r/gainit

i've been trying to gain a little more weight with gym and a 3000 calorie diet (which is 300 cals more than i need for maintenance), but i havent been able to get even near that, always ending up between 2000-2300 calories. ive been eating a lot of protein, and while it makes my body more solid with the gym, it makes me so full i cant really bulk and get all my calories in. ive had around 140g of protein daily for 2 weeks rn and ive gained barely a pound. im 6'0 and 158lbs for perspective.

I am 5'11" and 61 kg, ive been pretty thin almost the entirety of my life and for the last month Ive been eating at least 2.8k calories per day, I would also workout 5 times a week, ive gained 3 kg since september and noticed some difference in my torso, but also ive noticed my face getting a lot fatter, i compared 2 pictures and i can tell my jawline is just getting less and less noticeable, would the reason be that I am eating fatty food a lot more than healthy food

Greetings Gainers,

THE PROBLEM

• Gainers frequently lament the “food” aspect of the gaining process, and specifically the obtaining, cooking and preparing of it in a manner that supports the goal of gaining.

• Quite frequently, these gainers are young, inexperienced in manners of cooking, and restricted in access to cooking equipment. They are operating out of dorm rooms with “no cooking” rules, or share a living space with others with a desire to not create noise/clutter, or, even with full access to equipment, they lack the knowledge and confidence to be able to actually cook food in a manner that it is both enjoyable to eat and has a low probability of giving the eater some manner of botulism.

THE SOLUTION

• Enter the sous vide circulator.

WHAT IS SOUS VIDE?

• “Sous vide” translates from French to mean “cooked in a vacuum”, which, in turn, refers to a cooking method wherein food is vacuum sealed and then cooked by being immersed in water.

WHAT IS A SOUS VIDE CIRCULATOR?

• One of these babies!. There are plenty more out there, but I figure most folks can access amazon. Prime days are coming up too!

• A sous vide circulator is an electronic plug in device that clips onto a pot/container filled with water. It’s specific function is to keep the water at a consistent temperature while also keeping it in constant circulation/movement. Contrast that with a slowcooker, which does not maintain a consistent set temperature and leaves the water stagnant.

WHY IS THIS THE SOLUTION?

• The sous vide circulator requires no flame source and maintains a consistent temperature while occupying a very small amount of space. Additionally, because the food that is cooked by sous vide is vacuum sealed, there is no odor while it is cooking. This means food can be cooked in a small/shared space without fear of upsetting co-residents, alerting “the authorities” to one’s activities, and in a manner wherein the food is cooked to the EXACT temperature (to the degree) that the individual wants to cook it to. There is no guesswork or need to monitor the cooking as it occurs: just put the food in a vacuum sealed bag, put it in the water, turn on the circulator, and come back when you need the food.

• To the point that you can use sous vide circulators for multiple DAY cooks. I’ve had one run for over 48 hours to produce a VERY wonderful brisket and ribs.

• This also opens up the opportunity for VERY easy meal prep, as one can seal up large batches of food, give it a sous vide bath, take it out, hit it with an ice bath to instantly chill it (you don’t want it to slowly get to room temp, as this increases risk of bacteria growth) and store in the fridge or freezer for later use.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

• The immediate question is “won’t I need a vacuum sealer as well?”, to which the immediate answer is “No, but it’s nice to have”. You DO want to ensure that there is as little air as possible in the vessel you are cooking the food in, as otherwise, you’re not sous viding it, but just “boiling it in a bag”, but there are plenty of “DIY vacuum sealer” hacks out there that you can employ with just traditional ziplock bags (get the heavy duty ones, to be able to withstand the temps of the sous vide bath), to include sucking all the air out with a straw and a water immersion trick.

• The follow-on question is “Don’t you need an oven/stove/smoker/grill to finish off the food?”, to which, again, “No, but it’s nice to have.” Once the food is done in the sous vide, it’s fully cooked and ready to eat. It just doesn’t LOOK great, nor will it have the same texture that comes from traditional cooking methods. But if you’re in a situation where cooking is NOT permittable, the sous vide will render you plenty of safe and enjoyable cuisine.

• And finally “Do I need a sous vide container?” Again, “No, but it’s nice to have.” I did all my initial sous vide cooking using the metal pot from my instant pot, and have seen all manner of jury-rigging to make them work, to include cooking in bathtubs, plastic storage containers, etc. Just make sure your container can withstand the temp of your cook (especially concerning if it’s a plastic container)

• The other self-perpetuating benefit of the sous vide is that cheaper cuts of meat tend to respond better to “low and slow” cooking approaches, in order to render the fat into a gelatin state, which can’t be accomplished with fast approaches like a microwave/frying on the stove top. This will open up avenues to make the most of these cheaper cuts, which will save on costs compared to buying more premium cuts that respond better to faster methods.

WHAT CAN I COOK WITH A SOUS VIDE CIRCULATOR?

• Just about anything. Seriously, “Sous Vide Everything” is the absolute right name for that youtube channel and Guga is the man. I learned a lot from him.

• I use my sous vide circulator pretty much every week, multiple times per week, and have cooked steaks (sirloin, filet mignon, ribeye [to include a 3lb tomahawk], chuck, etc), ribs (beef, pork and lamb), pork chops, chicken thighs/breasts, beef cheek, burgers, brisket, rib fingers, corned beef (yeah, that’s also brisket, but still), leg of lamb, and many many more.

• And yes, this means, if it’s what you REALLY want gainers: you can cook chicken, rice and broccoli. But man: why would you?

SUMMARY/OPEN FOR QUESTIONS

• A sous vide circulator is idiot proof, produces minimal noise/odor, works in a confined space, and makes large batches of food at low price points. It offers a total “no excuses” solution to the question of how can I find the time and ability to cook all the food I need to eat in order to gain.

1yr ago i was struggling to mantain a proper train routine, i was bored, didnt want to go to the gym, was cycling way more than working out. I saw a lot of recommendations about shorter routines, so i gave a shot and got the min max phase 1 program from Jeff Nippard and OH BOY.

This program gave me back the love for working out, the routine is 2 series and almost always going to failure, my sessions take around 45~60 minutes if i add some cardio and abs in the routine, but is quick, is really fun to do.

another thing is if i wake up and dont feel going to the gym i dont go, i do some stretches, make a good breakfast, enjoy my morning reading, 7/10 times i do this i get that feeling in the end of the day like "i want to workout". I still cycle a lot, around 200km(120miles)/week.

Im not shredded, my body isnt aesthetic, but im in my best health/shape ever.

im more of a lurker here, but i see a lot of posts, some ppl being shredded as fuck, some people just gaining weight and muscles, this changed the way i saw the gym and working out, i dont have the discipline to be shredded, but i have the discipline to be healthy, so thats my main goal rn, reach my 30's healthy and active

Thanks r/gainit

my stats at that time were Male 28, 75kg(165 pounds), 1,81cm(5'11)

rn im Male 29, 70kg(155 pounds), 1,81cm(5'11)

OBS: i lost some weight because i was nervous af in the preparations of my marriage

What have been your victories this week? Have you made good progress? Set a new lift PR? Enacted a new habit that is helping you greatly? Post it here!