Hey folks,
I started to ask this question on SCHTEEVIE's thread, but I thought it deserved a seperate thread. Here goes:

After hitting a plateau at about 10 lbs from my weight-loss goal, I have finally started losing again and I think I'll reach my goal soon. Once I do that, I would like to add some muscle. But its difficult for someone who has been working so hard to lose weight for so long to all of the sudden start adding calories. I guess I'm kind of 'scared' I'll just gain fat instead (which I'm quite good at!) So... any tips for ensuring that I gain as little fat as possible while gaining muscle???

:d_rolleye Thanks,

Yep feel the same here, but im nowhere near my goals yet.
Only thing i could suggest is to slowly increase intake. ie 200cals than normal.

Exactly. Just be patient and add in calories slowly. Make sure they're high quality calories as well. I know that I blow up like a balloon eating junk. Those fat cells never go away. They just shrink.

How much fat are you hoping you can put on in a short period of time?

LOL.

That is a loaded question.

Where you remain has to do with your self-image. Your fear tells me you are still not comfortable being lean ... so that is certainly something to focus on. You want to create the image of the healthy and body you deserve, and remind yourself each and every day. There is a saying I've heard from Fred Lehrman that goes ... "Believe, but don't believe your beliefs." Sounds odd, but we are creatures of habit and programming. If you don't have the concept of you living healthy and lean, create the action and make it a "forced habit" that you consciously decide to do each day. With time, like your other programming (i.e. the programming that caused you to gain weight) you can create a new program - a new belief, if you will - that you are lean and your subconscious will be your best friend with keeping it that way.

To suddenly add even 1 pound of fat, you would have to over-eat 3500 calories. Now, even for former binge eaters like myself, that is quite a feat to achieve. When you embrace this as a lifestyle, you realize you don't have to fear. You can slowly add calories and slowly add weight, and then if you find you are gaining too quickly, trim back before you go too far.

The fear is really not fear of bulking or adding fat. It's fear of letting go and resorting to your former self - of backsliding. So focus on what it truly is, and remind yourself of your power and brilliance, and step into who you DESERVE to be and most importantly, get comfortable with YOU.

I don't know too many people who have to beat themselves up to take a shower or brush their teeth - these are patterns they've created and do almost subconsciously. If you continue to focus on the new you, you can create a subconscious habit of living healthy and being in shape, too, and all you do will move towards that end rather than serving a self-defeating purpose.

Jeremy

What is your weight program like? Do you use heavy weights, compound exercises, using about 70-80% of 1 rep max and minimum rest between sets? Do you get 8 hours sleep a night?

Have you looked around or read any articles or books that cover "bulking"?

I do suggest when you reach goal, you eat at a maintainance level for 6 weeks. While you work up your weight program.

What is your weight program like? Do you use heavy weights, compound exercises, using about 70-80% of 1 rep max and minimum rest between sets? Do you get 8 hours sleep a night?

My workout had consisted of higher volume workouts (lots of 12 rep sets), however I just started trying the Max-OT routine. It seems to have worked for a lot of folks. I also run 2 miles 3X per week and bike/kayak/rollerblade when I can. -- [Did I mention I also work full-time, attend grad school part-time and have a 3 yr old daughter!] :d_eek: -- I get at least 7 hrs per night and I don't feel sleep deprived on that. I usually wake up 10-15 minutes before the alarm goes off and I rarely sleep more than 8 hrs on weekends.

Thanks to everyone for their comments/input.

My workout had consisted of higher volume workouts (lots of 12 rep sets), however I just started trying the Max-OT routine. I also run 2 miles 3X per week and bike/kayak/rollerblade when I can. -- I get at least 7 hrs per night

I am old school, you are now begining a building phase. Your concern before was burning fat or losing weight. Now you want to gain weight but nearly all in muscle. You are going to increase calories.

your workouts are going be directed towards building muscles. You need to use heavy weights about 70 -80% of a 1 rep max. If you can curl one time with a 80 lb barbell, then you would use 55-65 lb barbell for reps. You should do your reps slowly and in proper form. For that curl, hold your elbows close to body, don't heave the weight up, slowly raise it with no body movement. That bicep will do all the work.

I believe it is possible to overtrain, so I recommend keeping the number of sets down. Don't pile on the exercises for body part, try to do it with only two. Sleep is important, maybe you get enough. You might think about not doing cardio for first six weeks, you won't melt and if you work hard enough, you might need the rest.

Look at building a workout from mainly compound exercises. You might try creatine for strength and muscle building.

Having gone through exactly what you are contemplating, lost 31 lbs over 3 months, maintained for 4 months but managed to lose 7 more lbs, then went on a mass gaining 3 months, I know of where you speak. I was very concerned watching the scale go up after months of watching it go down. Other than getting lots of advice on diet and workout routine, I would suggest that you get some body fat callipers, if you don't already have them, and use them weekly to montitor BF and adjust your diet. Even with the callipers I have managed to gain a lot of LBM but also a little more fat than I wanted to.

From my experience, you do have to watch your diet on the switch to calorie surplus. After months of strict calorie deficit it is easy to see the search for extra calories as permission to abandon your discipline. There is lots of advice out there (from experienced bodybuilders) to eat such things as bacon and pancakes for breakfast, etc. to ensure that you get enough calories. After months of deprivation this seemed like license to eat anything as long as I counted calories. Wrong!! I quickly switched back to my regular fat loss diet but had larger pieces of chicken, larger potatoes, etc. You do have to supplement with something though because it is very hard to eat 3200 cals of pure healthy food.

QUOTES I like from this thread:

The fear is really not fear of bulking or adding fat. It's fear of letting go and resorting to your former self - of backsliding. So focus on what it truly is, and remind yourself of your power and brilliance, and step into who you DESERVE to be and most importantly, get comfortable with YOU.

I do suggest when you reach goal, you eat at a maintainance level for 6 weeks. While you work up your weight program.

it is very hard to eat 3200 cals of pure healthy food


I’ve only just started my first ‘real bulk’ because of the same fears. I really believe it’s all in the diet. 1 year ago I was maintaining on about 2200 kcal/day and cutting on 1800. I’m now bulking on ~3000 (2 weeks, then 1 week break and now another 3 weeks) with no discernable fat gain (same average waist measurements) and I think I’m going to have to up it by 200 kcal or more. In fact I just finished a meal, but since I got interrupted at work it took longer than expected and I’m about to start my next on in 20 mins.

I would never have believed I could eat 3000+ cal/day with no cardio and not gain pounds of fat. It’s totally amazing, and a fantastic personal experiment.

Now I can’t tell you exactly how to eat, but from my perspective it is possible to clean bulk. I can also say I find it much easier to eat clean bulking than cutting, but yes 3000+ calories/day of clean food takes its toll and it’s tempting to ditch the 5 cups/day of veggies and 3 or more peices of fruit for something with more calories and less fiber!

I've had to add more carbs in the form of pasta, whole wheat bread and larger portions of yam and basmati rice over my cutting diet as well as upping the fats a bit with more fatty fish, nuts and flax oil (rather than just the gound seeds).