Hardgainers typically find it difficult getting enough calories to gain weight and build muscle. The secret to consuming enough calories is to choose calorie dense foods. You have to be eating lots of high calorie foods and beverages or you will be fighting an uphill battle.
Gaining weight doesn’t have to be a struggle if you are eating the right kind of calories. This can be changed if you begin to analyze your daily diet plan to include more calorie dense foods. Let me explain more about calorie density.
What are High Density or Calorie Dense Foods
High density foods are foods which (measure by volume) contain a high number of calories per serving. Calorie dense foods tend to be high in fat and/or sugar due to the fact that all proteins and all carbohydrates contain four calories per gram whilst all fats contain nine calories per gram. Moreover, some foods are more “calorie concentrated” then others as they contain less water content etc. Let me explain.
Visualize two kitchen measuring cups side by side (both the same size); one filled with chopped cucumber and one filled with raisins. Each cup now contains exactly the same VOLUME of food, right? But did you know that the cup of raisins has 37 times more calories? That’s right! The cup of cucumbers contains 14 calories, while the cup of raisins contains a whopping 520 calories. If cucumbers and raisins both have four calories per gram, then how could this be? The answer has to do with calorie density. The cucumbers have a lower calorie density because they have a higher fiber and water content. The calories in the raisins are more “concentrated”.
Typical calorie dense foods include things like fatty meats, salami, candy bars, rice crackers, cookies, potato chips, anything which is fried, cola, beer (although there is low calorie beers on the market nowadays) and ice-cream. These are all examples of high calorie foods and drinks because they are high in sugar and/or fat.
When making adjustments to your weight gain diet plan to include more calories, do so in a healthy manner. Don’t just look to be consuming more calories, look at the nutrition value of foods. Let me give an example. We all know fruits and vegetables and nutritionally very good for us.
Fibrous carbohydrates and vegetables such as lettuce, asparagus, cucumber, and broccoli are very low calorie foods. This is because these vegetables are high in fiber and your body has a hard time absorbing the caloric content of fiber. These types of vegetables also have a high water content.
So now let’s look at some “calorie dense” foods which will help pack on the pounds. Leave the vegetables in the pantry if you want to gain weight, and replace them with simple carbohydrates such as fruits which have a higher calorie density. This is because simple carbs are more concentrated and they contain less fiber. Fruit juice is even more concentrated then eating the fruit itself. Instead of having the one medium size orange, which contains about 60 calories, drinking a glass of orange juice will serve you better as it contains about 160 calories. Fruit and fruit juice therefore make a great addition to a weight gain program.
Complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains, pasta, cereals, beans, potatoes and rice also have higher calorie densities than fibrous carbs. A typical serving of pasta contains about 800-1000 calories. Pasta and other complex carbs are great foods for gaining weight.
Now that you know what carbs to eat, let’s talk about fat. There is a common misconception that all fats are bad for you and they should be removed from your diet. This is untrue, there are good and bad fats. Fats have a major impact on the calorie content of foods, so they are an important consideration. Just keep in mind that fat should consist of about 15-25% of your total calories. You want to be getting most of you calories from carbohydrates and protein.
In small amounts, unsaturated, “healthy” fats are not only good for you, but they can help you gain weight more quickly. Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil and two tablespoons of peanut butter would add nearly 500 calories to your daily diet and you’d hardly notice that any extra food was added.
In addition, you can supplement your healthy diet with protein supplements. It is often difficult to eat enough protein each day from normal foods, so supplementing with a weight gain supplement such as a soy or whey protein shake can help increase overall caloric intake. You want to make sure the weight gain supplement is a good mix of both protein and carbs and doesn’t contain too much sugar.
For example, a post workout shake containing 40 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat would provide almost 500 calories. If you wanted even more calories, you could mix the powder in juice instead of water and also add flaxseed oil.
So, let’s summarize your plan for quickly and easily adding more calories to your diet. Continue eating the same healthy foods, just eat more of them. Healthy high calorie snacks is a great way to increase calories. Replace low density foods with high density foods. You could eat salads all day until your face hurts, but it won’t do much good for weight gain. Eat plenty of starchy carbs including whole grains, pastas, rice, and potatoes. Don’t be afraid of adding some fat to your diet, just ensure it’s no more then 15-25% of your total calories. Some of the “good” fats will actually help you to gain weight. Most importantly – just because you need to eat more calories doesn’t give you permission to stuff yourself with unhealthy foods.
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please help me to gain weigt. i weight 90 lb’s . i don’t like alot of meats just bacon thats all. please write back.
Traci… For breakfast eat a large omelet with lots of cheese and other goodies toast and you bacon on occasion. Lots of snacks… Eat lots of fetachini alfredo & cheese cake!! They are loaded in calories. That was what I did to put on 12 lbs when I could not gain weight. Finish your plate and eat when you are not too hungry. I wanted to get my daily intake calorie level high then you can pack on some pounds.
Traci
Hope you well, Eat when ever you can. Try eating high calorie foods (milkshakes are always an easy way to gain weight), My advice to you is to make a plan of what you need to eat to gain the calories. Try eating at least 3000 calories a day. I understand this will be hard initally but your body will get used to it. Like kyra has stated omelets with cheese makes a nice meal. Plan you five meals for the day (every 3 – 4 hours) but also try snacking in between (ice cream, milkshakes, nuts etc). In the morning sometimes people find it hard to eat but start with cerals (eat the high calorie ones like kelloges chocolate clusters etc) this will help you feel hungry within a short time. Make sure you never mis breakfast as that can turn you body into a mode where you will not feel hungry.
hi..my son is now 5 yrs old n he is 30 pound….doc suggested to give him high calorie diet….but he can eat less amount…like half cup of milk …taking time while eating n drnking….can u plz suggest me some food which can help him to gain weight in healthy way…he doesnt like milkshake…plz reply me.
thanks
Dhiren
He is still very young so it is important you don’t allow him to get into bad habits. He has to eat 4 meals a day, Make that the norm for him. The fact that he does not eat much try to get him to eat 5 times a day. This is the age you pick up your habits. If he thinks something is normal he will grow up to continue that practice.
Some foods I can recommend are Bananas, Porridge, full fat milk, eggs if he can have them, ice cream. Milk and eggs are very important as it will help build his structure at that age. Try mash potatoes as that is a good to put on weight.
Hope this helps
Regards
Imran
Hey my name is danielle I’m 19 and I weigh 92 pounds :( I hated being skiney all my life and I eat so much but I can’t gain a pound! I don’t know what to do I don’t eat egg and I don’t drink milk, can you help me please???
I am really skinny, i have been my whole life. I was a really picky eater when i was young, but now i eat everything. I eat and eat and eat, all the time, very large amounts. But i am still underweight and no matter how much or how fatting the food is, i cant gain a pound. I even lose weight for no reason. I am not active at all and i am begining to think this is the case. Last summer i was really active and everyone said i looked better, i dont think i gained much maybe a pound or so but i had a little muscle and maybe thats what i need. I want to work out and gain muscle but i am afriad to lose anymore weight from the excerise. I would like to gain weight as soon as possible too, so i can fit in my dress for the end of June. I a not i big meat eater either, i just dont like the taste. Help please.
Danielle
Milk and eggs are just some examples of foods for not only putting on weight but also for there health benefits. When you say you eat too much, How much is too much? Let me give you a meal plan for some of the people i work with and you can compare with your plan.
8.00 – 2 toast + Butter/Peanut butter, Choco milkshake (500ml) – normal or weight gain or
High calorie cereal with full fat milk.
10.00 – 2 eggs + 2 toast + Butter
12.30 – Potato + Beans/Cheese or chicken burger and chips
15.00 – Weight gain Milkshake
18.00 – Flap jack + Fruit
20.00 – Chicken, Rice/Couscos
22.00- Full fat Milk + Protein shake
All this with snacks in between (Choco bar, Nuts, Crisps etc)
This is just one example of a meal plan. Can you drink milkshakes at all?
Some of the weight gainers are quite good for getting an extra meal into your rotune when you are working.
I need to gain weight I weigh about 95 pounds and I am 18 years old my height is 5’2
I really hate being skinny I do eat a lot but everytime I eat I have to go to the bathroom and take a dump. idk y .. is there a pill or a shot that helps lower your matablism or helps you gain weight???
HELLLLPPP!!! I wanna gain at least 30 pounds my goal is to be 135 pounds.
what shuld I eat?
Nina
I dont really recommend to take pills at this stage, You are still young. Just make sure you dont miss your meals. Have a plan of of what you have to eat and ensure you eat on those times. Try eating big meals, initally it will be hard and you may give a bit of a stomach upset (use gaviscon – to help). But over time your body will get used to it. Going to bathroom could be due to eating a lot of high fibre foods. Just for a couple of months cut down on your fibre foods and try eating more starchy foods (potatos, pasta, rice, couscos etc) Eat big portions and try snacking in between. Remeber this will only be tempory and after a couple of months hopefully you will notice a difference. In between snacks can include summer foods (stawberry and cream, Ice cream, Milkshakes etc). Enjoy your foods and don’t count calories. As for the pills i can not recommend them but why don’t you get a weight gainer and take that as a snack once or twice a day. Take it once before going to sleep. You will see a differernce. Let me know if you need any recommendations on the type of weight gainers you can use want.
Email add = imrankhan69@hotmail.com
Imran
Hello. I would like to know how to gain more weight also. As in what types of meals during the day. I have been reading the posts and see you give great advice! So please help. I want to gain muscle but, mainly more weight. I recently changed my diet.. Basically, increased my meals to 5 to 6 meals a day && I drink Ensure drinks also. I just got a container of Protein powder. So if you have any other methods please help. I weigh 137 now but, I want 150 lbs. I am 22 years old && 5’5. Thanks!
Ok thanks I’ll try this out (: how long do you sopose it’ll take be4 I start seeing some results? I wanted a drastic plan something to help pack on the pounds, do you know of any good pills I could take along with my diet?
Danielle,
Why do you want to take pills? No pills (Not yet any way), Follow this plan and take a weight gainer drink and give it three months (around 2 stones hopfully). I know it is probley slightly longer then you want but:
Remember two things about gaining weight too fast:
1) The quicker you put on weight, you will find the quicker you will loose it.
2) Gaining weight too quick is not healthy and can resuolt in downside effects.
Try snacking slightly more, and as you want to gain weight try eating slightly more fatty foods.
Make sure you get a good weight gainer, I can recommend some if you want?
Be carefull not to just pay for the brand name. Marketing can fool the best of us!!!!
Also one last thing, To start off with it may be difficult to eat huge amounts so just take it easy, and slowly over a week or so start eating more.
Good luck
Let me know how you go and I may suggest some changes, Weigh yourself once and then after a couple of weeks. Change cant happen over night :)
Imran
Renne
Two things, Lets go back a step, How many meals did you used to take? Increasing you meals and reducing your food can have a negative effect. As this increases your metabolism, So make sure you are eating much more now. I know a lot of people who start eating from more meals a day but the meals are much smaller, this is a good way of losing weight. Ideally to increase your muscle and weight, you should have 3 to 4 big meals (2 * J. Potatoes + Tuna/Cheese etc ) I say 2 as you are almost 10 stones. Then eat 3 middle snacks in between (sandwiches, flapjacks, Weight gain milkshakes , Protein bars (as you are training) etc).
Protein powder!!! Which one? if it is just protein then that is not for you as you need a high calorie protein shake. Protein can only build on weight but if you have no carbs then there is nothing to build on. Get protein with good amounts of carbs.
Yeh sure I’ll keep in touch and let you know how things go and I would greatly appreciate if you could recomend a weight gainer
Hello Imran. I usually eat 3 meals a day and maybe one snack. So I should increase my meal intake?? Okay. And I haven’t opened the protein powder yet. I have this book called “The Womens Body Bible”. Have you heard of it?? They recommend Whey protein and thats what I got but, it is low in calories:( Like 100 calories && 3g of Carbs. So I got the wrong one huh?? Which brand or type should I get?? I dont want to lose weight at all. And I got some dumbbells and ankle weights to help while I workout.
hey imran, i also have a very hard time gaining weight. i weigh between 90 and 100 all yr long. i am very active during the summer. eat like a horse and never gain a pound. i eat 3 meals a day plus snacks all the time .i eat chicken beef pork fish veggies ice cream i could go on and on. my problem is i have to be careful with potassium intake 800 mg a day. i drink plenty of fluids also. can you please help me to gain weight and keep it on without being full 24 hrs a day.
I am 6’2 and I weigh 142 lbs. I am 22 years old. I have been tall and skinny my whole life. I was always very active and everyone in my family is also very thin. I work out 5 times a week (all weights and no cardio) and my goal is to be at least 165 lbs. I eat at least three meals a day and snack in between and no matter what I do I cannot gain weight. I literally eat until i feel sick. I am not a picky eater and I am willing to do whatever I have to to attain my ideal weight of at least 165. Any advice or meal plans you can provide for me will be greatly appreciated.
Renne
Increase your meal intake but more importantly increase your calorie intake. If you find it hard to eat lots of meals then make sure you eat 3 big meals, and food that is dense in calories. You could eat 5 meals but if out of those 5 meals you ate 3 salads then you won’t really increase weight ?. If you find it hard to eat, then eat three big meals and then in between eat snacks that are high in calories. Initially it will be hard but once your body gets used to it you should find it easier.
I have heard of the body bible. The problem with some books is that, they are not really for everyone. These books are made to target everyone weather your big, small, active, non active and the way I see it there primary goal is not too help you but to make the money (this is a personal point). I notice that there is not really anyone who really has the passion to help gain weight but rather a means to make money.
I have said this before, you got to remember everyone one is different, what works for you may never work for me and vice versa, that is why certain people eat 3 meals but when they start eating 5 -6 meals they put on the weight and certain people eat 5-6 meals and dont put on weight , they have to gain weight though other ways.
Whey protein is good but it depends on what you want to achieve. I would recommend whey protein to gain lean and firm muscle but that is if you have the mass and want to turn it into muscle. If you have no mass then just protein on its own is not really what you want, ideally you need something to put on the mass. Protein repairs your muscles once they are torn and builds them much stronger and that’s it.
A lot of proteins in the market are low in calories and that is mainly because of marketing, as they can easily target consumers with phrase like “Only 100 calories per serving”. But if you want to gain weight then you need to increase your calories and need foods rich in calories. If you want to loose weight then you need just protein that has least calories. But marketing are very cleaver this way they can target both groups.
Dumbbells will help simulate your muscles which is always good.
I will put up some weight gainers (protein) later today.
Okay & Thanks for the information!
Hi Imran, im naturally thin, and recently found out im intolerant to all dairy including eggs! What food can you recommend to gain, thank you!
Carol
When you try gaining weight, we fall into two groups:
1) The first group simply needs to eat more and work on getting the eating right. This is the most common group, where the majority of people are in.
2) The second group is quite rare, they can eat whatever they want, but never seem to put weight on. This is the group where everyone big, dreams of being in, but everyone in this group wants to get out of it. Funny but it’s true.
Now you seem to be in the second group. In brief you have to change your eating habits and shock you body. You don’t have to be full 24hrs a day, but give your body foods that are high in calories but something different that you don’t normally eat at that time.
I can help but before I need to know do you have any medical conditions. (You talked about potassium intake).
If you can then send me a typical plan of you eat on a typical day I have a look and tell you what I think you should be doing.
Imrankhan69@hotmail.com
Imran
Bob
If you are training then I recommend you train with heavy weights and don’t spend any longer than 45 min in the gym. (Those 45 min should be quite intense with the heaviest weight you can do and a maximum of 6 – 8 reps).
Try this for a month – If you are eating right, then you will see the gain in weight. Also I recommend a weight gainer 2 – 3 times a day. If you want to see real gains in muscle then train just three times a week and get plenty of rest.
You got to understand if you train everyday and don’t have good rest in between then before your body can recover and grow you are straining it again. This is a very common mistake people make when starting training. The books you read about bodybuilders training everyday does not apply to the normal people. You got to understand they take many drugs to keep their body maintained and for the rapid growth in muscle. How long have you been training?
Send me an email with what you eat on a typical day and I will send you some recommendation to gain the weight. But it should be quite simple. Also what would be use full is your training plan.
Imran
Hey i appreciate all the info above, i find this helpful in planning a weight gain program for myself. Im 24, currently weigh 64.5kg and need to gain another 5.5kg in order to reach the minimum BMI to pass the medical for the job im going for, ive been skinny pretty much my whole life, and really struggle gaining weight.
I have ultimately found myself in a predicament, i have 3 weeks to gain 5.5kg. If there is any advice healthy or non you could give me to reach my deadline i would be very appreciative.
Matthew
Ok I never really recommend this but to gain the pounds in a short periods then you need to adjust your plan to something like the following:
1) Weight gainer (NitroTech) 3 times a day
2) Eat only three meals a day and you cannot snack in between
3) Breakfast must contain at least 1500 calories (That is more than you think)
4) Lunch at least 1500 calories
5) Dinner at least 1500 calories
These meals are not to include the calories from the weight gainer. Weight gainer will need to be taken after your meals (30 min).
If you really want to gain the pounds then this will increase you weight in the short term. But chances are if you have been skinny all your life then when you go back to your normal eating habits, you will lose the weight again.
It will be hard to do this but you will reach you goal.
Let me know if you need advice on the types of foods
Imran
Marie
You will find that a lot of people are lactose intolerant. That’s not a problem, just adjust you foods slightly. Take lactose free or soya milk instead of normal milk.
What you find is that over time you could hopefully recover slightly. I had a friend who was told he was lactose intolerant and not to have any dairy products but a 2 years on, he now is eating everything, but everyone if different.
There is two types of causes for lactose intolerant. You can inherit a gene from parents that makes it likely you will develop primary lactase deficiency or it could result in an injury to the small intestine, this can happen at any age but it is more common amongst the youth.
Although you are lactose intolerant I do not know if the doctor told you but most people can tolerate some amounts of lactose in their diet. Different people will have different symptom after drinking a small glass of milk, some severe while others without symptoms. Some can consume cheese (cheddar – hard cheese) but not milk. It is recommended that people with lactose intolerance choose milk products with lower level of lactose then milk such as hard cheese and yogurt. Just find the balance and stick to it.
Gaining weight should not be affected too much, you still have plenty of foods to choose from to gain weight. Here is a list of just some good foods:
Potatoes, Oats, Bread, Fish, Meats, Dried Fruit, Nuts, Olives, Dates and figs (these are very nutrient food that contains a lot of unknown benefits),
To be honest you have to make sure you are eating enough calories. Now a days you can get so much food from big suoermarkets specially for lactose intolerent people.
Hope this helps, Let me know if you need any more info
Imran
Thank you Imran for you help.
The naturopath i am seeing said i have to eliminate all intolerances for 3 months, then re introduce it.
I was also just wondering how many calories i need to consume per day? I work in a physical job, where i probably burn most of my calories!
Thanks heaps
i’m 18 , weigh 97 pounds , have a high matablism, can’t seem to gain a pound no matter what I eat :(
when I do eat rite after I finish I have to go to the bathroom to take a dump. (sorry too much info)
HOW can I gain 20 – 30 pounds in a week , healthy or unhealthy I need to put on the weight FAST
please give me a plan of what I should eat for breakfast , lunch and dinner , including snacks nd shakes to help me gain the weight fast . I like the ensure chocolate weight gain shake but its kinda expensive for me to buy it all the time.
I also heard of this thing called GOMAD meaning (gallon of milk a day)
if I drink a gallon of milk a day including 3 meals with snacks in between ill gain weight
does that reely work??
please I reely need help gaining 20 – 30 pounds in 1 week! HELP! :’(
Maria
It is very hard for me to suggest how much you should consume as everyone is different. The average calories recommended for normal women to consume who are not much active is 2000 calories (UK research).
However this is very general and would not apply to everyone. I personally disagree with this.
You have to remember to gain weight you have to increase your calories. You have a physical job, so straight away you will burn much more calories that most general people. Watching TV you burn calories. You find we burn calories all the times without us even knowing it. That is why rest is very important as it is the time for recovery and when we grow the most (recommend you sleep at least 8 hours a day, more if you can).
Without knowing much of your detail I think you should be aiming to increase you calories between 3000 – 3500. This will be very hard initially but in short eat everything you enjoy.
Imran
imran buddy i really need your help, im always at work and school and then taking care of my kids. im 23 years old 6’3 and weigh 114 lbs. i am desperate in trying to reach 164 in 4 months and i never have the time to actually cook a really good meal and eat once let alone 3 or 4 times a day. and i am on a bit of a tight budget. please can you let me now of any really high calorie microwavable foods or any on the go type high calorie foods with a workout plan, “never been to the gym before , its sad i know”, so i will gain lean muscle and not fat. can you come up with a meal plan like that that will get me to my goal please it will be greatly appreatiated,
thank you in advance.
I am a 19 year old male, 5’6″ and 9ST. I am trying to build my muscles up but i dont eat a lot of meat. The only meat i eat is processed burgers, sausages, nuggets etc. i would like to know if there is a supplement that would provide the nutrients i would be getting from the meat to help gain weight.
Hello i really need help gaining weight. I currently weigh 109 lbs im 19 year old male and am 5’5. I always take creatine every day in the morning and also take whey protein. But my meal plan consists of oatmeal, cerial, tuna, and other junk food. Are their any sites with specific meal plans that easy to simple to prepare?
Thanx
Hey Imran, thankyou for taking the time i found that very helpful and will strive to achieve it.
Hey Imran, I was wondering if you would please answer my question, I think you may have missed it. Its right after Danielle’s.
Leah
Sorry Yes I missed it,
Ok you seem to have tried a number of things which don’t seem to work. What I would recommend for you is to try something to shock your body. Eat foods that are high in calories and food that you don’t normally eat. Your aim should be to eat at least 3000 – 4000 calories. Take a weight gainer with milk. Make a plan and ensure you stick to it. You have to eat 3 big meals (at least 1000 calories) and also snack on high calorie foods in between. I understand I am making it sound really easy and it’s not, but you don’t seem to have a problem with eating big.
As your main meals eat foods that are dense and high in carbs. Add toppings that are high in calories.
As for you snacks, eat foods that make the calories and don’t worry about the type of foods.
Weight training will be ok, but keep it to max 3 times a week.
Ensure you are getting plenty of rest and sleep. You body will grow much faster with good rest.
Meat is a good source of protein and Iron, so you sould try to fit it it in.
As you have always been skinny, you may fall into category 2 (look above at previous message for this category). The people in this category eat whatever they can but don’t seem to put on weight. They have to approach this different way.
I am writing a post next week to specify what these people can do. Try the above and hopefully you will gain. Just make sure you enjoy it
Imran
Thanks a ton Imran, I’m looking forward to your post. This is actually a big help because at the moment I had no idea what to do. I’ll try to count my calories and get over the 3000 mark.
Thanks again,
Leah
Hi I am desperate to put on weight but due to intolerance cannot eat diary products ie no milk, yoghurt, cheese or butter. I need to put on about 30 pounds. I am currently eating about 3000 calories a day but do not put on weight. What is the best food for high calorie intake?
Hi Imran. I accidentally came across this website and see that you help alot of people with your advise. I need one myself. I am underweight, 23 years old, 181cm 55 kg. I dont eat alot and even if i do on certain days,i would definitely end up in the toilet ‘poo-ing’. Friends and family have been teasing me alot and it hurts me even though i don’t show it. People have been telling me to hit the gym, but why should i be there when there are no fats on me to build on at the gym. Can you advise me on what i should eat on timely schedule,what kind of food, supplements i should take. I desperately need an advise and i cant afford a personal advisor. Thanks.
Aldi
Sorry for the delay in reply, I have been very busy,
You have two options, Eat big for each meal which will be hard for you or eat as much as you can consistently though out the day. Going toilet is normal and you only decreet what your body does not use. Your body will take all the nutrient and then get rid of all the waste. If you go toilet then it should be easier to eat more. Make sure you eat high calories foods and foods which are full and high in carbs. You should be eating every 2 – 3 hours, set an alarm if you have to, but that is key. The more you eat the more your body will get adjusted to that and it will become easier. Foods will depend on your liking but for three of your meals try eating high carb meals (potato, bread, pasta) but on its own is useless, add protein like cheese, fish, chicken, beef etc, also don’t forget the side dishes with your meals coleslaw, butter etc. These foods should be for at least three of your meals, the remaining try eating the foods you enjoy and high in calories and every 2 hours. As for supplements then currently just take a good weight gainer. Take the weight gainer three times a day with full fat milk, (Milk is a key ingredient), Depending on what time you get up, eat as soon as possible. If you miss the first meal then the rest of the day you will not feel hungry.
hi imran
one of my dream to gain weghit i would like to get just 5 kg
my weghit 48kg and iam 160 cm
please tell me what to do and tell me what to eat by the way i hate sweets so dont tell me to eat sweets and i cant eat during my works hr i just have one break to eat at 2:oo pm
as i lose weghit very fast :(
Hi Imran.
For a while now I’ve been working out at the gym and eating a fairly average diet. I’m pretty sure my body is ectomorphic, I’m tall and fairly slim. I have made reasonable gains through working out over the past few months, but I feel it’s time to stop floating around and really start to gain some mass and muscle. I know the general rules for protein consumption, but only recently acknowledged the fact that I don’t gain weight easily. I assume that I’m correct in thinking that a completely protein based diet will not be enough for me to make significant gains. Obviously, I’m going to have to raise my calorie intake. How do you suggest I do this, whilst still taking lots of protein and without raising my body fat levels too much? What would you suggest the key foods for me are? I know the general protein “super foods” like chicken breast, tuna, egg whites, brown rice etc, but suddenly I need to incorporate calories into my diet too! One thing I do love is semi-skimmed milk, which I know is fairly high in protein and calories, but is it just too fatty? One final question: workouts. I have a lot of time on my hands, and want to use that to my advantage, how often do you suggest I work out per week, assuming I get sufficient rest (9+ hours) and am on a decent diet?
Sorry for the flood of questions, but you seem to know what you are talking about!
Hope all is well.
Thanks, Sam.
Sam
You are correct with you assumptions regarding protein. If you are cut your carbs too much, which a lot of people tend to do, you have a chance of falling in to ketosis, (A condition which can lead to death).
Protein builds your muscle, so during your work out when you rip your muscles, the amino acids in protein will help rebuild them much stronger hence the ache the next day.
Carbs on the other hand helps put on the mass for you to gain. Now if you take protein on its own you have nothing to build on. Carbs gives you a mass in your muscles to build on. A common and good diet for someone like you who has a lot of time, is to build on your carbs more than protein (for first 5 months – I mean really go for it on the carbs) then take the next 3 months cutting down the carbs and building the muscle. This will be simple because as your body will be used to the high amounts of carbs, as soon as you cut the cabs slightly and increase the protein, you will start to shape up. And as you will be training on the side you will get size and definition. (This is of course your choice).
To lose fat you need fat (remember that from me). Fat is not bad. You got to remember your body needs all the nutrients from the different sources of foods. A good food which you should be aiming to eat is Avocado (type of fruit). It gives you good source of energy and varies other benefits. Try eating dried Fruits + Nuts, Flap jacks are a good source of energy to take, as the good calories. I don’t know how much protein you take but to make sure your are gaining muscle ensure you are taking a good source of carbs (Pasta, Potatos, Rice, Cous cous, bread etc). Eat 4/5/6 meals a day with a good amount of carbs and the snacks ontop. As you are training it will get converted to muscle eventually. People will say that too much carbs will turn into fat and you need to cut your fat. Just remember people talk according to their requirements. Yes not all will be turned into muscle but most will and then when you trim down, you will lose the fat. For you i believe the carbs listed above are the key foods, you will notice the difference yourself. Remember to add some sort of fats in your diet as it aids in muscle growth. And also prevents damages to bones when training.
Sam I cannot stress to you how good milk is for you, and no matter what people say nothing can beat that natural source of calcium.
If you’re on a decent diet and getting the rest you say you are then I would not normally recommend this but you can train up to 5 times a week. However if you feel tried one day then its better you rest then just go in for the sake of going in. If you want to see huge gains than train one day on and one day off.
Training too hard and not getting enough nutrients can have a big negative effect and you find you don’t have enough time to grow and body starts to use muscle to burn energy. You should be aiming to eat at least and I repeat at least 3000 calories if you want to gain any weight. The more you eat, the faster you will see changes in growth. As you are training the food you eat will mainly be used to fuel your body and recover.
Imran
For those who are interested, here is a sample 3000 calorie diet plan which I have published on the site. If you are not used to eating this amount of food, then you should progress slowly.
Hello, I am 27 with 2 kids, I’m 5’5 and weigh 105. I have been trying to gain at least 15lbs. because I did not get this small until AFTER I had my children, up until then I was 125 from 1998-2007 and being this small is not only stressful but I look like I’m on drugs and it’s not attractive nor do I feel very confident when I walk out the house, I feel like a skeleton with clothes.
I have tried working out doing squats, leg lifts, walking stairs etc. Part of the problem I am having is that my appetite is no where near where it used to be or should be, at one point I could out eat my Fiance and he has a healthy appetite too. I do suffer from chronic stress and depression which I think may be the cause of my not wanting to eat and when I do it’s only small portions, my 5 year old eats more than i do and she’s a skinny minny too!!!
So I’ve read most of the very informative posts about different options but I can not eat that much food in one day. On a normal day I try to at least have a sausage biscuit and Iced coffee for breakfast, I usually do not want to have lunch and have to force myself to eat even a bag of chips I usually binge eat once I get home from work about 5 in the evening until bedtime 11pm and I know that’s not going to help my situation any. Would drinking ensure in leiu of lunch to start be a good idea until I get an urge to eat a whole meal for once?
Anyone’s advice is welcome I am at a loss now and I really want to be back to a normal size I feel sickly and gross please HELP!!! thank you all :0)
First off, do not work out if your not eating properly. This is bacause your body will be in a catobolic state (rather than metabolic) due to lack of food nutriants in your body and where do you think it will get the energy from for these sqauts etc your doing?? Your muscle tissue! thats where! You’l wind up making yourself even smaller and having less muscle into the bargain. If you want to gain weight, you gota eat. You need a high carb diet, spuds, rice, loads of fresh veggies, fruit, oats as in porridge in the morning is another good one. Ontop of this, get in plenty of protein, fish, chicken, beef, you need atleast 1 g of protein per pound of body weight a day and you need to eat more (good) callories than you burn in a day. Find a callorie calculator on-line, find out your callorie usage in a day and aim to eat more than that so you have a surplass. This is the only way you’l gain weight! But you WILL gain. You will not gain weight if you burn more than you eat. If you struggle to eat more, a little at a time is key, just aim to eat more each week. Stay away from and dont be sucked in by those so called ‘weight gainers’, these are full of crap, sugars, fillers and bad stuff you dont need, only thing that’l get bigger is your credit card statement lol.
hi im 32 and been skinny for my whole life but want to gain weight and gain some tone to my upper half i am 60kg at the min but been looking at shakes and foods to take ive also started to do situps pullups and other excersises on the wii fit board but i dont want to burn off more than im taking in i dont have a diet plan as i dont no what sort of things to be eating and when to having 2 young children and the wife working evenings i cant get to the gym any advise i will follow i dont have a goal set as of yet just want to look and be bigger than i am
Hey,
Thanks a lot for all the information on this website. I have now boosted my calorie intake and have also made sure that I follow all the tips given on this website for nutrition. However, my question is regarding the weight training. You mentioned that I would have to go to the gym about 3 times a week. I am 19 years old and 121 lb. I am a beginner at the gym and have no clue how to start out. I don’t think I can do the military presses or the bench press. The last time I went to the gym, I spent about 45 minutes there and lifted some dumbbells but did not feel much strain. Also, some people tell me that I should work on different muscle groups each day of the week and some say that i should work on all muscle groups. I am confused.
HELP!
Thanks.
Hi Imran,
I am a 17 year old boy and I weigh only 135 pounds and I am 6’2″ and am the skinniest kid i know
I tried the past few days to put on some weight by eating a lot of protein filled things and drinking a lot of milk but i went on the scale and noticed i only lost weight. I also work out occasionally. Any suggestions on how to put on 30 pounds in 30 days?
Hi to all,
Previously I had a real serious bout with IBS and lost 15lbs. However, I started using PowerBar protein plus candy bars. I now take two daily with a meal. Each bar has 300 calories, and 23 grams of protein. This has really been helpful.
Hello Imran,
Wow! I’m so glad I finally found a site that talks about gaining weight!! I’m in my 30s and weight about 85lbs. I want to gain about 20 to 30. I’m very active right now and I need a diet plan. I don’t think I’m taking in enough calories. When I do gain that 1 to 2 lbs weight , it sucks because I see it on my stomach more that anywhere else in my body. So Im focusing on working out my stomach. Right now I’m training for a half marathon and doing the abs ripper. With the marathon training, I know it will be even harder to gain weight. I run twice or three times a week and workout my abs 3 times a week. (note: sometimes I do more exercise and sometimes im too busy to workout but my workout is 95% on schedule.) Please help me w/ a diet plan. I’m not very good at counting calories or even determining which food are good. I want to gain weight in a healthy way. Thank you so much!!!!
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