I'm having a difficult type building mass while staying primal :( page 3

[RichMahogany]

Milk or no milk, you gotta eat way, way, way more. You don't have to forget about primal, but you may have to stretch your parameters. And lower the vegetable intake. The volume and caloric sparsity will inhibit your ability to put calories in your body. I've been eating my ass off on primal or borderline primal foods (white rice, white potatoes, even peanut butter on occasion), and drinking 1/2 to 1 gallon of milk a day. I've gained 25 pounds in just about 2 months, and about half of that is lean mass. The rest will come off all the more easily once I stop stuffing myself. And yes, I spend a decent portion of the day wanting to ralph, so I plan the heaviest face-stuffings in the morning and work out in the afternoon once I've digested enough to hold it down when I'm squatting or jiu-jitsuing.

[elektro]

I don't agree with all the people saying to eat, eat, eat to the point of discomfort and to stuff yourself with carbs and milk. First off, what kind of weight do you want to gain, muscle or fat&water weight?!? Next, do you want to do anything that is not sustainable? Even if you get the results you want from doing this, do you really think you will be able to maintain it longterm? Do you want to fatten yourself up then have to struggle to shed the fat off later?

I would say eat a moderate amount of carbs but don't go overboard and hit the weights hard. Increase you calorie consumption, try to make a conscious effort to eat more often, larger quantities, more calorie dense food, protein, fat, ect. Eating more will increase your ability to eat more, as will lifting weight, but do it gradually and make sure that it feels natural the whole time, don't force feed yourself to the point of being in pain. Also, you can put weight on with Leangains but it will be muscle, not fat. I put on over 10 lbs on leangains while shredding more than 2 inches off my waist at the same time.

[RichMahogany]

I don't agree with all the people saying to eat, eat, eat to the point of discomfort and to stuff yourself with carbs and milk. First off, what kind of weight do you want to gain, muscle or fat&water weight?!?

It's not impossible to gain muscle while losing/maintaining fat, but it's damnably hard. For hardgainers, it's all but impossible. The OP needs to eat more.

Next, do you want to do anything that is not sustainable? Even if you get the results you want from doing this, do you really think you will be able to maintain it longterm? Do you want to fatten yourself up then have to struggle to shed the fat off later?

Not gonna happen. We're not talking about an obese person. We're talking about a stick figure (no offense).

I would say eat a moderate amount of carbs but don't go overboard and hit the weights hard. Increase you calorie consumption, try to make a conscious effort to eat more often, larger quantities, more calorie dense food, protein, fat, ect. Eating more will increase your ability to eat more, as will lifting weight, but do it gradually and make sure that it feels natural the whole time, don't force feed yourself to the point of being in pain. Also, you can put weight on with Leangains but it will be muscle, not fat. I put on over 10 lbs on leangains while shredding more than 2 inches off my waist at the same time.

Congratulations, but obviously you had 2 inches off your waist to lose. It's a whole different ballgame for someone who's super skinny to begin with. Lifting and overeating for a while is not going to make the OP fat. Trying to walk the tightrope of muscle gain and fat-loss (or fat stabilization) will end in poor/no strength gains and poor/no weight gains for him. There's nothing for him to recomp. He has to gain.

[samiamm]

Trying to walk the tightrope of muscle gain and fat-loss (or fat stabilization) will end in poor/no strength gains and poor/no weight gains for him. There's nothing for him to recomp. He has to gain.

Yeah, I've kind of learned this the hard way already :\


It's all gravy though, once I get back in this gym on Monday after TG break, I'm gonna be a MONSTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PaleoAP]

Yes, I've gained 25 lbs since starting paleo about 2 years ago. Eat fattier cuts of meat and get in plenty of starch. It wasn't even that difficult and I'm far from a beginner athlete as I've been lifting weights since early high school.

[Emmet Fitz-Hume]

To those who added mass while increasing carbs and fat: did the extra consumption of carbs have any adverse effects on your health (primarily cholesterol, BP, blood sugar)?

[Gorbag]

To those who added mass while increasing carbs and fat: did the extra consumption of carbs have any adverse effects on your health (primarily cholesterol, BP, blood sugar)?

If training hard for several hours per day, you burn off the carbs very quickly, and the only adverse effect I have noticed of carbs, after the age of forthy, is that wheat products tend to make me gassy. Especially fresh bread affects me negatively. Carbs from potatoes and fruits are no problems...