"I can't gain weight, my metabolism is too high"
Bulking doesn’t have to be an expensive endeavor. A common misconception is that if you are eating more food, you have to spend more money. On the surface level you could be right, however, if you shop intelligently, you will be able to maintain a low cost when shopping for weight gain.
The most important part about gaining weight is the ability to hit your calorie and your macronutrient recommendations. The average athlete on an off day burns around 2,300 calories naturally and given their level of activity on days with workouts and practice, they will be burning upwards of 3,000-3,500 calories daily. In order to gain weight, you must be in a caloric surplus. The best range for a caloric surplus is an addition 10-15% of your total calories burned; 3,000 calories burned x 10% = 300 calories which means along with the 3,000 calories used to maintain weight, eating an additional 300 calories (for a total of 3,300 calories) is optimal for a steady weight gain.
Along with your calorie needs, you need to strive to meet your macronutrient recommendations. Macro nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each individual’s needs are different when it comes to bulking, but a general rule of thumb for your macro ranges are 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight, 10-15g of carbs per pound of bodyweight 2-4g of fats per pound of body weight.
The #1 tip when it comes to gaining weight is to base what you eat based on calories and macronutrients, not based on meals. You may have an ‘abnormal’ eating schedule, but you will be able to consume more food by eating when you can and not when its convenient.
Top 5 tips for limiting spending while bulking
- Don’t “dirty bulk”
The biggest goal with weight gain is to gain muscle mass, not just mass. Dirty bulking (eating high calorie but non-nutritious food) will allow you to gain weight, but it is not the healthy weight that you are striving for as an athlete. Just because you should be consuming 4,000 calories does not make 7,000 calories better. This increase in calories beyond what is necessary would create a rise in your budget and an unhealthy diet.
- Limit Eating Out
It isn’t a surprise that eating out is more expensive than cooking at home. Even if you are eating at cheaper restaurants like chipotle, each order adds up and creates a much larger grocery bill at the end of the month. Having the ability to limit how often you eat out (don’t need to completely eliminate it) will help reduce your spending while bulking.
- Carbs Carbs Carb
As mentioned earlier, consuming 10-15g of carbs per lbs of body weight each day may seem like a lot, thankfully, carbs are very cheap – pasta, rice and potatoes are all great sources of cheap carbohydrates. Having a possible 2x increase in your daily carbohydrate intake will only create a minimal increase in your grocery bill.
- Low Density Veggies
While you still should consume veggies daily, potentially switching up your broccoli and carrots for something less filling yet just as nutrient dense such as spinach. Spinach is a great vegetable to add because it has an enormous amount of nutrients and is very versatile when it comes to application of food. It can be in smoothies, omelets, sandwiches or even eaten on its own. Keeping low density veggies allows you to consume more calories elsewhere in your diet.
- Buy in Bulk
Simple yet the best advice when bulking on a budget, buy your items in bulk. Buying at places such as Costco allows you to get more bang for your buck and helps keep your monthly cost down.
It is entirely possible to consume 4,000-5,000 calories each day with a total budget of $7-10 for the entire day.
Eat Up
