Alright guys, I am 6’3, 160lbs, looking to put on some big mass.
I lift weights hard 5 times a week, focusing on the big lifts, deads, squats, bench, rows, chins, dips, etc. etc.
I have come to the conclusion that my eating habits suck. Its not the quality of the food, it is the quantity. I have this habit of getting into eating 2 huge meals a day, because I find once I begin eating, I cant stop.
In the afternoon I usually have 2 chicken breasts, a burger, a huge plate of stir fried veggies, and a 1/2 cup of oatmeal with 1/2 cup of almonds.
Then at night I usually have the same thing. Obviously this is a sucky diet, but I seem not to be losing or gaining weight on it. What would ya’ll recommend I do? I know the diet is the problem, as lately my energy has been zapped. I am always doing something, I am in the gym 7 days a week, lifting or doing cardio.
What would a good weight to get to be for someone who is 6’3 (and a FFB), which is where my fear I believe of getting fat again comes from, and why I over work and under eat. I know im about to get my ass kicked from some of you guys, but I think I need it.
You already know the problem and have answered your own questions.If you start eating more often 5-6 times a day you will adjust the calories needed without thinking too much about it. Vary your training by adding some strength stuff then back to hypertrophy if you’ve been training for several months to a year.
Just keep working hard and fix the diet. You can do this, it just takes some discipline until it becomes second nature. Good luck!
Weight to look non skinny at 6’ 3" I would say minimum 220, but you’ll probably want to get up to like 240 or so at some point, hopefully some of the bigger guys can chime in on this as I’m only 5’ 6" at ~205.
As far as eating goes, sounds like your quality of food is top notch, just need to throw in some extra meals of the same calibre, as well as some pre/post workout nutrition. Get some whey or mass gainer and have a pre and post workout shake (make sure to get carbs with post workout).
You mention an afternoon and evening meal, but no breakfast? You need a shit ton of food right in the morning because you’ve just been starving for however many hours it’s been fromt he time you had your last meal to when you woke up. I eat like every 2 hours but that’s because my schedule is extremely accomodating.
Can you pack food to bring with you throughout the day? Prepare meals ahead of time otherwise you’ll do the “Oh well I don’t feel like making anything right now”.
Have to agree with JLu. I think you will have to be about 220 at your height to look like you lift weights and 240 to really stand out. What is your pre, peri, and post workout nutrition like? Since you are not gaining or losing weight with your current meals it’s safe to say your eating at your maintence level.
Adding in two more meals a day at about 500 cals each you will be up a 1,000 more cals a day which should result in some weight gain. I honestly would not worry about the whole FFB deal i think its bs anyway. If your working out hard enough and eating the right foods you will not get overly fat. YOu will accrue some fat during a bulk but, if you train hard and smart you will not look obese. Heck you can even get those 1,000 cals just in your pre, peri, and post workout nutrition alone.
I happen to think the quantity of the food you are eating in those meals are fine for putting on mass. You said that it wasn’t the quality of the food and I agree. What you are missing is breakfast and a snack or two during the meals. As J L Erwin stated you need to eat through out the day.
Going to the gym 7 days a week to lift or do cardio can be a ton of work (depending on what you are doing when you are at the gym) so you need to get your caloric intake up.
Don’t skip breakfast!
If you are afraid of putting on too much fat due to being a FFB then you may need to start a food log. Yes, this is more work but it may be worth it. First determine your current daily caloric intake. Start adding to your total caloric intake and keep track.
Add 500 cal for a week and weigh and measure yourself to see if there has been an increase of lean muscle mass. If not then increase your calories. If you start getting excessively fatter then reduce the calories appropriately. At your height and weight I’m guessing you could easily add 1000 calories to your current diet just to start and then do increments of 500.
I’m 6’2" and when I was skinny I was weighing in at 180lbs so I’m guessing that you are very thin. Good luck.
I am all for a food log if you think that it’s necessary for forcing yourself to eat enough but come on this isn’t rocket science.
You start eating 5 or 6 meals(note that I did not say small) a day. Every week look in the mirror. If you see too much fat then cut back some, if you don’t then eat some more and work that much harder. Eat clean but eat a lot. Throw in a protein shake or two or three.
At 160, you will have to work hard and eat a lot to get to 220, or 240 for that matter.
Addition: Read the hell out of this site and anything else you can get your hands on. Read Dr. Berardi’s stuff. It’s great. Read the Anabolic diet. It’s great. Educate yourself and someday you can help others who are in your shoes right now.
I guess my question would be, if I have 4-5 meals a day, should they be the size of the meals i eat now?! I just get so damn hungry once I start eating…
[quote]theenforcer1 wrote:
I guess my question would be, if I have 4-5 meals a day, should they be the size of the meals i eat now?! I just get so damn hungry once I start eating…[/quote]
The size of the meals should actually self-adjust. Eat a lot of good food. I know that sounds a bit generalized, but the point is, it is highly unlikely that you will put on a lot of fat while training consistently and hard. Nothing happens overnight so don’t stress out. Listen to the advice these others are giving and try to make yourself “earn” the calories. In other words, bust your butt in the gym and keep throwing down the grub. Also, let the mirror tell you how much you should “weigh”. Good luck
Maybe cut back your lifts to 3 a week with minimum cardio for a while. Maybe a T booster and some creatine? I like Icecream post workout but hey I am only 190.
See thats the thing, I have been noticing i have been maintaining, or gaining about a pound a week, and I am doing about 2 hours of cardio a day, 7 days a week…and lifting 5 days a week. I thought this seemed odd, seeming as it doesnt seem like im taking in that many cals…I am guessing i just effed up my metabolism, and I need to just eat big and go hard…