Need to gain weight

[jclause]

I became a vegan about 3 months ago. Within the first 3 weeks I lost 10 pounds. Normally this would be a good thing for people but I am not a big guy so 10 pounds put me down to 5'9" and 140lb. I work out 3 days a week and I eat a lot but I can't seem to put any weight back on. I want to build some muscle and not really sure what to do to get things going again.

[Catt Queen]

Can you give us an idea of your current diet, an example of a typical day?

[jclause]

Mom's best oatmeal and a cliff builder bar for breakfast

Fruit for a snack

pasta or brown rice with a can of black beans for lunch with fruit

almonds and veggie chips for a snack

something hearty like shepherds pie, lasagna, or potato burritos for dinner

A protein shake before bed after my workout

[Konstantin]

Just eat more. Sounds a good basis, more calorie dense stuff has to go in - seeds, oats, avocados, dates, grains, oils.

[JP]

Sounds healthy as a base.

What is your fat intake like?

[Goob]

Get a blender, put in soymilk, fruit, peanut butter, sugar and some protein powder, blend until smooth, drink

[Lordmuppet]

coconut milk: the vegan beast maker

[jclause]

My fat intake is very low. Besides the coconut creamer I use in my coffee and the nuts I eat, I really don't get a lot of fat in my diet.

How much coconut milk would you recommend? What is a good protein powder?

[JP]

marg on bread, olive oil with your beans, more fat!

If your food is very low fat the overall calorie intake might be really low.

[osric]

I was having a similar problem last fall. I was losing weight and it was obvious to me that I was losing muscle mass. I was busy starting a new business and had just stopped paying attention to what I was eating. My doctor sent me to a dietician and she just said "eat more." I did some math and realized even though I felt full after a meal, I just wasn't eating enough calories.

Upping my fat intake certainly helped. I added more avocados to my shopping cart, doubled the amount of nuts I was eating, started using olive oil too cook with and added oil-based salad dressing back in. I subbed in more quinoa for brown rice. And some vegan junk food helped, too (I'll take any excuse to eat coconut milk ice cream!).

Since you asked about protein, I use NitroFusion. I just shake it up with water. Like most supplements, it tastes bad but I'm so used to it that it doesn't faze me.

YMMV of course. I'm 6' tall and at 189 lbs now. (I used to be around 205. I was down at 180 when I saw the dietician.) My body shape has changed over the past few months and now my pants fall off and my shirts are too tight! Damn pecs and lats are the first things to bulk up on me.

[Lordmuppet]

My fat intake is very low. Besides the coconut creamer I use in my coffee and the nuts I eat, I really don't get a lot of fat in my diet.

How much coconut milk would you recommend? What is a good protein powder?

I usually have about half a cup a day. Main thing is to calculate what other fats you are getting and making sure that there is a balance of saturated fat (coconut fat is pretty much all saturated fat) to monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Use FitDay or MyPlate or something like that to calculate calories/fats etc.

There are some on here that are very opposed to saturated fat. I am not one of them but I do recommend that you do some research and make up your own mind on the issue

Don't buy protein powder from stores. Buy online and buy in bulk.

If you are in UK buy from either bulkpowders or myprotein

If the USA then buy from truenutrition.

Pea, Hemp (expensive), Brown Rice and Soy are all good protein powders though pea tastes pretty awful to most people (just flavour it with something).

I don't know who to buy from for elsewhere.

We need a sticky for bulking info like this I think. I shall look into it.

[Konstantin]

To add to this, talking high calorie density makes me think of running cakes. This is the disgusting looking, good tasting mess that I used to take on long runs, marathons etc.

Brendan Brazier's book has the basis for some of these but a sample recipie might be:
Soak (boil if you're in a hurry) 10 dates
Mash an avacado
Mash a banana
Grind some seeds or peanuts. Sunflower seeds are cheap and easy, 50100g is probably about right.
Squash it all together
You can add cooked rice if you like, it helps it stick together.

It actually tastes pretty good, and if you're taking it to work you can take it in a container rather than take a squashed mess in a bag in a pocket like a runner. Loadsa calories and you can add protein powder if you want.

[baldy]

For inspiration check out the Bulkers Corner -> viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4518

Protein powder reviews -> viewtopic.php?f=1&t=23655

[xJimx]

Soak (boil if you're in a hurry) 10 dates
Mash an avacado
Mash a banana
Grind some seeds or peanuts. Sunflower seeds are cheap and easy, 50100g is probably about right.
Squash it all together
You can add cooked rice if you like, it helps it stick together.

Sweet Jesus that sounds absolutely revolting

The answer the OP's question is twofold - peanut butter & then also more peanut butter.

[jclause]

Okay so I have added a 20 ounce soy protein shake every morning and every night.

I use 16 ounces of vanilla coconut milk
1 banana
2 tbsp of peanut butter
3 tbsp of soy protein powder

I actually gained 2 pounds in a week - fat was definitely the ticket.

I do strength training 2 days a week and cycle 5 miles 2 days a week alternating with the lifting so hopefully I don't get flabby in the mid-section or as like to call it "skinny-fat"