Weightlifters: How Can I Increase My Appetite?

[Alyssa11]

I life weights and the hardest part of me right now is eating enough calories and protein. After I started tracking them I realised I was eating about 900kcal a day!!!

I’m trying to eat about 130g of protein because I was 130lbs. Can someone please give me some advice on how I can increase my appetite?

[Brownbored]

Yeah I went through same phase.. after 2 years realized u dont actually need a pound per pound of protein.. if u weigh 130.. just target 100g.. be a little plus minus of that..
What helped me was making sute i had the healthy meals.. they made me so full i gradually didn't have it in me to eat the other non healthy foods... And slowly built up the appetite.. it takes time.. u shudnt target drastic changes in ur diet or you'll give up soon for lack of motivation

[Alyssa11]

Thank you!!! This is so helpful

[zeitgeist057]

One thing you can do that doesn't necessarily increase your appetite but does get you calories more easily is drinking your calories.

An all fruit smoothie, protein shake, milkshake, or a blend of all three can give you around 800-1200 kcal in about 24 oz.

It's much easier for me to drink calories than chew them. Plus most of the stuff that goes into smoothies, shakes, etc, is high in calories and or protein and fat.

[Sonorous]

When I want to increase my appetite, I make sure to plan out meals & snacks to eat on a schedule. Even better if your eating schedule is arranged to complement your sleep, hunger spikes, & activity level.

Since your ghrelin hormone has a hard time activating, you might need to look up things to help activate it. And if that still doesn't help much, you're going to have to just force yourself to eat & stretch your stomach out. But ofc, don't do it too quickly. Just start upping your caloric intake more and more each day with a similar volume of food and you should be good.

It may also help to get a good amount of carbs & sugars in at the same time you eat protein, which helps combat the satiated feeling that protein gives.

I highly recommend this video. He's eats enough for 2 grown women so you'll definitely need to modify, but the general advice he gives is nice. It really helped me a lot!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8BKbu_s8p1Q

[Celtero]

Eh, you just have to stuff your face and feel full all the time. Eat a lot of eggs, meats, beans, and snack on stuff like yogurt, cottage cheese, and nuts.

There's also this protein powder mix you can get that's loaded with calories and protein. It does make you kind of chubby however... But that's why people typically go through bulking and cutting seasons. Stretchmarks may be an issue too...

Another method is "dirty bulking" where you eat a lot of unhealthy fast food and snacks.

[Alyssa11]

I’ve got protein powder I don't know what I’d do without it.

I’m ngl I can’t do dirty bulking it’s not an option at all. I’m really cautious about my calories because I’m not a naturally petite girl. I’ll gain weight very easily.

[Alyssa11]

Gain weight in a bad way**

[Unbeatable]

Bulking is bullshit. If you want tight skin watch your manganese, copper and vitamin C intake. Those help in collagen production.

[Alyssa11]

@Unbeatable Alright!! Thanks.

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

130 grams of protein is an awful lot for someone who's only eating 900kcals a day. Gut dysbiosis can run amok on your appetite, so maybe look at what foods you're feeding your gut microbiome. You're far more likely to be fibre deficient than protein deficient.

[Alyssa11]

Sorry I mean I was eating 900kcal but now I’m making sure I eat more while also making sure I eat enough protein!

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

Oh okay, but still your kidneys are gonna struggle to slough off the excess protein, unless you're literally lifting hard for like 2-3 hours a day. A typical person on a typical fitness regimen should eat a typical amount of protein as it naturally occurs in a balanced whole food diet.

"1 gram per pound of bodyweight" is basically just what some bodybuilders in the 80s suggested and everyone else just kinda ran with it. But most actual studies don't show any benefits of consuming protein in excess of around 2g per kilogram of lean muscle mass (or total bodyweight, I forget). And that's for people doing HARD, frequent compound exercise specifically to break down the muscle tissue. Protein intake hits diminishing returns and can even become toxic, since your kidneys can only process so much, and its not like every pound of protein is just instantly absorbed into an equivalent pound of muscle tissue. Your body has a finely tuned system of checks and limiters to make sure protein goes only to the places its needed, in the precise quantities demanded for tissue repair and growth. So just eat more whole plant foods across the board and maybe add some lean animal proteins in moderation if you're struggling with your recovery windows. (and even then you should rule out the possibility that you're simply overtraining a given muscle group BEFORE shoveling down an extra 20-50 grams of protein.) The overall diversity and satiety of whole food nutrients is more important than the intake of any isolated nutrient like protein, especially when it comes to balancing the appetite.

Sorry if I'm labouring the point lol, I've just been reading up on nutrition science lately and I'm chomping at the bit to talk about it with anyone who will listen 😂

[Alyssa11]

I workout five days a week lifting pretty heavy! So I’m quite consistent with it. Thank you for the information it’s very interesting and inspired me to go and do some further reading! :)

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

Happy to have inspired 😁

Of course don't take my word for it haha.. the more I read about nutrition and biology stuff, the more I realise how little I know 🤯

But people much smarter than me make a better case. I just got turned onto Will Bulsiewicz via YouTube, I think his book goes into how gut health affects nutrient absorption and appetite regulation etc.

Of course if you just wanna take the easy way and summon an extra 1000 calories out of thin air, just go eat a large pizza on top of whatever else lol. But if the appetite resists every bite of calorie rich food that's also devoid of nutrition, then it's like a negative feedback loop wherein the more you through at your digestive system, the less your body knows what the hell to do with it.

Just food for thought.

Pun not intended.

... Actually, pun intended 🤣

[Alyssa11]

It’s true I also mostly eat healthy food. Pizza etc doesn’t make me feel great at all

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

Nice, nice. 😊 I have a weak spot for pizza but I've limited them to the occasional treat coz I realised I always felt fatigued the day after eating one lol

[Alyssa11]

Yes exactly! My weakness is chocolate and cake though haha

[SomeGuyCalledTom]

You can't fight chocolate it's too persuasive 😂

[Alyssa11]

Loool exactly

[Andres77]

It's a gm of protein per kilo of body weight, not a gram/pound. That will damage your kidneys.
Eating every 3 hours or 6 meals a day is a good way to keep your eyes intake up but I agree, not junk.
Lean meats and veggies. No starches or sugars. Starches being breads, pasta, potatoes and rice. Small amounts of fruits.

[TallAnon]

We should swap diets, lol, how do you manage only eat 900, I would die 😂 Sugar makes you hungry, so if you really want to increase calories, drink sone soda with your meal.

[Alyssa11]

I don't have an appetite :( Let's please swap lol.

[TallAnon]

So to get around 3000kcal, drink lots of soda, binge one huge meal and for extra, get some crisps and ice cream. Also, be 6'7, that helps.

[Alyssa11]

I’m one metre off lol

[TallAnon]

You're not a dwarf~ 😁 At most like 50cm

[Alyssa11]

Did I say one metre loool I meant foot!!!

[TallAnon]

Hahaha, that's quite a difference 😜😜 5'7 sounds more normal, haha

[Likethesky]

If you have a low appetite then eat calorie dense foods more. Meaning foods that are small in size but high in calories

[Alyssa11]

Good idea!!!

[Likethesky]

Once your appetite increases do the opposite. Eat low calorie dense foods, meaning foods that fill up the stomach but are low in calories. Otherwise it will be hard to maintain the gains you achieved without putting on extra unnecessary weight.

The fitness influencers I follow on YouTube maintain their body by eating healthy food that tastes good. They make whatever healthy stuff they're eating taste good. They don't cancel snacks. They just replace them with healthy alternatives

[belle_kai]

Drinking serious mass protein drink that will help you gain weight and also increase your appetite
One scoop is 625 calories

[Iron_Man]

You have to eat all day several meals and taking in a lot of protein. If you’re not hungry just eat anyway. Make sure to get a lot of exercise as well that increase appetite

[Bklynbadboy12]

That was hard for me I had to force it at first until I got use to it

[Alyssa11]

Force it 📝

[Bklynbadboy12]

Yes I made myself eat even when I didn't want to but I want you to promise me something. Promise me you won't over due it not to much muscle I want you to still look feminine

[Alyssa11]

Yes sure I’m just trying to be more toned

[Bklynbadboy12]

If you want to tone just use less weight and more reps eating more is only for when you want to get bigger

[Alyssa11]

I also want my glutes to get bigger lol

[Bklynbadboy12]

Squats baby you have to do squats for that

[Alyssa11]

I’m on it

[Bklynbadboy12]

Thats my girl

[AlexanderAnttila]

Eating more meals a day in smaller portion is the base line. With in between snacks!

[ItsMeItsMe1989]

Do you gain weight easily?

[Alyssa11]

Yeah relatively

[ItsMeItsMe1989]

Probably shouldn't eat a lot then

[Tstrbrainer]

Junk foods?
😂😂😂

[Gespenster_division]

Beefcake probably

[Unbeatable]

Salt your food more

[Anonymous]

do not force it lol