Best foods to increase calories..

joejoem

Im looking to increase my calorie intake, what are the best foods to do this?

Obviously I dont just start adding more mayo to my tuna............

BrianD3

I would like to see the responses to this as I am also looking for relatively healthy foods to boost my calorie intake. I have tried nuts which are very calorie dense due to being high in unsaturated fats. Eg a 100 g bag of hazelnuts contains about 600 calories, >50 g fat, approx 20g protein. Because nuts are calorie dense you don't have to eat a large volume to get a load of calories. In contrast something like brown rice is mostly carbs and to get the same amount of calories you need to eat a lot more (which can be difficult as you might feel full, bloated, not hungry etc.)

joejoem

BrianD3 wrote:

I would like to see the responses to this as I am also looking for relatively healthy foods to boost my calorie intake. I have tried nuts which are very calorie dense due to being high in unsaturated fats. Eg a 100 g bag of hazelnuts contains about 600 calories, >50 g fat, approx 20g protein.

Fart juice IMO

RonanC

As pointed out above, you could increase your fat intake with plenty of fish oil / flax / olive oil / lecithin / enova, etc.

This should be done in line with an appropriate macro breakdown in your overall caloric intake of course e.g. 40/40/20 - P/C/F

joejoem

RonanC wrote:

As pointed out above, you could increase your fat intake with plenty of fish oil / flax / olive oil / lecithin / enova, etc.

This should be done in line with an appropriate macro breakdown in your overall caloric intake of course e.g. 40/40/20 - P/C/F

How do you consume this? Just add to your food? How do you measure the amount your eating? Grams, ml's etc?

g'em

joejoem wrote:

How do you consume this? Just add to your food? How do you measure the amount your eating? Grams, ml's etc?

there's a couple of websites out there that'll help. try www.fitday.com it's free to register. all you do is input daily food intake, it will tell you caloific content, nutritional value, and breakdown daily food intake into protein/carb/fat %'s.

after doing it for a few days you get to know the values for most of your favourite foods so you don't have to keep checking the program.

It'll also help you track your weight changes over time. And coz its American, there's even a daily journal to write down our innermost thoughts and fears about your daily diet

joejoem

Cool thanks. You seem to be everywhere on boards!

joejoem

Is there a difference between good calories/bad calories? Obviously olive oil is different to ice cream etc. Do I base my diet around oils?

RonanC

joejoem wrote:

Is there a difference between good calories/bad calories?

Eh, yes. A fish oil calorie ain't no butter calorie.

You've a lot more researching to do diet wise. There is a plethora of information on previous threads dealing with such issues.

joejoem

Yes but Im finding it difficult to find definite trustworthy answers and the search function doesnt work anymore

Easygainer

Good fatty foods are udo's choice, natural peanut butter (one in health shops not the crap in tesco), olive oil (I drink this in water to up cals...).

Other than that your best bet is to make sure you're hungry enough to eat enough food. Don't snack before proper meals, have protein first in a meal and don't take creatine on non-workout days - I don't care what anyone says, but creo blunts the appetite so I only put it pwo.

g'em

joejoem wrote:

Cool thanks. You seem to be everywhere on boards!

hehe!! not everywhere just here. newly converted gym bunny, and appreciate how difficult it is to get started with diet changes etc.

don't base a diet around oils. although some are essential to your diet (flax oil, fish oils) they're also high in fat. Calories are al basically teh same thing, we just get them from different places. the key is .. and wait for it.. its a cliche... a healthy balanced diet. its like any system, take away one component and the others won't work properly. If you want to up your cals, eat more healthy foods. simple but true. don't stock up on high calorie high fat junk, eat more starches, add a little flax oil to salads, eat two chicken breasts instead of one, drink lots of water to help it all digest, eat mroe nuts (plain not salted, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds are best). if you eat too much fatty junk, you'll get tired and cranky. why do you want to increase your calories anyway? for lifting? to increase bulk? to just put on a bit of weight coz ya wanna ? what you want to do will influence your food requirments. Go on, share, let us know!!!

g'em

joejoem wrote:

Yes but Im finding it difficult to find definite trustworthy answers and the search function doesnt work anymore

sorry, meant to mention this too. everyone will have different diet tips, coz most of us will be doing different things.. I life heavy (for a gurl anyhoo ), so I have to have good protein intake, but I'm trying to reduce body fat and shed a some fat lbs, so I curb my carbs and fat. But say for eg easygainer , he's prob trying to increase mass and so will be able to tell you about weightgainers and creatine, which should only be used when you're doing the resistance training to match it.

The most important thing is to sort out your baseline diet. Once you've discovered what you need to eat on a day to day routine, then figure out how to modify it to suit your needs. Oh, and even if the fats in it aren't the best, there's ALWAYS room for ice-cream in any diet

joejoem

Thanks! Yeah my diet is extremley balanced but my Metabolisim is really high. I'm mildly hypoglysemic (poor spooling I know) so I eat big and regular anyway without putting on weight. I have almost doubled myweights now since I started and I have seen a good change but I would like to build up my chest and shoulders some more. I would like to gain around 8 - 10 kilo's.

At the moment I am eating 600g's carbs - 200 gs protein and I dont know how much calories, I would say around 3000 but I would like to bring that up to 5000 for the next month or so. I am doing weight training 4 nights of the week. My diet is very healthy and to keep the health but increase my carbs and calories I have increased my amounts but I just cant eat anymore (I never thought I would say that) and second to that I dont want to sacrifice my stomach tone, is that stupid? Is that having my cake and eating it or is that possible?

Ive reduced my cardio to a 2 mile run three nights a week at a slow enough pace for the time being but I dont want to do this for long. Any corrections or advice again appreciated!

g'em

*drool* cake.... yum.

sorry, anyhoo, have you tried a weightgainer? they're pretty much protein with lots and lots of carbs (about 1500 cals per serving- one spoonful and that would be my daily intake done and dusted!!!!). Creatine is an option too, but it tends to put on a lot of water weight, so if you cycle it, you'll lose weight as soon as you come off it. Are there any instructors in your gym with good knowledge of weight training? Its surprisingly difficult to put on weight if you just aren't predisposed that way, especially if your metabolism is quicker than a rat on speed anyway.

But taking oils is certainly a good way to start getting more cals, just not too many. Sounds like you have a fair idea what you're up to so maybe some of the other lifters who're lurking around might be able to help a bit more. And nice one on doubling your weights, always good to see progress. I deadlifted 95kg yesterday and I swear I'm still buzzing (in pain, but buzzing!!!) Good luck!!!

joejoem

Jesus thats a good deadlift! You seem to be big into your weights. Unfortunatly I'm not sure of the competence level of the instructors in the gym. They are fine for general fitness but not for lifting. It wouldnt be much of a lifting gym.

Easygainer

g'em wrote:

sorry, meant to mention this too. everyone will have different diet tips, coz most of us will be doing different things.. I life heavy (for a gurl anyhoo ), so I have to have good protein intake, but I'm trying to reduce body fat and shed a some fat lbs, so I curb my carbs and fat. But say for eg easygainer , he's prob trying to increase mass and so will be able to tell you about weightgainers and creatine, which should only be used when you're doing the resistance training to match it.

The most important thing is to sort out your baseline diet. Once you've discovered what you need to eat on a day to day routine, then figure out how to modify it to suit your needs. Oh, and even if the fats in it aren't the best, there's ALWAYS room for ice-cream in any diet

I actually use fairly low carbs to "bulk" up. I've staid 10% or sub10% while putting on 20lbs muscle over the last while. Training days I take a few carb meals but never after 5pm....

I also only take creatine pwo.

I get my protein from pounds and pounds of meat a day, using red meat to up cals etc