Tips to eat 4,000 calories a day

[Unvme2]

What’s up bodybuilding family. I am 43. NPC Classic Physique athlete. I have finally qualified for Jr. Nationals 2020 and I know I need to add some quality muscle for next year. What are some tips you guys can suggest to get the calories in? I understand the importance of food when it comes to gaining qualify muscle.
Any good weight gainer shakes anyone suggest?
What small things do you add to meals to pack on calories?
Does anyone use digestive enzymes? Do they help break down the food?
I am extremely focused on make vast improvements and wanted to hear what others do to get those calories down.
Thanks guys!!!

I should also say that I know to get those calories. Not all my meals can be clean but I don’t want to go crazy with the cheat meals. Thank you.

 

[qbkilla]

For me it's natural, I'd need tips to not eat 5 or 6k a day. If 4k seems like a lot to you just eat more calorie dense foods, 4000 is not a lot of calories imo. I'd eat pasta, potatoes, steak, fruit, tilapia ,etc. Since you have a light appetite oatmeal and banana have a ton of cals, 2 packs and 3 banana with cinnamon is 620 right there.

 

[prodaf]

when i tried to up my cals to gain muscle with weight gainer and liquid solutions, it was a discomfort and my physique was ugly. I prefer dense and solid food. You can use digestive enzyme but 4000 cals day is not a burden.

 

[guest1337]

Progressively increase portion sizes, then add a meal, then increase portions, rinse and repeat until able to utilize the food and at your intake as needed.

You gotta incrementally increase it, just like weights. Appetite should follow. If not, evaluate your training and food choices to make sure they're acceptable for your goals and gut motility.

 

[XstarchildX]

Find more calorically dense food.

What are your current macros?

If you have a lower fat intake, I would suggest increasing fats first. Also, take a look at protein. Research has proven that many of us overemphasize the importance of quantity of protein. Of course you need enough but you certainly don't need 400 grams if you're 200lbs.

Dense fats:
Oils
Nut Butters
Seeds
Avocado
Butter
Whole eggs
Whole milk
Bacon
80/20 beef

I would simply look into replacing some high volume, low calorie density foods with some lower volume, high calorie density foods.

 

[Elvia1023]

I should also say that I know to get those calories. Not all my meals can be clean but I don’t want to go crazy with the cheat meals. Thank you.

Not at all. You shouldn't need "dirty" calories to get to 4000. How many calories are you having now? How many meals per day? Depending upon your meals per day which I assume are quite low I would recommend adding 1 meal extra. Then you could increase portion sizes slightly. Just doing that should have you at 4000 calories fairly easy. Just move up gradually but it shouldn't be hard. You must really struggle if you can't get to 4000 so there is the option of having 1 calorie dense meal each day (post workout or pre bed). I would go with my first suggestion though and add in a meal and go from there. There are various other methods you could try later on to ensure calories are where you need them to be at. A very simple one is nut butter a few times per day.

 

[jeroendebleser]

I drink most of my calories from a weight gain powder consisting of oats and whey protein. Works just fine. I can't imagine taking in 5-6000 kcals from solid food only (but I applaud those who do), my stomach is already close to bursting as it is.

 

[Marky Boy]

Up your calories slowly.

Don’t go from 2500 right to 4000 for example

Make slow adjustments

 

[Ashop]

Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

 

[b-boy]

Enough carbs to support training and the rest healthy fats. Fats are over twice the calories as carbs.

 

[kingpeon]

Add a half pint of heavy cream, preferably raw, to every meal. Extra 800 calories per meal. Delicious and easy.

 

[maldorf]

Snacks in-between meals with a protein shake and some healthy nuts for fats.

 

[trainlikeaboss]

4000 is so easy man. 6 eggs. 4 pieces of bacon. 4 slices of toast. 2 packets of oatmeal. A little jelly and butter and that’s 1640 cals. Add a glass of milk even. One meal and you’re almost halfway there.


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[Reload]

This is where the discipline comes in. Every 2-3 hours...your eating. Like a damn clock. Day after month after year. Cook, chew, swallow & repeat. No magic, no secrets, just eat the proper nutrients around the clock to rebuild the muscle tissue broken down during training, get sufficient sleep/rest and most of all...be lucky enough to have been gifted with the genetics to grow muscle tissue on a superior level with organs that can take a beating from the high doses of PED's required to compete on a national stage. That's all. lol

 

[swim15]

4000cals is not that much...when I first started lifting I was doing a gallon of whole milk per day for close to two years just to add cals (on top of ~6 meals and a shake).

If nothing else, just blend up high cal shakes.
Whey
Peanut butter
Chia seeds for fiber
Milk or, preferably, nut milks
Cocoa powder
Ice cream for the real hard gainers
Fruit

Lots of stuff can be thrown in for high caloric density meals

 

[Smack]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBE9s8ZpU88"]The Secret Diet for Gaining Weight - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Unvme2]

Thanks guys. I have never tracked my macros for a bulk. I wanted to start with 4000 and take it from there. Thanks guys. Really appreciate the help. Competing nationally I know I need to step my game up a bit.

 

[Unvme2]

4,000 just seemed like a big number to me. Counting calories for a prep is easy but when I normally bulked. I just ate to eat. But this time around. Looking to take a more detailed approach to my bulking.


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[maldorf]

4,000 just seemed like a big number to me. Counting calories for a prep is easy but when I normally bulked. I just ate to eat. But this time around. Looking to take a more detailed approach to my bulking.


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Smart move and should help you to avoid putting on too much bodyfat. Slow increases in calories over a long period of time will do it best, like others said.

In the past I was guilty of eating too much, trying to put on muscle and just ended up getting too fat. I was eating fairly strict too, lots of chicken breast and never weighed a thing. I would eat 2 or 3 giant chicken breasts for a meal and do that 3 times a day or more. Now my meal is about 1/2 to 1 chicken breast, just 130 grams.

 

[Unvme2]

Smart move and should help you to avoid putting on too much bodyfat. Slow increases in calories over a long period of time will do it best, like others said.

In the past I was guilty of eating too much, trying to put on muscle and just ended up getting too fat. I was eating fairly strict too, lots of chicken breast and never weighed a thing. I would eat 2 or 3 giant chicken breasts for a meal and do that 3 times a day or more. Now my meal is about 1/2 to 1 chicken breast, just 130 grams.

Thanks brother.