When I was first starting on the road to gaining muscle. I was told to follow three simple rules. – EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, SLEEP BIG. I’d never even contemplated meal planning for weight gain and why that would be important.
I thought it was simple. All I had to do was pile on as much weight as I possibly could in the gym, and I slept 12 – 14 hours per day. And I ate everything in sight. Guess what it achieved – A big fat dough boy.
Why meal planning for weight gain is important
The older I got, the more I read. The more I realized the three simple rules, weren’t meant to be taken so literally.
Probably the biggest breakthrough came when I started meal planning.
It was pretty easy, I just looked at what I needed to do then set myself a nutritional plan and stuck to it.
To stoke your metabolism. Try eating 6 meals a day, evenly spaced… every 2 – 3 hours. NEVER leave it for more than 4 hours
It looks some like this:
- Wake – 5.30 am
- Breakfast – 6.00 am
- Mid-morning snack – 9.00 am
- Lunch – 12.00 pm
- Mid-afternoon snack – 3.00 pm
- Dinner – 6.00 pm
- Evening snack – 9.00 pm
Adding weight gain shakes as a supplement.
Now It’s nearly impossible to stuff as much solid food into your mouth to help fuel your muscles. So I recommend supplementing 2 meals a day with a weight gain shake supplement – ie. Protein drink or Protein bar. I always make 3 meals per day a high protein-based meal.
For the other 3 meals I ensure I eat, plenty of salad and vegetables with protein.
I make sure I eat white meat 3 times per week and red meat 3 – 4 times per week.
Yes you can cheat
Once per week I give myself a break and eat whatever I feel like. My guilty pleasure is pizza. I keep away from really bad fast food like McDonald’s or Hungry Jacks.
It’s pretty simple really. Spend some time at the start of each week meal planning. You will reap the rewards.
