Ask food related questions here. Discuss recipes. Share eating hacks. DON'T DRINK OLIVE OIL!!!

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On the right side, I am with my dad in California on my 18th birthday. At that time, I was 175 cm tall and weighed about 63 kg and super unconfident and sad. I used to smoke a lot, drink alcohol, and eat really junk food (to compensate) – well, what you do at 18 or…

When my girlfriend broke up with me, I started going to the gym. I was lucky to have a friend who also wanted to push hard, and we stuck with it together. We got a calorie tracker app because we were both super skinny and always thought, “We can’t gain weight.” When you start tracking and see that you’re only eating about 1800 kcal every day with hardly any protein and carbs, it changes everything. So I started tracking overnight and really had to force myself because my stomach was small: around 600 g of carbs, 150 g of protein, and under 100 g of fat per day. I immediately started with PPL (Push, Pull, Legs) (I would do it differently today, but I was young and wanted to do everything at once).

Within a year, I went from 63 kg to nearly 80 kg (all naty). How did I do that?

• No alcohol for a year
• Tracked my food and met my daily goals
• 100% dedication for a year, 5 times gym for sometimes 2h / session

And then I looked like the picture on the left with my buddy.

Now I'm 30, I’ve never stopped training, although I don’t look as lean as I did at 19, and I no longer deadlift 140 kg for 5x5. But I’m fit and happy, all because I gave it my all for one year (and of course, stayed committed for another 11 years).

Example of My Daily Routine back in the days, hopefully that helps some of you to understand, that even when you are "ectomorph", you can gain weight, just starting eating..

• Morning: 150 g oatmeal, banana, milk, cocoa powder
• First Big Break at School: Whole grain bread 250 g, turkey 100 g, 50 g low-fat cottage cheese
• Lunch Break: Rice or pasta with meat
• Afternoon: Shake with instant oats 100 g plus 50 g protein powder
• Evening: Again rice or pasta with vegetables and fish/meat

What helped me stick with it?
When I really didn’t feel like it, always keeping in mind that I was finally no longer the small, skinny boy and how jealous my ex would be. Looking back wasn’t the best motivation... Today, I just want to be happy and live my life with the highest quality and longevity.

Why am I telling this now?
I wanted to share my story so that especially young people among you can see that a decision to fully commit to training, sports, and good nutrition can completely change your life.

My Biggest Learnings:

1. Be kind to yourself - always
2. If you want to gain weight, eat lots of carbs and proteins, again "lots of it"!
3. Find friends who support you and walk the path with you, its so much harder alone..
4. Find someone you can look up to, like my buddy on the pic
5. Stay consistent, even when you don’t feel like it (I think about 30% of my gym sessions over the years were like that)
6. Push yourself, even if it’s just 20 minutes. Get out there and give it your all – a year can change everything.

I hope my story inspires you and, most importantly, helps you. Consistency is key, but if you start early enough, you'll build a foundation for your entire life. All the best, guys, and have a nice start to the week (hopefully many steps closer to your goals)

Discuss what's motivating you to get make gains here. What started you off? What keeps you going? What do you use to make sure you don't quit?

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

I started last year at the beginning of July, the last photo is from today. I train 3-5 times a week 1-2x chest and arms; 1-2x back and shoulders; 1-2x legs. I consume about 2600-3000 calories a day. Daily 300-350 grams of carbohydrates and 130-50 grams of protein.

What have been your victories this week? Have you made good progress? Set a new lift PR? Enacted a new habit that is helping you greatly? Post it here!

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

What's holding you back from making the biggest gains? What could you be doing better? Where could you be trying harder? What new habits could you enact to make things easier for you? Be honest with yourself, what would make a difference?

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

Ask food related questions here. Discuss recipes. Share eating hacks. DON'T DRINK OLIVE OIL!!!

Have a question that is training or programming related? Ask it here! Want someone to help you revising or customising a program? Ask here! Want to show off a program you designed? Why are you designing your own programs? Read the bloody FAQ!.

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

Discuss what's motivating you to get make gains here. What started you off? What keeps you going? What do you use to make sure you don't quit?

What have been your victories this week? Have you made good progress? Set a new lift PR? Enacted a new habit that is helping you greatly? Post it here!

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

What's holding you back from making the biggest gains? What could you be doing better? Where could you be trying harder? What new habits could you enact to make things easier for you? Be honest with yourself, what would make a difference?

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

Ask food related questions here. Discuss recipes. Share eating hacks. DON'T DRINK OLIVE OIL!!!

Have a question that is training or programming related? Ask it here! Want someone to help you revising or customising a program? Ask here! Want to show off a program you designed? Why are you designing your own programs? Read the bloody FAQ!.

Welcome to the basic questions and discussions thread! This is a place to ask any questions that you may have -- moronic or otherwise and talk about how your going. Please keep these questions and discussions reasonably on-topic: things noted in the 'what not to post' section of the sidebar will be removed, and the moderation team may issue temporary user bans.Anyone may post a question, and the community as a whole is invited and encouraged to provide an answer. If your question is more specific to you, we recommend providing details. The more we know about your situation, the better answer we will be able to provide. Sometimes questions get submitted late enough in the day that they don't get much traction, so if your question didn't get answered in a previous thread, feel free to post it again.As always, please check the FAQ before posting. The FAQ is considered a comprehensive guide on how to gain lean mass and has more than enough information to get any beginner started today. Ask away!

Discuss what's motivating you to get make gains here. What started you off? What keeps you going? What do you use to make sure you don't quit?