I recently read the Body-for-LIFE book and have started eating the way Bill Phillips recommended everyone should - 6 small meals (1 portion protein the size of fist and 1 portion carbs, including 1 portion of veggies in two of those 6 meals). I am 6'5'', 195 lbs, and am more interested in gaining weight, about 10 to 15 lbs. of muscle. I feel like I'm not eating enough to get the results I want and need to know what I should do. Any information helps. Thanks.
-J

Do some search through past logs and threads. There is more than enough information on this site for every body type and every diet.
Sorry, not trying to sound like an ass. But I think a search will do you a great benefit.

Sounds like you're doing it. All you can do now is see if it works. If you're still not gaining, another simple solution is to eat more

Yeah, I definitely could do a lot more research. That's a good tip. But there are so many different answers and I can't distinguish which ones are good and which won't do anything for me. Any tips for finding truth?

Look for logs in the training & logs section or in the diet section that have people who have had good results and outlined their diets. Should be plenty of info in the diet thread...but like Jinx said, just do what you are doing and if you aren't gaining in 2-3 weeks maybe it is time to bump clean calories by 300-500 and re-assess.

The basics: (hotly debatable)
1g protein/lb. bodyweight
carbs pre and post workout at 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein (for bulking) you may want to take carbs higher depending on how you handle them
get a good mix of EFAs and sat. fats


The rest is up to you my friend. Read!!!

It's easy to overcomplicate things when you're new to nutritional info. Chances are, you'll do fine if you just eat right, as lethaljd suggested, eat enough, and train hard.

I also second his suggestion to eat more carbs around your workout, get good fats (and not just flax, but a high quality fish oil), and plenty of protein. Also get a good variety of fresh veggies and fruits - but if you're having trouble eating enough, maybe consider a green supplement like Greens Plus, since that gives you a some veggies but without killing your appetite.

Don't eat too much junk, get your sleep, and stay consistent. Track your progress on the scale and if you like, with measurements. Reassess and adjust as necessary. Continue to read and learn, but don't worry about overcomplicating, honestly, it doesn't have to be extremely complicated. Many different dietary approaches will work if you're consistent, and some work better than others for achieving very elite levels, or for certain phenotypes, but most people do great on a good, old-fashioned, common sense healthy diet.

first thing is first my friend - determine your phenotype. bb.com has a really easy/general quiz that tells you what you are. Go there and search for it. This will tell you how many calories to eat over maintenance. The leaner the phenotype the more over your maintenance calories you'll need. Meso's are in the middle and 3-500 cal surplus is plenty. I would suggest keeping fats lower. Nothing over 65grams. Any more is unnecessary, and your midsection will reflect that.

Don't do a keto diet. Stick with your body for life. I agree with the suggestion of add carbs before and after workouts. I'd also suggest some milk/fats right before bed time. Carbs upon waking would help as well. More importantly getting enough rest (sleep) and recovery (time between workouts) will be key. Also, doing some light cardio (light here is defined by what your phenotype is) on an occasion (occasion is also determined by phenotype) will really help with nutrient partitioning.

I'd also suggest reading theories on GI timing WRT your workout. I personally advocate low GI before, high after, and low an hour after that for a bulk.

If you are not gaining eat more as suggested

Be sure to ingest a sufficient amount of protein. In general, way less required that what is promoted by the popular bb community

Be sure get sufficient quantity of essential nutrients including efas, vits and minerals, and indispensable amino acids

Don't be obsessed with only eating BB clean foods. For most people it is hard to obtain sufficient cals if you are only eating non-cal dense foods

Dietary sources
www.bodyrecomposition.com
www.alanaragon.com
www.anthonycolpo.com
www.hypertrophy-research.com


There are a bunch of other sources on the net as well. Tons of places where you can look at the Primary Research Data.


thanks
Coach Hale
www.maxcondition.com

I've never understood why 'clean' is equated with 'low calorie.'

Raw nuts, natural peanut butter, cheese, steak, ground beef, dark meat poultry, fried potatoes (in a quality oil), are neither 'low calorie' foods, nor are they 'dirty', certainly not compared with Big Macs and fries.

Eating something 'dirty' every now and then is not necessarily a big deal, and if you're trying to gain than you need calories, pure and simple. Ideally, organize your meals and prep food in advance so that it's rare that you find yourself falling back on junk just to get your calories in.

Some lifters like chocolate milk - it's a good way to get hydrated, calories, protein and carbs all in one shot. It's cheap and a lot 'cleaner' than a lot of convenience foods.

Nice suggestions Jinx.

I second the notion about calorie dense foods. Also, if your eating 6 times a day it probably wouldn't hurt your feelings to make 2 or 3 of them a little larger (in the case that you are eating low calorie foods).

Cycling carbs or frequent 'refeeds' that involve free feeding can also be beneficial. I'm experiencing very good strength and (believe it or not) recomposition with weekend binging.

I would be careful to throw that out there, I think that is a highly individual thing, and depends on too many factors to recommend it to just anyone.

Thanks to everyone who responded. I'll do more research. All of your help was appreciated.