30 lb muscle gain

[jacobda]

This is copy and pasted from the Mark Q & A forum...From me:

I would like to seek your opinion on this matter.

I'm currently 21, weigh 142.8 lbs and am somewhere between 6'0'' - 6'1'', with a body fat % reading of 3.9 (so probably somewhere closer to 6 or 7). Growing up, I was fairly larger, reaching 272 lbs before my freshman football season in high school (age: 14). Following the football season (October), I wanted to eat healthier and it took on a mind of its own. By the following football season (August), I reached a low of 150 lbs. So, in about 10 months, I lost 122 lbs, mostly from cardio and some weight training. It is suffice to say that I lost a TON of muscle.

In the interim between that period and now, I have fluctuated in weight, but have never gone pass 200 lbs. I received medical treatment during the timeframe and was diagnosed with an eating disorder, OCD and depression.

As my current weight will tell you, I still suffer from some of those complications. It pisses me off. And that is why I am here.

My questions for you are as follows:

1) Would you recommend me doing SS right now? I did cardio from September '15 - January '16 and lost about 15 lbs. Since January of this year, I've started incorporating light weight training sessions 2x week. My legs are shot.

2) What online resources can I use online to help with this process? Medical expenses just cost way too much. I'm willing to run through fire to get to where I want to be. I'm tired of being mediocre.

3) This probably answers the low body weight issue, but my diet is as follows:

Breakfast: Mixed greens and three eggs

Lunch: 4-6 oz of chicken breast or chicken thigh (or sardines every once and while), 1/2 cup lentils, spinach, tbsp. coconut oil, sauerkraut

Dinner: 4-6 oz of chicken breast or chicken thigh, sweet potato or quinoa, 1 cup of blueberries or an apple, big bowl of broccoli and 1/2 avocado

Snack: Carrots and 2 tbsps. almond butter

I am having very terrible cold intolerance symptoms and have been having trouble with digestive issues for well over 6 months now. Should I just focus on gaining some weight before hitting the gym harder or should I just hit the gym harder and eat more (easier said than done, I know).

I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

1) Yes. Do it from the beginning. See a coach semi regularly.

2) Stay off the Internet. See a coach, preferably a Starting Strength Coach.

3) Add a glass of whole milk to each of your meals Tomorrow. Then every 2nd day, add another glass of whole milk to one of your meals until you're drinking a gallon of milk a day. Starting at 4 glasses of milk a day, it'll take you about a month to work up to a gallon of milk a day. Then, we can refine your diet by adding some protein to your "snack", adding oats to your breakfast, adding rice or potatoes to your lunch and dinner, and then go from there.

Do the above and you can change your life.

[jacobda]

1) Yes. Do it from the beginning. See a coach semi regularly.

2) Stay off the Internet. See a coach, preferably a Starting Strength Coach.

3) Add a glass of whole milk to each of your meals Tomorrow. Then every 2nd day, add another glass of whole milk to one of your meals until you're drinking a gallon of milk a day. Starting at 4 glasses of milk a day, it'll take you about a month to work up to a gallon of milk a day. Then, we can refine your diet by adding some protein to your "snack", adding oats to your breakfast, adding rice or potatoes to your lunch and dinner, and then go from there.

Do the above and you can change your life.

Thanks, Jordan. I sent an email through the Barbell site. Would like to further inquire about consultation services.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Thanks, Jordan. I sent an email through the Barbell site. Would like to further inquire about consultation services.

I got it. Thank you.

[Sean Herbison]

3) Add a glass of whole milk to each of your meals Tomorrow. Then every 2nd day, add another glass of whole milk to one of your meals until you're drinking a gallon of milk a day. Starting at 4 glasses of milk a day, it'll take you about a month to work up to a gallon of milk a day.

Jordan learned this advanced technique from Rip shoving glasses of milk across the table at him.

[Jordan Feigenbaum]

Jordan learned this advanced technique from Rip shoving glasses of milk across the table at him.

They were milk SHAKES, in fact.

[Dave Hahn]

They were milk SHAKES, in fact.

Haha! That's great.