Bulking and lack thereof

[alothrysis]

Hello all, 1st post here
A little history:

In April I will have been training for 2 years, made the beginner mistake as a natural lifter and tried the bro-split method for my first 6 months of training.
Moved to an upper lower for about 16 months or so.

Recently have moved to the Ice Cream Fitness 5x5 novice program as my strength according to him makes me a beginner still. Recommended strength standards (225lbx5 BP, 315lbx5 Squat, 405lbx5 DL) Progression is coming along nicely. I also workout at home and alone so I can't get too crazy trying PRs

My estimated 1rms
5'11 155lbs
235lb Squat
355lb DL
175lb BP
Measurements
Chest from upper armpit: 44.5 in
Arms: 14.2 in
Legs: 23 in
10-13ish bf %, can see abs if I flex

I am happy with my progress as I have a very thin frame. Not sure of my stats when I started but, I DEFINITELY look much better than I did 2 years ago. I have an extremely fast metabolism along with a labor job, moving furniture the past 6 years, most days go into the 8-10 hour range, 5 days a week.
Like I said, I have definitely put on size in 2 years but, I have only gone up 2lb on my scale. This doesn't make sense as it sure looks like more than 2 lbs.
My TDEE is apparently 3236...I have been eating 4500-5000 calories a day for who knows how long...always making sure I hit my protein and fat recommendations, the remaining calories are filled in with carbs or anything I can get my hands on really. I have yet to stall on lifts but, I literally don't go up in weight. Frankly, I can't afford my bodybuilding needs it seems.

What should I do? My lifts are always increasing so I know progress is there...I feel like I am missing out on potential growth though since my weight has only increased by 2lbs in almost 2 years.

Any suggestions?
Don't really want to go down the McDonalds route for the extra calories
EDIT: I also don't count my milk intake, which is whole milk btw and I also try to fit in as many peanut butter sandwiches as I can before my stomach explodes

Thanks for taking the time to read this if you got this far

[Soldier]

It seems like you know that issue. You have a good training plan, and you've built some solid strength so far, so the only thing left is to get your intake even higher.

There are a few tricks that will help. Focus on good fats. Keep almonds around. If you throw in even a few handfulls of almonds on top of your current intake then it'll make a big difference. Also, olive oil. Add it to everything you cook, and add it to your protein shakes if you make any.

Another HUGE one is heavy whipping cream. The stuff is like 50 cals a TEASPOON. Add a few teaspoons to each glass of milk and you've added another 400 cals by the end of the day.

With just almonds, olive oil, and heavy whipping cream you can easily add 1000 cals a day to your intake. OH, and when you make those PB sandwhiches, put more PB on less bread. The bread fills you up and the calories you really want are coming from the PB.

God, I wish I had your problems, lol. Bulking seems tough until you start cutting.

[alothrysis]

Heavy whipping cream in my milk and olive oil in the protein shakes

Awesome suggestions, thanks again

[BendtheBar]

Welcome to the forum.

Like I said, I have definitely put on size in 2 years but, I have only gone up 2lb on my scale. This doesn't make sense as it sure looks like more than 2 lbs.

Even a smallerish amount of muscle will make a difference on a lean frame. 3-4-5 pounds of muscle is more than most people realize.

Any suggestions?

You can eat clean and still get in plenty of calories. It's all about seeking quality calorie sources, and making sure about 10-20 % of your foods are junkier.

Butter, heavy cream, cream cheese, cheese, olive oil, whole milk. A little of cheese types of heavy foods goes a long way, and adds tons of healthy calories.

The first step you need to do is spend a week figuring our how many calories you are eating. You aren't gaining much weight right now and need to get proactive and establish a baseline.

Count your cals for a week, get an average, and let us know what this average is each week.