Help with eating for weight training

[danlightbulb]

Hi all,

I have started back in the gym.

I am naturally very skinny person and was severely underweight throughout my youth all the way until I started trying to do something about it around age 30. I embarked on a weight training programme, and over the course of a few years got my weight up to about 13 stone (from around 8). I had got my squat upto about 120kg at this point.

Then I hurt my knee so stopped training. I'd also taken up mountain biking, which is a different type of exercise obviously.

Over time my weight has dropped back to around 11 stone. Im not comfortable at this weight and so I want to increase back to around 12-12.5, and get weight training again. We have a gym at work so Ive been weight training again for a couple of weeks now. My squat is at 65kg and is at the point where I need to increase my intake to keep the lifts increasing.


The problem however is how I eat. I am a terrible eater, and last time I got my weight up by drinking lots of milk. But it created problems with bodyfat levels as well particularly around my chest and throat, and for some time the added fat was causing me to have acid reflux issues.

Back then I also lived alone, so it was easier just to prepare my own meals and be able to track the calories. Now I live with my partner and its harder to eat the things I need to eat to reach higher calorie levels. My appetite is also very low.

I want to aim for around 2700 calories a day, and Ive started tracking things again on Myfitnesspal three days ago. I haven't reached my target in the last three days though.

On Wednesday I ate two Sainsburys steak slices, crisps and chocolate bars and a pint of milk for lunch. Dinner was a chicken jalfrezi with rice and more chocolate. And I still only reached 2500 calories.

Yesterday I ate a chicken biryani for lunch, and a bag of crisps. As well as some biscuits and chocolates as snacks. For dinner I had a chicken madras with rice and naan at the local indian pub. I still only estimated calories of 2100.

Today so far I have had a couple of kit kats, a battered cod roe and a battered mini fish from the chippie. Its hard to know how many calories these provided but I don't think its much more than about 600 so Im yet again going to really struggle to eat my target of 2700.


It is easy for some people to eat food and prepare food, it is very difficult for me though. Possibly meal supplements would be an answer but they aren't exactly tasty and I would have to cram them.

I am never going to be able to eat completely clean pre-prepared batch foods and avoid chocolate and snacks, it just is not in my nature and my natural lack of appetite makes those kinds of snack foods useful for increasing intake.

Im not bodybuilding, I don't care about a six pack, I just want to gain weight to 12-12.5 stone and continue training the big lifts.

Any advice appreciated.

 

[danlightbulb]

Fryups and chicken kebabs.

If you train harder your appetite should naturally increase. Cutring out the snacks will also improve your appetite, have them after your meal rather than before it.

BBQ a lot of meat, and veg skewers too!

Air fry meat to make it crispy etc.

Steak.

Home made mince burgers.

Mexican wraps are good also.

It is hard to get those things at work when all I have is a vending machine and a local KFC, hence the problems I have with pre-preparing food.

We used to have a breakfast service at work, but it was lost during Covid. So I never eat breakfast any more.

 

[danlightbulb]

Can't you make a sandwich to take? Some cooked chicken pieces (from supermarket) on the side?

Yes and I do this, but its not enough calories.

See my above examples of the past three days. Multiple takeaways and chocolate bars, and still not reached my calorie goal.

 

[danlightbulb]

Build bigger sandwiches eat some nuts, they're full of calories.

Do you like peanut butter?

No i don't like nuts at all, the taste makes me wretch.

 

[danlightbulb]

What is it about preparing food that seems to be the problem?

Motivation, time poor, lack of desire for food, lack of knowledge on what to make, and because im a fussy eater, there is a lot of foods I don't like.

 

[danlightbulb]

I have been a bad eater since I was a child. I would like to fix it but far easier said than done and after numerous attempts I still find it hard to make new habits stick. Hence my reliance on milk and takeaways/junk to boost my intake.

 

[danlightbulb]

How tall are you?

Why aren't you happy at 11st?

5'10".

I feel thin and it is affecting my self-confidence.

A simple meal like overnight oats, with some protein powder some extra cottage cheese or greek yoghurt - and a banana, frozen fruit, peanut butter, chocolate chips to taste.

Thanks for your post. Problem is I am a terrible eater and I don't like cheese or yogurt, or bananas or peanut butter. Ive never tried oats (you mean porridge?) because I have been put off by the way it looks and the texture. I have had eating problems since I was a child. I know it will sound stupid to people.

 

[danlightbulb]

Thanks for all the comments so far. Believe me when I say I know how silly it sounds when I describe my problems with food, it is frustrating for me as well. Unfortunately I have had these issues since childhood.

You need to start preparing meals and food.

We’ve heard lots of things that you don’t like. What sort of food do you like?

There's lots of things I do like which can be made into healthy meals, it's just getting the calories up and the frequency of meals, and the motivation to prep. That's why after a couple of days I fall back on easier food like milk and takeaways. Not exhaustive but sone examples of stuff I like which isn't really restrictive.

Proteins
White fish (battered/breaded cod haddock etc)
Salmon
Roe
Red meat
Chicken
Pork
Eggs

Carbs
Pasta
Rice
Bread (white, naans, pittas, wraps)
Potatoes
Chips

Veg/fruit
Apples
Oranges
Grapes
Broccoli
Carrots
Cauliflower


I like the innocent smoothies that have banana in, just don't like banana on its own. I have tried to make myself like it before and not succeeded. Its a shame because if I could snack on bananas that would be good for me.

I like spicy meals. Whether it's Cajun chicken, Indians, fajitas, spiced chicken etc - like foods with a tomato base rather than a creamy base.

I like steak, beef, stews.

Not a cheese fan really but can eat pizza if not too sloppy. Don't tend to eat many buttery sauces and don't have butter on my sandwiches.


The issue is very much about my motivation for food. Like now for example, I haven't eaten yet, am not really hungry, and there isn't much in the fridge that I can grab without having to cook it. It is very difficult for me to motivate myself to go and prepare something and believe me I know how pathetic that sounds.

 

[danlightbulb]

. I do however eat the same thing every day, which I don't mind.

I wouldn't mind this either. I could eat something like chicken fajitas or Cajun spiced chicken every day no probs.

When I have tried batch cooking in the past with things like rice and pasta it has been very bland and after a few mouthfuls I'm bored of it. Also it's hard to get the right portion sizes - I tend to go too big then can't finish it.

Could you help guide me to an example batch cooking process with say Cajun chicken or fajitas? How much should I make and aim for on the portion sizes?

 

[danlightbulb]

will avoid you leaning for the takeaway when you CBA or are too tired from a bad day.

I used to lean to the takeaway very easily when I was single. Now I often go without completely, because takeaways aren't as easy an option any more with the missus around. She eats very healthily but the quantity of calories the food we eat together contains is insufficient for me, and Im not a fan of the kinds of foods she eats really. Im not in a good place nutrition wise.

I think I will start by trying to bulk cook some chicken breasts in some sort of spice mix and buying some microwave rice pouches.


From previous experience/attempts though, I will still struggle to reach my calorie goal without introducing junk. A chicken breast and rice pouch is only say 500 calories. 3 of those a day still only 1500. In the past that's why ive ended up eating a pack of biscuits at the end of the day when Im still 1000 calories short.

 

[danlightbulb]

4 lots of Cajun chicken and a rice pouch s a lot though isn't it for one day, it doesn't sound feasible.

I've just been to Sainsbury's and bought 1.6kg of chicken breast (8 pieces), a pack of peppers, a pack of mushrooms, and 2 packs of cook in the bag Cajun spice mix.

That came to £14.50 and will be enough chicken for 8 portions so just under 2 quid a portion plus 50p for a rice pouch so around 2.50 a portion.

But if I eat 4 of those a day that will only last me two days!

 

[danlightbulb]

I don't like nuts at all, not a fan of dairy (cheese, yogurt) but can drink milk. Have never liked porridge because it's so plain and although I know you can add things to it, the effort especially at breakfast has been a problem for me.

Realistically I think 2 portions of the Cajun chicken and rice per day is reasonable. I can't be eating 4 portions of the same thing every day. Its 200g chicken per portion plus the spice mix has some calories in so it's probably 600-650 calories per portion that gets me to 1200-1300.

If I then have a different meal in the evening, curry, spag bol or maybe a pizza, that will be another 800 so I'm at around 2000. A couple of pints milk on top of that gets me to 2500 plus a couple chocolate bars or biscuits gets me to 2700+

It sounds like a hell of a lot of food though, I don't know if I can manage it.

Damn I could do with someone inventing a 500 calorie food cube.

 

[danlightbulb]

It’s hard to eat clean and eat a lot

It's hard to eat junk and eat a lot too. Even if I had a McDonald's every lunch time and an Indian every evening I'd still not reach 2700 calories very easily.

 

[danlightbulb]

Use myfitness pal app to monitor your current intake per day. Take that as your base

I have been using it, my intake is all over the place. Can be sub 1500 calories one day, 2500 the next. It just depends what I can manage to find to eat and how I am feeling mentally, and other pressures on me/my time.

Do you really need to eat 2700 calories? How often are you working out?

Twice per week doing the main strength training lifts of squat, bench, overhead press and deadlift, plus a few chins/dips if time/fatigue allows.

I based 2700 on needing 500 calories a day extra to gain 1lb per week.



I just ate my first cajun chicken and rice portion. Tough going tbh. A 200g chicken breast and a 250g pouch of microwave rice, only about 500-600 calories total but loads more filling than a couple of basic hamburgers from McD. Portion 2 due around 5pm before training at 6pm. I didn't eat any breakfast either, just not hungry when I wake up. Im not naturally much of an eater.

 

[danlightbulb]

Sorry if this is turning into more of a diary thread now, but just an update - two things.

1. COuldn't finish the 2nd portion of food I made for today. I ate most of the chicken but only 2/3rd the rice. A whole pouch of rice twice a day is going to be too much I think, and for the volume of food that it is, its not calorie dense enough. Im not going to be very hungry tonight after that high volume food today and aren't even at half my RDA calories let alone the amount extra I was aiming for.

2. Its now past 5pm and I only just realised I hadn't had anything to drink all day. Ive been at work, working on something and never even felt thirsty. There must be something wrong with my brain.

 

[danlightbulb]

Steak, chicken, eggs, pizza and Ben & Jerry’s

The weight will pile on. It’s working for me.

Yep, last night a quick trip to Morrisons - a small steak pie, chocolate cake and pint of semi skimmed milk saved my day. And loads easier to eat than heavy going portions of chicken and rice.

Whilst your starting out - nail/think about your lifting techniques, NOT the weights for now

Yeah I have lifted in the past, worked my way up to a 120kg squat around 8 years ago, but then hurt my knee. I was pushing really hard to get to this and wasn't eating well at all.

Training session last night Im at 70kg squat (my bodyweight). I don't want to go really hard this time. If I can get back to 100kg squat I'd be happy tbh. And I want to try and improve my upper body strength which is disproportionately poor.