(Bulking) Diet alone is taking up all my time, money, and motivation
So I've been going to the gym for about 6 months, and the progress I've made is next to nothing. Partly because for the first couple of months I was very on-and-off with it (2 week madness with moving house, then a month of working 60 hours a week, etc). But since start of November I've been pushing myself harder and harder, not just at the gym but making sure I get the 3600 calorie target every day.
The working out I enjoy. The diet is impossible. The days I hit the target are when at least one of my meals is either made for me (i.e. at a cafe, which is pricey) or because I've been eating awful ready meals from Tesco. Getting 200+grams protein isn't too difficult with shakes, but carbs a lot more difficult. Any day where I decide to go out with friends (you know, enjoy a social life), I don't manage to eat enough.
I'm determined to make progress, but I'm sick of cooking, sick of eating (lol first world problems much), sick of racing against the clock to make sure I get enough fuel in me to workout, get to the gym, have enough time to eat again sitting on some park bench before I go to work.
I try to do cooking in bulk but that only gets me so far.
Anyone with similar experiences? Any tips? Any suggestions for food that has good nutritional value while being quick to prep?
The working out I enjoy. The diet is impossible. The days I hit the target are when at least one of my meals is either made for me (i.e. at a cafe, which is pricey) or because I've been eating awful ready meals from Tesco. Getting 200+grams protein isn't too difficult with shakes, but carbs a lot more difficult. Any day where I decide to go out with friends (you know, enjoy a social life), I don't manage to eat enough.
I'm determined to make progress, but I'm sick of cooking, sick of eating (lol first world problems much), sick of racing against the clock to make sure I get enough fuel in me to workout, get to the gym, have enough time to eat again sitting on some park bench before I go to work.
I try to do cooking in bulk but that only gets me so far.
Anyone with similar experiences? Any tips? Any suggestions for food that has good nutritional value while being quick to prep?
First have a read of the FAQ that's nearing completion 
Do you do a lot of exercise to be needing to eat 3600 calories a day? I have bulked on that amount, but I was doing 8 hours of cardio a week on top of lifting.
How much weight are you gaining a week?
You don't need to eat that much protein, it's well above the recommended 1-1.5g per kg of bodyweight unless you're huge! Eating something more around the 100-140g will 1) Be a lot easier 2) Be a lot cheaper and 3) Be a lot easier to eat as protein is filling!
Do you do a lot of exercise to be needing to eat 3600 calories a day? I have bulked on that amount, but I was doing 8 hours of cardio a week on top of lifting.
How much weight are you gaining a week?
You don't need to eat that much protein, it's well above the recommended 1-1.5g per kg of bodyweight unless you're huge! Eating something more around the 100-140g will 1) Be a lot easier 2) Be a lot cheaper and 3) Be a lot easier to eat as protein is filling!
Original post by Angry cucumber
First have a read of the FAQ that's nearing completion
Do you do a lot of exercise to be needing to eat 3600 calories a day? I have bulked on that amount, but I was doing 8 hours of cardio a week on top of lifting.
How much weight are you gaining a week?
You don't need to eat that much protein, it's well above the recommended 1-1.5g per kg of bodyweight unless you're huge! Eating something more around the 100-140g will 1) Be a lot easier 2) Be a lot cheaper and 3) Be a lot easier to eat as protein is filling!
Do you do a lot of exercise to be needing to eat 3600 calories a day? I have bulked on that amount, but I was doing 8 hours of cardio a week on top of lifting.
How much weight are you gaining a week?
You don't need to eat that much protein, it's well above the recommended 1-1.5g per kg of bodyweight unless you're huge! Eating something more around the 100-140g will 1) Be a lot easier 2) Be a lot cheaper and 3) Be a lot easier to eat as protein is filling!
I don't really do a massive amount of exercise though I'm on my feet pretty much all day (sometimes doing 15 hour split shifts - not exaggerating, I do 2 bar jobs - all on my feet constantly moving, plus the hour long walk home up a ridiculous hill)
When I first started I weighed about 168lbs and now I'm 174, so I've made *some* progress but considering how long I've been doing it it's not a lot, and there's no way of knowing how much of that is muscle.
I was thinking protein was 1-1.5g per POUND.... well, now I feel like a ****. Lol.
I'm eating 4000+ Kcal and 300g+ protein, and I have a pretty poor appetite and I'm lazy as **** when it comes to eating/cooking.
Greek yogurt + oats is a good meal to get carbs in, lets you eat LOADS of oats without it being overly filling, like porridge can be. Plus you don't have to mess around cooking, literally just mix loads of Greek yogurt with loads of raw oats, add honey, stir and eat. You can add crushed up nuts too. I like to have that with a protein shake and a banana.
Greek yogurt + oats is a good meal to get carbs in, lets you eat LOADS of oats without it being overly filling, like porridge can be. Plus you don't have to mess around cooking, literally just mix loads of Greek yogurt with loads of raw oats, add honey, stir and eat. You can add crushed up nuts too. I like to have that with a protein shake and a banana.
Original post by Guitarded
I don't really do a massive amount of exercise though I'm on my feet pretty much all day (sometimes doing 15 hour split shifts - not exaggerating, I do 2 bar jobs - all on my feet constantly moving, plus the hour long walk home up a ridiculous hill)
When I first started I weighed about 168lbs and now I'm 174, so I've made *some* progress but considering how long I've been doing it it's not a lot, and there's no way of knowing how much of that is muscle.
I was thinking protein was 1-1.5g per POUND.... well, now I feel like a ****. Lol.
When I first started I weighed about 168lbs and now I'm 174, so I've made *some* progress but considering how long I've been doing it it's not a lot, and there's no way of knowing how much of that is muscle.
I was thinking protein was 1-1.5g per POUND.... well, now I feel like a ****. Lol.
Ah fair enough on that.
If you're not counting your calories exactly, use something like MyfitnessPal.
What's your routine?
And yeah, 200g of protein is just filling as **** lol. Eat carbs and drink liquids - easy cheap calories
You don't "need" to have fuel in you to workout. I do most of mine fasted for 14+ hours and it makes literally no difference whether I eat before or not. In fact I prefer not eating before and feasting after tbh!
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