Too Many Healthy Fats?

Diet and Nutrition
1

I’m on the Sheiko program from the “Sheiko Shakes up Powerlifting” article, so I train 3X’s per week.
I’m 5’8 and weigh 155lbs at ~10% BF

On days I don’t workout i’ve been going lowER on carbs, but still maintaining a high caloric intake hovering around 3000kcal w/ healthy fats + protein. I’m trying to keep a clean bulk. I understand I’m using a kind of carb cycling, but as an asian ectomorph (how redundant are those 2 adjectives lol) I feel that I’m carb tolerant and will have better progress in my strength and size (NOT w/ added fat) if I switch the extra healthy fats on non-training days w/ low GI carbs like beans…Also, whenever I take in those extra healthy fats on non-training days, I feel that I get acid reflux from it.

So, is the switch from healthy fats to low GI carbs a smart move for a clean bulk?

Also, would there be a big difference by taking in low GI carbs during the night as opposed to healthy fats?

I get my healthy fats from Flameout, natural PB, walnuts, Omega3 eggs, EVOO, and 4% milk cottage cheese. (the natural PB and EVOO really cause the acid reflux even w/ veggies)

2

Can you give us an idea of said macro breakdown?

3

To be quite honest - with 155lbs of bodymass at 5’8" and attempting a ‘clean bulk’ i would say that it would be self-defeating to reduce the ‘good’ fats to add carbs.

Eat BOTH. The good thing about clean eating when bulking is the simple fact you do NOT need to restrict calories at all (and the thought that an ecto would need to restrict calories when trying to grow is beyond my comprehension). You can safely eat until you can eat no more.

Fat gain to some extent, i am sure most will agree, is a necessary evil when trying to maximise muscle… but you are very small for your height - you shouldn’t worry about getting ‘too big’ too fast… just eat. Make sure you get 1g/lb protein… shoot for around 3g/lb carbs… and 0.5g/lb fats - the healthy ones you mentioned are great. This automatically brings calories just above 3000kcal for you - and if you went with the very old but quite useful equation of:

BW x 20kcals for a caloric intake suitable for gaining, then:

155lbs x 20kcal = At least 3100kcal/day.

If you shoot for this with the ratios i suggested, you will be able to gain weight yet as little fat as possible.

This again would be maximised by not combining carbs and fats too often, eating slow digesting carbs and lean proteins… but of course this all makes ‘bulking’ all that much more difficult, as does restricting calories!! lmao!

Maybe you need to be honest with yourself that if you really wanted to be bigger, you wouldn’t be quite so scared at gaining a little fat as you are only 150lbs. IME as a naturally slim guy, who started out considerably lighter than you are now but at the same height - if you really want to get much bigger, you have to really throw yourself into the process 100%. Attempting to bulk while restricting calories to an upper limit and reducing one macro for another - and also eating only clean foods… aint gonna bring you close to a respectable size anytime soon.

This is just my opinion of course, and you may be happy to gain slower than you could with more effort… but it is of course a slow enough process anyway without help in that area!

JJ

4

I hear you Brook. Thanks for the reality bitch-slap lol. I just have a fear that a year down the road of a bulk, I would go down that slippery slope of being a fat guy in the gym constantly reminding himself that he is “bulking” which explains the protruding gut and saggy moobs. I know this is far-fetched, but I hope you can relate to what I’m saying.

And as for my caloric intake, I’m going to quit being a lil “va jay-jay” and bump it up to 3500kcal w/ proper ratio of macronutrients. If no gains, then bump it up higher, but if fat gain (highly doubt) then lower it a few…How long should I wait to see if my change in diet (calorie intake) is working/not working???

5

[quote]pasteee wrote:
I hear you Brook. Thanks for the reality bitch-slap lol. I just have a fear that a year down the road of a bulk, I would go down that slippery slope of being a fat guy in the gym constantly reminding himself that he is “bulking” which explains the protruding gut and saggy moobs. I know this is far-fetched, but I hope you can relate to what I’m saying.

And as for my caloric intake, I’m going to quit being a lil “va jay-jay” and bump it up to 3500kcal w/ proper ratio of macronutrients. If no gains, then bump it up higher, but if fat gain (highly doubt) then lower it a few…How long should I wait to see if my change in diet (calorie intake) is working/not working???
[/quote]

Trust me i really do. The thing is there are many a respected poster - and one in particualr - who swear by gaining masses of fat, and bitch slap anyone who wants to look good for their size. Most likely because they are happy being softer than ripped, they enforce that same morality on everyone else. rong. BB is not about getting Fat. Sure we put fat on, but not at the expense of our health. Moobs are not acceptable for example!

I am a BB and as a naturally lean person i spend more time putting weight on (under a small layer of fat) than taking it off. So i occasionally go into a ‘am i fat?’ stage… however i just look at my peers and realise i am actually not only fat, but leaner than many with more muscle! OR something i find very motivating and helpful is pictures of OFF-SEASON BB’s.

They get fat, that’s for sure… but other than Cutler and Priest who seem to really blow up with cellulite-riddled adipose pockets, all only get to a max of ~15% (by eye)… and some naturally lean ones don’t sway far off 10%.

The point is, being fat is no excuse for bulking, if you look fat - you need to diet some off. If you look muscular with some fat, that is ideal IMO.
If you are gaining masses of fat on a bulkign diet - will you be gfaining muscle? SURE! Could you gain as much muscle with a little less sugar and fat or a little more cardio? Definitely!

As to your plan - like it. Up the cals… eat clean and go from there… i find the Dante method very useful for many, which is simply cutting carbs in the last couple of meals in a day and adding cardio. It wouldn’t work for a slip of a guy like me, but for those who gain very fast - it is perfect.

Brook

6

I’ve been using the Dante method (except for cardio…i’ve recently added cardio) for around 6-12 months. Hopefully the increase in calories w/o changing the ratio of macronutrients will be enough for a good bulk.

7

pastee when i started lifting i was 5’8" 155 ~10% bf as well. I never saw any serious gains until i started to eat 3000+ calories of clean foods. Now im around 190 at a softer 13%, but I have noticed the girls are more interested into me now than when i was at 150. Take Brooks advice and just eat as much as you can, but make sure it is clean, and lift HARD and HEAVY!! You wont be dissapointed.

8

Simple yet effective :slight_smile: