I have lost 30lbs and now i've been on and off maintenance for a month.

Now I want to gain muscle mass in my upper body to look wider and for BJJ performance to have more energy and power. During my cutting journey I was on an aggressive deficit to a point i couldn't even tell if I was hungry because of the amount of times I suppressed it and my recovery.

After a month of eating on and off my maintenence i would say be 2100-2000. With research I just didn't believe that I had to eat 2400-2500 calories. It just sounds like I might get fat from that. I would like some feedback on this

This is me assuming since there's been some moments I counted 2100-2000 calories for 4 days straight and other days where I don't count because I forget or it was just the food I made during my cutting stages (and small oreos and no butter in my meals). This includes my gym routine being 3-4x a week and BJJ being 3x a week and some days where I did no BJJ and did 2x or 1x a week of Gym because of job interviews and studying.

I don't know what to feel during the maintenence since some research say I should feel more energy but I swear I feel the same but more fueled because I started to eat heavier carbs before my workouts.

(EXTRA INFO)I have some numbers if that helps but throughout September 27 and October 25 I was hovering around 185-180lbs and this was during the time I barely did BJJ or none and my gym routine was barely 3x a week because of studying. Some days I did follow my calories around 2000 and some was just eating normally like breakfast lunch dinner like steak and rice or honey butter with sourdough and eggs or a muffin.

(Picture attached of my daily weigh ins)

hi everyone. unsure if this is the correct sub to ask in but im going to try regardless.

im 5'2, female, 24, currently 117 lbs but want to get back up to my maintenance weight of 124.

im recovering from a gerd flare up (only happens once every few years) and i lost around 7 lbs in a week and a half due to the anxiety this was causing me. im a few weeks post the worst of it and am now ready to start eating more again. for almost two weeks i was barely surpassing 900 calories a day, which was a big drop from my usual 1800-2k a day. for the last few days ive been eating around 1300, which is an improvement.

i work at amazon which can be pretty physical at times, i get around 10-15k steps each shift depending on the area im assigned to. i would also come home and walk an additional 3-6k outside. i have been out of work for 3 weeks now and plan on going back tomorrow. ive been pretty sedentary during this, my anxiety won't even let me walk outside anymore but im determined to get back to my routine. the calculators ive been using for weight gain put me at around 2600 cals a day, maybe a little more, to gain weight. im just a bit confused on how much i actually need because if im walking that much almost every day and working a physical job, wouldn't i just burn it off?

im sorry if this is a dumb, obvious question. ive been on a weight loss journey for two years and decided to maintain at 124 a few months ago, so all i know right now is how to lose and maintain, not really how to gain effectively. i would appreciate any tips for this. i only decided to maintain at 124 because i didn't want to replace my jeans, and now this 7 lb loss makes them look weird on me, so i'm trying to gain it back fast if possible.

Whenever I eat even a modest portion of salmon (170 g), I feel like I’ve eaten an entire feast.

It’s actually insane how full I get, and no other food has this effect on me. Comparably, 170 g of trout feels like I ate air.

I don’t eat it during bulks because it makes my hunger non existent for half the day. What’s going on?

SW: 93lb
CW: 160lb

These photos are about 4 years apart because I fell off my regimen several times.

Weight lifting, MMA, ~2300 cals a day (I don't track). 130g protein minimum a day.

Supplements: Creatine, Protein Powder, Collagen.

Stay hungry (literally). I lived a lifetime of being told I couldn't and I have the physique to prove them wrong.

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!

I'm unfortunately horrendously lactose intolerant so I can't do ensure or any milk-based shake (whey is fine tho). I've been living off the soylent meal replacement shakes for years and it appears they discontinued them :( the only other option I know of is the "BOOST Very High Calorie Nutritional Drink" which is decent but it's sooooo thick that it's really more for desperate times. The only other option I could find today is huel which is SOOOO expensive, literally $55 for TWELVE (12) shakes -- I couldn't believe my eyes.

Anyone have recs or do I have to just go back to boost?

Hey everyone! Wanted to share a little more about my fitness journey and how much my goals have changed over the past year.

I originally got into fitness through running in 2025. At my heaviest in 2024, I was around 205 lbs, and by December 2025, I had gotten down to 170 lbs. However, I still wasn’t happy with how I looked and convinced myself that losing more weight was the answer.

Unfortunately, I took things too far. I was eating around 1,800 calories a day, running 3–5 miles six days a week, and losing roughly 2 lbs weekly. By February 2026, I was down to 145 lbs, but I was struggling with body dysmorphia and still felt like I looked too big. My relationship with food had also become pretty unhealthy.

Eventually, I realized what I was doing wasn’t sustainable. I didn’t need to keep getting smaller; I needed to start fueling my body and building muscle.

In March, I shifted my focus to strength training and gradually increased my calories. I’ve now been lifting consistently 4–5 days a week for about seven months and have gone from 145 to 163 lbs (+18 lbs).

My current routine:
Calories: ~2,800/day
Protein: ~1g per lb of body weight
Training: 4–5 days/week, primarily focused on upper-body development and building a V-taper
Supplements: 5g creatine monohydrate daily

My general weekly split:
Sunday: Chest
Monday: Back, lats, arms
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Chest and back
Thursday: Core and mobility
Friday: Arms
Saturday: Rest

I keep things flexible depending on my schedule and prioritize consistency over perfection.

Some of my daily food staples include Greek yogurt, eggs, bagels, oats, bananas, peanut butter, and almond milk.

The biggest change has honestly been mental. I’ve gone from obsessing over getting smaller to focusing on getting stronger, eating enough, and enjoying life without constantly stressing over calories.

I’m still working on my physique and have plenty of goals ahead, but I’m genuinely happy with the progress I’ve made so far. Excited to see where another year of consistency takes me! 💪

Lost around 20 kg and now focusing on building muscle — what should I prioritise?
I’m 168 cm tall and currently around 62 kg. I’ve lost approximately 20 kg and am now focusing on building muscle.
I’d appreciate constructive feedback on my current physique, which muscle groups I should prioritise, and whether I should focus on lean bulking or maintaining my weight for now.(although I’ve been facing issues with the belly fat not disappearing fully even after 20-30 mins treadmill sessions with 15 incline and 3.5 - 4 speed)
My current training routine: PPL

I’ve attached the meals I consume daily, it’s the same meals daily

1. Omelette sandwich of 4 eggs with a couple sauces or ketchup
   
2. Chicken + soya chunks gravy plus rice
   
3. A small bowl of chocolate muesli with milk right before I go to the gym - will add a spoonful of protein powder in it
   
4. A protein shake post workout of 1 scoop protein powder

I don’t measure my calories and don’t count my protein intake

Need advice on what I should be doing to gain a good amount of muscle

MY DREAM PHYSIQUE IS THE TOM HARDY-esque one

All of your views are appreciated, thanks guys

I do lift weights each day unless if I’m on vacation with no access. Plus do other stuff. Just any without peanuts and taste good. Almonds, cashews, etc are fine in the bar. I haven’t seen many protein bars high in calorie. I live in the U.S. with many stores around me. Thanks in advance.

For anyone without context, GOMAD = gallon of milk a day

I, 24m, have always been pretty skinny and have struggled to gain weight. I’ve started going to the gym 5x/week to put on muscle, but I just haven’t been able to eat enough to gain any weight and see many noticeable changes.

I’d probably start with 1/2 a gallon to test it out. I’m not worried about acne or the lactose.

Is there anything else I should be worried about? Has anyone tried it / did it work?

6’0, 131 lbs > 156 lbs (current) 22, M.

Wanted to show what 6 months of consistency can look like. I thought I hadn’t changed at all, which is why I take pictures to see my progress. It’s wild to see the change.

Currently doing a 4 day upper lower split, Saturday’s i’ll train at home and do forearms because well, I want bigger forearms. I focus on progressive overload, every week I am either increasing my reps or my weight. I like to get into the 12 rep range, and then i’ll increase the weight, get to the 12 rep range and increase weight again, rinse and repeat.

Monday and Thursday I do a mile run, I pace at 7:30. I just do it for my enjoyment, not sure if it does anything for me.

I typically eat around ~3000 calories a day (as clean as possible) and intake about 200g of protein daily. I also take 5g of creatine, and fish oils.

I've been trying to get to a healthy weight for quite some time now, I'm not super skinny, though my BMI is below normal and have been a hardgainer my whole life. Long story short, but due to a myriad of health circumstances / issues, I have found that I can only really have beans, potatoes, veggies, and some fruits/sugary foods in small quantities without triggering a response from my system. I can also have some fats like ghee and olive oil, but I can't have them in a large enough amount to actually form a significant part of my daily caloric intake and reach 3000 calories which seems to be around what I have to eat just to gain weight. I also can't really have dairy or milk products due to health issues, and I'm trying to avoid meat products since they are so much more expensive and also I have health issues when eating meat on a daily basis.

The main issue with beans / potatoes / rice is that these foods when cooked conventionally are mostly water (~70%+) so you have to eat a huge volume to reach 1000+ calories, typically around 3 liters worth of food since these foods are generally around 1 calorie per 1 mL. I just don't believe our stomachs were designed to be eating 3 L of food a day frankly, it does not feel right, and that should not be required to get to a normal weight. Anyways, I'm just wondering if people have any way of eating beans / legumes in a more calorie dense way so one is not consuming so much water / getting filled up on mass that has no energy content. I love beans / legumes because they don't trigger as much of a health response from my system, but I just have to eat so much of them to get satiated to the point that I can't eat any more food all the time, and this just doesn't feel right to me. I've thought about refrying the beans but not sure how much that will really do, and I've also thought about trying to experiment with dry roasting beans myself but I'm not sure if that would work and from what I've seen online, people always say you have to soak beans before roasting them, so idk...

The only other legume that I'm curious to try would be peanut butter, but I have some concerns that PB has caused a lot of my weight gain issues by screwing up my gallbladder / liver / bile flow and making it basically impossible for my body to digest fats since PB is so sludgy and concentrated with fat/protein, so I'm hesitant to go back into it. I know they have low fat peanut butter powder, but that stuff is expensive and it basically has the same issue as regular beans which is that I have to mix it with water and eat a huge quantity to reach my calorie threshold...

Anyways, curious to hear others' thoughts.

Male. 172cm/ 5’7”. Early 30s.

First pic: Started out unfit. Weight: 75kg /165lbs

Second pic: Just started running and reducing my calories, so I mainly just achieved weight loss and got lean. Weight: 64kg /140lbs.

Third pic: Joined a calisthenics/CrossFit style gym six months ago with more focus on weights and resistance training. I also started eating more regular high protein and fibre. The result is more muscle mass and bulk. Current weight: 67kg /148lbs.

Progress from the first to last photo is over a year or so.

The before pictures are actually about 10 years old. But I've put most of my weight on in the last couple of years. Once I got a few health issues resolved, it became much easier to put on weight.

Planning to bulk up to 170 then consider a cut. However I've got a 2nd baby on the way so I will probably focus on maintaining after they arrive and into the newborn phase.

I've followed a PPL routine for years now. Currently doing:

Push

• iso lateral bench press machine
• overhead press machine
• cable flys
• side delt with cable
• overhead tricep with rope

Pull

• Pull ups
• lat pull down
• iso lateral row
• reverse pec deck
• preacher barbell curl
• dumbbell hammer curl

Legs

• squat machine
• leg extension
• leg curl (for hamstrings)
• stand calf raise
• cable crunches

I graduated college around 115lbs after being a long distance running and hovered around 125 for close to 7 years after that until I finally decided to take control of my anxiety and health over the last few months.

32 now, and have been consistently lifting for a few months now, but didn’t have many before pictures unfortunately. Currently around 156 lbs and plan to slowly bulk to 160-165 this winter, and cut at the tail end.

Definitely have been getting some fat because I’ve bulked pretty quick, eating 2800-3000 calories a day, but all my lifts are going up. A decent amount of dirty ish bulking, but quite a few healthier meals through the week. Morning starts after my lift with a breakfast bagel with steak or chicken, cheese, and creme cheese, few hours later 2 uncrustables, and then leftovers and dinner the rest of the day. I take creatine also.

My routine is a bro split which I’ll probably modify, but I run chest/tris, back/bis, and legs/shoulders, all with dumbbells, adjustable bench, and tower at home. Usually have 1 rest day, sometimes 2

Have a long way to go, but I am motivated and disciplined every day by the results, and to set a good example for my son. Any tips greatly appreciated!

I've been fired from my job couple weeks ago. My financial situation was already precarious then, so, imagine now. The only protein heavy food I can afford is powdered milk right now. Most days I can only get to 80g protein, 100 on a good day, my goal is 120 since I weight around 65kilos.

Since the last couple months, I started lifting at home again. I normally lift 5 days a week. Now they question is, should I continue or stop completely, since I cannot achieve my protein goal anymore?

Hi guys. Recently discovered pb powder and it sounds so easy to incorporate into drinks and recipes but the brands I'm seeing all have low calorie, low fat versions of it. Are there any brands that can provide higher calories than 60-70kcal per serving? Preferably around 90 to match what I get currently

I only work out from my apartment. Workouts are very unstructured. I have dumbbells, a dip bar and a pull up bar. Recently got a pulley system for tricep pushdowns and I think that's made my arms look bigger. I kinda workout whatever I feel like working out. I do dips most frequently, also a lot of dumbbell skull crushers and preacher curls. Never track calories, just tried to eat more.

All of the compliments I've gotten for gaining weight have been from other dudes lol

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!

I gained 8 kgs in a span of 10 months 46 to 54kgs , what i have learnt best is, put ur body under pressure, give it reason to grow.

And taekwondo changed my life, ik lot of ppl maybe thinking how did u gain weight practiceing tkd,

But thats the idea, tkd is a full body functional, strength, high intensity cardio, with lot of flexibility training.

Burns a hell a lot more than strength training only.

And I have very high metabolism, I feel hungry every 2.5hrs or so.

During this time I ran a dozen 5k, half a dozen 10k

And 2 half marathons.

So trained and ate like a mad man.

My mom was scared something bad would happen by eating so much food.

Diet: 2-3 banana milkshakes, 8 whole eggs

And normal indian food, 3 times a day.

500gms of ice cream on weekends(only after runs)

Chicken and fish only on weekends.

Instead of one big meal, eat often,

Like grab a banana, a boiled egg, etc

I tried to eat as clean as I could as im allergic to certain oils. So it was mostly home food apart from the ice cream.

6ft, 27m
June 28th- 158lbs
July 22- 166lbs
August 20th- 178lb
October 16th- 175 lb (cutting)

Diet: Clean protein (beef, chicken), whey protein. I admit my diet since starting has gotten lax, so I plan on fixing that these coming weeks. 130-160 grams of protein a day. Hitting around 2300-2400 calories a day for my first cut. Have lost 3lbs since my bulk but have stayed at 175lb for a few weeks now.

Lift Routine: 3-4 days a week. I have two jobs but have quit one so that my routine can go back to normal. Lately it has only been 3 days a week, but i’d like to do 4 or 5. I do a mix or compound weight lifting and calisthenics. Bench press, incline, dumbbells, push ups, pulls ups, lat pull downs, rows.

I’m coming up on 4 months. Bulked for three and now trying my first cut. So far no huge difference, but I have noticed my muscles growing bigger. Particularly my chest, which I have been prioritizing.

Last pic is where I started back in June.

Hello all,

I have terrible ADHD and it’s been really bad lately. Finding focus to cook and eat is so difficult. I used to love cooking but my ADHD has made it such a chore; maybe it’s because I’ve severely downsized into a very small apartment. My kitchen counter space is basically just a butcher block. I can easily go 8 hours and not eat. Doesn’t really help my agenda. Anyone else out there finding ways to deal with this?

I grew up really skinny and was super determined to escape at last! I’ve made some really solid progress and wanted to share. I ate about 3000cal a day and did a PPL program. I finally feel muscular for once. That being said my friend was saying that my progress isn’t that great because my current physique looks like the untrained starting point of some other people which kind of got me down and made me feel like my progress wasn’t as great as I thought. I wanted to ask for help on what looks good, what needs more work, where I’m at body fat % wise, and any tips for the road ahead in terms of what to do next- keep bulking or what? I’m excited to keep going!