Fall Bulk Day 44
Another new high weight for today thanks to added carbs and calories. But I’m also starting to feel the bulking fluff set in.
The past two days have been nearly identical in my meal plan, with plenty of carbs and calories to get my weight back up after the low day.
My breakfast/pre-workout meal consists of 1.5 cups of oats (dry volume) mixed with a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder. Post-workout is a cup of granola and a shake with 50 grams of protein.
In the afternoon, I have two meals of chicken, rice, and veggies that provide another 50 grams of protein and 150 grams of carbs. Dinner is a bit more chicken with a large baked potato.
Before bed, I have a cup of cottage cheese and another protein shake. Here are my nutrition numbers from day 44.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 286 g (34%) |
| Carbs | 414 g (49%) |
| Fat | 68 g (18%) |
| Calories In | +3,412 |
| Calories Out | -2,863 |
| Calorie Surplus | +549 (19%) |
This leg workout burned significantly more calories than my other workouts, so I had a larger potato to help maintain the surplus, and I ate it skin and all.
I wore a cutoff in the gym for the first time in a couple of weeks, and I noticed that I’d lost a lot of definition in my shoulders and arms. To be expected during a bulk.
However, the fluffiness also makes me contemplate if the surplus has been too aggressive over the past ten days. I have been playing catch up from the slower gains in previous weeks, and that may have led me to increase my calories too much, too soon.
As you may know, these are the head games that occur more often during a cutting phase. But as soon as I’m a little uncomfortable with my body fat percentage, I also question things during a bulk.
I try not to be too reactive and remind myself that body fat and water weight gain come with the territory. So, I won’t make a drastic change yet, but I will watch my body more closely over the next couple of days to determine if I should scale the surplus back to focus on leaner gains.
