This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
There is hope for hard gainers
If you’re struggling to gain weight, there are two ways to do it best: eat more and lift weights. However, if you’re lifting weights, you will need to eat even more to build up and retain your new muscles.
I’ve been a hard gainer all my life. I’ve done the force-feeding route, which is too difficult to maintain, discomforting, and discouraging. So, along the way, I’ve collected a few ideas that have successfully worked for me:
1. Meal Replacement Shakes
Drink a meal replacement protein shake and load that f*cker up. One of my favorite protein shake recipes is from my epic chiropractor, which includes the following ingredients:
Sprinkles of cinnamon
1 tbsp of coconut butter
1 tsp of brown maple syrup
1/2 sweet baked sweet potato w/o the skin
1 scoop of Paleo Pro protein powder (26g of protein)
1 cup of dairy-free and lactose-free milk (e.g., almond and oat milk)
1 cup (handful) of spinach (optional – I added this to the recipe)
2. Palatable Foods
Focus on palatable foods. Everyone has unique taste buds, which means certain healthy foods and meals that some people can eat in more significant portions than others.
You know how it’s easier to eat a handful of cookies versus a handful of spinach?
That’s because cookies are more palatable than spinach. Sugar, alcohol, fried foods, and processed foods tend to be exceptionally easy to get down, which is why so many people ingest these things in large amounts – without thinking twice.
For some people, salmon cooked a certain way with certain ingredients is highly palatable. Figure out what healthy meals do it for your tongue and roll with it.
If you don’t like what you’re eating, you won’t eat enough.
3. Calorie Dense Foods
Leverage high caloric and dense snacks and foods. A few examples of these food types include:
Nuts (e.g., pistachios, almonds, pecans)
Nut butter (e.g., almond butter)
Avocados (e.g., guacamole and blue tortilla chips are one of my favorite calorie-dense snacks. It’s super easy to get down, and I can eat a lot of it, which piles up the calories quickly)
4. Eat Out
I’ll eat out 2–3 days a week on a typical week. I might eat out 4–7 days a week on rampage weeks. I aim to do the 2-day cadence more often because my body enjoys clean eating, but I’ve also accepted that splurging (now and then) every day will not hurt me- especially since I stick to the 60/40 method a majority of the time. Learn more about my treat day philosophy here:
Embrace masochism or go the easy route
5. More Weight Lifting, Less Cardio
I used to run miles each day. Um, no more. That kept me too slim and made it harder to build and retain muscle. I do still walk often and enjoy biking. Cardio is essential for your health, but you don’t need to do crazy amounts if you’re a hard weight gainer.
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.