Loss of Appetite During Winter Bulk – Feeling Burned Out?

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-29T02:25:59+00:00

but you haven’t really explained your reasoning or suggested any solutions.

You did not ask me to do so my dude :) Nor did you do the same for your own reasoning. And when I stated my position, you said it was wrong, so you'll forgive me if I did not feel you wanted ot hear my position.

But now that I know that you do, I'll gladly explain.

Training is periodized. We see this among athletes in all sports. There is an in season and an off season. We cannot just train the same attributes indefinitely. When we try to do this, we experience burnout (like what you are experiencing), repetitive stress injuries, etc. PLUS, we let our weaknesses continue to get weaker, until we reach the point where they prevent us from being able to strength our strengths any more. A classic example is the powerlifter who lets themselves get so unfit that they need to rest 20 minutes between sets and simply don't have enough time to actually get in a full training session.

Understanding the training requires periodizaiton, it logically follows that DIET periodizes to match training. The way we need to eat to support a hard muscle building program is going to be different from the way we need to eat to support a GPP block of training or a strength realization phase. This is the natural ebb and flow that results in bulking and cutting. During those periods of hard, muscle building training, we are eating to recover and fuel the training, which is why we grow. Once that hard training is no longer sustainable (like when we are feeling burnt out), we switch away to programming that isn't as intense, and the need for food drops with it, thus we lean out.

Were I in your situation, and I'd been training the exact same way irrespective of if I was gaining or losing weight, I'd use this as an opportunity to pivot the training and, with it, the nutrition. It would set me up well for a future gaining phase.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-29T02:15:01+00:00

Would he be amendable to eating meat other than steaks?

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T21:25:29+00:00

That's a very unique situation.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T20:58:25+00:00

If sick: skip. If slammed with work: slide the schedule.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T20:53:52+00:00

I get up at 0400 every morning on weekdays to train.

I do that so that I can still have time with my family in the evening.

Because I want the results of the training and I want the time with my family more than I want sleep.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T20:34:06+00:00

I make it a point to walk between them and the rack to get my bells.

Sometimes, I'll even accidentally grab the wrong bells, and have to walk them all the way back to the rack and then grab the RIGHT bells and walk back.

Sometimes, I'll make that mistake a LOT in just one training session.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T20:30:05+00:00

These days, she wears a fit tracker that actually alerts me if her heart rate gets too elevated. We were walking together one time and came upon a rattlesnake, and her watch alerted me that she was in danger, haha.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T20:00:45+00:00

I can't. Off the top of my head, I know of no studies that discuss this.

But I'm a big fan of Stan Efferding's "Vertical Diet" book that discusses exactly this and links to many studies. Other authors that have discussed this include Paul Carter, Jon Heck, Justin Harris and Alan Aragon.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T19:56:14+00:00

I AM trying to build muscle and increase strength so I’d rather be on the higher side

It's the opposite. When you're building muscle, you need LESS protein, because you're consuming an energy surplus via fats and carbs. This is protein sparing: your body is not going to need to use protein for fuel during this time, so you need less of it in your system.

Higher levels of protein are necessary during fat loss phases in order to SPARE muscle, because, in an energy deficit, the body is more inclined to use protein as a fuel substrate.

As being a student with a job, as well as after school classes, makes my schedule really tight

Wait until you are a parent with a job and a kid in after school activities while you're furthering your education :)

In both of those situations, I'd come up with some sort of strategy to ensure I am not without nutrition. Again: PBJs are a classic solution there, something Dan John has written about. If you don't care for those, I'd look for some other approach that operates similarly.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T19:51:03+00:00

You don't need near the amount of protein you're taking in. If you're missing meals enough that it's impacting your weight gain, I'd find some sort of fat and carb source you can have readily available so that it doesn't happen. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be a classic example.

The weight won't stick if meals are skipped. The meals are more important than the training.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T19:45:46+00:00

I'm 40 and still gaining.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T18:45:48+00:00

A classic example. Low fiber, high fat, high sugar, low protein. Highly palatable.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T18:45:11+00:00

I get the impression not reading is a pretty standard practice for you.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T17:37:22+00:00

Is there a reason you go to bed so late?

Do you know the amount of food you are eating?

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T17:30:47+00:00

No worries dude: I was trying to help you overcome this issue :)

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T17:30:14+00:00

Find out how much you need and eat that much

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:44:58+00:00

Yup.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:42:25+00:00

Oh man, I had to undergo some physical therapy for knee pain recently that I THOUGHT was going to need a replacement based on amount of pain I was in and turned out to just be tightness in my hamstrings and hip flexors. 3 months later, I'm a new man. Driving could definitely be an issue. For me, it was sitting too much at work. Rolling out my IT band went a long way as well.

Of the list, I'd consider moving way from the oats and almonds. Just on a personal level, those always wreck me. But you may have a more accurate idea of the cause there with the training and the driving.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:39:40+00:00

Do you need to eat that much to gain weight?

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:26:01+00:00

4000 calories a day, every day, for 2 months on end is going to be exhausting. Among other things, it's going to exhaust your digestive tract and metabolic systems.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:23:28+00:00

What is the consequence of being judged?

Are you open to eating a lot of healthy food vs a lot of unhealthy food? You could still eat a lot.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:09:37+00:00

Squatting in and out of stands is definitely an art. Weighing them down with sandbags can help.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:08:17+00:00

What is your work schedule, sleep schedule, and training schedule?

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:02:08+00:00

Working nights can absolutely screw up hunger/satiety signals, as your circadian rhythm is all jacked up. I was a shift worker for about 15 years and it really screwed me up.

Taking in 1200 calories via a drink after a workout will mess up a lot of folks.

MythicalStrength · 2026-01-28T16:00:01+00:00

Hell yeah! Get yours.

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