get Nlarge2, creatine, dextrose, no need for maltodextrin cause nlarge2 already has it. I always thought that to gain weight i needed junk, i didnt think i could get big off of healthy foods. Heh, the funny part is, my doctor even told me to eat lots of junk food to gain weight. Some doctor. Neway, a quick qeustion about my workout shake. My thinking, is to have one serving of nlarge2, with dextrose, and creatine. I mix it up, have half before the workout, about 10 to 15 before, so the nutrients can hit the areas while im being depleted in the workout. Then as soon as im done, the other half. An hour later, a crazy meal. However before bed, I dont think i want to have ne nlarge2, again, i wanna get bigger, but i dont wannag et bloated, and lose my abs. what do u think? Ok i just saw ur reply yellow. hmmmm, i guess ur right, it wouldnt be too hard for me to cut down if i gain too much body fat. 30 pounds IN 3 MONTHS? Id love to do that, is this with gear or without, cause im not taking ne.

[yellows2k]

I'm all natural. Before my cutting, I went from 33%BF to about 13% and now I am bulking again. Just take your NLarge2 with creatine and dextrose after your workout, then an hour or 2 later, eat a high protein(50-60g) meal with low fat and low carbs. Before bed I take Muscle Milk by Cytosports.

[BIG TEXAN]

You want to eat a real meal about 1 hour to 30 minutes before your workout. Trust me.....you won't gain that much if any fat from drinking prtein before bed...just mix it with water.

[Pheedno]

The thread is too long to read right now but my suggestion for a pre-bed bulk meal would be as follows

1.5 cups lentils(3 servings 115 cals per serving)
12 oz Chicken(3 servings 90 calories per serving
1 scoop blended protein(depends on brand roughly 130 cals

Total cals-740 calories roughly a 55/45 split on Proteins/Carbs

Too much cals-take out the scoop of blended protein

Protens will be slow releasing for sleep. Lentils GI is abot 36 so insulin spike is about as minimal as you can get. Digestion of the beans will be very slow metabolizing and last quite a while.


Also, when I'm bulking, I set my alarm for mid-night sleep for another peice of chicken.

[tolinka]

What about drinking Nlarge before bed?

[yellows2k]

Originally posted by tolinka
What about drinking Nlarge before bed?

I think it has too many carbs for my liking, even half the serving has 46g of carbs......

[tolinka]

So you saying its not gonna be wise take so many carbs before bed?

[yellows2k]

Originally posted by tolinka
So you saying its not gonna be wise take so many carbs before bed?

Yes