New to Nutrition

[Mako_Molokai]

I am new to nutrition. I never really watched what I ate before and I certainly didn't plan the times I ate. Basically, I eat whenever I feel hungry and whatever I could find that sounds delicious at the time. I am getting into exercise though in an attempt to become healthier and I feel exercise will be wasted if I continue these eating habits. I am a pretty small guy. I am about 5',5" weighing at 130 lbs. I do want to gain weight to transform into muscle though with a lean appearance. The reason I am posting all of this is because I am seeking sound nutritional advice. Also, I am quite overwhelmed by all of the topics that I've read so far on diets. I'm clueless when it comes to food measurements and portions. I've read brief summaries of nutrition in two books but that isn't enough to help me understand. Do you guys have any advice? I am going to read more books on this topic. Ones that go into full detail on the subject. Also, overall weight goal is 180 lbs packed with lean muscle. I know this will take a while and I have a realistic and patient actualization of how much work and time it will take to get there. How many calories would you suggest I consume? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Boss Man]

Firstly I wiould suggest a slow and gradual calorie increase, based on a set amount each time when you plataeu, so this mean consuming the same number of calories for a set period of time, then when you stop gaining, increase the calories by said fixed amount.

Assuming you are eating 6 meals a day, then you could increase your daily calorie consumption initially by 300 calories, which works out at 50 calories more per meal.

You have two ways of doing this I feel.

1. 5g protein, 5g carbs 1g fat, (49 calories).

2. 5g carbs, 3-4g fat, (47-56 calories).

These two breakdowns of added consumption are for each meal obviously, but you would be wise to use only one of these methods, when adding the 300 extra calories per day, so as not to confuse things.

I would suggest for now you use option 1, as your protein intake will probably not be enough, for sutainable long-term bulking, then with your next increase do the same.

After that point, when you need a third calorie increase, you might want to do option 1 or begin utilising option 2 from then on in.

You protein intake should be a minimum of 0.8g per lb of bodyweight rising to 1.2g and no more than 1.5g max should be needed.

This gradual fixed increase approach is a better way to go, as it's all too easy for guys to read or hear how big lifters eat and try to copy it, but someone who can gain on 2,500 calories a day, need not consume 3,500+ a day and in doing so spend more money and gain more fat, when the calories they don't need convert to fat; the excess calories dwindling the more bulking that occurs and the more calories that are needed to sustain and progress bulk.

The person would then have an issue trying to shed the excess fat gained, when they had achieved on or around target results.

If you are having less than 6 meals a day, then initially aim to increase your calories up in certain meals and add appropriate meals in where lacking. Calories should be aimed for at around 2,400 a day, so it's 400 a meal, the alternative being you aim for around 500 with breakfast, when your metabolism is most primed and 300 with your last meal, when it's waning and 400 with the 4 interim meals.

You would know what feels best for you, out of those two options, but that simplifies things rather than having a slew of options to mull over.

The main thing is not to be . If you are trying to add let's say 49 calories to every meal, having absolutely 1g of exta fat, no more no less, is not required and some meals you might find you add 52 calories or 47 calories for example, so it's not an exercise in trying to establish an "exacting science" approach, but moreso trying to get ballpark requirements / as close to the figures as possible.

Hopefully that all makes sense.

[Mako_Molokai]

So with 2,400 calories per day along with exercise, I should grow more mass, right? I don't know if this is too much but I went food shopping today and spent about $114. I bought one pack of pork chops, two packs of beef round stakes and two packets of beef cubes. I also bought 2 bags of flounder and 2 packs of lean, boneless chicken breast. I picked up 2 yogurts, peaches, nectarines, bananas, sweet potatoes, and brown rice. I bought a few other small things but this is what I feel is worth mentioning. Am I missing anything from this list? I feel like I put more emphasis on protein than anything so I was kind of biased when I was shopping today and upon leaving, I felt like cart wasn't fulfilled. I am going to cook all meals in bulk in one day to have for a whole week. I just don't have a food scale so I have to take a random guess on portions.

[Boss Man]

Well the calorie intake suggested should get you started yes. You will plataeu eventually, because trying to get 180lbs of lean mass off 2,400 calories a day, is a no-go, but you will be eating enough to promote muscle building progression, then when you plataeu, you could start to use the fixed daily calorie increase suggested, by utilising one of the two stipulated methods to base it on.

So you'd eventually switch up to 2,700 a day, then 3,000, then 3,300 etc, until you got to around 4,000 a day. You wouldn't need any more than that I feel.

However for now, 2,400 should be a good base level to begin progressing with.

[Mako_Molokai]

So as of now, daily intake is probably nowhere near close to that. Just out of curiosity, how hard would it be to take that many calories in? When I started to drink more water, I had trouble with it because I never used to drink water. Then when I aimed to drink a lot of water, it became hard for me because stomach would feel swollen after so much. Is consuming so many calories similar to that feeling? And what approach would you suggest? For example, should I add oils to foods?

[Boss Man]

Increase edible oils yes if you want, things like olive oil, coconut oil, etc, but I would suggest you google yourself a list of "smoke points" for fats, so you know what sort of oils are more heat resistant, thne choose one of the ones that is, or if you use a lower resistant one, that could more easily become toxic when heated, like flaxseed oil, thne simply cook without it and add it on afterwards, or add it to cold foods only.

In the case of eating what I'm suggesting, which is around 2,500 calories per day, it shouldn't be too much of an issue to increase your calories up, you just need to add one or two additional meals in and bump up the calories in the rest, or if you have the requisite meal in place simply increase the up in calorie content, using one of the two previously described methods.

Your fats could be increase anyway via other things like avocado, flaxseed, low fat dairy, nuts, peanuts, omega 3 eggs, (chickens fed flaxseed), fish, (remembering to be mindful of metal consumption of course, when choosing weekly portions and fish type.), Soy products including oybeans, miso, tofu, tempeh, nattokinase and edemame.

You increase of calories shouldn't cause too many feelings of bloating unless you had reactions ot things like hweta gluten or dfairy and the portion increases shouldn't realistically make you feel too full, unless you were consuming meals with a level of weight and stomach expansion potential, that might make you feel more full than other meals might, so don't be too concerned about such feelings.

If the swelling effect you got from the added water intake has subisded now, it is probably because

A: your stomach has stretched a little bit.

B: your body is used to what you're doing.

C: a bit of both.