Meal 1
Breakfast Burritos made with:
2 whole wheat Tortillas
9 egg-whites + one whole egg scrambled with fat-free cooking spray
½ Cup Fat-free Cheese
Salsa to taste
Divide ingredients evenly over 2 warmed whole wheat tortillas, roll up and enjoy.
Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein Shake blended with one large orange
2 slices whole grain toast w/ 1 tsp. light non-hydrogenated spread
Meal 3
1 ½ tuna sandwiches made with:
3 slices whole grain bread
2 cans of tuna
2 tbsp fat-free mayo + 1 tsp mustard (salt + pepper to taste)
2 tbsp chopped onion and 2 stalks chopped celery
Meal 4
1 ½ cups fat-free cottage cheese
1 Large Pita Stuffed with:
Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
1 oz. Fat-Free Cheese
2 tbsp. Fat-Free Salad Dressing
Meal 5
Southwestern Steak Wraps made with:
5 oz. lean steak marinated in salsa, cut into strips and “pan-fried” using cooking spray
w/ 1 Cup Thinly Sliced Onions and Red Peppers
Wrap in 2 Large whole wheat tortillas (not low-carb) and serve with fat-free sour cream
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Sample meal plan day three
Meal 1
Egg White omelette with broccoli and ½ fat-free cheese (cooked with cooking spray)
1 Cup High Fiber Cereal
½ Cup Skim Milk
Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein Shake
2 Large Apples
Meal 3
Turkey Burger made with:
4 or 5 ounces low-fat or fat-free ground turkey
Whole Grain Bun
Served with:
Large Mixed Green Salad with Fat-free Salad Dressing
Meal 4
Grilled Chicken Soup made with:
2 Cup Fat-free Chicken Broth
5 ounces Grilled Chicken chopped
1 Cup Mixed Vegetables
1 Cup Cooked Pasta
Toss all ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until vegetables are warm.
Meal 5
5 ounces Grilled Salmon
1 Large Baked Potato with Fat-free Sour Cream
2 Cups Steamed Broccoli
Egg White omelette with broccoli and ½ fat-free cheese (cooked with cooking spray)
1 Cup High Fiber Cereal
½ Cup Skim Milk
Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein Shake
2 Large Apples
Meal 3
Turkey Burger made with:
4 or 5 ounces low-fat or fat-free ground turkey
Whole Grain Bun
Served with:
Large Mixed Green Salad with Fat-free Salad Dressing
Meal 4
Grilled Chicken Soup made with:
2 Cup Fat-free Chicken Broth
5 ounces Grilled Chicken chopped
1 Cup Mixed Vegetables
1 Cup Cooked Pasta
Toss all ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until vegetables are warm.
Meal 5
5 ounces Grilled Salmon
1 Large Baked Potato with Fat-free Sour Cream
2 Cups Steamed Broccoli
Sample meal plan day two
Meal 1
2 Nutri-Grain Waffles
1 Cup Natural Applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (for topping)
1 tsp. Smart Balance Light spread (or other non-hydrogenated spread)
2 Scoops Whey Protein blended with water
Meal 2
1 ½ Cups Cottage Cheese
2 Lrg. Oranges
Meal 3
Turkey sandwich made with:
4 Slices Roasted Fat-free Turkey Breast
2 Slices Whole Grain Bread
2 tbsp fat-free mayo
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato Slices
Meal 4
Grilled Chicken Salad made with
5 oz. Grilled Chicken Breast
2 Cups Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber Slices
Fat-free dressing
1 Large or 2 Small Whole Wheat Pitas (salad may be stuffed inside, makes it easier on the go)
Meal 5
1 ½ Cups Fat-free Cottage Cheese
1 Large Banana Sliced
1 Tbsp. Honey + Cinnamon
(mix the above for a tasty desert—this meal is great after a workout)
2 Nutri-Grain Waffles
1 Cup Natural Applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (for topping)
1 tsp. Smart Balance Light spread (or other non-hydrogenated spread)
2 Scoops Whey Protein blended with water
Meal 2
1 ½ Cups Cottage Cheese
2 Lrg. Oranges
Meal 3
Turkey sandwich made with:
4 Slices Roasted Fat-free Turkey Breast
2 Slices Whole Grain Bread
2 tbsp fat-free mayo
Romaine Lettuce
Tomato Slices
Meal 4
Grilled Chicken Salad made with
5 oz. Grilled Chicken Breast
2 Cups Romaine Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber Slices
Fat-free dressing
1 Large or 2 Small Whole Wheat Pitas (salad may be stuffed inside, makes it easier on the go)
Meal 5
1 ½ Cups Fat-free Cottage Cheese
1 Large Banana Sliced
1 Tbsp. Honey + Cinnamon
(mix the above for a tasty desert—this meal is great after a workout)
Sample meal plan day one
Meal 1
Egg White omlette with spinach (cooked with cooking spray)
¾ cup oatmeal with 1 tbsp honey
Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein Shake blended with one large orange
2 slices whole grain toast w/ 1 tsp. light non-hydrogenated spread
Meal 3
1 ½ tuna sandwiches made with:
3 slices whole grain bread2 cans of tuna
2 tbsp fat-free mayo + 1 tsp mustard (salt + pepper to taste)
2 tbsp chopped onion and 2 stalks chopped celery
Meal 4
1 ½ cups fat-free cottage cheese
1 large banana
½ bagel with fat-free cream cheese
Meal 5
1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup brown rice
1 cup steamed broccoli
1 cup salad greens with fat free salad dressing
Egg White omlette with spinach (cooked with cooking spray)
¾ cup oatmeal with 1 tbsp honey
Meal 2
2 scoops Whey Protein Shake blended with one large orange
2 slices whole grain toast w/ 1 tsp. light non-hydrogenated spread
Meal 3
1 ½ tuna sandwiches made with:
3 slices whole grain bread2 cans of tuna
2 tbsp fat-free mayo + 1 tsp mustard (salt + pepper to taste)
2 tbsp chopped onion and 2 stalks chopped celery
Meal 4
1 ½ cups fat-free cottage cheese
1 large banana
½ bagel with fat-free cream cheese
Meal 5
1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup brown rice
1 cup steamed broccoli
1 cup salad greens with fat free salad dressing
The Eating Plan: Phase One—Bulk Up
For many skinny guys this is the most difficult part both physically and mentally. You are going to have to eat a lot more than you are used to eating. It may be uncomfortable to do this at first. You will have to eat a meal every 2 to 4 hours in order to consume 5 to 6 sizeable meals per day. Keep in mind that to create change there is always some level of discomfort. To be comfortable is to stay the same.
The mental discomfort comes from the fact that you will need to gain some extra fat during this phase. It is not only likely, it is actually necessary. You see, your body can use both muscle and fat for energy when no food is readily available to burn as fuel. Fat is your long term fuel storage and muscle is used for more short term storage. Your body will resist storing muscle if there is not an adequate supply of fat on the body.
Often a skinny guy will begin a weight gain program, find that he is developing a little bit of a gut and revert back to the “better skinny than fat” mentality and quit his program or at least cut back so much on food that no gains are made. Don’t let this happen to you. Be prepared for this and determine to keep moving forward. This extra fat will be easy to remove once you have built up enough muscle. Bodybuilders do this all the time, they are not “competition ready” all year long. Buy some baggy shirts and realize that it will all be worth it in the end.
Use the following food lists as a guide to planning your meals. Each meal will consist of protein and a carbohydrate. You should plan on having two servings of either flax seed oil, olive oil or nuts (watch the serving size) per day. The oils may be used in your salad or the olive oil in preparing your food if desired, but everything should be broiled, grilled, baked or boiled to minimize the fat content. Be sure to include at least 3 serving of vegetables per day as well.The serving size will depend on your specific calorie needs, but a basic guideline is given.
Proteins
Chicken breast 3 to 6 ounces
Turkey breast 3 to 6 ounces
Lean ground turkey 3 to 6 ounces
Turkey bacon or Sausage
Lean ground beef 3 to 6 ounces
Lean sirloin or NY Strip 3 to 6 ounces (one steak can be spread over two meals)
Salmon 3 to 6 ounces (although this has more fat, it is good fat and should be eaten a couple of times per week)
Canned tuna 12 ounces (2 cans)
Egg whites 1 dozen
Fat-free cottage cheese 1 to 1 ½ cups
Lean white fish 6 to 12 ounces
Whey Protein Powder 1 or 2 scoops depending on brand
Carbohydrates
Pasta 2 to 4 cups cooked (one of your best sources, great for energy and weight gain)
Brown Rice 1 cup
White Rice 1 cup
Whole Grain Bread 2 – 4 slices (depends on the type of bread and your calorie needs)
Bagel 1 whole
English Muffins 1 or 2 depending on size and calorie requirements
Potato (baked, boiled or mashed with skim milk)
Sweet Potato 1 whole
Squash 2 cups
Fruit—any type (bananas and oranges are particularly good for weight gain) one or two pieces
Oatmeal (always a staple in any bodybuilder’s diet) ¾ to 1 cup (uncooked measurement)
Air-popped popcorn 3 – 6 cups can use butter flavored cooking spray sparingly
Legumes 1cup
Corn 2 cups
Cornmeal 1/3 cup
Grits or Hominy 2 cups
Any whole grains including spelt, barley, buckwheat, rye, etc.
Honey (an excellent choice for sweetening and adding extra calories—opt for raw if available) 1 to 2 tbsp.
Remember that your calorie intake depends on your weight, but most hardgainers need to take in between 2500 and 3500 calories per day which means 400 to 700 calories per meal. Let’s go with the average skinny guy as an example. If he weighs 165 pounds he would go with the 2500 calories a day.
Let’s say he decides that 5 meals a day is best for his lifestyle. He would then be eating 5 meals of 500 calories each day so with a 40/50/10 ratio he would want each meal to have 50 grams of protein, about 63 grams of carbohydrate and just less than 6 grams of fat.
The sample one week menu in the following posts would meet these requirements, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand, as long as you have the appropriate amounts of protein, carbs, fat and calories with each meal.
The mental discomfort comes from the fact that you will need to gain some extra fat during this phase. It is not only likely, it is actually necessary. You see, your body can use both muscle and fat for energy when no food is readily available to burn as fuel. Fat is your long term fuel storage and muscle is used for more short term storage. Your body will resist storing muscle if there is not an adequate supply of fat on the body.
Often a skinny guy will begin a weight gain program, find that he is developing a little bit of a gut and revert back to the “better skinny than fat” mentality and quit his program or at least cut back so much on food that no gains are made. Don’t let this happen to you. Be prepared for this and determine to keep moving forward. This extra fat will be easy to remove once you have built up enough muscle. Bodybuilders do this all the time, they are not “competition ready” all year long. Buy some baggy shirts and realize that it will all be worth it in the end.
Use the following food lists as a guide to planning your meals. Each meal will consist of protein and a carbohydrate. You should plan on having two servings of either flax seed oil, olive oil or nuts (watch the serving size) per day. The oils may be used in your salad or the olive oil in preparing your food if desired, but everything should be broiled, grilled, baked or boiled to minimize the fat content. Be sure to include at least 3 serving of vegetables per day as well.The serving size will depend on your specific calorie needs, but a basic guideline is given.
Proteins
Chicken breast 3 to 6 ounces
Turkey breast 3 to 6 ounces
Lean ground turkey 3 to 6 ounces
Turkey bacon or Sausage
Lean ground beef 3 to 6 ounces
Lean sirloin or NY Strip 3 to 6 ounces (one steak can be spread over two meals)
Salmon 3 to 6 ounces (although this has more fat, it is good fat and should be eaten a couple of times per week)
Canned tuna 12 ounces (2 cans)
Egg whites 1 dozen
Fat-free cottage cheese 1 to 1 ½ cups
Lean white fish 6 to 12 ounces
Whey Protein Powder 1 or 2 scoops depending on brand
Carbohydrates
Pasta 2 to 4 cups cooked (one of your best sources, great for energy and weight gain)
Brown Rice 1 cup
White Rice 1 cup
Whole Grain Bread 2 – 4 slices (depends on the type of bread and your calorie needs)
Bagel 1 whole
English Muffins 1 or 2 depending on size and calorie requirements
Potato (baked, boiled or mashed with skim milk)
Sweet Potato 1 whole
Squash 2 cups
Fruit—any type (bananas and oranges are particularly good for weight gain) one or two pieces
Oatmeal (always a staple in any bodybuilder’s diet) ¾ to 1 cup (uncooked measurement)
Air-popped popcorn 3 – 6 cups can use butter flavored cooking spray sparingly
Legumes 1cup
Corn 2 cups
Cornmeal 1/3 cup
Grits or Hominy 2 cups
Any whole grains including spelt, barley, buckwheat, rye, etc.
Honey (an excellent choice for sweetening and adding extra calories—opt for raw if available) 1 to 2 tbsp.
Remember that your calorie intake depends on your weight, but most hardgainers need to take in between 2500 and 3500 calories per day which means 400 to 700 calories per meal. Let’s go with the average skinny guy as an example. If he weighs 165 pounds he would go with the 2500 calories a day.
Let’s say he decides that 5 meals a day is best for his lifestyle. He would then be eating 5 meals of 500 calories each day so with a 40/50/10 ratio he would want each meal to have 50 grams of protein, about 63 grams of carbohydrate and just less than 6 grams of fat.
The sample one week menu in the following posts would meet these requirements, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand, as long as you have the appropriate amounts of protein, carbs, fat and calories with each meal.
Do you need Supplements?
This is a topic that is widely debated in the health and fitness arenas. The anti-supplement camp says that a person can get all of the nutrients they need by eating a variety of healthy foods in the right proportions. They suggest eating at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day along with enough dairy products, lean protein and whole grains. In their minds the supplement manufacturers are just out to get your money. The pro-supplement camp, however, says that the produce that is available today is being grown in soil that is increasingly depleted due to over-cultivation and lack of proper rotation techniques and contains far less vitamins and nutrients than it did back in the old days. They claim that you would have to eat way too much food and consume far too many calories to meet your nutrient requirements. I tend to agree and would suggest a good multi-vitamin to most people.
You should seek a vitamin without iron, however, because the ferrous sulfate they use as an iron supplement is difficult to assimilate in the body (especially when taken at the same time as calcium) and adequate iron can be consumed through small portions of lean red meat and green leafy vegetables.
When it comes to all the supplements for weight lifters, there is just as much debate. While some of these supplements have been proven to improve gains slightly, I am not sure the benefits outweigh the costs for most of these types of supplements. Other than maybe taking an amino-acid supplement post workout (a good whey protein shake will have all the amino-acids you need for proper recovery), I would suggest saving your hard earned money for more important things.What about caffeine? Studies have shown an increase in performance and endurance when taking a caffeine supplement (cola, coffee, green tea or “energy drinks”) before a cardio workout. Another touted “benefit” of caffeine is that it boosts the metabolism. Since your program does not include a cardio workout and you do not want to increase your metabolism (you are burning calories too quickly already), I would strongly advise avoiding caffeine altogether.
You should seek a vitamin without iron, however, because the ferrous sulfate they use as an iron supplement is difficult to assimilate in the body (especially when taken at the same time as calcium) and adequate iron can be consumed through small portions of lean red meat and green leafy vegetables.
When it comes to all the supplements for weight lifters, there is just as much debate. While some of these supplements have been proven to improve gains slightly, I am not sure the benefits outweigh the costs for most of these types of supplements. Other than maybe taking an amino-acid supplement post workout (a good whey protein shake will have all the amino-acids you need for proper recovery), I would suggest saving your hard earned money for more important things.What about caffeine? Studies have shown an increase in performance and endurance when taking a caffeine supplement (cola, coffee, green tea or “energy drinks”) before a cardio workout. Another touted “benefit” of caffeine is that it boosts the metabolism. Since your program does not include a cardio workout and you do not want to increase your metabolism (you are burning calories too quickly already), I would strongly advise avoiding caffeine altogether.
Why your Rest Days are Vital
Remember that it is the repairing process after the muscles have been “damaged” by lifting weights that actually creates new muscle tissue, so the muscles are actually built during your rest days. It takes at least one day and sometimes two or three days for a muscle to fully repair itself and build new muscle tissue. If you have pain and soreness after your workout you should wait until the pain is gone to work that muscle again, because this will indicate that the muscle is completely recovered.
Working out before a muscle is fully recovered is counterproductive because it would mean breaking down the muscle again and any gains that would have been made during recovery are completely wasted. This is why some people work out all the time and do not make the same gains in size and strength as someone who works out less often. This kind of goes back to the “workout smarter, not harder” mantra we’ve been working on.
By resting a muscle until it is fully recovered, you will ensure that the workout nets you the greatest gain in muscle tissue possible and maximize your results. One workout done properly and followed by adequate nutrition and rest is worth 10 workouts done incorrectly without proper rest.
Another very important reason that a hardgainer needs his rest is that his metabolism is so high. Working out too often or too long increases the metabolism and burns more calories. Reducing the duration and frequency of workouts means burning less calories and since the less calories you burn, the more weight you can gain that means more weight gain in less time.
Working out before a muscle is fully recovered is counterproductive because it would mean breaking down the muscle again and any gains that would have been made during recovery are completely wasted. This is why some people work out all the time and do not make the same gains in size and strength as someone who works out less often. This kind of goes back to the “workout smarter, not harder” mantra we’ve been working on.
By resting a muscle until it is fully recovered, you will ensure that the workout nets you the greatest gain in muscle tissue possible and maximize your results. One workout done properly and followed by adequate nutrition and rest is worth 10 workouts done incorrectly without proper rest.
Another very important reason that a hardgainer needs his rest is that his metabolism is so high. Working out too often or too long increases the metabolism and burns more calories. Reducing the duration and frequency of workouts means burning less calories and since the less calories you burn, the more weight you can gain that means more weight gain in less time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
