diet and general energy levels

[npd123]

Hey everyone....

I'm a 27 year old guy, 160 lbs, 5'10. I've been working on bulking up for the last week or two, gained about 10 lbs already, which I'm happy with(not hard to do when I was so skinny).

I've been aiming for between 3500-4000 calories per day, a shake or two on off days and 3 shakes as outlined on the Nutrient Timing article by Daniel Roberts, and the rest in complex carbs, meat, eggs, etc. I take about a teaspoon of creatine monohydrate per day as well. And I'm drinking several litres of water. The only other supplements I take are a multi-vitamin and a omega-3 fish oil capsule.

So to get to the point, I'm not really used to eating so much food throughout the day, and after eating I feel pretty lethargic and have to resist the urge to take a nap. This happens whether I consume three big meals or several smaller meals throughout the day.

I realize that this may change as my body adjusts to eating more, but I'm just wondering if any of you people have suggestions on what I can do to boost my energy levels. I'd prefer not to spend tonnes of cash on more supplements.

Cheers

[malkore]

I have no idea what to tell you. I always, always, feel more energetic as I eat more food, of the right type, spread out across the day.
Are you taking in a lot of high glycemic carbs? These can spike blood sugar, which then falls and leaves you lethargic.

Make sure you're drinking enough water to move the food through you.

What did your previous diet look like? You might just have upped calories so quickly that the body is still adjusting to that food intake. A lot of guys will up calories 10% a week until they hit their new bulking calorie intake goal.

[npd123]

Hey Malkore, thanks for your reply.


> Make sure you're drinking enough water to move the food through you.

> What did your previous diet look like? You might just have upped calories so
> quickly that the body is still adjusting to that food intake. A lot of guys will
> up calories 10% a week until they hit their new bulking calorie intake goal.

Yeah, I think this is my problem exactly - I went from eating somewhere in the range of 2000 calories a day up to 3500+ pretty much right off the bat. I was travelling through Asia for the past few months so my diet was hit or miss - and next to impossible to gauge caloric content because half the time I didn't know what I was eating! That said, I wasn't eating nearly this much.
I guess it's probably a non-issue and will go away as my system adjusts.

>I have no idea what to tell you. I always, always, feel more energetic as I
>eat more food, of the right type, spread out across the day.
>Are you taking in a lot of high glycemic carbs? These can spike blood sugar,
> which then falls and leaves you lethargic.

I have to say that in general, I have more energy and I feel better both mentally and physically. It's just that for about 30 minutes after I eat I feel pretty drained....In terms of the type of carbs, it's mainly whole grain breads, brown rice, potatoes, fruits & veggies. I don't really eat sweets or white bread or anything - usually just have a few cookies or something directly after a workout. Any recommendations are appreciated!

[Unreal]

Sounds like an insulin issue. What are the meals that make you feel tired? Maybe they are high carb/low fat. Try adding some fat to slow the insulin spike and gastric emptying.