Source
r/keto•
saient

Keto to gain weight? Help!

So I've recently started lifting at the gym again with the goal of gaining weight. I usually go ~3 times a week for about an hour each time, running for 10 minutes and lifting free weight for the rest. I'm also a student so I don't really stay too active during the week except for some hiking/canoeing, and my sleep schedule is definitely not normal.

I'm currently 5' 7" (170cm) and around 155 lbs. I estimate my bf to be around 11%. I have quite a fit lean build and find it very hard to gain weight.

I've calculated that I have to eat around 2500 calories just to start gaining weight, but I usually eat maybe around 1500-1800 and I'm afraid that I'll start to lose muscle. I find it very hard to eat above that amount without feeling like crap and bloated all the time, not to mention I'd be eating about every 3 hours because I can't eat big meals.

Any tips you guys could offer? I should probably stop running and burning extra calories, but I find it a good warmup and I'd also like to gain a bit more endurance as I can only run about 2.5km sustained @ 13km/h until I can't breathe (asthma doesn't help either).

Do I just suck it up and start eating like a beast and feeling like garbage? Should I go a route other than keto and fill up more on carbs? Are there certain foods that will help me out in my goals? Any tips are appreciated.

Posted May 4, 2015, 5:11 AM UTC

412
thadassM/26/6'4" SW: 291 CW: 223 GW: 200•

Have you visited r/ketogains and read the FAQ there?

3
saientOP•

Yeah I'm slowly going through it. Seems like I just need to suck it up and fill myself for a few days and I'll get used to it. I guess I was more looking for things which will easily add on calories (others suggested butter, cream, oils, nuts)

1
anbeav•

It's keto, calories are easy to come by without much added volume-meat, oils, butter, avocado, nuts, cream

Also to bulk you just need a slight surplus which is literally an avocado

What are your meals like?

2
saientOP•

Usually, I'll have a breakfast with 3 eggs, cheese, maybe yoghurt, and a protein shake with some almond milk, 2 tbs peanutbutter, and the 25g protein powder. This is usually my biggest meal at around 800-900 cal

Lunch will be either mixed veggies or salad and like 3-4 oz steak/ground beef. Though I usually eat sirloin or shoulder steak so it's fairly lean.

Dinner will be same thing again pretty much, but due to my fucked up sleep schedule ('dinner' is around 10pm =/), sometimes I'll miss a full meal or make it lighter because I'm not hungry enough.

I'll definitely start adding more oils and butter, avacado to salad, nuts are a good plan too.

1
anbeav•

Yup -fattier meat, oils, butter, avocado, nuts and you'll be on your way

1
sassytaters30/F/5'1" SW 211 ~ CW 142•

What are you eating now that makes you feel overly full? Cook veggies in butter; it's got 100 calories per tablespoon. Heavy whipping cream is great in coffee or in veggies (think creamed spinach, creamed Brussels sprouts). Cheese is 80-120 calories an ounce, and an ounce is small. Don't forget condiments like mayo and ranch dressing. Peanut butter is 190 calories a serving.

2
saientOP•

Usually, I'll have a breakfast with 3 eggs, cheese, maybe yoghurt, and a protein shake with some almond milk, 2 tbs peanutbutter, and the 25g protein powder.

Lunch will be either mixed veggies or salad and like 3-4 oz steak/ground beef.

Dinner will be same thing again pretty much, but due to my fucked up sleep schedule, sometimes I'll miss a full meal, or sometimes steak is too pricey so I'll eat pork or something.

I'll def start cooking in butter, seems like a good way to add calories. I'm not really a fan of heavy dressings on salad, i usually do oil and vinegar. I'll try to add some more oil so its fattier.

1
sassytaters30/F/5'1" SW 211 ~ CW 142•

All good keto foods. Only thing I see you could try tweaking is the almond milk and salad. Almond milk is filling with very few calories. Could you switch that out for heavy cream in the smoothies? A mixture of heavy cream and milk would work. Same thing for the salads; greens and veggies add bulk without many calories; maybe try more meat and cheese and skip the salad on either lunch or dinner. Avocado is calorie dense, too, if you like it.

2
saientOP•

Good idea switching out salad, I'll try that out and sub in some cacciatore salami and cheese.

As for milk/cream, lactose doesn't really agree with me too much as I sometimes break out with too much, but I'll try it for a bit and see if its okay.

Thanks for the suggestions! I appreciate it.

1
jammie2015Bulking on CKD•

I use fatty meats and eggs to get me to 3000kcal then almond butter + whey + almond milk to get another 500-600kcal, eating 2500kcal should be ridiculously easy if you're training hard. I struggle not to go above 4000kcal

I have carbs a couple times a week, roughly 100g, occasionally 200g

1
Teryaki24/M/6'3" SD 12/2/2015 SW: 260 CW: 207 GW: 198•

If you haven't started keto yet, there are other ways to gain weight. Eating is of course the most important thing to do. Start lifting heavy, get a protein or weight gainer supplement, also get creatine to help you with lifting heavier. Once you build a little bit more muscle, your appetite will grow accordingly.

1
saientOP•

What exactly does creatine do? Are there brands you can recommend?

1