If anyone is interested in what I’m currently doing, here’s a short update for you.
In early February, when I got back to the gym after more than three years mostly off from training due to my illnesses, I weighted a measly 62 kg (136 lbs.) Fortunately, I’m used to be between 74 and 78 kg, and due to muscle memory I hit 80 kg (175 lbs.) in late July. Starting August, I’ve been cruising at about 78 to 80 kg, just to let my body adapt a bit to the weight gain. It does help that I walk more than 15 kilometers a day (10 miles) with dogs that I care for during the days. And yeah, I’m 173 cm (5’ 8”).
As I write this, I’m on my second day of a 3-day fast. I’m fasting simply to flush out some toxins, re-sensitize my cells, and to shed a few pounds of fat. After that, I will try to reach 85 kg (187 lbs.) and see how I feel at that body weight. Due to my previous fasting and healing (where I cured my asthma), I now feel that everything is easier at this body weight than from how it was in the past. I’m able to provide oxygen to my increased muscle mass without any problems. In the past, my breathing always suffered once I passed 80 kg, but not any longer.
As for nutrition, I’m animal-based to ensure all essential nutrients, with some extra carbohydrates in the morning for simply adding calories. The carbohydrates also help a little with muscle pump and delivering nutrients to the muscle cells.
60 minutes before my training sessions, I take about 40 to 60 grams of palatinose (isomaltulose), a slow-acting and hydrating carbohydrate. I also get some honey about 30 min before training, sometimes with some added maltodextrin. I also doubled my daily intake of yoghurt and milk during the day. So, all-in-all, I get about 120 to 150 grams of carbohydrates daily on ‘workout days.’ And yes, the majority of my carbohydrates are from refined supplements. This is simply to avoid all the anti-nutrients, toxins, pesticides, GMO, and other crap that are found in whole carbohydrate-rich foods. Consuming rice, potatoes, or grains would put unnecessary stress on my body and rob me of micronutrients.
Apart from that, the rest of the day is strict carnivore with mostly red meat, fatty fish, some organ meats, eggs, some fermented hard-cheese and a teaspoon of fish roe daily. On days off from the gym, I simply eat strict carnivore with some extra dairy (but carbohydrates on ‘off days’ are probably in the 20-gram range).
This is what my “diet” has looked like for the last couple of months, and how it will look like when I start to push for 85 kg.
The only difficult part of this is that animal-based foods are extremely satiating due to being so nutrient dense. You are never hungry when following an animal-based diet, as your nutrient stores are maxed (you have no deficiencies to trigger hunger or cravings.) To gain weight, you have to really force-feed yourself – and that’s why some carbs early in the morning does help a lot.