Hard gainer diet

[scotty2024]

It seems like everywhere you look there is information or diet plans for people to loose weight or maintain weight. When was the last time you saw an infomercial at 2 in the morning for gaining weight?

I'm 6', 143lbs and 24 years old. I have tried several times to add weight. Each time I fail. The last time I added a little belly fat. I'm getting ready to try again. I definitely give it my all during workout but I think my problem is my diet. I try to eat healthy and I know that without a solid diet (especially for hard gainers) your wasting your time.

I have a diet plan written out for a weak. I'll repeat this diet weekly. I don't think this diet has enough calories each day. I haven't verified this but I think it averages around 3k and I have read I should be eating 4k to 4.5k with a goal of 229g protein a day. I am by no means an expert by any stretch of the imagination. So please review this and feel free to make any suggestions. Hopefully myself and other hard gainers can benefit from this.

By the way, I hate cooking, so instead of cutting things up and mixing together, I just eat everything separately. For example, instead of cutting up a carrot for my salad, I'll eat the salad greens and then eat the carrot. So you will notice that in the diet below you can mix some of these items together to make stuff (but I don't).

Day 1
workout day
Breakfast:
10 egg whites
1 cup mushrooms
1 roma tomato
4 oz low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup fruit
12oz cottage cheese (1%)

Snack
22g protein powder (1 scoop) mixed in 8-10 oz of 1% milk
5g creatine mixed in 8oz of grape juice

Lunch
5oz fat free turkey breast
5oz ham slices
4 oz fat free mozzarella cheese
1 Roma tomato
2.5 cups romaine lettuce
2 oz avocado
4 Tbls low fat ranch dressing

Snack
30 nuts
2oz turkey jerky

Dinner
10oz salmon
1 cup asparagus
1 cup wild rice
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup vegetables

Day 2
non-workout day
Breakfast
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup fruit
1 banana

Snack
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
1oz nuts
Caesar Salad

Snack
3oz cheese
4oz soy nuts

Dinner
10oz turkey
1 cup green beans
1 cup butternut squash
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

Day 3
workout day
Breakfast
8oz juice
10 egg whites
4oz chicken breast
4oz fat-free parmesan cheese
4 pieces of turkey bacon

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
4 cups salad greens
10oz chicken breast
3/4 cups celery
1.5 cups vegetables
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

Snack
4oz soy nuts
12oz cottage cheese

Dinner
10oz Halibut
1cup wild rice
1cup zucchini

Day 4
non-workout day
Breakfast
12oz 1% milk
4 sausages
2 english muffins
4 oz fat-free mozzarella cheese

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
2.5oz steak
1 cup arugula
1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 artichoke hearts
4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Snack
3oz cheese
1oz nuts

Dinner
10oz chicken breast
1 cup snap peas
1 cup quinoa

Day 5
workout day
Breakfast
10oz 1% milk
1 grapefruit
10 egg whites
1 cup roman tomato
2 cups spinach
4 oz cheese (feta)

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
2 cups coleslaw
3oz low-fat swiss cheese
10oz ground turkey breast (turkey burger)
2 cups vegetables

Snack
12oz 1% cottage cheese
2oz turkey jerky

Dinner
10oz Cod fish
1cup wild rice
1 artichoke

Day 6
non-workout day
Breakfast
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup fruit
1 banana

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
1 orange
2 cups spinach
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup raisins
2 cups cabbage
10 oz pork tenderloin

Snack
2oz turkey jerky
1oz nuts

Dinner
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
2 cups vegetables
10oz steak
1.5 cups broccoli

Day 7
non-workout day
Breakfast
12oz 1% milk
1/2 cantaloupe
4 pieces turkey bacon
10 egg whites
4oz mozzarella cheese

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
4 cups salad greens
2 cups vegetables
5oz tuna

Snack
12oz 1% cottage cheese
1oz nuts

Dinner
1 cup wild rice
10oz chicken thighs
2 cups asparagus
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

[Klimax]

Add macros to the diet. I would suggest you starting with one tipical diet. It's easier to do microcalibration in that way.

[Narkissos]

It seems like everywhere you look there is information or diet plans for people to loose weight or maintain weight. When was the last time you saw an infomercial at 2 in the morning for gaining weight?

I'm 6', 143lbs and 24 years old. I have tried several times to add weight. Each time I fail. The last time I added a little belly fat. I'm getting ready to try again. I definitely give it my all during workout but I think my problem is my diet. I try to eat healthy and I know that without a solid diet (especially for hard gainers) your wasting your time.

I have a diet plan written out for a weak. I'll repeat this diet weekly. I don't think this diet has enough calories each day. I haven't verified this but I think it averages around 3k and I have read I should be eating 4k to 4.5k with a goal of 229g protein a day. I am by no means an expert by any stretch of the imagination. So please review this and feel free to make any suggestions. Hopefully myself and other hard gainers can benefit from this.

By the way, I hate cooking, so instead of cutting things up and mixing together, I just eat everything separately. For example, instead of cutting up a carrot for my salad, I'll eat the salad greens and then eat the carrot. So you will notice that in the diet below you can mix some of these items together to make stuff (but I don't).

Day 1
workout day
Breakfast:
10 egg whites
1 cup mushrooms
1 roma tomato
4 oz low-fat cheddar cheese
1 cup fruit
12oz cottage cheese (1%)

Snack
22g protein powder (1 scoop) mixed in 8-10 oz of 1% milk
5g creatine mixed in 8oz of grape juice

Lunch
5oz fat free turkey breast
5oz ham slices
4 oz fat free mozzarella cheese
1 Roma tomato
2.5 cups romaine lettuce
2 oz avocado
4 Tbls low fat ranch dressing

Snack
30 nuts
2oz turkey jerky

Dinner
10oz salmon
1 cup asparagus
1 cup wild rice
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup vegetables

Day 2
non-workout day
Breakfast
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup fruit
1 banana

Snack
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
1oz nuts
Caesar Salad

Snack
3oz cheese
4oz soy nuts

Dinner
10oz turkey
1 cup green beans
1 cup butternut squash
22g protein mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

Day 3
workout day
Breakfast
8oz juice
10 egg whites
4oz chicken breast
4oz fat-free parmesan cheese
4 pieces of turkey bacon

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
4 cups salad greens
10oz chicken breast
3/4 cups celery
1.5 cups vegetables
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

Snack
4oz soy nuts
12oz cottage cheese

Dinner
10oz Halibut
1cup wild rice
1cup zucchini

Day 4
non-workout day
Breakfast
12oz 1% milk
4 sausages
2 english muffins
4 oz fat-free mozzarella cheese

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
2.5oz steak
1 cup arugula
1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/4 artichoke hearts
4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Snack
3oz cheese
1oz nuts

Dinner
10oz chicken breast
1 cup snap peas
1 cup quinoa

Day 5
workout day
Breakfast
10oz 1% milk
1 grapefruit
10 egg whites
1 cup roman tomato
2 cups spinach
4 oz cheese (feta)

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
2 cups coleslaw
3oz low-fat swiss cheese
10oz ground turkey breast (turkey burger)
2 cups vegetables

Snack
12oz 1% cottage cheese
2oz turkey jerky

Dinner
10oz Cod fish
1cup wild rice
1 artichoke

Day 6
non-workout day
Breakfast
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
1 cup fruit
1 banana

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
1 orange
2 cups spinach
1 red bell pepper
1/4 cup raisins
2 cups cabbage
10 oz pork tenderloin

Snack
2oz turkey jerky
1oz nuts

Dinner
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
2 cups vegetables
10oz steak
1.5 cups broccoli

Day 7
non-workout day
Breakfast
12oz 1% milk
1/2 cantaloupe
4 pieces turkey bacon
10 egg whites
4oz mozzarella cheese

Snack
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk
5g creatine mixed with 8oz grape juice

Lunch
4 cups salad greens
2 cups vegetables
5oz tuna

Snack
12oz 1% cottage cheese
1oz nuts

Dinner
1 cup wild rice
10oz chicken thighs
2 cups asparagus
22g protein powder mixed with 8-10oz 1% milk

Honestly the diet looks very well thought-out... and a great place to start. I'd suggest that you start it.

The kcals could be higher to be honest... but it has a nice structure. Easy to tweak.

Are you working out at present?

If so, add a small pro/carb (22gr pro; 30gr carb; 7gr fat) shake prior to, and after, your work-outs on gym days... It'll bump your recovery, and it'll bump your overall kcal intake... thus bumping your potential gains.

Nice work there mate.

[scotty2024]

Hi Klimax and Narkissos.

Klimax, are macros things like grains, vegetables and beans?

Narkissos, I agree the kcals could be higher. Maybe I can boost it with macros as Klimax suggested? Any ideas where? Maybe in the snacks?

For the pro/carb what should I add for the 30g crabs, 7g fat? One scoop of my protein powder has 22g protein, 4g carb, 2g fat and 8oz of 1% milk has 8g protein, 12g carb, 2.5 fat. So each protein shake in my above diet is really 30g pro, 14g carb, 4.5g fat. What do you suggest to fill in the rest of the carbs and fat?

I am working out currently. However, at this time my main goal is to figure out my diet. From all I have read, as a hard gainer I could workout all the time and loose weight without a solid diet. I have also read the recovery time takes longer and to limit myself to 3-4 workouts a week. So my workout routine is on the back burner for now.

[Narkissos]

Hi Klimax and Narkissos.

Klimax, are macros things like grains, vegetables and beans?

Macros = Proteins, carbs, and fats.

Narkissos, I agree the kcals could be higher. Maybe I can boost it with macros as Klimax suggested? Any ideas where? Maybe in the snacks?

For the pro/carb what should I add for the 30g crabs, 7g fat? One scoop of my protein powder has 22g protein, 4g carb, 2g fat and 8oz of 1% milk has 8g protein, 12g carb, 2.5 fat. So each protein shake in my above diet is really 30g pro, 14g carb, 4.5g fat. What do you suggest to fill in the rest of the carbs and fat?

Add one cup of frozen berries. That'll put you at 31gr carbs total. Don't worry bout the rest of the fat kcals.

I am working out currently. However, at this time my main goal is to figure out my diet. From all I have read, as a hard gainer I could workout all the time and loose weight without a solid diet. I have also read the recovery time takes longer and to limit myself to 3-4 workouts a week. So my workout routine is on the back burner for now.

Once you're continuing to work-out while trying to figure out your diet, that's fine. *Don't* stop working out.

[benny_jerry]

by marcos they mean how much of protien, carbs, fats and cals are in the food your eating. e.g. them things you read on the back of the packaging on the food you buy. i was the same when i was asked to put marcos on as i had no idea what they was haha.