There is something wrong with my metabolism. I can eat 4000 calories a day and not gain a pound.
I am 5'9" and 165 lbs. I never do any cardio, and I lift 3 days a week. I eat 4000 calories a day. I can NOT put on weight.
Data:
1/12: 161.5
1/15: 163.5
1/17: 163
1/20: 164
1/22: 164
1/25: 165
1/27: 164.5
1/29: 166.5
2/1: 162.5
2/3: 164.5
2/5: 164
2/8: 166
2/10: 166.5
2/12: 165
2/15: 165
2/17: 164.5
List of 7-day averages:
163.6428571
164.3571429
164.2142857
164.4285714
164.4285714
164.7142857
164.9285714
165
164.7857143 <---- actually went DOWN!
165.0714286
I don't get it. My weight is barely shifting. What I don't understand is that if I'm not gaining muscle, why aren't I at least shedding fat? I still can't see my abs show through yet. I am still skinny fat.
I also feel like I have hit my genetic limit on all my lifts. I can't break 220 on squat, 250 on deadlift, 95 on press, or 150 on bench. I also can't do rows or pull-ups because I can't figure out how to utilize my back and not my arms.
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02-17-2009, 12:03 PM #1
4000+ calories a day and still not gaining
Last edited by mac520; 02-17-2009 at 12:11 PM.
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02-17-2009, 12:08 PM #2
- Join Date: Jul 2007
- Location: Gainesville, Florida, United States
- Age: 38
- Posts: 1,330
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If you're not gaining, eat more. It's as simple as that. If you're eating maintenance calories for your body, you're not going to shed fat very rapidly. You will slowly burn it for energy but it will be VERY slow. You need to be at a calorie deficit in order to burn fat.
As you can see from your weigh-ins, your weight is staying steady. Add 500 calories/day and you will see gains. You are lucky enough to have a very high metabolism.
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02-17-2009, 12:09 PM #3
What are you eating?
And dude, quality mass takes time to build. You won't build 10 lbs in a month.
You gained 3 lbs in one month. 3/4 lb per week ain't bad. Keep up the hard work dude!
You're both blessed and cursed with a good high metabolism. Don't look at it in a bad way.
I'm the same way. But if you eat the right quality, calorie-dense foods, you'll do great.
Check out my progress pics from 2006-present.
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02-17-2009, 12:20 PM #4
Just like the above posters have said, eat more and be patient. If you are stall and are maintaining your weight for a few weeks, then up your calories by 500 and continue that process until you have gained the weight desired. When i first started trying to gain weight i was eating 4000 calories and did not gain a pound for 2 months. I cut down on my cardio a little bit and upped my calories to 5200 and i slowly started gaining weight, by the end of my bulk i was up to 6000 calories and i still was only gaining about 3/4 lb a week. It takes a lot of time and patience but you will begin to see results.
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02-17-2009, 12:22 PM #5
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02-17-2009, 12:32 PM #6
- Join Date: Mar 2008
- Location: East Lansing, Michigan, United States
- Age: 34
- Posts: 422
- Rep Power: 246
train with higher intensity, pound individual muscle groups, and eat 4500 calories a day. if you see yourself gaining more skinny fat just cut back the carbs/calories.
"Amateurs work until they get it right, pros work until they can't get it wrong."
"If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got."
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02-17-2009, 12:35 PM #7
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02-17-2009, 12:39 PM #8
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02-17-2009, 12:55 PM #9
i can barely do 3k calories lol, reps for 4k calories, good job
"The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."
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02-17-2009, 12:56 PM #10
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02-17-2009, 01:10 PM #11
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02-17-2009, 01:25 PM #12
- Join Date: Jan 2008
- Location: South Carolina, United States
- Age: 32
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Does that actually taste good?
Do they have any unflavored protein powders?
Im bout to start actually working out and eating right again, I havnt been in the past 10-12 months and I have not lost ANY fat, but lost 25 pounds, ALL muscle. I look about what I did when I started about a year and a half or more ago now.- Justin
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02-17-2009, 01:29 PM #13
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02-17-2009, 01:33 PM #14
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02-17-2009, 02:39 PM #15
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02-17-2009, 02:47 PM #16
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02-17-2009, 03:12 PM #17
I am pretty much already doing this. Twice a day I have a shake that contains 1 cup oats, 2 cups milk, 1 scoop whey, 1 banana, and 2 oz. honey.
I'm thinking I'm going to have to switch to whole milk to get in the extra calories. Right now I'm consuming 116g fat/ 529g carbs/ 252g protein. Would increasing the fat to 156g be unhealthy?
Maybe that's not a sport for you~~ Not everybody is genetically gifted, unfair that someone eats like 2,5 kcals and has better gains than another who eats 4k or so;/
Was this meant to be constructive or are you just trolling like an idiot?
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02-17-2009, 03:24 PM #18
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02-17-2009, 03:52 PM #19
- Join Date: Nov 2007
- Location: Wixom, Michigan, United States
- Age: 42
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mix up your training bro. i used to do heavy all the time and wasn't making much progress. started following a periodization table for awhile and doing diff types of high and med reps DB excercises and when I came back to the strength training i was absolutely SHOCKED at how much weight I could lift and how my shirts started getting tight (on 3 days/wk)
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02-17-2009, 03:59 PM #20
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02-17-2009, 04:00 PM #21
- Join Date: Jan 2008
- Location: Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
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Listen you obviously eating ****e.
If what you say is true and your body doesnt want to put fat on that doesnt mean it wont put on muscle. Train right and eat enough protein and you will grow!
165lb and eating 4000+ calories? I dont actually believe you unless you are eating lots of **** and fast foods.
Try and get 4000 calories from clean sources and you will struggle.
In the last few months i have put on about a stone, and that is by just eating clean sources of food, but lots of it. Try it and see what happens.
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02-17-2009, 04:04 PM #22
I wish I was exaggerating, because then it would be easier to add more calories, but I'm not.
Breakfast (15g fat/131g carbs/51g protein)
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup oats
1 large banana
1 scoop whey
1 oz. honey
Pre-workout (28/53/49)
1/4 lb ground beef
1 whole wheat bun
2 cups 2% milk
Post-workout (15/131/51)
Same as breakfast shake
Dinner (40/159/51)
200g pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups 2% milk
Pre-bed (18/55/50)
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup 4% cottage cheese
1/2 cup yogurt
Total: 4168 calories (116/529/252)
Am I just a genetic freak with a high metabolism?
I gained a little bit of weight in the first week, but I think that was mostly just water weight as I began bulking more. Over the past two weeks, there has been no significant change in my weight, when I should have gained at least 2-3 lbs.Last edited by mac520; 02-17-2009 at 04:08 PM.
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02-17-2009, 04:13 PM #23
- Join Date: Jan 2008
- Location: Bolton, Lancashire, United Kingdom (Great Britain)
- Age: 35
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Have you ever heard of chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, rice and potatoes?
You arent getting the right protein for muscle growth that is clear. There isnt enough protein in milk for muscle growth either. The protein that is in milk isnt good quality anyway, so the calories from that are being wasted for a start. I cant see how 1 scopp of whey and some milk is 50g od protein either. Fprget the milk and start eating some better sources of protein.
Dinner (40/159/51)
200g pasta
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups 2% milk
That is not a meal for someone who trains carry on like that and you will get zeop results.
Basically your diet isnt great. eat more carbs in the form of rice, oats, potatoes and pasta, include more protein foods and include more shakes.
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02-17-2009, 04:14 PM #24
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02-18-2009, 05:14 AM #25
Chicken, turkey, and fish are too expensive. I eat them occasionally but not often enough to put in my daily diet. Eggs are a hassle to cook. What is wrong with my diet? How exactly is milk bad? Rippetoe says to drink a gallon a day. I don't like rice, or potatoes. I already eat two cups of oats a day and 200g of pasta a day, and you want me to eat more? I am getting 250g of protein, how is that not enough? I already eat two shakes a day.
If you are wondering how there are 50g of protein in my shakes, simple.
2 cups milk = 16g
1 cup oats = 10g
1 scoop whey = 24g
1 banana = 1 g
Total: 51.
I honestly don't see what is wrong with my food choices. can you provide more reasons, preferably ones that aren't broscience.
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02-18-2009, 06:09 AM #26
*facepalm*
Here are some reasons:
-You aren't f'n gaining weight, so clearly something isn't working.
How's that for a reason? I hope that wasn't too broscience for you.
And listening to you whine about your food choices in mind numbing. You sound like my 4-year-old nephew throwing a fit because he doesn't want to eat green breans. Eggs are a hassle, you don't like rice or potatoes, wah wah wah.
Chicken: $1.99 a pound
Steak: $1.99 a pound
Ground turkey: $2.50 a pound
Tuna: .45 a can
etc
If you can't afford that, that go to McDonalds, work there for 10 hours a week, and you have enough money for your grocery list. You also aren't eating any veggies, which you need.
You asked for advice, everyone is giving you advice. Stop whining and listening to it if you want to gain weight.
</rant>Last edited by NDame616; 02-18-2009 at 06:51 AM.
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02-18-2009, 06:39 AM #27
- Join Date: Sep 2008
- Location: State / Province, Australia
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For your size 4,000 cals is a bit, but then again i play football division III and train 3 times a week and weight train a few times as well and im eating somewhere in the range of 4,400 cals, i find it not all that difficult but it can get hard and most of my foods i eat arent the best either, anyway for you i say yes you have a very high metabolism but that doesnt mean that you cant gain muscle weight, sure it will be harder and may take longer for you but if you do everything right then you should put on size...
You must consume more carbs in your diet, even though you already have alot there you still need to consume more to get muscle growth..
Oats more often, and have massive shakes...sometimes ill just throw anything into my blender and i dont give a **** what it tastes like either, as long has it has 2000 calories im drinking it.
You are in a bit of a pickle nonetheless but just find ways to improvise in the way you get calories, up your food portions at each meal by 20%.. etc
Best of luck man, it wont be easy but try hard, deadlift, squat heaps and youll be on your way.~~~~~~~~~~
''Bro, get yourself under control lol next thing we know Illy is gonna be 175 lbs, addicted to coke, involved in gang activity, and with a 365 max deadlift... ''-Blizzard589
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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02-18-2009, 07:24 AM #28
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02-18-2009, 07:26 AM #29
By looking at your lifts its obvious that you proabably have a decent routine going but dont have someone experienced to show you the ropes. Anyone will gain off of 4k cals a day at 160lbs.
Im on give or take 4k and I went from 156-167 on an empty stomach in about 4 days...just because my training is really intense.
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02-18-2009, 07:50 AM #30
- Join Date: May 2008
- Location: Colorado, United States
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That is a ridiculous statement.
OP, Just eat more. You're protein choices are fine, you don't NEED more meat, you just need more calories. Up the carbs.
Either add some other carb sources, like fruit or just add to the portion sizes of the ones you've got.
Maybe add some more monounsaturated fats too.ENCLAVE
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