Diet Strategies for Ectomorphs to Gain Weight
Simply put, you are going to have to eat a lot to grow! There is no way around
that. The primary factor that determines whether you gain or lose weight is your caloric
intake (how many calories you eat). If you eat more calories than you burn (hypercaloric
diet) you will gain weight and if you burn more calories than you eat (hypocaloric diet)
you will lose weight. When you eat exactly the same amount of calories as you burn, it is
called a maintenance caloric diet. Ectomorphs trying to gain muscle need to eat a
hypercaloric diet like anyone else who wants to gain weight.
A simple calculation to determine your maintenance caloric intake is to take your
body weight and multiply it by 15; this gives you your total calories to be consumed each
day. For example, a 200 pound person would consume 3,000 calories a day. Now this is a
very basic way to determine your maintenance caloric intake. A good starting point for
ectomorphs is to set your calories to 500 calories over maintenance. Remember that you
want to gain lean mass, not fat. It would be easy to gain weight by just eating junk food
all day, but you would most likely gain a chunk of fat with the muscle you do gain.
Instead I recommend eating good, clean, nutrient dense foods. If you do not gain weight
at 500 calories over maintenance then increase your calories more.
Tips for Daily Eating
1. Eat lean protein with every meal—Good proteins include chicken, lean beef and
turkey, tuna and other fish, eggs (also has fat) and egg whites, and protein
supplements.
2. Eat unprocessed carbs—The bulk of your carb consumption should be in the
form of quality, unprocessed, low glycemic carbs such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes,
rice, whole gain pastas, breads, and cereals.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables EVERYDAY—Fruits and vegetables contain
vitamins, minerals, and many nutrients vital for good overall health, wellness, and
growth.
4. Eat good fats with every meal (except post-workout)—Dietary fat is very
important for proper body functioning and hormone production. Most people have
an unbalanced view of dietary fat and therefore limit it. Good sources of fat
include almonds and almond butter, peanuts and peanut butter, avocado, flax seed
and olive oil, and eggs.
5. Don’t eat until you feel like you are going to vomit—When trying to gain
weight, some hard gainers eat to the point of vomiting. This is not healthy or
necessary. Instead of eating HUGE meals, I recommend eating 6-7 decently-sized
meals that make you feel full but not STUFFED and BLOATED.
6. Cook meals in advance—Have food already cooked and ready to go when it is
time to eat makes getting enough calories much easier and less of a burden.
7. A macronutrient ratio for bulking is 50:30:20 carbs:protein:fats—One should
always get 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, this is your primary
objective. Above that, carbs and good fats will make up the bulk of your calories.
If you are consuming 3,000 calories, this would equate to:
a. Carbs = 375 grams
b. Protein = 225 grams
c. Fat = 67 grams
8. Eat the bulk of your carbs around your workout—Weight lifting increases the
body’s need for glucose, therefore it makes sense to eat carbs around your
workout.
9. If you aren’t gaining weight you need to increase your calories—While some
people might be able to gain muscle on 3,000 calories, you may need to eat 4,000
or even 5,000 calories a day in order to grow. It is important to monitor your
weight and body fat% so you can tell whether or not you need to increase your
caloric intake.
10. A cheat meal here and there won’t kill you—If you eat 6 meals a day then that
means you are eating 42 meals a week. Having one or two “off” meals will not
kill you and can me psychologically refreshing. If you want to enjoy a meal out
with your friends and family that is fine and encouraged.
Now that you know how you should eat everyday, it is time to get into the stimulus for
growth, the workout!
that. The primary factor that determines whether you gain or lose weight is your caloric
intake (how many calories you eat). If you eat more calories than you burn (hypercaloric
diet) you will gain weight and if you burn more calories than you eat (hypocaloric diet)
you will lose weight. When you eat exactly the same amount of calories as you burn, it is
called a maintenance caloric diet. Ectomorphs trying to gain muscle need to eat a
hypercaloric diet like anyone else who wants to gain weight.
A simple calculation to determine your maintenance caloric intake is to take your
body weight and multiply it by 15; this gives you your total calories to be consumed each
day. For example, a 200 pound person would consume 3,000 calories a day. Now this is a
very basic way to determine your maintenance caloric intake. A good starting point for
ectomorphs is to set your calories to 500 calories over maintenance. Remember that you
want to gain lean mass, not fat. It would be easy to gain weight by just eating junk food
all day, but you would most likely gain a chunk of fat with the muscle you do gain.
Instead I recommend eating good, clean, nutrient dense foods. If you do not gain weight
at 500 calories over maintenance then increase your calories more.
Tips for Daily Eating
1. Eat lean protein with every meal—Good proteins include chicken, lean beef and
turkey, tuna and other fish, eggs (also has fat) and egg whites, and protein
supplements.
2. Eat unprocessed carbs—The bulk of your carb consumption should be in the
form of quality, unprocessed, low glycemic carbs such as oatmeal, sweet potatoes,
rice, whole gain pastas, breads, and cereals.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables EVERYDAY—Fruits and vegetables contain
vitamins, minerals, and many nutrients vital for good overall health, wellness, and
growth.
4. Eat good fats with every meal (except post-workout)—Dietary fat is very
important for proper body functioning and hormone production. Most people have
an unbalanced view of dietary fat and therefore limit it. Good sources of fat
include almonds and almond butter, peanuts and peanut butter, avocado, flax seed
and olive oil, and eggs.
5. Don’t eat until you feel like you are going to vomit—When trying to gain
weight, some hard gainers eat to the point of vomiting. This is not healthy or
necessary. Instead of eating HUGE meals, I recommend eating 6-7 decently-sized
meals that make you feel full but not STUFFED and BLOATED.
6. Cook meals in advance—Have food already cooked and ready to go when it is
time to eat makes getting enough calories much easier and less of a burden.
7. A macronutrient ratio for bulking is 50:30:20 carbs:protein:fats—One should
always get 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, this is your primary
objective. Above that, carbs and good fats will make up the bulk of your calories.
If you are consuming 3,000 calories, this would equate to:
a. Carbs = 375 grams
b. Protein = 225 grams
c. Fat = 67 grams
8. Eat the bulk of your carbs around your workout—Weight lifting increases the
body’s need for glucose, therefore it makes sense to eat carbs around your
workout.
9. If you aren’t gaining weight you need to increase your calories—While some
people might be able to gain muscle on 3,000 calories, you may need to eat 4,000
or even 5,000 calories a day in order to grow. It is important to monitor your
weight and body fat% so you can tell whether or not you need to increase your
caloric intake.
10. A cheat meal here and there won’t kill you—If you eat 6 meals a day then that
means you are eating 42 meals a week. Having one or two “off” meals will not
kill you and can me psychologically refreshing. If you want to enjoy a meal out
with your friends and family that is fine and encouraged.
Now that you know how you should eat everyday, it is time to get into the stimulus for
growth, the workout!
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