I’ve been working out for almost a year now, and my goal has been to gain weight. I have made great results up till now gaining 25 pounds (115 to 140). In the beginning it was easy, but as time went on I had to keep increasing my calorie intake to keep gaining. In the last month I have been eating over 4000 calories a day.

But lately even eating 4000 calories a day hasn’t seemed to help me gain any more (although I haven’t been too consistent in the last couple weeks). My appetite for food has diminished and the 4000+ calories are becoming harder and harder for me to eat each day.

My diet consists of calorie dense foods. Examples of what I normally eat include Milk, pizza, soda, sometimes even beer (I a 20 year old college student). I know this seems like very unhealthy food, but they have been the only foods calorie dense enough to help me obtain 4000+ calories a day.

Any suggestions on what I should do at this point?

Thanks,
Chris

I’ve been working out for almost a year now, and my goal has been to gain weight. I have made great results up till now gaining 25 pounds (115 to 140). In the beginning it was easy, but as time went on I had to keep increasing my calorie intake to keep gaining. In the last month I have been eating over 4000 calories a day.

But lately even eating 4000 calories a day hasn’t seemed to help me gain any more (although I haven’t been too consistent in the last couple weeks). My appetite for food has diminished and the 4000+ calories are becoming harder and harder for me to eat each day.

My diet consists of calorie dense foods. Examples of what I normally eat include Milk, pizza, soda, sometimes even beer (I a 20 year old college student). I know this seems like very unhealthy food, but they have been the only foods calorie dense enough to help me obtain 4000+ calories a day.

Any suggestions on what I should do at this point?

Thanks,
Chris

Replace the junk with steak, potatoes, whole eggs. A couple of weight gain shakes (not the ones loaded with sugar, or make your own) will come in handy.

What is your weight training like? To put on mass, try a 3 day a week routine stressing the compound lifts - squats, deads, heavy inclines, dips, military or push press and reduce your overall work volume. Each week try to add a touch more weight to the bar while trying for the same desired reps (6-8 reps). Eliminate any cardio.

Replace the junk with steak, potatoes, whole eggs. A couple of weight gain shakes (not the ones loaded with sugar, or make your own) will come in handy.

What is your weight training like? To put on mass, try a 3 day a week routine stressing the compound lifts - squats, deads, heavy inclines, dips, military or push press and reduce your overall work volume. Each week try to add a touch more weight to the bar while trying for the same desired reps (6-8 reps). Eliminate any cardio.

Thanks for your advice. It seems about time for me to make some changes and I'll go ahead and take your advice. I'll let you know in a month or so how it has worked for me.

Thanks,
Chris

I don't have any problems getting in 4,000 cals on good wholesome food. You don't need to eat crap to get a lot of cals.

Replace your junk food with better choices. Steak is always my first recommendation.

Ease back on cardio if you're doing a lot of it.

If you have the money, buy creatine.

Replace your junk food with better choices. Steak is always my first recommendation.

Ease back on cardio if you're doing a lot of it.

If you have the money, buy creatine.

Thanks for the reply. All the responses here seem to suggest that I eat better foods, which I am going to try.

But my question is why does it matter if they are "good" or "bad" calories? I was under the impression that if you ate more calories than you burned you gained weight (wither it be fat or muscle). I have no fear at all of gaining fat at all, so does it really matter?

That is how I justified eating those junk food items, could someone explain why I might be incorrect here? Either way, I will still replace those junk food items with ones that have been suggested here and see how it goes.

Thanks for the help!
Chris

So you don't care if the weight you put on is fat?

Then by all means eat ice cream and pizza and pork rhines every day.

Come on, did you really need someone else to tell you that eating cleaner foods and putting on muscle would be better than eating crap and putting on fat (aesthetically and for health purposes)? :p

So you don't care if the weight you put on is fat?

Then by all means eat ice cream and pizza and pork rhines every day.

Come on, did you really need someone else to tell you that eating cleaner foods and putting on muscle would be better than eating crap and putting on fat (aesthetically and for health purposes)? :p

I think you misunderstand. I have never been able to put on fat no matter what I eat/drink, therefore I have no fear of gaining fat. I do not desire to gain a lot of fat.

Junk food just won't increase the size of your muscle cells. Alcohol won't increase them either. You're a college guy- do some research on nutrition. Hit up google and search for bodybuilding nutrition. Read some articles and learn why eating junk won't help you build lean body mass. You can eat 3 pizzas and a 12-pack a day, but the calories only matter to a point. It's the quality of food that you're putting in your body that count. Your body metabolizes the food in very different ways, that's why you need to get the right ones for the results you want.

Get lots of protein rich foods. Eat lots of clean foods. If you can't get enough whole foods in your diet, supplement with weight gaining shakes. Shoot for 1.5g/protein per lb of bodyweight. The rest should come from carb-rich foods like oatmeal, bread, potatoes, and rice. You should be able to get enough fat from olive oil added to salads and cooking, peanut butter, fat from lean beef, eggs, etc.


If 4000+ cals of clean food doesn't allow weight gain, you just need to consume more. You're probably a hard gainer with a higher than normal metabolism.

I think you misunderstand. I have never been able to put on fat no matter what I eat/drink, therefore I have no fear of gaining fat. I do not desire to gain a lot of fat.