I'd like to grow... Eat more carbs?

[Seth]

Hey everyone,

My question is basically what the title says. Im about 5'10, 140lbs and 14% body fat, 16 years old.

So I would like to gain more mass but I want to do it right. Ive always eatin alot of carbs and have started getting more protien in my diet lately. But I dont know what I need. So if I want to gain mass and weight should I eat alot of carbs? Or is there no specific thing to stick to when trying to gain?

Sorry to make it such a lengthy thread for a simple question, But I wanted to be specific. Any comments are appreciated.

-Seth

P.S. Im guessing about 3000 calories a day would be a good amount also. Or am I wrong in thinking this?

[RipStone]

IMO it is important to eat a balanced diet. Each meal besides pre and post work out should include complex carbs, protein, and fat. I used to seperate my p+c meals and p+f meals but I was finding it hard to gain weight eating like that. Ever since I started eating balanced meals I have put on good weight(muscle). Just my 2 cents.

[I. Kay]

A 40/40/20 (Protein/Carbs/Fat) breakdown is a good guide. At your weight, 140-160g protein would be a good idea.

As for the cals, here's a good start:
http://www.weight-loss-i.com/calorie...s-benedict.htm

If you don't see any growth after a few weeks, add more cals!

[Seth]

Well, thanks to both of you. Yall answered my question perfectly.

[Tyler_K]

Make sure you get 1g protein per lb/LBM and your EFAs (think 6 fish oils caps), then do whatever you need to get your calories to the necessary levels be it with carbs or fat.

Calories are what matter most AFTER your get the necessary amount of protein and your EFAs. It doesn't really matter what you eat as long as calories are in check. With that said though, whole grains, fruits, veggies, and unsaturated fats are your best bet for staying healthy long term.

Ratios are irrelevant as they don't really apply to human physiology.

[Seth]

Tyler K - I understand what you just said about the protein, and that means I need about 120 grams of protein a day. But what food source could I use to get this much, Besides cottage cheese?

And some real quick questions: Whats "EFAs"? And could I buy fish oil caps and just take quite a few of them. Or is there any reason for my age or weight that I have a certain limit?

Thanks for the info you've already given to me

-Seth

[RipStone]

Originally posted by Seth:
Tyler K - I understand what you just said about the protein, and that means I need about 120 grams of protein a day. But what food source could I use to get this much, Besides cottage cheese?

And some real quick questions: Whats "EFAs"? And could I buy fish oil caps and just take quite a few of them. Or is there any reason for my age or weight that I have a certain limit?

Thanks for the info you've already given to me

-Seth

I'll try to tackle a few of these questions.

Some good protein sources are boneless/skinless chicken breasts, tuna, extra lean ground beef, and whey protein powder.

Some good healthy fats(EFAs) are natural peanut butter, raw almonds and nuts, fish oil(salmon..also a good protein source), extra virgin oilve oil, and flax seeds/oil.

[Tyler_K]

Originally posted by Seth:
Tyler K - I understand what you just said about the protein, and that means I need about 120 grams of protein a day. But what food source could I use to get this much, Besides cottage cheese?

And some real quick questions: Whats "EFAs"? And could I buy fish oil caps and just take quite a few of them. Or is there any reason for my age or weight that I have a certain limit?

Thanks for the info you've already given to me

-Seth

Ripstone already got it pretty good. [img]smile.gif[/img]

If I were you, I might even bump protein up to 150g a day, but more than that isn't really necessary unless you just like eating protein. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

You're sixteen, don't be afraid to fast food and junk food once in a while too, just don't eat it for every meal. On the other hand, don't neglect your fruits and veggies either, the vitamins and minerals that you will get from these foods will set you up for a long healthy life.

As far as the EFAs go, to cover your bases, I would buy fish oil caps. Most of them will have around 1g of fish oil per capsule, you will want to take six a day.

More than anything, eat, lift, and have fun. Don't obsess about the details. Lift, eat, repeat, and you will grow.

[Tyler_K]

You might want to check this article out as well. It goes into pretty good detail about how to setup a healthy mass gain diet.

http://www.hypertrophy-specific.com/...dex.html#art_1