Suggestions re approach for ectomorph page

[shyguy]

Hi everyone!

I have been down this track of trying different aproaches to diets before and never had reall success...

I am an ectomorph and struggle to gain weight... if i do gain weight then it will go very quick if i dont maintain whatever it is i was doing... can be very difficult with a full time job and all the other responsibilities of life... i would love to go live in the wilderness but it simply isnt an option...

I have tried cutting down on carbs but it is a huge struggle and usually leaves me feeling hungry all the time and a bit woozy... i could go through a huge steak and a bucket of veggies and i would find myself hungry again very soon after...

i cant stomach eggs... i have tried on a number of occasions... and dairy doesnt agree with me and leaves me bloated...

potatoes seem to be great for picking my energy back up and lasting... plus i have found lately that if i eat something like a bacon sandwhich before bed then i will sleep much better... else if my food consumption drops off then i can find myself waking around 5am...

i sometimes wonder if my body type is part of evolutionary phase into consuming a high fat diet much like my English ancestors who used to spread dripping on bread and then add extra salt... lol!

everything these days is 99% fat free!!! arghhh...

i also only really drink water and wonder if because i dont drink soft drinks i am missing out on the extra calories???

its so annoying not being able to go too long without eating!!!!

any suggestions or personal experiences that relate to my situation....?

[tommyho1]

your dependence on food and its current effects that it is having on your body is probably stemming from a lifetime of carbs and snacking. so your body is used to having a constant influx of food. you need to stop this trend!

i used to be in exactly the same situation as you (and i still am to some extent). i would eat a lot, but always be hungry. and then why i tried to put muscle on my skinny frame it was really difficult and fell away too easily. that was on a high carb, high protein, no fat diet.

since going primal and going low carb, high fat, high protein i am both gaining loads of muscle and can just about survive on 3 big meals a day without having terrible symptoms of hunger in between. it has taken a good number of months to make this shift happen and i am still not there yet. i still get hungry pretty quick, but not like i used too. in terms of your meals, keep hitting the protein and trhen add a load of fat and veggies in there. i promise you that after a while, your body will re-tune itself. stick with it.

i take it you are exercising and lifting heavy things? if this is the case then what works for me is piling in the food straight after a work out (carbs and all - extra potato/rice) and then having smaller/regular sized meals the rest of the time. this hit of nutrtion seems to do the trick straight after a work out.

[yodiewan]

I agree with tommyho that eating post-workout with plenty of carbs (and protein) is where it's at. For a few years, my weight was stuck around 150 (5'11") and whenever I did gain a few pounds, it would dissappear pretty quickly. What's worked for me is progressive heavy lifting and just getting used to eating more. I've been following Leangains for the past 6-7 months and the results are great. I'm in the 165 pound range and have maintained this weight for about a year. I still lose pretty easily if I go on vacation for more than a few days. I guess it's a combination of lack of heavy lifting and smaller meals.

[jfreaksho]

That woozy/tired feeling you get is because of blood glucose rising and crashing. It takes a few weeks or more (I saw 40 days in some scientific-looking paper, but I forgot where) to adjust to burning fat rather than carbs as primary fuel. That transition period will suck at different levels for different people.

That being said, some people don't do well on low-carb and worse on very low-carb. What is your current diet like?

[belinda]

Bacon sandwich? How about a few slices of bacon and half a potato with a dab of butter?

If you're looking for something to drink to add a few calories, how about an almond milk/banana/blueberry smoothie or a protein shake. Either of these would be preferable to a diet soda and would give you some nutrients to boot!

I have an ectomorph daughter and I'm always looking for ways to get her to put on a pound or two.

[shyguy]

My physical activity levels dropped off a lot when i started working in IT.

To be honest im not that bothered about gaining weight, although it would be nice. Its more about not feeling like im chasing each meal and when i get hungry it hits me real quick and then desperately need to eat!

As an example of diet, yesterday i had the following:
Pear, 2 pieces of white bread, milky bar.
Chicken schnitzel, fries, salad, gravy.
Carrot cake.
Quarter chicken, fries, salad, gravy.
Small slice apple pie.

One thing i dont get re the whole staying away from grains thing is that people say that they are the cause for obesity. But i can eat heaps of grains without putting on much weight. So is it still bad for my body type then if i am obviously burning it quickly cos of my metabolism?

Is there a link to the different foods to eat on the primal food plan?

[belinda]

Yikes! If you put that meal into Fitday I hate to think what the results would be. Way too many grain-based and sugar carbs ... and that's why you can't get off them.

Think meat and eggs or cottage cheese for breakfast - you want a nice helping of protein and fat. Then meat and greens and maybe a piece of fruit for lunch. If you need a carb here, acceptable choices would be potato, sweet potato, squash of some sort or white rice. Dinner would be similar to breakfast or lunch. Put butter or olive oil on your food.

If you need something quick, think smoothies or protein shakes, a handful of nuts (no peanuts), a few pieces of dark chocolate, or some beef jerky.

What you are doing is NOT primal and your current diet totally sucks

[tommyho1]

im not sure if i understand what is going on here?? either you are taking the p*ss out of the primal lifestyle or you are a bit stupid.

why are you on this website and making threads in the forum if that is what you are eating? all your problems are stemming from the fact that you are shoving that crap down your face hole everyday. if you are being serious that you want to try sort it out, then read more on this site.

[Apex Predator]

I would start by eating food instead of poison.

[shyguy]

Im being very serious! One thing i notice in the meal examples is they often refer to eggs and dairy which i cant eat. What can i substitute for those?

tommyho1
I dont come on a forum and take the piss! I know that was not in keeping with the primal way but i was asked what i was eating and that was the closest day of meals i could remember. You dont need to be rude!

I started this thread because as i have noted i have tried these dietary changes before with out much success and then i end up going back to eating whatever is around and easy.