First time bulking, mentally scared

Former fat sack of crap here. Lost weight (HARD. Looked like I'd escaped from a gulag by the end) and ended up in the same place as you; too scared shitless to bulk in case I magically turned gross again.

Well, I faffed around with bullshit like leangains (not bullshit but unnecessary for a first bulk), ABCDE diets, all kinds of supplements, carb timing etc. Name some snake oil nonsense and the odds are I tried it. And the end result was that because I was so scared to get fat, I made zero progress. Wasn't getting any bigger or stronger. To keep the weight going up on the bar, I started letting form slip, and that culminated in a lower back injury, elbow tedinitis and something fucky in my shoulder.

If I had just gotten acclimated to the idea that, if you gain muscle, you can gain fat and still look way better than otherwise, I would probably be decently strong, decently sized and not all fucked up by now. Instead of which I'm only just starting to get meaningful results, after a couple of years at this shit.

The point is, you're going to get a little fatter, but as you get bigger you'll find that you look far sexier than if you fucked around with trying to go straight from skinnyfat to shredded. And, I would argue, it's safer, too. Ignore people telling you that if you eat clean foods you can get big without getting fat, because that's nonsense, but if you're sensible with your caloric excess, lift good weights with good form and stick at it you'll find that the change will be a positive one.

/r/gainit Thread