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[QUOTE=megdaig;1058081571]During my last prep my coach had me eating 1/2 c then dropped to 1/4 c of rice....well I was using uncooked volume and e meant cooked so I was eating 3x the calories I was meant to...
Now we just say "45g of carbs worth of XYZ"....[/QUOTE] Ooops...but from your journal it sounds like you were doing more than enough exercise to burn the excess off! 1/4 c of rice is almost nothing...makes me sad. LOL!! Probably the biggest hurdle that would ever keep me from competing is the discipline required to stick to a diet that only includes 1/4 c of rice! I have the utmost respect for those of you that successfully compete and can do that. ;-)
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Hey, bulkers!!!! I haven't checked in here in a while. I'm slightly frustrated. I was up 1.5 pounds from last week but had stalled out again for a couple weeks prior, had even lost 1/2 pound. I'm eating enough but I think stress is getting the better of me at times. And I had a lot of sodium this week and am bloated so I know some of that 1.5 pounds is likely water. So I was at 118.5 today. The end of this month will be 6 months bulking. I am itching to cut, but I would like to hit 120 first which would make a 15-pound gain. Competing is off the table for me right now until my personal problems get under control a bit. And I'd like to lean out for summer, even if it's just a little. But I'm torn. I really love bulking but I don't like the love handles LOL I'm thinking I can drop down to maintenance. No decisions until May 1, though.
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[QUOTE=megdaig;1058070141]When it comes to grains....I WEIGH the dried volume and base calories off of the dry weight. Some grains say 1 cup dry = 2 cups cooked and some 1 cup dry = 3 cups cooked. I did a check of this using the method detailed below...
If you are cooking in bulk, measure the total dry weight, cook the grain, then measure the total cooked volume and you can use the MEASURED dry/cooked ratio to split out into the correct portion sizes.[/QUOTE]
Makes sense, thanks I will try this.
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[QUOTE=DaniGrrl;1058135071]Hey, bulkers!!!! I haven't checked in here in a while. I'm slightly frustrated. I was up 1.5 pounds from last week but had stalled out again for a couple weeks prior, had even lost 1/2 pound. I'm eating enough but I think stress is getting the better of me at times. And I had a lot of sodium this week and am bloated so I know some of that 1.5 pounds is likely water. So I was at 118.5 today. The end of this month will be 6 months bulking. I am itching to cut, but I would like to hit 120 first which would make a 15-pound gain. Competing is off the table for me right now until my personal problems get under control a bit. And I'd like to lean out for summer, even if it's just a little. But I'm torn. I really love bulking but I don't like the love handles LOL I'm thinking I can drop down to maintenance. No decisions until May 1, though.[/QUOTE]
ah it's a toughy, i'd drop to maint over summer and bulk again later in the year, sure you look great even with the 'love handles'. Hope things are getting a bit better for you anyway.
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[QUOTE=MrsBru;1058108141]Ooops...but from your journal it sounds like you were doing more than enough exercise to burn the excess off! 1/4 c of rice is almost nothing...makes me sad. LOL!! Probably the biggest hurdle that would ever keep me from competing is the discipline required to stick to a diet that only includes 1/4 c of rice! I have the utmost respect for those of you that successfully compete and can do that. ;-)[/QUOTE]
Correct me if I'm wrong but is it not the overall calories/macros that matter? So the coach *could have* said a 1/2 c of rice or 3/4c rice but he would have had to adjust for it elsewhere in the meal plan.
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[QUOTE=schnauzers;1058184551]Correct me if I'm wrong but is it not the overall calories/macros that matter? So the coach *could have* said a 1/2 c of rice or 3/4c rice but he would have had to adjust for it elsewhere in the meal plan.[/QUOTE]
Yes it is and yes he could have. However, as you get into prep you're not going to spend so many calories on rice.
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[QUOTE=schnauzers;1058184551]Correct me if I'm wrong but is it not the overall calories/macros that matter? So the coach *could have* said a 1/2 c of rice or 3/4c rice but he would have had to adjust for it elsewhere in the meal plan.[/QUOTE]
Yes total calories..,he wanted me at 1300 and I was eating 1600 due to the error in interpretation of the meal plan.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;1058218121]Yes it is and yes he could have. However, as you get into prep you're not going to spend so many calories on rice.[/QUOTE]
Yeah totally....why waste cals on plain Jane rice when you don't have many cals to spend? :) Just making sure I understand.
[QUOTE=megdaig;1058222981]Yes total calories..,he wanted me at 1300 and I was eating 1600 due to the error in interpretation of the meal plan.[/QUOTE]
Gotcha. I can see how meal prep especially for contest prep has to be done to the T.
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Another dumb question from the noob.
If I'm getting stronger but not gaining weight, am I still building muscle? Scale was flat again this week, but all my major lifts went up 5-10 pounds. Are getting stronger and building muscle mutually exclusive?
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[QUOTE=MrsBru;1058694281]Another dumb question from the noob.
If I'm getting stronger but not gaining weight, am I still building muscle? Scale was flat again this week, but all my major lifts went up 5-10 pounds. Are getting stronger and building muscle mutually exclusive?[/QUOTE]
There are many different kinds of muscle fibers. You can build strength with little to no size increase. You can build endurance with little to no size increase. It depends on your rep range. If you're in the 8-10 rep range then you are gaining the type of muscle fibers responsible for size.
You can build muscle even at a deficit. Bulking is the way to maximize muscle gains.
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Hi everyone! I'm jumping in with the bulkers! I've been doing a bulk for about 6 months and I've added about 15 pounds. I've been trying to figure out if I should start dieting for the summer or keep building. I don't plan on competing this year, so there's no pressing reason to diet. Also, I still have clothes that fit, so I figure I'll keep going for a while...maybe a little slower.
My maintenance seems to be around 2000-2100 cal/day, so I've been working on staying around 2300 most days. I've gone a little higher on some days and a little lower on others. Is that ok? Does it matter for muscle gains if I have days where I don't hit a calorie surplus? Does it even out over the week, kind of like calories do when you diet? Or should I aim to hit the same ball park caloric surplus every single day?
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[QUOTE=Laurensmom;1058846571]Hi everyone! I'm jumping in with the bulkers! I've been doing a bulk for about 6 months and I've added about 15 pounds. I've been trying to figure out if I should start dieting for the summer or keep building. I don't plan on competing this year, so there's no pressing reason to diet. Also, I still have clothes that fit, so I figure I'll keep going for a while...maybe a little slower.
My maintenance seems to be around 2000-2100 cal/day, so I've been working on staying around 2300 most days. I've gone a little higher on some days and a little lower on others. Is that ok? Does it matter for muscle gains if I have days where I don't hit a calorie surplus? Does it even out over the week, kind of like calories do when you diet? Or should I aim to hit the same ball park caloric surplus every single day?[/QUOTE]
You can keep going for as long as you like. No reason to lean out for summer unless you want to.
A little variation in calories from one day to the next is fine. What you don't want are big swings that have you below maintenance on some days.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;1058881111]You can keep going for as long as you like. No reason to lean out for summer unless you want to.
A little variation in calories from one day to the next is fine. What you don't want are big swings that have you below maintenance on some days.[/QUOTE]
Ok, thanks! That makes sense.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;1058766761]There are many different kinds of muscle fibers. You can build strength with little to no size increase. You can build endurance with little to no size increase. It depends on your rep range. If you're in the 8-10 rep range then you are gaining the type of muscle fibers responsible for size.
You can build muscle even at a deficit. Bulking is the way to maximize muscle gains.[/QUOTE]
Makes sense...I think? So even though I'm not gaining weight right at the moment, the lifting is actually making me stronger and that's not all in my head! And if I get stronger, I'm building some form of muscle mass, just not maximizing the size of the muscle that I could be building? And that muscle is also the type that can help me burn fat when I finally decide to cut in the future? I've read/heard that the more muscle you have, the more easily your body burns fat. Not sure if that's true or not. I'm actually fine not gaining a lot more size, I think I have a fair amount of muscle mass as it is it's just hidden by a nice fat layer. I've really wanted to get a lot stronger...especially in my legs/back/core, which I've neglected for way too long.
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[QUOTE=MrsBru;1059728381]Makes sense...I think? So even though I'm not gaining weight right at the moment, the lifting is actually making me stronger and that's not all in my head! And if I get stronger, I'm building some form of muscle mass, just not maximizing the size of the muscle that I could be building? And that muscle is also the type that can help me burn fat when I finally decide to cut in the future? I've read/heard that the more muscle you have, the more easily your body burns fat. Not sure if that's true or not. I'm actually fine not gaining a lot more size, I think I have a fair amount of muscle mass as it is it's just hidden by a nice fat layer. I've really wanted to get a lot stronger...especially in my legs/back/core, which I've neglected for way too long.[/QUOTE]
That's basically correct. Muscle does require calories so the more muscle you have the more calories your body needs. However, it's always overstated. It may be an extra mint or two a day :) What does help is eating properly. As in a proper deficit and not some crazy low calorie, cardio till the cows come home type of diet.
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I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I've been sitting at 2,200 cals for the past couple of weeks trying to let my body adjust to the additional calories, mostly just feeling bloated, full, and like I had a food ball in my stomach all the time. I've known all along from the numbers that to gain muscle I'm going to have to go higher on cals, I just haven't felt like I physically could eat anymore just yet. And don't even get me started on the gas from all the extra food....
Out of nowhere, I all of a sudden seem to have an insatiable appetite!!! Sunday I was at 2,500 cals and went to bed hungry. Monday, even more hungry than Sun...and yesterday insatiable all day (both 2,500 calorie days)!! I tried out a new pumpkin protein muffin recipe that wasn't very good last night, and instead of dumping it in the trash, I was so hungry that I ate 4 of them an hour before I was supposed to go to bed....with almond butter! After I did, I finally felt a little better though, not like I was going to gnaw my arm off if I didn't eat something soon like I have the past couple of days. I've still been hammering the workouts and making weight gains AND after my back workout last night I feel like I'm getting very close to being able to do 1 unassisted pull-up. I'm hoping that this hunger means, at least to some extent, that my metabolism is getting back to normal after I abused it for many months last winter with that horrendously low calorie deficit...
So....laugh or cry....I'm a little sad/scared about what cutting is going to look like on the other side of this. If I'm now going to be hungry at 2,500, I think I'm screwed on the cutting side. I don't manage hunger well.
I'm thinking, for now, I just laugh and start eating more and enjoy the food while I've got it!
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[QUOTE=MrsBru;1060873471]I don't know whether to laugh or cry! I've been sitting at 2,200 cals for the past couple of weeks trying to let my body adjust to the additional calories, mostly just feeling bloated, full, and like I had a food ball in my stomach all the time. I've known all along from the numbers that to gain muscle I'm going to have to go higher on cals, I just haven't felt like I physically could eat anymore just yet. And don't even get me started on the gas from all the extra food....
Out of nowhere, I all of a sudden seem to have an insatiable appetite!!! Sunday I was at 2,500 cals and went to bed hungry. Monday, even more hungry than Sun...and yesterday insatiable all day (both 2,500 calorie days)!! I tried out a new pumpkin protein muffin recipe that wasn't very good last night, and instead of dumping it in the trash, I was so hungry that I ate 4 of them an hour before I was supposed to go to bed....with almond butter! After I did, I finally felt a little better though, not like I was going to gnaw my arm off if I didn't eat something soon like I have the past couple of days. I've still been hammering the workouts and making weight gains AND after my back workout last night I feel like I'm getting very close to being able to do 1 unassisted pull-up. I'm hoping that this hunger means, at least to some extent, that my metabolism is getting back to normal after I abused it for many months last winter with that horrendously low calorie deficit...
So....laugh or cry....I'm a little sad/scared about what cutting is going to look like on the other side of this. If I'm now going to be hungry at 2,500, I think I'm screwed on the cutting side. I don't manage hunger well.
I'm thinking, for now, I just laugh and start eating more and enjoy the food while I've got it![/QUOTE]
That is great news!! Yes it usually means that your metabolism is back to where it should be. It may also be aided by hormones :rolleyes: Don't sweat thoughts of leaning out. You'll accomplish more at higher calories this time around and hunger will adjust. If hunger continues to be a problem check your fat intake.
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Hey girlies, wow it was a long time ago I was here. I have a confession to make. I was bulking and it all went great until I though I had a gained a bit to much I started looking a bit pouchy and soft, gained about 10lbs in 7 weeks.
I know that fat gains comes along with the territory. I felt a bit uncomfortable but I kept on going anyway- until about 2 weeks later and I then decided to do a mini cut. I've been on this mini cut for 25 days since Aril 1st, but today I feel I started looking skinny fat again my glutes were not as hard :p. So time to get back on bulking again, still keeping calories only about 250 over maintenance so around 2200-2300 and lifting HEAVY. Wohoo!!
I mean I've been thinking ok bulk, no now I look fat so I'll cut. Seriously if I keep doing this in a years time I am going to look the same. So I might try the Layne Norton approach of mini cuts when I feel I look a bit to big. I did feel that I still had about the same amount of strength left maybe only dropped about 10% strength the last week and my energy was and is still pretty much the same as when I was on the caloric surplus.
Question ladies, do any of you do mini cuts and then go back? I know that I have ALOT of muscle to gain, I'm pretty skinny 'fat' and hate it. I love that curvy feminine muscular look so I need a slow and steady lean bulk. ;)
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Okay, I have a question about weight fluctuation. I am bulking, currently at 2650, and thought I'd been doing pretty good. I get that weight gain isn't really any more linear than weight loss. But on average, I started weighing consistently around 130. Then after about 4 weeks I was weighing consistently around 134. It's been about 3 more weeks and I was weighing consistently around 136. But today, I stepped on the scale and it said 130! My urine was cloudy so I know I am dehydrated (and working to fix that), but what the heck? Did I really make any gains or was I just bloated? I've been eating 2600 calories or more for 8 weeks. What do you girls think?
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[QUOTE=JessPeth;1061229751]Hey girlies, wow it was a long time ago I was here. I have a confession to make. I was bulking and it all went great until I though I had a gained a bit to much I started looking a bit pouchy and soft, gained about 10lbs in 7 weeks.
I know that fat gains comes along with the territory. I felt a bit uncomfortable but I kept on going anyway- until about 2 weeks later and I then decided to do a mini cut. I've been on this mini cut for 25 days since Aril 1st, but today I feel I started looking skinny fat again my glutes were not as hard :p. So time to get back on bulking again, still keeping calories only about 250 over maintenance so around 2200-2300 and lifting HEAVY. Wohoo!!
I mean I've been thinking ok bulk, no now I look fat so I'll cut. Seriously if I keep doing this in a years time I am going to look the same. So I might try the Layne Norton approach of mini cuts when I feel I look a bit to big. I did feel that I still had about the same amount of strength left maybe only dropped about 10% strength the last week and my energy was and is still pretty much the same as when I was on the caloric surplus.
Question ladies, do any of you do mini cuts and then go back? I know that I have ALOT of muscle to gain, I'm pretty skinny 'fat' and hate it. I love that curvy feminine muscular look so I need a slow and steady lean bulk. ;)[/QUOTE]
You did gain rather quickly on the first bulk. Starting out skinny fat also makes a bulk a real psychological challenge. Your mind is so focused on the fat you do have that any additional fat gets magnified. Why not do this, try Layne's method over the summer. Come fall, do a solid bulk. Layne's method is advanced. It's for people that have already accumulated muscle mass and are not able to put much on in a year's time without assistance. But I don't think you're ready to handle a bulk over the summer months. Come fall you can use clothes to hide squishy stuff :)
[QUOTE=mavd;1061346821]Okay, I have a question about weight fluctuation. I am bulking, currently at 2650, and thought I'd been doing pretty good. I get that weight gain isn't really any more linear than weight loss. But on average, I started weighing consistently around 130. Then after about 4 weeks I was weighing consistently around 134. It's been about 3 more weeks and I was weighing consistently around 136. But today, I stepped on the scale and it said 130! My urine was cloudy so I know I am dehydrated (and working to fix that), but what the heck? Did I really make any gains or was I just bloated? I've been eating 2600 calories or more for 8 weeks. What do you girls think?[/QUOTE]
See where you're at when hydrated and not near your time of the month. If your weight still seems stalled, up the calories!
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On a mini cut do you just drop to the cutting calories you'd normally cut on..so for me about 1800 Or would you go less say 1600 and cut for only a few weeks?
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I'm intrigued by the mini-cut idea....now that I seem to have finally gained a pound! Only took about 4 weeks to gain that pound, but hey...better late than never! Lifts are still good, some sore joints lately so I really didn't push any of my major lifts up this week.
BUT...I do still feel fat being my last cut didn't get me where I wanted to be. However, to prevent blowing out my metabolism like I did last time and feeling like total crap, I wonder if mini-cuts really can/do work for someone like me, and if I can incorporate them later in this bulk? I'm not lean right now (BF estimated at 24% based on last year measurements), but I think I'm far from fat. Just feel like I have some extra pudge I'd rather not have in the mid section. Probably overall I just feel better, my metabolism has recovered, and now my brain wants to try cutting again. Totally with Jess....if I keep this up I'm not going to be any further this time next year than I am now!
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[QUOTE=MrsBru;1064135381]I'm intrigued by the mini-cut idea....now that I seem to have finally gained a pound! Only took about 4 weeks to gain that pound, but hey...better late than never! Lifts are still good, some sore joints lately so I really didn't push any of my major lifts up this week.
BUT...I do still feel fat being my last cut didn't get me where I wanted to be. However, to prevent blowing out my metabolism like I did last time and feeling like total crap, I wonder if mini-cuts really can/do work for someone like me, and if I can incorporate them later in this bulk? I'm not lean right now (BF estimated at 24% based on last year measurements), but I think I'm far from fat. Just feel like I have some extra pudge I'd rather not have in the mid section. Probably overall I just feel better, my metabolism has recovered, and now my brain wants to try cutting again. Totally with Jess....if I keep this up I'm not going to be any further this time next year than I am now![/QUOTE]
I do a lean out period if I were you. YOu should be able to handle a 500 calorie deficit at this point. No lower! After 12 weeks or so you may want to sit at maintenance for awhile and recomp. Then start a bulk late summer.
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;1064192761]I do a lean out period if I were you. YOu should be able to handle a 500 calorie deficit at this point. No lower! After 12 weeks or so you may want to sit at maintenance for awhile and recomp. Then start a bulk late summer.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for all of your advice these past few weeks! I'm lucky to have knowledgeable resources on this board!
I think what you said sounds like a good plan for me, especially since I can't get my brain ok with the scale and my mid-section "chub" at this point. :-/ I'm kind of thinking that for the past month I've probably really only been sitting at maintenance anyway at 2,200-2,300. Weighed myself again this morning just for grins and the pound I thought I gained is gone again. LOL! All the more argument that I've been at maintenance for the past month since the scale hasn't moved. I am excited about that though. It seems I've learned exactly where my maintenance cals are, which was the most important thing I wanted to find out before my surgery next month. Now that I know that figure, I know where to put my cals after surgery, and since I have only been maintaining, and am feeling much better, I'm comfortable trying to cut again.
I will drop down to 2,000 this week and see how I feel. If ok, I'll drop down to 1,900 next week and see how I feel. I think that will be reasonable to keep me feeling good. Macros will go to 160P, 220C, 40F...I may have to play around with the protein and fat based on energy and hunger. I'm opting for more carbs for the energy factor, but hunger may lead me to swap some out with fat. Will see...
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Yeah I know haha... I did gai rather much. But I guess you learn from your experiences. Now I know that I think that 2300 is to much for my body. I have now done a mini cut. This last past week I've been on 2000 and still lifted heavy! So next week i'll weigh myself to see if i've maintained or lost. Then obviously i'll take things furhter sfrom there and I'll check in here again laters.
:)
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Hi ladies, this thread was linked elsewhere and I'm really glad I've found it! I've just come off my first 'trial' bulk of 5 weeks and gained 5lbs, which is impressively slow gain for me since, normally, if I so much as look at a piece of cake I get fat. I noticed a bit more energy for my training and I wasn't freakin' cold all the time, which was a nice change. There's not much of a visible difference, but it was a short time frame and I'm certainly much firmer to the touch now.
However, this week I started my 'trial' 5 week cut. My fear of bulking lies in my chronic lameness at eating in a calorie deficit when the time comes, so of course on day two I accidentally stuffed a bag of almonds in my face. Trying not to get bummed about it, but knowing this about myself makes it hard to bulk in the safe knowledge that I can cut.
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[QUOTE=NatAlt;1065254431]Hi ladies, this thread was linked elsewhere and I'm really glad I've found it! I've just come off my first 'trial' bulk of 5 weeks and gained 5lbs, which is impressively slow gain for me since, normally, if I so much as look at a piece of cake I get fat. I noticed a bit more energy for my training and I wasn't freakin' cold all the time, which was a nice change. There's not much of a visible difference, but it was a short time frame and I'm certainly much firmer to the touch now.
However, this week I started my 'trial' 5 week cut. My fear of bulking lies in my chronic lameness at eating in a calorie deficit when the time comes, so of course on day two I accidentally stuffed a bag of almonds in my face. Trying not to get bummed about it, but knowing this about myself makes it hard to bulk in the safe knowledge that I can cut.[/QUOTE]
It sounds like you have a disordered relationship with food that's messing with your mind and body. Do this. Spend the summer at maintenance. Get at least .3g of fat per pound of body weight. Let your body and mind recover. Your maintenance should be around 2100 calories. Get out of the chronic deficit eating, binge eating, fatigue, and poor thermal responses. Over the summer you should also see a slow recompositioning.
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Hey everyone :) Checking in again after a while of not being on the forums. My bulk is going to finally end in a week and I begin cutting on May 10th! Which is good because I am growing out of my THIRD ROUND OF PANTS hahaha :D
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[QUOTE=rachelily;1065530791]Hey everyone :) Checking in again after a while of not being on the forums. My bulk is going to finally end in a week and I begin cutting on May 10th! Which is good because I am growing out of my THIRD ROUND OF PANTS hahaha :D[/QUOTE]
I think you have done great sticking to your first bulk this long! Most people tend to finish earlier than planned!
Can't wait to see your progression!
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[QUOTE=freebirdmac;1065301961]It sounds like you have a disordered relationship with food that's messing with your mind and body. Do this. Spend the summer at maintenance. Get at least .3g of fat per pound of body weight. Let your body and mind recover. Your maintenance should be around 2100 calories. Get out of the chronic deficit eating, binge eating, fatigue, and poor thermal responses. Over the summer you should also see a slow recompositioning.[/QUOTE]
Thanks for your advice, 2100 seems awfully high for maintenance though, I've been using the IIFYM TDEE calculator, seems pretty on the mark. Either way, your point of sticking around maintenance for a while is reasonable, I certainly have some food relationship issues to work through before I can trust myself to manipulate calorie surplus/deficit reliably. Summer isn't really an option, but I'm definitely thinking of it for autumn/winter this year to see how I go.
PS. You look awesome!
