Overcoming the Challenges of Consuming High Amounts of Food for Muscle Building
Understanding Muscle Building
Building muscle requires more than just hitting the gym; it demands a strategic approach to nutrition.
For many, consuming a surplus of calories to support muscle growth can be a daunting task. Yet, it's not just those in a caloric deficit who face challenges; individuals in a surplus aiming to add some muscle mass can find themselves struggling with food intake as well. But before I share my nutrition tips, let's first explore the basic principles of muscle building.
Muscle building, also known as muscle hypertrophy, is the process of increasing the size and strength of your muscles through targeted exercise and nutrition. At its core, muscle growth is governed by the principle of progressive overload, which entails gradually increasing the intensity, volume, or resistance of your workouts over time to stimulate muscle adaptation.
Key Principles of Muscle Growth
Resistance Training:
Engaging in strength training exercises that target major muscle groups is essential for stimulating muscle growth. Compound exercises, which involve more than one joint movement, such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and rows, recruit multiple muscle groups simultaneously. When combined with isolation exercises, which focus on only one joint movement, you can maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
Progressive Overload:
Continuously challenging your muscles with progressively heavier weights, higher repetitions, or more challenging variations is crucial for ongoing muscle stimulation and growth. Gradual increments in intensity prevent plateaus and ensure consistent progress.
Nutrition:
Providing your body with adequate nutrients (ideally calorie mainntenence or surplus) particularly protein, is vital for supporting muscle repair and growth. Aim to consume a balanced diet rich in lean proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals to fuel your workouts and facilitate recovery.
Rest and Recovery:
Allowing sufficient time for rest and recovery is as important as the workouts themselves. Muscles grow and repair during periods of rest, so prioritize quality sleep, manage stress levels, and incorporate rest days into your training regimen to optimize results.
Eating in a Calorie Surplus
We know, as several studies have shown, that building muscle in a calorie deficit is possible, but it's not ideal. It is mostly achievable for those who are starting to exercise for the first time or for those who are returning to exercise after a longer break. The initial phase of training, often referred to as 'newbie gains,' yields the most significant results. While it is also possible for more experienced individuals to build muscle in a deficit, the circumstances are typically not ideal, and they may struggle to add more muscle mass over time.
Eating in a calorie surplus is a key component of muscle building, as it provides the necessary energy and nutrients to support muscle growth and repair.
A calorie surplus occurs when you consume more calories than your body expends over a certain period, typically a day or a week. When you're in a calorie surplus, your body has an abundance of energy available, which it can allocate towards muscle growth and repair.
This surplus of energy enables your muscles to recover more efficiently from strenuous workouts and facilitates the synthesis of new muscle tissue.
Nutrient Timing
While being in a calorie surplus is important for muscle building, the timing and composition of your meals also play a crucial role. Consuming a balanced diet that includes an adequate amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats is essential for supporting muscle growth.
PROTEIN
s especially crucial for muscle building, as it provides the necessary amino acids that serve as the building blocks for muscle tissue. An adequate intake of protein, combined with resistance training, is essential for promoting muscle protein synthesis. Aim to include a source of protein in each meal, such as lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and plant-based protein sources like vegan protein blen, tofu and tempeh.
Recommended daily protein intake: 1.6-2+ g/kg (based on individual needs and circumstances)
A recent (2023) protein study has demonstrated that there is no upper limit to the amount of protein that can be utilized for muscle protein synthesis within a single feeding. Opting for high-protein meals following exercise is advantageous for prolonging muscle protein synthesis.
CARBOHYDRATS
are the body's primary source of energy, making them essential for fueling intense workouts and replenishing glycogen stores in the muscles. Including carbohydrates such as grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes in your diet can provide sustained energy levels and support muscle recovery.
Adequate carbohydrate intake before exercise can enhance strength during the training session. Ensure you choose a carbohydrate source that is easy to digest and allow enough time for your stomach to avoid nausea.
If you train fasted in the morning, I recommend having a higher carbohydrate meal as your last meal of the day before to provide energy for the session.
FATS
are important for hormone production and overall health, but they also play a role in supporting muscle growth. Incorporate sources of unsaturated fats such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil into your diet to ensure adequate fat intake.
Recommended minimal daily intake: ~25% of overall calories
Unfortunately, while in a caloric surplus — consuming more calories than the body expends — it's inevitable to gain a certain amount of body fat. Fats are prioritized for storage as body fat as they require minimal conversion. Therefore, excess calories, particularly from fats, are readily stored in adipose tissue.
While fats are essential and beneficial, they contain more than twice the calories per gram compared to protein and carbohydrates. Therefore, during a surplus, it's advisable to aim for a moderate intake of fats to prevent excessive accumulation of body fat.
Creating the optimal surplus
The size of your calorie surplus can impact the rate of muscle gain. A moderate surplus, typically around 200-500 calories above your maintenance level, is generally recommended for optimizing muscle growth while minimizing excess fat gain. However, individual factors such as metabolism, activity level, and genetics can influence the ideal surplus size for each person.
It's essential to monitor your progress when eating in a calorie surplus to ensure that you're gaining muscle mass effectively. Tracking changes in strength, muscle size, and body composition can help you adjust your calorie intake as needed to achieve your goals without excessive fat gain.
I recommend starting from maintenance calories and gradually increasing calorie intake to reach an optimal state for muscle building.
Use my CALORIE & MACRO CALCULATOR to calculate your daily calorie requirement.
As you can see, building muscle requires more than just hitting the gym; it demands a strategic approach to nutrition. For many, consuming a surplus of calories to support muscle growth can be a daunting task.
Yet, it's not just those in a caloric deficit who face challenges; individuals aiming to add muscle while in a surplus may also struggle with food intake.
One common hurdle is the feeling of fullness. It's ironic —trying to pack in more food when you're already feeling stuffed can seem counterintuitive. However, progress often happens outside our comfort zones, and pushing past this discomfort is essential for growth.
Strategies to Reduce Fullness in Calorie Surplus
While many people struggle with weight loss, there are also those who face challenges in gaining weight due to their high activity levels or fast metabolism. Over the past years of coaching, I've had the privilege to work with a few individuals in this situation.
Strategies to navigate the difficulties of consuming high amounts of food
1.Make protein feedings less filling:
While protein has a higher satiating effect among the three macronutrients, prioritizing protein sources is crucial for muscle building even in a surplus. However, we can make protein sources less filling by opting for certain approaches:
- Choose liquid protein sources, such as whey protein shakes, yogurt, or milk.
- Opt for high-calorie protein sources like salmon or chicken thighs, which are rich in protein and healthy fats, thereby increasing their overall calorie content.
- Prepare meat in a way that makes it easier to chew and quicker to digest, such as stewing it until it falls apart on your fork or opting for ground meat over steak. Foods like hamburgers, chili, and picadillo are great options for bulking due to their easier digestibility.
2. Lower fibre content
When you're in a surplus, there's no need to maintain a high fiber intake. Recommended fiber intake in a surplus is around 10g for every 1000 calories. Exceeding this amount can strain your digestive system.
Here are some tips to maintain a healthy diet while reducing fiber intake:
- Opt for White Foods: While brown rice is often touted as healthier due to its higher fiber content, white rice is a suitable alternative. It's cheaper, less filling, quicker to prepare, easier to digest, and lower in fiber, which can be beneficial when reducing fiber intake.
- Choose Fruits Over Vegetables: Contrary to popular belief, both fruits and vegetables are equally healthy sources of fiber and phytonutrients. However, fruits tend to be higher in calories and natural sugars, making them more suitable for individuals looking to gain weight. The natural sugars in fruits are contained within plant cells and typically don't have negative health effects.
- Blend High-Fiber Foods: Leafy greens are nutritious but can be very filling due to their high fiber content. Blending them into smoothies can break down their fibrous structure, making them easier to digest and reducing their volume in the stomach. This allows for easier consumption while still reaping the health benefits of leafy greens.
3. Consider liquid calories
Liquid calories can be easier to consume than solid food, especially for those struggling with appetite. Smoothies, shakes, and meal replacement drinks can provide a convenient way to boost calorie intake without feeling overly full.
While water intake also important over the day, but having with meals can be very filling. Have your water between meals and if you’re feeling thirsty during a meal, I’d recommend having some milk or juice instead. That way the fluid you’re drinking is smuggling in some calories along with the water. Keep in mind that most fluids, and even many foods, contain plenty of water. That water is still hydrating.
Blend up fruits with yogurt, milk, or protein powder. You’ll get all the same nutrients, but they’ll be far less filling.
4. Opt for Easily Digestible Foods:
Choose meals that are gentle on the stomach and easy to digest.
You can improve the chewability and digestibility of food sources with simple preparation methods:
- Slow-cook meat until it's tender enough to fall apart on your fork, or opt for ground meat instead of steak.
- Cook your vegetables instead of consuming them raw. Cooking is a form of healthy processing that aids digestion, allowing your body to extract more calories with less strain on your digestive system.
- Blending fruits, vegetables, and protein sources like protein powder or yogurt is also an effective method to enhance digestibility and make meals easier to consume.
5. Incorporate Higher Sugar Content Foods:
While it's crucial to prioritise nutrient-dense foods, incorporating higher sugar content foods strategically can help boost calorie intake without overwhelming your stomach. Snacks like dried fruits, bananas, and honey provide quick energy and can be easily added to meals or consumed as snacks throughout the day.
6. Vary the flavours in your food:
While reducing food variety can be beneficial in a calorie deficit, increasing the variety of flavors in your diet can help you consume more in a surplus.
It's easiest to bulk up when your meals are consistent, consuming the same flavors repetitively can lead to flavor fatigue. Therefore, try to add variety through spices, sauces, and toppings. Some of these additions may contain calories, often from sugar, but they enhance the calorie content of your food without sacrificing the vitamins, minerals, and fiber it contains.
7. Combine smaller meals into one mega-meal:
Combining smaller meals into one mega-meal, known as the buffet effect, can lead to increased calorie consumption. This phenomenon occurs when individuals have access to a greater variety of foods and flavors, leading them to consume more calories. For example, having a homemade burger with potatoes for dinner, accompanied by a beverage and a small dessert, can contribute to a larger meal. Larger meals take longer to digest, but consuming them at night allows your body to digest them while you sleep.
Maintaining Gut Health in Surplus
While aiming for higher calorie food and meal options, it's advisable to base around 80% of your calories on whole foods.
This means it's generally acceptable to indulge in dessert after dinner most nights, and occasional indulgences like pizza are fine. However, the majority of your diet should consist of whole foods, providing ample vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, prebiotics, and probiotics, while minimizing gas, bloating and digestive issues.
To ensure a healthy balance of gut bacteria, incorporating fermented foods rich in probiotics into your diet is recommended. These include sauerkraut, hard cheeses, yogurt, kefir, kimchi, and miso, etc.
Consuming more of these probiotic sources can help reduce digestion issues. Hard cheeses, yogurt, and milk-based kefir are also calorie-dense and high in protein, making them excellent options for bulking while being easy to digest.
Best Food Sources in Surplus
Lean meat is high in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals. Leaner cuts are lower in saturated fat. Eg. extra-lean ground meat, white fish, shrimp, and chicken breast.
Fatty fish is high in protein and rich in omega-3s (such as EPA and DHA). These omega-3s reduce imflammation and support our overall health. Eg. salmon, seabass
Eggs are high in protein and rich in healthy fats and micronutrients.
Fermented dairy is rich in protein, calcium, and probiotics. Probiotics are great for our digestion, which is key when bulking. Eg. cheese, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and kefir.
Other fermented foods are rich in probiotics, too. Eg. sauerkraut, miso, natto, tempeh, kombucha, and kimchi.
Whole grains and legumes are nutritious starchy carbs. They’ll pump your muscles full of glycogen, improving your workout performance and supporting muscle growth. They’re also rich in soluble fibre, which regulates blood sugar, blood lipids, and digestion. Eg. corn, quinoa, oats, beans, lentils, soybeans, peanuts, and rice.
Fruits and berries are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, phytonutrients, and antioxidants. They’re also a nutritious source of unprocessed sugar, giving us the energy to lift and grow. Eg. bananas, mangoes, papayas, apples, pears, oranges, limes, and mixed berries.
Fibrous vegetables are pitifully low in calories but make up for it by being rich in fibre, along with wide range of micronutrients. Many are rich in nitrates, improving blood flow, giving you bigger muscle pumps, and increasing muscle growth. Eg.carrots, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, beets, and peas. Cooking them reduce their fibre content makes them easier to digest.
Low fibre carbohydrats: lower in fiber content compared to their whole grain counterparts, making them easier on the digestive system. Eg. White rice, white bread product, white pasta, Refined Breakfast Cereals (e.g., Corn Flakes), Cornmeal, Rice cakes, cereal bars, crackers.
Nuts and seeds are rich in healthy fats, protein, and fibre and packed full of micronutrients. Eg.walnuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
Herbs, spices, and garnish add flavour and nutrients to your meals. Many of them have interesting health benefits. Eg. garlic, onions, diced tomatoes, pepper, turmeric, oregano, cilantro, mint, hot peppers, and soy sauce.
Sauces and dips are another way to add joy to your meals. Many of them are quite nutritious. Eg. honey, jams, mustard, nut butter, soy sauce, hot sauce, tahini, homemade mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, hummus, salsa, Tzatziki, and guacamole.
Oils have the highest energy density of any food. Extra virgin olive oil is great for drizzling on salads and veggies. Avocado oil is great for cooking with.
Coffee and tea are natural sources of caffeine and rich sources of phytonutrients. They’re quite healthy, provided you keep them away from bedtime.
Fruit juices can enhance the flavor and nutritional content of your meals while contributing to hydration, plus they contain calories from sugar, which can add to your overall calorie intake.
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