For those individuals that are hardgainers, one of the most difficult tasks of being one, is their appetite relative to their fast metabolism. I have had plenty of clients and friends who have needed to consume over 3,500 calories just to see the scale move one pound. That is not an easy amount of calories to take in especially if you try to do it through only whole foods and your appetite isn’t that strong. Having said that, it is possible to make sure you are setting yourself up for success if you find yourself in this predicament.
Be in a Surplus
First things first. You cannot expect to gain any weight unless you are in a surplus. This rule goes for ANYONE. Don’t compare yourself to anyone either. Like I said, I’ve had clients need 3,500 calories or more to gain weight whereas I only need 2,500 calories to get the scale moving. You can use an online calculator to figure out your daily needs based on your activity level. Add 300 calories to whatever it estimates your maintenance to be, and then add more week to week if the scale still isn’t moving up. This may require some finetuning so don’t be frustrated if it doesn’t happen in the first couple weeks.
Increase Your Meal Frequency
Normally, I don’t suggest this to clients as meal frequency doesn’t matter in relation to overall gains. However, in this particular case, the issue may be a lack of appetite. For example, I can easily eat an 800-1,000 calorie meal of food and be fine, but I have hardgainer friends who get full after half as much. That is totally okay, but it just means we’re going to have to spread out the calories more in order to get them in. Eating 5-6 smaller meals will make it seem less daunting and allow for that intake to increase.
Eat Protein
Again, regardless of your body type, everyone who is trying to add on size should be increasing their protein intake to 1g/lb. It is essential for muscle growth and repair. If you are eating 3,500 calories, and little protein, you will NOT grow. Protein is that important. When you are at the gym you aren’t building muscle, you are breaking it down. Without enough protein, you will find your strength actually goes down in the gym regardless of the calories you consume. Aim for high quality sources of protein like chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, and if tolerated, certain dairy products.
Aim for Calorically Dense Foods (If Needed)
This is another piece of advice I don’t usually tell my clients. However in this case, due to lack of appetite it may be an option. Getting adequate protein and calories is the name of the game. Eating 3,500 calories just from whole foods is not easy. Sure, you may be able to pull it off a couple days here and there. Try doing it for a 3 month bulk for all 90 days. It is tough. A way to help get those calories in (only if you are behind) is to find calorically dense foods that are easier to put down. This is the time you can opt for Gatorade during your workout as a carb source, or grabbing more processed foods. Again, this is simply a tool to help get you there and we should try to avoid processed foods normally, but the circumstances are temporarily different. We need the calories to grow. In the morning, I usually make big smoothies filled with a bunch of fruit, peanut butter, whey, oats, and anything else I can add in there to make it both high protein, but full of calories. I find drinking is a lot easier for me to get those missing calories in, and it still allows me to stick to higher quality foods.
Be Consistent and Get Enough Rest
Even if you follow all the advice above, the thing to keep in mind is consistency. When people hit their goals it wasn’t because they found a couple days to do things perfectly. It was because they consistently stayed on track even if sometimes they slipped a little. It doesn’t have to be exact, but you need to be trending towards higher calorie, higher protein consumption. It may take several weeks to a couple months to see results, but you’ll get there.
Make sure you are also getting 7-8 hours of quality sleep so that your muscle can repair at night and come back stronger.
