# Struggling to Gain Weight



## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

I've been on a bulking cycle for almost 3 weeks now. I've been eating eggs in the morning, 2 weight gain shakes with oats a day plus 1 whey. I have high protein foods such as chicken, fish, beef etc...twice a day with veg, rice, pasta etc (one at 1pm and then another as my main meal in the evening) and I always out evoo on my food. I also have other snacks every 2-3 hours such as tuna with a bit of Wholemeal bread around 10am, a protein bar later in the day around 4pm and fruit before I go to bed.

My weight does not seem to be changing at all, I weighed 76kg at the start and I'm still the same now. Any suggestions? I'm averaging around 3000 calories a day.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

up it to 4000. 3000 isnt enough for someone training hard. Increase amounts in each meal.


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## Vivid (May 14, 2009)

Eat more and you will gain weight, as simple as that. Either bump up each meal or add another, 500 more cals should see you gaining.


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## wezo (Jun 12, 2009)

Do you work if yes. How many calories do you burn off at work.. Then you have the calories you burn in the gym.

So you might be bulking on less than 2000 calories per day..think about it..


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## bigtoe900 (Jul 26, 2012)

Did you get your chicken and beef from a reliable source. It could be bunk meat. Tesco burned me before, paid for beef and got horse.


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## xpower (Jul 28, 2009)

aim for 3,500 & see how that goes

also keep protein up @ around 250g (more if ya want)


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

Eat eat and eat some more mate I get sick of eating sometimes but have to just keep shoveling it in only way plus if your active ie physical job etc your going to burn more cals than someone doing an office job


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## Sambuca (Jul 25, 2012)

EVOO in ur shakes on ur food.


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

Ps what's your fluid intake daily drink 3-4 litres of water plus other drinks milk/yogart drinks etc not beer lol


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

bigtoe900 said:


> Did you get your chicken and beef from a reliable source. It could be bunk meat. Tesco burned me before, paid for beef and got horse.


bunk meat haha


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

ewen said:


> bunk meat haha


Maybe even under proteined lol


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## Mingster (Mar 25, 2011)

If you can't eat any more you could always reduce your activity and calorie burning. Move less. Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down


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## MRSTRONG (Apr 18, 2009)

Breda said:


> Maybe even under proteined lol


he must be buying UGB meat :laugh:


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## Breda (May 2, 2011)

ewen said:


> he must be buying UGB meat :laugh:


Can never be too sure what you gettin with UGBs these days but if your sauce is good and your meat is bunk or under proteined he'll sort it


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## cudsyaj (Jul 5, 2011)

Add mixed nuts and a pint of full fat milk a day, that's cheap and easy to hit another 500-600kcals straight away


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

Are you using any supplements bcaa, zma etc etc guessing


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

chris6383 said:


> Ps what's your fluid intake daily drink 3-4 litres of water plus other drinks milk/yogart drinks etc not beer lol


I have a litre of water at the gym and then 4-5 pints throughout the day.


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

chris6383 said:


> Are you using any supplements bcaa, zma etc etc guessing


I'm on tane at the moment so I'm avoiding creatine but there are bcaa's in my whey (ON). I was taking multi vits but avoiding these due to vitamin A.


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

cudsyaj said:


> Add mixed nuts and a pint of full fat milk a day, that's cheap and easy to hit another 500-600kcals straight away


I'll do the milk but I have a mild nut allergy so alas I can't eat nuts.


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

sigarner said:


> I'm on tane at the moment so I'm avoiding creatine but there are bcaa's in my whey (ON). I was taking multi vits but avoiding these due to vitamin A.


Tbh I'm not sure why you are avoiding vit a but wouldn't worry about taking them if in multi vits I always find multi vits help with energy levels and up you water intake to min of 4 litres a day if can drink more drink more will help your body is 70% water so will help with weight

Also why avoid creatine? This is in all meat/flesh products so add it aswell if you want to gain add things to your diet supp etc not cut them out if your cutting I could understand but you want to bulk right?

I eat all I'm ment to and extra **** fast foods now and then extra cals is what matters when bulking keep clean if possible but I'm a hard gainer so believe it or not all the **** foods actually help me gain


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

chris6383 said:


> Tbh I'm not sure why you are avoiding vit a but wouldn't worry about taking them if in multi vits I always find multi vits help with energy levels and up you water intake to min of 4 litres a day if can drink more drink more will help your body is 70% water so will help with weight
> 
> Also why avoid creatine? This is in all meat/flesh products so add it aswell if you want to gain add things to your diet supp etc not cut them out if your cutting I could understand but you want to bulk right?
> 
> I eat all I'm ment to and extra **** fast foods now and then extra cals is what matters when bulking keep clean if possible but I'm a hard gainer so believe it or not all the **** foods actually help me gain


I was going off what I saw online about Tane and to stay off multi vits. Creatine I just assumed that it could cause excess strain on the liver so I've come off it. I'll up the water intake....just hope the toilet doesn't break with the amount I'll be going for a p1ss!!


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## Pain2Gain (Feb 28, 2012)

Down a good 4pints of whole milk ontop of what your consuming, do u eat every 2 hours? If not give it a shot.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

chris6383 said:


> Tbh I'm not sure why you are avoiding vit a but wouldn't worry about taking them if in multi vits I always find multi vits help with energy levels and up you water intake to min of 4 litres a day if can drink more drink more will help your body is 70% water so will help with weight
> 
> Also why avoid creatine? This is in all meat/flesh products so add it aswell if you want to gain add things to your diet supp etc not cut them out if your cutting I could understand but you want to bulk right?
> 
> I eat all I'm ment to and extra **** fast foods now and then extra cals is what matters when bulking keep clean if possible but I'm a hard gainer so believe it or not all the **** foods actually help me gain


hahahaha.

hardgainer :lol: do people still say this sh.it???


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## Pain2Gain (Feb 28, 2012)

PowerHouseMcGru said:


> hahahaha.
> 
> hardgainer :lol: do people still say this sh.it???


Appraently they do


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

PowerHouseMcGru said:


> hahahaha.
> 
> hardgainer :lol: do people still say this sh.it???


So I'm guessing you think everybodies metabolism rate is the same mate? Surely if you knew anything you wouldn't post bollox?


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## chris6383 (Jan 14, 2013)

Mate I wouldn't worry about creatine intake and vitamins etc as I'm sure yours are not that excessive there going to make much difference, as for the toilet lol know what your saying as gone from 2-3 trips aday to 5-6 but it does help with weight and will help liver and kidneys as there being flushed through more


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

chris6383 said:


> Mate I wouldn't worry about creatine intake and vitamins etc as I'm sure yours are not that excessive there going to make much difference, as for the toilet lol know what your saying as gone from 2-3 trips aday to 5-6 but it does help with weight and will help liver and kidneys as there being flushed through more


Thanks for your advice.


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## PHMG (Jun 15, 2010)

chris6383 said:


> So I'm guessing you think everybodies metabolism rate is the same mate? Surely if you knew anything you wouldn't post bollox?


No, not saying that at all. But hard gainer??? Its not hard is it. You just have to eat a bit more :lol:

Just find the name funny.


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## Bull Terrier (May 14, 2012)

Hardgainers really do exist and they're far more common than easy gainers. It's not just a question of eating more food or training harder/better. If only it were that simple..

The problem is that successful easy gainers are the ones who win everything, who other gym-goers look up to, etc. and they often seem to think that hardgainers are just lazy sods who don't want to train hard or eat enough.


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## Grant-J (Apr 19, 2013)

I would of put myself in the hard gainer category, until I sought professional advice about my diet, and realised I was under eating.

Extra calories are easy to get once you realise how, just add a banana, oats and peanut butter/almond butter to your protein to get a few more cals. Glass of full fat milk at meal times.

Creatine shouldn't bnloat you to the extent where you notice unless your water intake is pants, aim for 3-4 litres a day.

I found if I eat regularly (every 2.5 hours) I'm constantly hungry!

Oh and oats before bed with a slow release protein is an advantage


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## Geonix (Apr 4, 2011)

I'll give you some logical advise from a "hard-gainer" myself (and btw you may think **** sake I wish i wasn't stupidly lean constantly and have a metabolism like a burning fire..) but once you get to the level of muscle mass you want.. maintaining /getting to a certain fat body, is sooooo much easier than others from my experience.

If your a proper hard-gainer at that bodyweight, you'll be looking from what I've experienced personally at eating in excess of 3,600-4,400 kcals (ALL from CLEAN sources) ie. **** loads of pasta, rice, meat (chicken, beef, tuna etc..), several eggs in breakfast etc. You may be thinking 3,600-4,400 kcals what the **** is this kid on about..if you try and eat that amount without using any sauces, unhealthy foods, (milk) and say your are.. your chatting **** honestly, record what your currently eating and take away any **** from it (literally all of it) then workout the macros and laugh.. at what you thought it was and what it is..

*My advise.. *

1. go on www.myfirstnesspal.com , spend 1-4 hours or whatever it takes of your life working out your current diet and making a new one afterwards and you'll potentially make more gains than ever once you realize your not having enough nutrition. ALWAYS bare in mind how much activity you do regularly (its requires fuel....).

2. Don't spend loads of money on weight-gainers, multi-vitamins or generally anything other then straight whey protein. - no were are not wanting to buy maximuscle, ULTRA MUSCLE BUILDING IN 14 DAYS BLENDs or any other products - just get a well priced 20-25g protein per 30-35g serving protein shake which has been tested for quality. (wouldn't bother with BCAAs as your already struggling so probs some-how use it wrong lol!) - you'll get all the vitamins if your eating a proper diet and not being a moron for missing the potential benefits (including muscle building ones) from greens etc.. > Spend majority of the funds you are putting into developing your body into GOOD FOOD (the key to pretty much everything..)

3. Eat plenty of protein (which you should have worked out) I have always used 1.1-1.5x my bodyweight in lbs for the total protein required daily ,which I believe is optimal.

4. COMPOUND MOVEMENTS (if you not focusing on deadlifts / squats etc and aren't willing to watch videos, experience or get shown proper technique, just quit the gym honestly..) - no one cares about what weight your lifting for muscle building without functional use to a certain extent.. don't be afraid to learn.

5. If your monthly spending of supplements (standard ones not steroids - there is no point taking AAS if you don't already know how to gain weight anyhow.. (don't be that moron in the gym who should be 16 stone 10% but everyone thinks is natural as hes a complete donkey thinking 100kg bench press is the bible of any achievement also) is exceeding your monthly food shopping bill, you need to change your ways... (whey protein is not expensive.. if your using standard 82% straight whey).

6. "EAT BIG... TO GET BIG..." it's logic! in order to grow, you need to fuel the growth in terms of nutrition.. and I'm a believer in eating a good amount of health carbs/fats prior to sleeping for muscle growth purposes (if your a proper hard-gainer, you won't even worry about bodyfat gain in a clean diet.)

7. CONSISTENTLY.. growth is a constant 24/7 thing.. eating good mon-fri then going out on the **** weekend e.g in a different city with mates. As a "true" hard-gainer will seriously **** you over if you do it regularly if your not eating sufficient whilst doing so..

8. TRAINING... Get a proper training program and follow it accordingly, always think "your training the muscle group your trying to train" next time you go the gym, honestly.. just watch people for a few minutes and think what muscle groups they're using but are only trying to train certain ones. If your form is crap in some situations, you're training other muscles, decreasing they're recovery period and potentially hindering growth. If your say doing 6 reps on a set, don't think oh I'm finding this easy, i'll bang out another few, just stop.. and increase the weight accordingly.. (doesn't matter if you fail, failure is the key to success) Get a training program that meets your lifestyle and maximizes recovery.. TRAAAAIN YOUR LEGS (if your leg days aren't actually an upsetting period 'unless your a leg training nutter' then it's not enough.. easy tip my m8 told me while back.. say you do squats, last 1-2 reps but you can't be ****d but motivation will get you through, just say in your head.. another rep will get you £500,000 and another.. £500,000, surprising it actually worked at the time although I wasn't keen then.. but helped!

9. Drink at least 2-3 litres of water daily (throughout, not in one small period).

ALTHOUGH you only wanted some quick nutritional guidance / advise, I thought i'd throw in some other easy stuff to get on with.. (you may be doing majority already but also may not.)

*I'm no expert but thats my input from my ACTUAL experience achieving weight gain as a hard-gainer. The worst part isn't actually gaining weight btw, it's how fast you potentially can lose weight.. several times when I've had serious money problems / illness, dropping 1-1/2 stone in 3 weeks isn't fun (not majority water weight) you learn from your mistakes when your hard-work goes down the pan fast.

*EDIT, and when I'm talking about hard-gainers I'm on about "ectomorphs" in body types, although their are different extremes and combinations of the mixture of the 3. This plunked from a quick google hit "The extreme ectomorph physique is a fragile and delicate one. The bones are light, joints are small and muscles are slight" describes me perfectly.... My bone structure is stupidly small, (when i had little muscle, you could clearly see this) - Ideal now for when I compete as I do always get told I look better bigger than my weight (less bone weight, winner.)


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## Jammy1 (Feb 21, 2013)

^ How long did it take to write that lol

Very helpful, thanks for sharing!


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## RoskaL (Sep 19, 2012)

Bull Terrier said:


> Hardgainers really do exist and they're far more common than easy gainers. It's not just a question of eating more food or training harder/better. If only it were that simple..
> 
> The problem is that successful easy gainers are the ones who win everything, who other gym-goers look up to, etc. and they often seem to think that hardgainers are just lazy sods who don't want to train hard or eat enough.


Don't kid yourself. Its as simple as everyone keeps saying. If you don't put on weight easy you ain't eating enough, just because the recommended calorie intake is 2500 for men doesn't mean that's a baseline for everyone.

I could say I'm a "hard gainer" I have to take between 5-6k cals a day to get size. And I use to struggle like hell until I looked at my diet, now I'm getting in what I need etc I'm putting on decent weight without getting fat.

I train as much as I can and eat when I can until I can't and that's how I'm liking it. Having a fast metabolism helps burn any fat normal people get stuck with

So IMO theres no such thing, just someone who ain't eating enough


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Serious question for hardgainers:

Do you sh*t alot?

Where does the food go?


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## Monkey skeleton (Jul 8, 2012)

L11 said:


> Serious question for hardgainers:
> 
> Do you sh*t alot?
> 
> Where does the food go?


I think in general, how much you sh1t is to do with how much fibre you eat. The calories are the issue for "hard gainers", in that they're burnt up due to a high metabolic rate, making it harder to be in a calorific surplus, which is needed to build muscle.

I actually do sh1t a lot, but that's because I have a lot of digestive issues! Lol


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## finest1 (Jan 2, 2012)

what is your training like? if you are spending your time in the gym on bodybuilding routines 4 times a week, you will never grow. if you are naturally lean, get yourself on a powerlifting course! i've been powerlifting since feb 2013 and i've bulked up big time. more so than any BB routine i've ever been on. yes, my body type maybe different from yours, but this routine makes you want to eat more. i've never eaten so much! best moved i made!


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## Geonix (Apr 4, 2011)

finest1 said:


> what is your training like? if you are spending your time in the gym on bodybuilding routines 4 times a week, you will never grow. if you are naturally lean, get yourself on a powerlifting course! i've been powerlifting since feb 2013 and i've bulked up big time. more so than any BB routine i've ever been on. yes, my body type maybe different from yours, but this routine makes you want to eat more. i've never eaten so much! best moved i made!


First statement there is complete bull****, that is all.


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## finest1 (Jan 2, 2012)

Geonix said:


> First statement there is complete bull****, that is all.


really, and what do you have to contribute to the thread. the "statement" which you haven't even bothered to clarify what, and i can only assume you are talking about my first sentance, isn't wrong in context to what the poster is asking us. you obviously haven't read the thread. i strongly suggest you do


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## sigarner (Mar 26, 2013)

Geonix said:


> I'll give you some logical advise from a "hard-gainer" myself (and btw you may think **** sake I wish i wasn't stupidly lean constantly and have a metabolism like a burning fire..) but once you get to the level of muscle mass you want.. maintaining /getting to a certain fat body, is sooooo much easier than others from my experience.
> 
> If your a proper hard-gainer at that bodyweight, you'll be looking from what I've experienced personally at eating in excess of 3,600-4,400 kcals (ALL from CLEAN sources) ie. **** loads of pasta, rice, meat (chicken, beef, tuna etc..), several eggs in breakfast etc. You may be thinking 3,600-4,400 kcals what the **** is this kid on about..if you try and eat that amount without using any sauces, unhealthy foods, (milk) and say your are.. your chatting **** honestly, record what your currently eating and take away any **** from it (literally all of it) then workout the macros and laugh.. at what you thought it was and what it is..
> 
> ...


Superb post


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## reza85 (Jan 11, 2009)

Layne norton put best if scales are not moving ur not eating enough even if your on 4000 5000 !


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## Geonix (Apr 4, 2011)

Lee Maggs said:


> Did u copy & paste that from my brain? Lol.
> 
> I totally agree with what u say.
> 
> ...


No, just all from personal experience and never would be ****d to tell someone face to face all that as 95% simply wouldn't do it, plain and simple.


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## Geonix (Apr 4, 2011)

finest1 said:


> really, and what do you have to contribute to the thread. the "statement" which you haven't even bothered to clarify what, and i can only assume you are talking about my first sentance, isn't wrong in context to what the poster is asking us. you obviously haven't read the thread. i strongly suggest you do


Clearly not, thats why I've provided much valued advise above from personal experiences. If it was so easy for hard-gainers to just do deadlifts, squats and overhead pressing etc.. then plenty of people would be miles stronger/bigger but it's the diet that majority boils down to...


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## DeadlyCoobra (Oct 16, 2011)

Its the one and only rule of bulking:

If you aren't growing, eat more.

It really is that simple, even if you feel like you are too full to eat more in a day im afraid the fundamental biology of the human body isnt going to take pity on you.

If you want to achieve a physique on another level to the average person, your going to have to push through barriers.


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