High Calorie Diet Critique...can't gain weight

matseski

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Based on the different BMR calculators and the more extensive Total Metabolism Forecaster, I should be consuming anywhere from 3500-4500 calories per day to have a net zero calorie balance. I started looking into the numbers behind nutrition after I started loosing about 0.5lbs per day when I first started my exercise program. As a brief overview, I am working out 2 times per day 6 days per week, and a long run/bike ride on the 7th. On average I burn about 1500 Cal/day from my cardio workout and lift for about an hour/day. Obviously I need to control my diet to provide adequate nutrition and energy if I intend to maintain this program (on the 6th week now, haven't missed a day yet!), but the information online leads to very conflicting nutrition plans for people with high calorie consumption.

I have been aiming for 2400+workout Cal as my total Calorie intake.
I eat 6x500 Cal meals and 2-4 1-200 Cal snacks throughout the day.

Common foods:
eggs(1 whole, 2 white ratio), chicken breast, turkey breast, whole grain bread, tomato, zucchini, peppers, apples, oranges, bananas, nonfat yogurt, skim milk, whole wheat pasta, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, salmon, tilapia, lean steak, brown rice, green tea (unsweetened), coffee (black), natural peanut butter, homemade granola, etc

Protein supplements on days where natural protein intake is below 175g:
Muscle Milk powder (16g protein/scoop)
Pure Protein bar (20g protein)

Water intake: ~1.5 gallons per day

Alcohol consumption: < 3 drinks per week

A few questions:

1) Some sources suggest that I get my 40% of my calories from carbs, 40% from protein, 20% from fat, others put fat at 10% and carbs at 50%. While I have no desire to split hairs on this, 40% protein on a 4000 Cal plan would be about 400g of protein per day. While I have been bouncing around 200g/day, a lot of my recent reading suggests that your body does not see any additional benefit above about 1-1.5g/lbs of body mass. I weigh 135lbs. What is a proper protein intake for me to gain muscle mass while only putting on minimal fat?

2) Sugar. I understand that my body will burn through sugar like its no ones business, but I am still concerned with my sugar level intake as it is usually 2-3x the recommended level as determined by a percentage of my daily caloric intake (200+g when recommended is about 70g). I do not eat any processed snacks and avoid dont add sugar to anything so my sugar intake is primarily from fresh fruits and dairy products. Should I be limiting my fruit intake?

3) Sodium. I have had a very hard time limiting this to reasonable numbers, often consuming more than 5000mg daily. Any suggestions on how to lower sodium intake? I already don't add salt to anything.

4)I am trying to lower my body fat from 9.2% to 7% and increase my weight from 135lbs to 140-145lbs. Naturally results tomorrow would be best but I am trying to have realistic expectations. In the past 5 weeks I have lost about 9 lbs (144-135) and went from 12% to 8.5-9% body fat. My weight lifting capability has gone up 30-100%, and cardio performance (avg Watt/hr over 30min) has increased 50%. However, even with taking in about 4000 Cal per day, I cannot get my weight above 135. (I've been bouncing between 134-135 for the past 2-3 weeks). Do I just need to eat more, eat differently?

Any other suggestions on how to improve my diet to reach my goals faster would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 

evodrag

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How long have you been on this diet? How old are you? Stop the cardio and train once a day with 2 days every 8 off.
 

matseski

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I am a 21 year old male and am on my 7th week of this program.
 

MindMuscle12

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up your carbs, man. eat eat eat. 4500 is clearly too low for you. add cals in carbs.
 
EasyEJL

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why are you working out 2x a day 6 days a week?
 

Mindbogger

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I'm no pro at all. But i do know the basics. You are not letting your body rest at all. Try working out once a day and lower your cardio. You are burning to much caloriesatm and not letting you body feed on the surplus of calories tobuild muscle. Not sure if will help but google gomad.
Easy way to add a ton of calories protein carb and fat.
 
mattrag

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why are you working out 2x a day 6 days a week?
This....
Recovery my friend. Abs are made in the kitchen, but so are muscles. And even more are made when you rest.
 
MusclestoGo

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This....
Recovery my friend. Abs are made in the kitchen, but so are muscles. And even more are made when you rest.
Very well said.
You said you know the basics, well the most basic thing you can is that exercise and well-being are composed of three things. Exercise, Nutrition and REST. As everyone already said you are never ever going to gain weight with that program, cut the cardio. And cut the workouts to once a day, maybe 4 or 5 times a week. All your doing is tearing your body down, thus the weight loss.
 
R1balla

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thats wayyyyyy too much training unless you are on steroids and know your body really really well. kill the cardio, train 4x per week and get rest. u will grow
 
bigdavid

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When I went from 135 to 190 in high school I only worked out THREE times per WEEK. I did madcows 5x5 (bill star made it I believe) and I increased my strength considerably and put on some very nice weight. You are working out way too much.
 
GeraldNY181

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way too much cardio....too much energy expenditure, if you never stop moving the calories wont stick, they just get burned off.
 

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