End of 5th week

[Meloncap78]

You have to maximize the times you can eat with really high quality foods, and times you can't, then get the shakes in. It can be really tough to get in the food you need while working, it sucks, but you have to really plan things out and take advantage of every opportunity to get in a quality balance. Just reaching the calorie count isn't enough, empty calories wont make you grow, not efficiently anyway.

I will try to cook some chicken breast up ahead of time and maybe get a couple in a day with a sweet potato to replace at least one shake and start munching some broccoli. I can't use whole oats as I drink my oats in my shake and whole oats feel like razors going down my throat. I dislike cooked oats. Are the Ribeyes ok? I read somewhere that I should be staying away from high iron foods because of RBC counts and I won't be having bloods done again till after cycle. Don't wanna eat too many steaks and have a heart attack lol. As of now my BP runs between 125-150/78-80 which I believe is perfectly fine. Off cycle I normally run 130/80.

[The Deadlifting Dog]

Unsalted mixed nuts are a very easy way to add an extra 500 calories a day. They taste great and have fiber too.
Everyone's metabolism is different but it is all really easy to figure out. If you are not growing then eat more food.

The higher quality food the better.
100 calories from pure cane sugar is not as good as 100 calories from brown rice.
Protein from milk and eggs is better than protein from soy isolate.
Fats from olive oil or avocados is better than fats from lard.

So basically if you are not gaining weight, eat more food and try to make it quality food.

[Khazima]

If you're not gaining weight its a calorie problem not a quality of food problem. Ideally you should get the bulk of your calories from unprocessed whole foods but changing what you eat isn't going to put you in a caloric surplus, more calories is going to do that.

I know it's hard to face it but it's as simple as eating more, try it and see what happens. add 500 calories to your current macros and if you're maintaining you should gain a pound a week.

[Haydenz]

If you're not gaining weight its a calorie problem not a quality of food problem. Ideally you should get the bulk of your calories from unprocessed whole foods but changing what you eat isn't going to put you in a caloric surplus, more calories is going to do that.

I know it's hard to face it but it's as simple as eating more, try it and see what happens. add 500 calories to your current macros and if you're maintaining you should gain a pound a week.

I disagree, Its not a calorie problem In my opinion, the foods hes digesting aren't doing anything because there is no quality behind it.

If I ate 200g of meat and had 200g of doughnuts as my carb source do you think it would do the same thing as 200g of white rice? It wont, hes not maximizing his calories, hes just throwing it all down and just adding the numbers up, it doenst work like that.

[Khazima]

I disagree, Its not a calorie problem In my opinion, the foods hes digesting aren't doing anything because there is no quality behind it.

If I ate 200g of meat and had 200g of doughnuts as my carb source do you think it would do the same thing as 200g of white rice? It wont, hes not maximizing his calories, hes just throwing it all down and just adding the numbers up, it doenst work like that.

It actually will, your performence and blood markers may vary but body composition-wise a doughnut will be the same as white rice.

[Haydenz]

That diet is rough, poptarts? really?

throw the shakes in the bin, and start eating real food, the body is obviously not responding very well to processed foods and shakes.

You need to eat real quality food,

I would.

not drink that milk in the morning and eat another 4 eggs
I would drop all the shakes besides the morning and post workout,
I would drop atleast 150 carbs out of your diet and replace it with another 50g of quality fats
I would also throw in some almonds for protein + fats and olive oil.

btw Im 5 kilos lighter than you and Im eating 3400 cals a day and going up a kilo a week.

[Meloncap78]

That diet is rough, poptarts? really? throw the shakes in the bin, and start eating real food, the body is obviously not responding very well to processed foods and shakes. You need to eat real quality food, I would. not drink that milk in the morning and eat another 4 eggs I would drop all the shakes besides the morning and post workout, I would drop atleast 150 carbs out of your diet and replace it with another 50g of quality fats I would also throw in some almonds for protein + fats and olive oil. btw Im 5 kilos lighter than you and Im eating 3400 cals a day and going up a kilo a week.

Good advice but what about my very active job? I am probably burning more than 3400 calories a day with work. I just can't fathom eating 4000 calories in all clean whole foods. Also poptarts are the only treat (sweet garbage food) that I eat. Milk, oats, rice, potatoes and chicken get very boring lol.

[Haydenz]

Good advice but what about my very active job? I am probably burning more than 3400 calories a day with work. I just can't fathom eating 4000 calories in all clean whole foods. Also poptarts are the only treat (sweet garbage food) that I eat. Milk, oats, rice, potatoes and chicken get very boring lol.

I'm on my feet 12 hours a day at work plus I train, I'm as active as they come brother, sub out the processed food, aim to hit 3500 of food and you'll see a huge response.

[Khazima]

I'm on my feet 12 hours a day at work plus I train, I'm as active as they come brother, sub out the processed food, aim to hit 3500 of food and you'll see a huge response.

Why would you advise him to finish his first cycle on a cut? He also stated that a very small portion of his food comes from processed foods.

[Haydenz]

You have much to learn young one if you think carbs from sweets vs complex carbs are the same.

[Khazima]

You have much to learn young one if you think carbs from sweets vs complex carbs are the same.

I realize it's a difficult concept to grasp but the only real difference between the two is micronutrient value, which has no direct impact on muscle gain. It certainly can indirectly affect your training and health by developing nutritional deficiencies but having a relatively balanced diet and some poptarts is going to make 0 difference on muscle gain, but it will help OP get in more calories.

[Haydenz]

I realize it's a difficult concept to grasp but the only real difference between the two is micronutrient value, which has no direct impact on muscle gain. It certainly can indirectly affect your training and health by developing nutritional deficiencies but having a relatively balanced diet and some poptarts is going to make 0 difference on muscle gain, but it will help OP get in more calories.

So you rather him focus on the calorie " number " than focusing on what the body actually needs to grow ?

I'm 5 kilos lighter than this guy and I'm on 3000 cals of whole real foods and I'm up a kilo and strength every week, stop focusing on the number and focus on the quality .

[Khazima]

So you rather him focus on the calorie " number " than focusing on what the body actually needs to grow ?

I'm 5 kilos lighter than this guy and I'm on 3000 cals of whole real foods and I'm up a kilo and strength every week, stop focusing on the number and focus on the quality .

The numbers are what make you grow. Not enough calories = no growth. Quality food and not enough clories /= Growth. Enough calories = Growth

The amount you require to gain is irrelevant to OP, he is a different person with a different lifestyle. You might burn 500 calories at work while he might burn 2000+. Growth/fat loss = calories in vs calories out, obviously you don't want to become deficient in micronutrients but it really is that simple.

[Haydenz]

The numbers are what make you grow. Not enough calories = no growth. Quality food and not enough clories /= Growth. Enough calories = Growth The amount you require to gain is irrelevant to OP, he is a different person with a different lifestyle. You might burn 500 calories at work while he might burn 2000+. Growth/fat loss = calories in vs calories out, obviously you don't want to become deficient in micronutrients but it really is that simple.

I've given the op my advice he can choose what he wants, I'll see you at the finish line khaz let me know how your poptart diet goes

[Docd187123]

I disagree, Its not a calorie problem In my opinion, the foods hes digesting aren't doing anything because there is no quality behind it.

If I ate 200g of meat and had 200g of doughnuts as my carb source do you think it would do the same thing as 200g of white rice? It wont, hes not maximizing his calories, hes just throwing it all down and just adding the numbers up, it doenst work like that.

You have much to learn young one if you think carbs from sweets vs complex carbs are the same.

Its actually you who has much to learn if you think food quality is going to directly impact body composition or weight loss/gain. Yes food quality is important to meet micronutrient needs but micronutrients aren't what gain you weight. His issue is a calorie one period. The foods he's eating is providing him calories but it's obviously not enough calories or else he would be gaining weight.

I invite you to explain the difference between a monosaccharide and a polysaccharide and how it relates to body composition or weight loss/gain.

[2iron]

Nothing makes sense here. To me there seems to be some type of error some where. Your 6'2" 200lb with test level of like 330. You jump your test to 1400 total and over 300 free with a 4k diet and nothing. Im sorry but I will go ahead and say shenanigans.

I tested at 2wks just to see wtf I was 2296 at 500mg test e.
starting was 760.

[Meloncap78]

Nothing makes sense here. To me there seems to be some type of error some where. Your 6'2" 200lb with test level of like 330. You jump your test to 1400 total and over 300 free with a 4k diet and nothing. Im sorry but I will go ahead and say shenanigans. I tested at 2wks just to see wtf I was 2296 at 500mg test e. starting was 760.

Now you understand my frustrations.

[Meloncap78]

The foods that are processed are the whey isolate and poptarts. Everything else I eat is whole. I tried getting the extra 100-150 grams of protein from meats before and I just couldn't sit there and stuff it all down my throat all day. I get full easily and stay full for a long time. I still have 100 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbs and 40 grams of fats to get in before night's end and I am still stuffed from the 7 chicken drumsticks and 2 cups of rice I ate 3 hours ago.

[Meloncap78]

Woke up at 206 this morning. I am going to assume that I am starting to retain some water. But either way... Yaaaay, up 3 pounds lol.