This is honestly pretty far outside my wheelhouse. When I want to gain weight, I jack up the training something fierce and make it that eating more calories is the ONLY acceptable option. If I’m in a situation where I have to debate it, I’m not training hard enough.
Interesting… so I should train harder? Any mental tips? I’m a bit of a pussy
I’m not saying what you should do: just what I do. Like I said: this is out of my wheelhouse. I’m not a coach.
Noted- you know a lot more than me though 
Yeah, I am incredibly talented at training myself, haha. It’s the other people part I lack.
I honestly think your best bet would be to pick from one source and follow it to a T. This buffet style approach isn’t going to be helpful here.
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Well, I’m doing a pretty good job of following the program I’m on so far and plan to keep it that way
I always appreciate diversity of opinion/knowledge. Also your blog has seriously upped your credibility for me
What personal strategies do you use to “train harder”, when your brain tells you to slow down?
There is a time and place for it, but for a foundation I find it unhelpful. If you follow Sheiko’s approach to lifting, follow it for conditioning and diet too. Follow the whole system. Find the shortfalls and what works. Then do it all over again.
It’s like spending 2 years boxing and then 2 years wrestling to be good at fighting standing and on the floor vs trying to throw a shovel hook off your back. Systems work in their entirety. Opinons will clash based off operating outside of that.
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When my brain does this, it means I have to do at LEAST one more set. Doing this eventually conditions it to stop sending that signal to avoid punishment.
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Since you train first thing in the morning my recommendation is to carb up the night before. Yeah, I know you don’t like a lot of foods that are carbs, but find something. It always hepls me pull better to eat a bunch carbs night before I pull. After the workout hit the protein hard and have a moderate amount carbs. Then eat plenty of protein and veggies (I know you like your veggies) the rest of the day. I can easily eat 1200-1600 calories per meal. So to me 1600 calories seems really low. And I really don’t think you will get fat if up your calories significantly. I do think you will be amazed at how much better your lifting will get.
I don’t think you need to work harder, just smarter.
At some point I think we have all been super motivated and tried to do it all at once, then learned you need to balance things out. I love to train six days a week because it’s my happy place, but… it is counterproductive for me. It goes great for a while and then things start to feel heavy, I start missing reps that I know I should be able to hit and then I get all freaked out and think I need to do more, when in fact I need to do less. I know you are young and can recover much better than I can, but you have a lot going on. Burpees, spin class, walking etc… it all takes fuel. Food is fuel. When you limit the amount of fuel, you limit your body’s ability make energy. When it runs out, it relies on itself to keep you alive. It will burn fat, and when the fat is gone, as in your case, it turns to burning muscle for fuel.
You have been doing this for a while now. Long enough to know that what you are doing isn’t working that great. If something ain’t working, try something else. Up the calories and throttle back on some of the conditionin, and see how things go. Hide the scales and give it an honest go for 3 months. If you start to become a blimp, we’ll tell you.
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I’m thinking… why don’t count calories strictly for a while- for a week may be , just to know what you eat (if it’s similar every day). Tracking every meal in myfitnesspal for 2 years teaches me that it’s not easy to count accurate without measuring the row products. "1600"could be 1300 some days and 1900 in the other. Just one table spoon extra virgin and 200 kcal + (which is great, you need to eat )
On the 4 day program, it’s normally best to do day 3 and 4 as the back-to-back days. 1, 2 and 3 need a day between.
If you’re not feeling drained that’s a good sign, ignoring the specific number estimated I gather that you’ve recently upped the amount you’re eating? If so, and you feel good, give it some time and see if / how weight moves. If strength is improving and weight is stabke / increasing then you’re fine, if not then add calories
Sort of, I’ve been at 1600 for a month and have been weight stable. Idk about strength though since the program is high volume at relatively low intensity
I’m thinking about bumping up to1700 every other day, but then again, thanksgiving is coming up
Thanks for the advice!
Speaking of which- it’s pancake day
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There ya go! Fill them muscles up! Glycogen is a mighty powerful force.
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Although, large amounts of carbs make me sleepy
Best kind of sleepy! Food coma ftw!
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That feels like a win win right before bed then.
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This happens to me sometimes too. That’s how I figured out to load up the night before
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First time I tried Meadows concoction bowl I put almost myself in a carb coma!
What is that?