Anabolic Talks

Trying to eat in a surplus but I'm constantly full and forcing food down feels miserable. How do you get the calories in on a bulk without feeling like you've swallowed a brick all day?

Use more calorie-dense foods so you're eating less volume for the same calories - nuts, nut butters, olive oil, whole milk, dried fruit, oats. Liquid calories (smoothies, milk) are easier to get down than another huge plate of chicken and broccoli.

Ah, I've been bulking on super high-volume 'clean' foods, which is why I'm so stuffed.

That's it. Massive volumes of low-cal foods fill you up before you hit your calories. Swap some for denser options and it gets far easier.

Liquid calories are the bulking cheat code - a shake with oats, milk, peanut butter and banana is 600-700 easy calories that go down in two minutes. One or two of those a day takes the pressure off the solid meals.

Eat more frequently in slightly smaller meals rather than three giant ones - spreading the calories over 5-6 feedings is way more comfortable than forcing down three bricks. And don't drink loads of water right before eating, it fills you up.

Also be honest about whether the surplus is too aggressive - if you're force-feeding to hit a huge number, a smaller surplus with denser foods is more sustainable and leaner anyway. You don't need to stuff yourself silly to gain.

Denser foods, liquid calories, more frequent smaller meals, and maybe a smaller surplus. That sounds far less miserable. Thanks all.