can't gain weight

[Dman]

I've have been working out now for a year and 4 months. I train 4 days a week.I am a hard gainer and it is frustrating me to the point were i want to quit sometimes cause i look in the mirror and don't see any changes.What type of foods should i be eating? i try to eat every thing in site even fatty foods any thing that i think will put weight on but it doesn't work.Now that is near summer i will probably lose more weight cause i work out doors and will sweat the pounds away.please help me

[xxxl83]

Check out this thread "Hardgainers part 2 The Skinny Bastard Diet"
good info.

[devilscabanaboy19]

Try adding complex carbs to your diet as opposed to simple carbs. I used to have the same problem then I started eating shit loads of oatmeal and rice and managed to put on some pretty decent mass. The reason for the complex carbs is because they stay with you longer and usually add more good calories. Also don't forget to eat tons of protein each day. Patience also works.

[Ajax]

Originally posted by Dman
i look in the mirror and don't see any changes.What type of foods should i be eating? i try to eat every thing in site even fatty foods any thing that i think will put weight on but it doesn't work.

OK, problems gaining weight fall into three categories:

[LIST=1][*]Diet Problems[*]Workout Problems[*]Other Less Common Problems[/LIST=1]
OK. So you look in the mirror and dont see changes. What about the scale? What's the scale telling you? Are you putting on weight?

What does you diet consist of? If, as you say, you are "eating everything in sight" that doesn't sound like you are being very choosy. Get your protien from low-fat sources (lean meats, egg whites, dairy products, etc.) and eat lots of complex carbohydrates. If you are salmming down burgers & fries & twinkies, you aren't eating quality food so don't expect good gains. Don't bother wilth fatty foods--you will put on weight, but not muscle. Same with sugars & starches.

Write down what you eat every day for a few days / weeks and calculate how many grams of protien, carbs, fat and calories you are consuming. Most people are shocked byt he number--it's either way higher or way lower than they thought! Make sure you are getting at least 300g of protien a day and at least 4400 calories, then if you don't get results, keep upping the calories (via quality foods) until you do!

Also, give details of your workout plan so we can tear it to shreds and give you one that will leave you sore and crippled for a few weeks--and help you put on weight!

[Iwan2bsolid2]

this problem always amazes me...you want to put on weight then eat every 2 hours, you will put on weight I don't care what you say. My friends always ask me how to put on weight, I say eat. They say I do eat, I eat all the time. I tell them to tell me what the ate yesterday, and more times then not their total calorie intake is way less than they expected. So rule of thumb, eat when the clock tells you to, every 2 hours. Easy IMO.

[Tobey]

Everybody else has already mentioned the obivious. Eating and eating clean is the key. I can not tell you over the years how many people I have noticed in the past who had given up on their training due to lack of gains. Their body was willing but their desire had fallen by the wayside. This in part was largely due to not mentally preparing themselves for the task ahead. This lack of mental prepearation was ultimatlely was their downfall when faced with problems such as proper diet and how to get around certain obstacles such as this. If you need any specifics on your diet and nutrional needs give me or another of the mods a shout and we will be more than willing to help you out based on YOUR specific caloric needs ect. Take a look at the post in the educational threads called Training the Mind and Training the Mind part 2. Both are very informative in helping you stay focoused in these difficult times of frustration.
IC