Gaining mass in a nutshell (a big nutshell)

[Chub]

You think you might have tape worms?

You can get pills that kill them off in one dose! you gotta **** them out though lol

 

[dragonfly]

i'm scared of coconut, since i hate the taste. does the coconut milk taste different? i've never tried it plain - only when its masked in curry.

No, but you can MASK it with melting CHOCOLATE

 

[suncloud]

You think you might have tape worms?

You can get pills that kill them off in one dose! you gotta **** them out though lol

i have no signs i do, other than my diet is unnaturally high in calories. something is going on though, and i'd like to get to the bottom of it.

 

[suncloud]

No, but you can MASK it with melting CHOCOLATE

now there's a thought! i'll give this a go, and see what i can get from it. thanks.

 

[arnoldismyhero]

yeah, there is something wrong if u take in 6600 calories...i am 190 lbs at 5'10, lean, and i only take in like 4000... We should call you Super Ecto. and u have to wear a cape.

 

[Chub]

6k+ eh! My bathroom wouldn't thank me if i ate that much!

 

[suncloud]

yeah, there is something wrong if u take in 6600 calories...i am 190 lbs at 5'10, lean, and i only take in like 4000... We should call you Super Ecto. and u have to wear a cape.

only if i get to wear the leopard print leotards...

my diet makes more sense when you look at it as 3000k calories from food, 3400-3600 from liquid - whole milk (1k ish), 2 shakes (1200-1400 cal), and half and half (1k). 6-7k of solid food is absolutely ludicrous. my stomach couldn't handle that much.

 

[Kinkydog3]

Great Post. Lot's of good information. It may be helpful to mention that you need to find a good workout routine that works for you. Some people will grow better with lower reps and heavier weight, while others (especially new lifters) will grow using almost any routine.

The key is to find something that makes your body feel sore enough that you know it's working. You have to listen to your body and stick with a solid routine for at least 4-6 weeks. I think that a lot of lifters will continue with the same routine without ever changing it and get bored or frustrated when they don't see results, while others will change their routine too often.
That's why it can be especially helpful to keep a good log if your going to be serious about your goals.

 

[Hbs6]

i dont think soreness is a good indicator of effectiveness.

 

[BoyFromAus]

my diet is kinda nuts right now. let me preface it with i'm an ecto, so fat gain is not a concern. i've been bulking for a couple years now, with no breaks, and am at 10.5% body fat right now. even drinking a liter of 1/2 and 1/2 a day i've never broken 12% body fat.

my diet :
breakfast - 5 eggs, two bowls of cereal (organic version of honey bunches of oats) with whole milk, two cups of coffee with three cups of 1/2 and 1/2 = 1900 calories
snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
lunch - two double cheeseburgers = 800 calories
pre workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
post workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
dinner - 8oz buffalo or chicken + veggies + rice = 400 calories (est.)
snack - two servings of peanut butter (4 tbsp) = 360 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
bedtime meal - 6-8 oz steak - no veggies or carbs = 280 calories (i'm guessing here)

also throughout the day i drink 1/2 a gallon of whole milk (1000+ calories), and i don't count the calories of canola and olive oil i cook with, since most of them are left in the pan.

my calories might not look clean now, but with the exception of string cheese and the pre/post workout, everything i eat is organic, and i cook all my meals at home, in either olive or canola oil.

i've lived in a few third world countries, so its possible that i have tapeworms. i gain about 2 pounds per month, and obviously 10% of that is fat.

That's insane man.
What's your BMR?

 

[GypsyJoker]

Great writeup

 

[planetfuzz]

i dont think soreness is a good indicator of effectiveness.

Agreed.

This is the first time I've checked out those transformation pics suncloud. Very awesome! Very motivating for fellow ectos.

 

[suncloud]

That's insane man.
What's your BMR?

no clue. that's my bulking diet

Agreed.

This is the first time I've checked out those transformation pics suncloud. Very awesome! Very motivating for fellow ectos.

thanks PF and GJ!

 

[Lacradocious]

This is by far one of the best write ups I have ever read on this forum in regards to gaining weight.

I noted a while ago that I can add 1000 calories to my diet daily by:
-2 protein shakes a day (AM upon waking, post workout or before bed) ~400-500 calories if made with a cup of milk and watered down to desired consistency
-I buy bulk walnuts, pecans, almonds, and dried mango. 1/3 of a cup of these nuts is about 200 calories. I mix 1/3 cup of 2 nut types with some dried mango, and snack on it through out the day. ~500=600 calories

So I get 1000-1200 calories a day from 2 protein shakes and mixed nuts/dried fruit.

I eat 4 solid 800 calorie meals a day or 3 1000 calorie meals a day (hard to split up meals at work) and I am easily getting 4000-4500 calories a day.

I have gained 6 pounds a month since late September doing this. (gone from 178 to 200 lean pounds since then)

 

[Pleonastic]

A good post. I'll let everyone know how my massing is going.

 

[Liquid13]

Wow, the transformation pics are amazing. I'm an ecto gaining weight (16 pounds so far) with only 1% increase in body fat on a dirty bulk. However, I do know in order for me to get to the level of suncloud I will need to change my diet at some point. Notes have been taken!

My diet is depressing consiting of fast food, pizza, chinese, and frozen dinners. Thank the lord I'm an ecto.

p.s. - I don't advise anyone to eat the way I do. It's unrealistic, dumb, and very ignorant of myself to be doing :nutkick:

*Gah as I eat blueberry poptarts*

 

[suncloud]

Wow, the transformation pics are amazing. I'm an ecto gaining weight (16 pounds so far) with only 1% increase in body fat on a dirty bulk. However, I do know in order for me to get to the level of suncloud I will need to change my diet at some point. Notes have been taken!

My diet is depressing consiting of fast food, pizza, chinese, and frozen dinners. Thank the lord I'm an ecto.

p.s. - I don't advise anyone to eat the way I do. It's unrealistic, dumb, and very ignorant of myself to be doing :nutkick:

*Gah as I eat blueberry poptarts*

that's the best thing about an ecto

lower your sodium levels and you should see a difference.

and thanks for that brotha.

 

[Rufio737]

Everything in this thread has been extremely helpful for me for several months. As an ecto taking back up to 4500 cals a day (approx 100g fat, over 500g carbs and 300g protein on workout days) I constantly look back to this when I stop growing. I still haven't figured out why its so hard to grow at a decent pace, but thats what being an ecto is all about. Im gonna try to match sunclouds before and after pics at some point, only itll be shirtless as Ive maintained under 7% body fat this whole time.

 

[suncloud]

Everything in this thread has been extremely helpful for me for several months. As an ecto taking back up to 4500 cals a day (approx 100g fat, over 500g carbs and 300g protein on workout days) I constantly look back to this when I stop growing. I still haven't figured out why its so hard to grow at a decent pace, but thats what being an ecto is all about. Im gonna try to match sunclouds before and after pics at some point, only itll be shirtless as Ive maintained under 7% body fat this whole time.

now that's a goal my brotha!

 

[neoborn]

Bump just cause keeping it real matters .....or er something

 

[Rufio737]

Scale read 183 today, and I just finished up my workouts for the week after a much needed week off, so after a couple days rest, I should weigh a little more.

Something I've figured out for those of you with ridiculous metabolisms out there like me is that a good amount of calories (on workout days) can be derived from the following:

Around 2.75-3x bodyweight in grams of carbs (try eating potatoes and stuff with potassium)
Around 1.75-2x bodyweight in grams of proteins (Not too much from powders except PWO)
At least .5x bodyweight in grams of fats (Healthy fats, mainly those that are already in your carb and protein sources)

This is what I've started doing for the past few weeks and I've put on a few good, quality pounds pretty quickly (Still have a six pack too).

I love lifting!

 

[DreamOfWeight]

i dont like coconut oil

 

[majinbijiita]

good post man i wish i read this when i first started liftin ...hopefully some other noob can get to it

You wish has been granted. This will help me a lot. I thought I was eating a lot...that's only because I've been anorexic...so eating normal seems like a lot, haha.

Great post OP.

 

[suncloud]

You wish has been granted. This will help me a lot. I thought I was eating a lot...that's only because I've been anorexic...so eating normal seems like a lot, haha.

Great post OP.

glad to help. i did the same thing when i started. diet was around 2k, then i started hitting the gym, and adding in protein shakes. i always wondered why i wasn't gaining any size - i mean there was 500 calories in that shake - surely that would do something. little did i realize it was quality of calories, and the fact that i probably burned so many calories at the gym, there was nothing left to bulk off. you live, you learn, and hope nobody else will fall into that trap

and welcome to AM my fellow ecto

 

[majinbijiita]

Thanks suncloud.

But I didn't just mean I don't eat enough, I mean I've actually been anorexic and bulimic before...so my nutritional values are kinda ****ed up. I always knew I loved protein though! haha

 

[suncloud]

Thanks suncloud.

But I didn't just mean I don't eat enough, I mean I've actually been anorexic and bulimic before...so my nutritional values are kinda ****ed up. I always knew I loved protein though! haha

that just makes progress all the sweeter - overcoming major roadblocks keep it up my brotha.

 

[nemo]

This is a great thread, obviously helping many. So, my question is, when are you gonna become a rep Suncloud!!???

 

[suncloud]

This is a great thread, obviously helping many. So, my question is, when are you gonna become a rep Suncloud!!???

thanks bonscott i hope everything in your life is coming together a little bit more every day.

dunno if being a rep is in the cards. i know much more about natural bulking than i know about supplements when i look at for example guejsn or thesinner's posts, i feel my knowledge about supplements is really substandard by comparison. i might be better off just talking about the stuff that i do know about

 

[nemo]

First, thank you!
Second, you're being to humble!!!

 

[krogtaar]

my diet is kinda nuts right now. let me preface it with i'm an ecto, so fat gain is not a concern. i've been bulking for a couple years now, with no breaks, and am at 10.5% body fat right now. even drinking a liter of 1/2 and 1/2 a day i've never broken 12% body fat.

my diet :
breakfast - 5 eggs, two bowls of cereal (organic version of honey bunches of oats) with whole milk, two cups of coffee with three cups of 1/2 and 1/2 = 1900 calories
snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
lunch - two double cheeseburgers = 800 calories
pre workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
post workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
dinner - 8oz buffalo or chicken + veggies + rice = 400 calories (est.)
snack - two servings of peanut butter (4 tbsp) = 360 calories
snack - string cheese = 90 calories
bedtime meal - 6-8 oz steak - no veggies or carbs = 280 calories (i'm guessing here)

also throughout the day i drink 1/2 a gallon of whole milk (1000+ calories), and i don't count the calories of canola and olive oil i cook with, since most of them are left in the pan.

my calories might not look clean now, but with the exception of string cheese and the pre/post workout, everything i eat is organic, and i cook all my meals at home, in either olive or canola oil.

i've lived in a few third world countries, so its possible that i have tapeworms. i gain about 2 pounds per month, and obviously 10% of that is fat.

wtf are you eating that much at breakfast for? your body scrambles to store/use the 2k cals in the 1st 3 hours of the day, then starves, then again overloaded with cheeseburgers, then starves the rest of the day?

 

[suncloud]

wtf are you eating that much at breakfast for? your body scrambles to store/use the 2k cals in the 1st 3 hours of the day, then starves, then again overloaded with cheeseburgers, then starves the rest of the day?

i don't think my body ever "starves", but you're entitled to your opinion.

the excess calories at breakfast is because i usually wake up hungry, and putting down those calories for breakfast isn't that hard to do.

 

[Teg]

wtf are you eating that much at breakfast for? your body scrambles to store/use the 2k cals in the 1st 3 hours of the day, then starves, then again overloaded with cheeseburgers, then starves the rest of the day?

i don't think my body ever "starves", but you're entitled to your opinion.

the excess calories at breakfast is because i usually wake up hungry, and putting down those calories for breakfast isn't that hard to do.

Hahahaha.....

Its his middle of the nite "workouts" that wear him out so he when he wakes up he has to replenish those cals! :laugh: JK Bradda!

Ya i dont think his body ever starves, thats for sure! Keep doing whats been working for ya bro heem!

No to fig out how to eat that many cals in a day???? Siiigh..... :burnout:

 

[suncloud]

Hahahaha.....

Its his middle of the nite "workouts" that wear him out so he when he wakes up he has to replenish those cals! :laugh: JK Bradda!

Ya i dont think his body ever starves, thats for sure! Keep doing whats been working for ya bro heem!

No to fig out how to eat that many cals in a day???? Siiigh..... :burnout:

i think i just kept adding in food by roughly 500 calorie increments every week until i was satisfied with my caloric intake.

 

[Rufio737]

Eating that much breakfast may be a little excessive, but seeing as Suncloud is 32 years old Im assuming he eats that breakfast and then has to go to a job or something like that so he needs a lot to keep him going til he can have food again. I dont see where on earth in Sunclouds diet you (Krogtaar) see him "starving" as he takes back probably twice as much food as you do in 12 separate "meals" spread throughout the day. What hes doing is definitely working. Suncloud, I think if you put times (estimates) down for when those meals are, I think that would help some people.

 

[suncloud]

7AM - breakfast - 5 eggs, two bowls of cereal (organic version of honey bunches of oats) with whole milk, two cups of coffee with three cups of 1/2 and 1/2 = 1900 calories
9AM -snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
11AM - snack - string cheese = 90 calories
12PM - lunch - two double cheeseburgers = 800 calories
1:30PM - pre workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
2:30PM - post workout - 50g of protein, 120g of carbs = 650 calories
3:15PM - snack - peanut butter - 2 tbsp = 180 calories
4PM - snack - string cheese = 90 calories
5:30PM - dinner - 8oz buffalo or chicken + veggies + rice = 400 calories (est.)
7:30PM -snack - two servings of peanut butter (4 tbsp) = 360 calories
8:30PM - snack - string cheese = 90 calories
10-11PM - bedtime meal - 6-8 oz steak - no veggies or carbs = 280 calories (i'm guessing here)

that's a rough estimate. i primarily go by 2 snacks before breakfast, after training, and after dinner.

 

[Rufio737]

When do you drink your half gallon of milk? is some of that between breakfast and lunch? Because theres 2 things I would like to say that may help you: you actually do need to move some of your breakfast calories to your snacks (for example: one cup of half and half with breakfast, one with your first snack and one with your second). That would keep you more anabolic until lunch. The second thing is that you may want to add a shake during the night. I know it sounds crazy, but you wake up less hungry and more anabolic if you have, for example, 8oz of milk and a half to a whole scoop of whey in a shake to drink when you wake up to take a piss at night. If youre drinking enough water, you should have to get up anyways, and this will make night a more anabolic time. I wake up less sore the day after workouts now because Ive added this.

 

[suncloud]

When do you drink your half gallon of milk? is some of that between breakfast and lunch? Because theres 2 things I would like to say that may help you: you actually do need to move some of your breakfast calories to your snacks (for example: one cup of half and half with breakfast, one with your first snack and one with your second). That would keep you more anabolic until lunch. The second thing is that you may want to add a shake during the night. I know it sounds crazy, but you wake up less hungry and more anabolic if you have, for example, 8oz of milk and a half to a whole scoop of whey in a shake to drink when you wake up to take a piss at night. If youre drinking enough water, you should have to get up anyways, and this will make night a more anabolic time. I wake up less sore the day after workouts now because Ive added this.

i drink my milk throughout the day - there's no set time. i buy 2 gallons at a time, and they last 4 days right now, i'm trying to cut my calories back to maintenance due to knee issues. adding 50% to your natural size (where your body wants to be) till now has left my knees a little tender, so from here its just maintaining what i've got. i can loose fat, switch over to a strength routine, so the work never ends, the goals just change

recent changes have included ditching the half and half entirely, and switching over to 2% milk. now i have to work down to non-fat milk, and lower the calories taken during lunch.

thanks for the advice man - if my knees were happy maintaining more weight than i have, i'd be all over bulking even more

 

[Rufio737]

Yeah man, spend a month or so cutting, which will not only make your knees happier, it will probably make someone whos put on as much muscle as you have look pretty ridiculous with your shirt off. Cutting down to somewhere between 4% and 8% bf will probably do wonders for you. That being said, I would take a week or so off lifting to let your knees recover a little, then get back to business.

I have no idea how much you know about cutting up, but theres tons of articles and posts about it everywhere. You'll probably really enjoy it when its all said and done.


I ****ing love T-Bar Rows!

 

[suncloud]

Yeah man, spend a month or so cutting, which will not only make your knees happier, it will probably make someone whos put on as much muscle as you have look pretty ridiculous with your shirt off. Cutting down to somewhere between 4% and 8% bf will probably do wonders for you. That being said, I would take a week or so off lifting to let your knees recover a little, then get back to business.

I have no idea how much you know about cutting up, but theres tons of articles and posts about it everywhere. You'll probably really enjoy it when its all said and done.


I ****ing love T-Bar Rows!

now i have to find my maintenance calories, which i've been trying to exceed by ridiculous margins. my most recent pic is around 3 weeks old, but here's me at 196 or so.

i think a cut is well needed - i've got a good 4% i can cut down on without too much effort. more than that will take more cardio

 

[majinbijiita]

So, after I read this I stocked up on low-fat cottage cheese.

I noticed I go a good few hours between meals when I am at work...so I just bring a couple things of cottage cheese to work and snack on them a 2 hr intervals between meals.

I also eat half a tub before bed now instead of like 1/6th. I also used to only eat the skim-milk ones.

I'm also eating bigger portions of meat during lunch now.

So far...I've only noticed the gynecomastia has gotten worse...lol...but my gains do seem pretty good too. I think that's just because I stopped doing dumbell curls and am now doing barbell curls...but whatever. I've probably needed to eat more than I have for years, so maybe my body can play catch up now.

And I definitely know how to go on a cut, so I'm not too worried. Don't have a gf either, although I am kinda looking...so I hope she likes moobs, haha. *sigh* I hope I win 6k for doing nothing so I can pay for surgery...damnit.

 

[suncloud]

damn. what gave you gyno?

 

[majinbijiita]

dunno...when i was 15 i guess my estrogen got too high or something. they put me on tamoxifen and then femara, but the tissue had already developed...****ing sucks.

Especially because i'm naturally skinny, so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

 

[suncloud]

dunno...when i was 15 i guess my estrogen got too high or something. they put me on tamoxifen and then femara, but the tissue had already developed...****ing sucks.

Especially because i'm naturally skinny, so it sticks out like a sore thumb.

what's your age at now?

 

[Rufio737]

Get on working out your back and your upper chest. Bigger lats should draw the skin tighter around your chest and inclines and incline flyes should build your upper chest and point your boobies down. Im just throwing that out there, it makes sense to me.

 

[majinbijiita]

I'm 20 now, 21 in july.

I plan on working out the upper chest...if anything so that it will all look big, instead of just the lower half. The problem is also though, the more mass i seem to gain in the middle, the worse it's gotten...because it just adds muscle behind the tissue making it stick our more.

I'll look into what you're saying though...but the friend of mine that eventually got surgery who was a BB said nothing really helped.

On another note: Is it bad to not chew cottage cheese (I think it's small curd)? I get more down if I just scoop and swallow, and sometimes I don't have time to chew it...lol

 

[sacazo]

Celiac (Gluten intolerant)

now there's a thought! i'll give this a go, and see what i can get from it. thanks.

Check if you are gluten intolerant. (simple blood test)

If you are gluten intolerant (like me and ectomorph) the gluten will destroy the villi in your intestines and therefore not absorb all the nutrients of the food you are ingesting.
Look for "coeliac disease" in wikipedia.

I was diagnosed at age 36. I did not have the typical symptoms.

 

[FUBARMD]

Celiac disease is serious. I have had it since 16 (now 23)...robbed me of 2-3" of height from ma-absorption issues which sucks. Good thing with the diet is it will keep you skinny...bad thing is its more of a challenge to bulk.