newbie-hardgainer-help/w diet

**ectomorph141** · 01-14-2003, 09:50 AM

Hello everyone. I have been doing research for about 2 weeks. This is the best source of information I have found so far. I will tell you a little about my goals and diet. I am a hardgainer(ectomorph) who finally decided to take charge and gain weight. I have lost weight since high school and want it back.
My body is extremely tight with very little body fat. I have a really ripped 6 pack(The only thing I like). My arms and chest are tight but small. My legs are pathetic tooth pics with almost no muscle. I have a 3 month membership with a local gym and some friends that have been bodybuilding for over 4 years. I started on the 6th of this month(last monday) I would love to gain at least 10# of muscle in 3 months.
I want to put on as much mass as possible. My main problem is my diet. I will list my diet and I would like some suggestions on how to improve it. I am new to this and will take ideas and criticism very well. Please help me on my way. I weighed myself the day I started working out.

1/6/03
weight--141lbs (ectomorph141)

height-- 5'9"
chest---35 7/8"
waist---31"
bicep---12 1/4" (flexed) 11 3/8" (flacid)

I know I need 6-8 meals but need ideas
average daily meal
6:00 am
cereal with milk

9:00am
1 cup of cottage
1/2 cup of peaches

12:00pm
6oz of steak
1 cup of rice

3:00pm
1 potato
1 slice of cheese
1 tbsp of butter

5:00pm (pre-workout)
mixed nuts and fruit

6:00pm workout

7:30pm (post-workout)
1 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 cup of peaches

8:30pm
6oz of steak
1 cup of rice
glass of milk

This is an average idea of my diet(pathetic). I figure I need somewhere around 150-200grams of protein and 3000 calories per day but can't seem to get it in there. Sometimes my last meal isn't until 9:30 depending on when I get home. I ordered whey protein and monohydrate creatine to help with my diet. I have also heard that I can thro in some dry milk into my meals for extra calories.

I hope this isn't too much information or too many questions. I just don't have much time and I need as much information as possible. I am confident I will get bigger. But I have to get my diet on track
Thank you.

**Stickboy** · 01-14-2003, 04:17 PM

Some of your meals seem to be lacking in protien. To reach your goal of 150-200 grams each day, you'll need to eat between 25-33gms of protien every meal. (some of these can be the protien shakes.)

I would ditch the cereal and milk for breakfast. I normally eat eggs for breakfast (some eat oatmeal, etc.)

If those peaches are the canned kind - lose them. Eat more fresh veggies (and fruit, if you are going to eat it). I'd eat brown rice instead of white rice. Also seem to have a lot of dairy in your diet (IMHO).

Sombody posted a bodybuilders shopping list. I can't find it right now to link to, but poke around and you should see it somewhere. It has all kinds of good foods to eat on it.

I'm sure someone will post or link it for you and add some comments as well.

**Jodi** · 01-14-2003, 04:23 PM

150-200grams of protein

If you want to put on 10lbs of muscle you better double that protein grams you have listed. Shit I eat 150-200G protein.

**Jodi** · 01-14-2003, 04:25 PM

Shopping list!

sugar-free low carb protein powder
lean beef
chicken breast
turkey breast
fresh fish
canned tuna
canned salmon
eggs
creamed cottage cheese**
hard cheese **
sweet potatoes
yams
long grain brown rice
old fashioned oats
steel cut oats
eggplant
squash
romaine lettuce
spinach
asparagus
avocado
broccoli
brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
cucumbers
celery
peppers (any color)
mushrooms
string beans
zucchini
apples
bananas**
fresh or frozen (w/o syrup) berries
peaches
grapefruit
heavy whipping cream (35% ....NOT whipped cream the dessert topping)
olive oil
safflower oil
flax seed oil
walnut oil
almonds
walnuts
natural sugar-free peanut butter

** Not all foods on this list should be used at all times...the banana for instance should only be used during a carb up and/or a bulk.

DP

**Fit Freak** · 01-14-2003, 07:06 PM

I would up the protein to at least 225 grams (1.5g/lb of bodyweight). Make sure you are eating about 30 grams of protein per meal spread over 6 meals throughout the day.

I would lose the nuts pre-workout...too much fat at that time can hinder performance/growth....maybe try a protein shake and banana with some flax oil or something.

Breakfast...start eating oatmeal and eggs like the rest of us. You need the calories if you're a true hardgainer so a few yolks here should be fine.

Try mixing your shakes with milk for added calories/protein.

Lose the cottage cheese post-workout and try a meal replacement shake mixed with milk. Maybe add a banana to it also and add 1Tbsp flax oil.

3pm meal needs protein...try steak/chicken/tuna/salmon, etc.

Also...the cottage cheese meal...add something else for added calories....maybe some peanut butter or something...or maybe add the nuts here.

Also...you're a hardgainer so I would eat more than a cup of rice (cooked)...maybe 1.5 cups...and make sure it's brown rice...not white...and especially not instant.

Also add some vegies whenever possible...very few calories but we all need them for our health.

GOOD LUCK!

**ectomorph141** · 01-15-2003, 11:15 AM

Thank you stickboy, Jodi, and Fit Freak. I have taken all of your advice into consideration.I can use all the feedback I can get. I am so excited about this, I think about it from the time I get up until the time I pass out in bed.
I will post some before pics of me in the pics section.
Well my whey protein came in last night and so did my creatine. I will take the creatine once a day right after the workout. I will also have a whey protien shake after my workout( I can't afford the meal replacement shakes). Then when I get home I will eat at least 6oz of steak. I would like to gain 30# of muscle but I think it would be realistic to say I would be happy with at least 10#. I really hope I gain more.

Thanks for the rice recommendation. I have been eating white rice. Time to change to brown.
I will try the oatmeal and ditch my habbitual cereal for breakfast.
I am having a protein shake at 9:00 instead of cottage cheese.
I am putting 2/3 powered milk into almost every meal I eat for extra protein and calories. It disolves well and I don't even notice it in my food.
I added 2/3 cup of powered milk to my 3:00 meal to get more protein and calories.
I will get some banana's, peaches, and apples for fruit.
Where do I get flax seed oil?
Pre workout meal (5:00)is going to be cottage cheese with fruit I am also adding peanut butter to the cottage cheese meal at 5:00am or is that still too much fat?.
Thanks for the shopping list Jodi. I will go tonight and improve my meals even more.
I will post an accurate layout again of my diet scheduel in a couple days. It is getting better and better every day. Soon it will be where I like it.
Thank you sooo much for helping me tweak this list. If you have more ideas or suggestions feel free to let me know.

**Fit Freak** · 01-15-2003, 01:33 PM

Add the peanut butter...it won't be too much fat...just be careful to keep it at 1 Tbsp. As for replacing the cottage cheese with a protein shake...I would add a shake to it and keep the cottage cheese. The whey shake after training....make sure to adding a banana and milk...maybe some berries and flax to it also. You can find flax oil at any natural/health food store...stay away from the capsules as it takes 14 capsules to eaqual 1 Tbsp. As you can see it is much cheaper to buy the flax in its oil form. Also make sure you have a protein source like eggs or a shake with the oatmeal...your body will have gone without protein all night so you will need to make it a priority to have protein first thing in the morning with breakfast.

GOOD LUCK!

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