Help with starting a good diet for gaining size?

[OutsideIn]

Hi everyone, just looking for a bit of help here.
I am quite skinny, and have been all my life, I am 28, 5'10", I only weigh 140 lbs, I workout 3 or 4 nights a week, I am a full time student so this limits me to the times and foods I can eat during the day through the week.
No matter how much I eat, I don't gain weight, which can only mean I am not eating the right foods or enough of them.
Could someone give me some tips on what and when I should be eating?
I will be realistic, I can't afford to be eating steaks everyday, as much as I would love to!

Any information would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance

 

[Roth753repper]

Post your daily diet up so everyone can see.

 

[bonacris]

100gm oats and a scoop of protein 4times a day inbetween meals.. cheap and easy and drink it anywhere

Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using EliteFitness

 

[OutsideIn]

Hi there, thanks for the reply!

This is my average daily diet but it really does vary a lot, as I mentioned, I am a student, and sometimes have to go over 4 hours without being able to eat.

Breakfast
3 eggs, 2 slices of toast (brown bread) or a large bowl of cereal, always WW cereal. and a protein shake (with milk)

Mid Morning
Usually a sandwich, Chicken or Tuna

Lunch
This varies a lot due to the times I get for my lunch.
Chicken salad, Banana, tuna Sandwich,

Mid afternoon
Cheese sandwich, yogurt, protein shake

Dinner
Red or white meat (around 8 oz), potatoes, mixed veg

I will usually have a few slices of toast later as well (brown bread)

 

[OutsideIn]

100gm oats and a scoop of protein 4times a day inbetween meals.. cheap and easy and drink it anywhere

Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using EliteFitness

Thanks! I will get some fine oats this weekend Something I could drink while I am in college

 

[bonacris]

Hi there, thanks for the reply!

This is my average daily diet but it really does vary a lot, as I mentioned, I am a student, and sometimes have to go over 4 hours without being able to eat.

Breakfast
3 eggs, 2 slices of toast (brown bread) or a large bowl of cereal, always WW cereal. and a protein shake (with milk)

Mid Morning
Usually a sandwich, Chicken or Tuna

Lunch
This varies a lot due to the times I get for my lunch.
Chicken salad, Banana, tuna Sandwich,

Mid afternoon
Cheese sandwich, yogurt, protein shake

Dinner
Red or white meat (around 8 oz), potatoes, mixed veg

I will usually have a few slices of toast later as well (brown bread)

I see a few problems.. breakfast shouldn't be cereals.. to many sugars even weight watchers stuff.. switch to oats and or eggs..

But the main issue is all the bread.. there almost zero nutritional value in bread, you need to ditch the sandwiches for rice,pasta or potatoes.. eat these 5times a day along with the oats I mentioned in the previous post and you will gain mass..

Even though your working out your not giving your body enough calories to grow..

Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using EliteFitness

 

[OutsideIn]

I see a few problems.. breakfast shouldn't be cereals.. to many sugars even weight watchers stuff.. switch to oats and or eggs..

But the main issue is all the bread.. there almost zero nutritional value in bread, you need to ditch the sandwiches for rice,pasta or potatoes.. eat these 5times a day along with the oats I mentioned in the previous post and you will gain mass..

Even though your working out your not giving your body enough calories to grow..

Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using EliteFitness

Thanks for the feedback!
I will ditch the sandwiches for pasta or potatoes and will definitely start eating oats throughout the day.
Is it ok to drink a lot of milk? I prefer milk in my shakes, they don't go down well with water at all.

 

[Labtec70]

Hi outsidein

You'll probably find you're overtraining too. How long do you spend in the gym and what do you do regards routine?
If you're already slight in build and doing too much in the gym, you'll not only be burning a lot of calories from training but from nervous energy (in part due to high metabolism) as well. You must concentrate on compound movements in the gym and low volume/high intensity. Make sure you get plenty of calories before, and especially, immediately after your training session.

The oats idea is a good one. Plenty of carbohydrates that mixed with milk will provide adequate amounts of nutrients between main meals. If it's just general weigh gain you're looking for at the moment, then a bad diet is the best one. Basically, eat anything you can get your hands on: crisps, chips, any colour rice and pasta, and loads of ice-cream and cakes. After a couple of months you should have put on a few pounds and at least half will be muscle. That is providing you consume adequate amounts of protein of course. The best way to get that quickly and easily is in full-fat milk. Mixing it with the oats is part of the equation, but you can drink milk on its own too. I always carried a 2litre bottle milk around with me wherever I went: university, training, shopping...everywhere.

This isn't a diet that I'd advise you keep for the long term. It's not exactly conducive for health and longevity, but while you'e young, and for a few months, it is by far the best way to get some weight on. Your body will not respond favourable - to you - by eating very healthily for gaining weight. You have to break the rules most of us unfortunates have to follow: high fibre, low calorie, wholemeal, wholewheat, low sugar etc. You don't need to follow those rules...at least for the short-term.

Three biggies...

1. Smoking will speed metabolism and lower appetite.
2. Drinking alcohol regularly (more than twice a week) can lend to weight loss in ectomorphs.
3. Reduce training volume and increase intensity. No cardio.

Hope this helps.

Craig

 

[bonacris]

If you can handle it then its fine for bulking.. it boosts the hell out of me and I get really bad acne but if you can digest it all the better

Sent from my HTC Sensation XL with Beats Audio X315e using EliteFitness

 

[OutsideIn]

Hi outsidein

You'll probably find you're overtraining too. How long do you spend in the gym and what do you do regards routine?
If you're already slight in build and doing too much in the gym, you'll not only be burning a lot of calories from training but from nervous energy (in part due to high metabolism) as well. You must concentrate on compound movements in the gym and low volume/high intensity. Make sure you get plenty of calories before, and especially, immediately after your training session.

The oats idea is a good one. Plenty of carbohydrates that mixed with milk will provide adequate amounts of nutrients between main meals. If it's just general weigh gain you're looking for at the moment, then a bad diet is the best one. Basically, eat anything you can get your hands on: crisps, chips, any colour rice and pasta, and loads of ice-cream and cakes. After a couple of months you should have put on a few pounds and at least half will be muscle. That is providing you consume adequate amounts of protein of course. The best way to get that quickly and easily is in full-fat milk. Mixing it with the oats is part of the equation, but you can drink milk on its own too. I always carried a 2litre bottle milk around with me wherever I went: university, training, shopping...everywhere.

This isn't a diet that I'd advise you keep for the long term. It's not exactly conducive for health and longevity, but while you'e young, and for a few months, it is by far the best way to get some weight on. Your body will not respond favourable - to you - by eating very healthily for gaining weight. You have to break the rules most of us unfortunates have to follow: high fibre, low calorie, wholemeal, wholewheat, low sugar etc. You don't need to follow those rules...at least for the short-term.

Three biggies...

1. Smoking will speed metabolism and lower appetite.
2. Drinking alcohol regularly (more than twice a week) can lend to weight loss in ectomorphs.
3. Reduce training volume and increase intensity. No cardio.

Hope this helps.

Craig

Hi labtec70, thanks for your response

I do tend to push myself at the gym, normally spend between 1 and 2 hours in the gym, I do a full body workout each time I go,

I vary the exercises so my body wont get too used to them, I'm sure I read that somewhere! Anyway, average routine would consist of

Bench Press 3 x 8
Barbell Curls 3 x 8
Barbell Row 3 x 8
Shoulder Press 3 x 10
Squat 3 x 8
Calf Raises 3 x 8
Shrugs 3 x 8
Leg Press 3 x 8

Some of these exercises get changed around, some days I will focus more on chest then others on legs, etc. Also if a muscle is still sore I will skip it for that day.

Thanks again