3-4k calories? How do you afford it?!?

[Chrom3y]

Im only 17 and I dont even have a job yet, I will soon though. But even so, how do you guys who eat 3-4k calories a day afford to do it EVERY SINGLE DAY?? Thats a LOT of food which means a LOT of money. I want to start lifting and bulk up using EFFORT's routine or rippetoe w/e. Im about 5' 8" and I fluctuate from 150-155 from time to time. How much do I really need to be eating since I am just starting out? I can't afford to eat 3k calories everyday. Help pls?

Thx

 

[Alle_Gory]

Nuts are cheap, high in calories and good fats and proteins. Peanuts don't count. Cashews.... meeh.

 

[Quiksilver]

3-4k calories isn't too hard to do on a high fat diet. Some tbsps of olive oil, cottage cheese, heavy cream, whole eggs, ground beef, etc. they all do pretty well at raising the calorie count.

 

[S.Y.L]

Don't bulk if you just started lifting, once the n00b gains kick in, then see what your at. Stay around 2500-3000 calories and youll be fine

 

[Chrom3y]

Lol n00b gains...so for now just eat as much as possible, healthy of course, and just lift?

 

[EFFORT]

http://www.ironaddicts.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16660&highlight=budget

 

[Chrom3y]

Great link EFFORT. How much do you weigh? If you dont mind me asking...

 

[S.Y.L]

Lol n00b gains...so for now just eat as much as possible, healthy of course, and just lift?

Exactly. Just by lifting, you will start to see decent gains right away, because your body isn't used to it. Stick to the big 3 compounds (bench, deadlift, squat) and you will start seeing results in no time.

 

[Chrom3y]

Thanks a lot SYL

 

[mrRuckus]

Protein
18 extra large eggs=$3.79
*4-pack Bumblebee Tuna=$7.49
80/20 ground beef=$3.49/lb.
Cottage cheese=$2.79
.

wow that's expensive. this is what i pay

18 large eggs = $2
80/20 ground beef = $2.15
Chicken $1.79 - $2 a lb. i buy like 6 3-4lb packages at a time depending on which store is having the sale this week. Nearly EVERY week one of the stores is having a sale. I just look at their fliers online when i have only 1 package left.
Heavy creme. $3 - lasts like two weeks of taking 3 tblsp or so a day.

Tuna has gone way up in price. it used to be like $0.44 a can and now it's like 80 cents for the. Screw that; i never eat it anymore. Chicken is more economical and if tuna is no bargain anymore it's not worth the mercury risk even if it's minimal; i don't freakin know.

One day a week i cook chicken, and one day a week i cook beef. It lasts all week in two giant tupperware containers.

I get steak occasionally if i get the urge and feel like paying a little more but it's the cheaper steak that i'll get on sale for like $3-$3.5/lb.

Nuts are too expensive. If i have to ration them then they aren't "cheap."



I do the anabolic diet now. I spend about $6 a week on a couple frozens pizzas. I like carb up days and i pretty much go no holds barred on this fruity "good carb" crap... even drink beer. No craving for carbs the rest of the week.

 

[Quiksilver]

Good posts guys

for all gym noobs, what Espi and mrRuckus wrote is the kind of lifestyle you're going to have to adopt to make drastic changes.

I started cooking bulk and using tupperware in grade 12. Used to bring a thermos box to school filled with lean ground beef and raw spinach. And a nice thermos jug with some protein shake in it. Put some ice packs in to keep the food fresh in the summer.

In between classes and at lunch I'd run out to my car and eat some beef and a handful of spinach, and wash it down with some protein shake.

Getting big isn't easy, but little things like bulk cooking/tupperware/food prep make it a lot more manageable.

 

[saber]

pb and poptarts are cheap calories but steak is the real pain in the wallet for me

i used to get these cheap beef chunks for stew

also check the egg section carefully cause there are some good deals sometimes

there are a lot of coupons for milk ...not sure y but its good


bulk ice cream and grocery store style protien powder

 

[Throttle]

espi & mr. r have money advice here. i love espi's freezer idea -- a chest freezer is very efficient, you just have someplace you can put it (and a cooperative landlord if you rent). if you can't swing that (and i can't) you can get generic veggies for 75-89 cents per pound at most grocery stores when on sale.

the prices i've paid in oh, md & nj are much closer to mr. R's than espi's. in addition to mr. R's weekly cooking, i also cook about a pound of dried beans each week (switching up varieties pretty often). they're dirt cheap ($1-1.50 per pound, which understates their value b/c you add your own water), full of soluble fiber (like oatmeal) and have the aminos that are missing from other vegetables (giving a complete protein source, if not necessarily an "ideal" amino profile like eggs).

i've also cut out the multi as i've increased the veggies in my diet, and significantly cut back the fish oil, since the only major sources of omega-6 fats in my diet are now nuts & peanut oil.

 

[S.Y.L]

Protein at grocery stores is often overpriced, and not very good.

Order it off of Bodybuilding.com, its cheap there.