smp, the workouts are important, yes, because properly done, they provide a stimulus for growth. But as you’ve seen, the responses have been mostly about about eating and getting enough food.
My recommendation is that you start getting a bit more organized where your nutrition and eating patterns are concerned. You need to commit to the basics; i.e., 6 meals a day, every 3 hours, protein every meal, good PWO nutrition, quality carbs correctly timed.
Part of it is education. As P-Dog said, “READ”!!! Read everything by John Berardi about nutrition. That takes care of the self-education and taking your knowledge to the next higher level.
The other thing I would recommend is that you start a food log. It doesn’t have to be complicated, but if you want to take control of your body composition (muscle to fat ratio), the only way you’re going to be successful is if you know exactly what you’re putting into your body, how many grams of protein and fat and carbs you’re getting per day. With that knowledge, you’ll be able to tweak and fine-tune things and get the results you’re looking for. Chris Shugart wrote a great article on how to keep a food log. Check it out at Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION.
“…forcing myself to eat as much as I possibly can” isn’t going to get you to where you want to go. It just won’t.
The last thing I was going to say is that once you have your plan (i.e., how much you’re going to eat and what), you need to invest in 5 Tupperware containers and make up your meals to take with you to work. That’s what successful people do. If you don’t have what you need with you, you’re going to skip meals or eat whatever is available, even if that’s a bag of chips and a Coke or a donut out of the box that keeps calling your name because you left home without eating breakfast because you were running late.
Take control. Take charge. Plan & prepare.
Start also with JB’s article, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Nutritional Programs, Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION.
The answer lies in the intersection of knowledge and application. All the information you need is available here on this web site. Once you know what you need to do, just do it. That’s where most people drop the ball; in the area of APPLYING what they’ve learned.
Good luck to you. If you have any other questions, don’t hesitate to ask.