Tools of the Trade: Essentials for the Modern Gainer

Something that has always amazed me is that a lot of gainers don’t have scales. I was hunting around online for a good one as a gift for the boyfriend, and I got to thinking. What are the essentials for a gainer? I talked with a few of my buddies about it and this is the list we compiled.

Scale


Numbers can be a great motivator. Although in the end, it’s all about finding the body you want, who are we kidding. We’re guys, guys like measuring things. Watching the numbers go up on the scale can be an incredible turn on.

Make sure you have a scale, but don’t weigh yourself every day. As I said in the post before, the small ups and downs on the scale will generally just discourage, but, weigh once a week and watch the numbers go up up up. Make sure the scale has a high enough upper weight (most go only to 300, but home scales going up to 400 do exist).

Also, think about investing in a talking scale, if you plan on getting really huge. My friend Oneoddguy (from BellyBuilders) was talking to me about this and said:

“They need to make a scale that dings when it’s done, cause I can’t see past my belly.”

Hot. Impractical. But hot.

Here’s a not super expensive, sleek looking scale that goes up to 400lbs.

Gym shorts

Bryan (author of Trouble in the Mix) suggested gym shorts. They’re comfortable, elastically waisted, and perfect for a really big meal. And oh yeah, you can use them for the gym too. ;)

Bryan said:

“You can find stylish workout shorts, pair them with zipups (like this one) and do american sportswear look and accommodate an elastic waistband for lunch. But buy your size, don’t just get big ones, cause you want them to hug your ass. The elastic will give, but you still want a hot ass. You can do casual and comfortable that gives you room to get stuffed but still be sporting prep. Because if I'm in tight pants and I eat so much that they get painfully tight, I usually stop eating.”

And anything getting in the way of Bryan’s eating is not good. Not good at all.

Lotion



Another indispensable thing for a gainer (or an encourager actually) is lotion. Nothing increases the pleasure of a bellyrub than a little bit of lotion. Keeps the skin soft and strong, and if fortified with vitamin E, often helps prevent or fade stretch marks a little.

I like this stuff.


Bryan likes this.


For you guys worried about stretch marks already existing, ask your dermatologist about retin-a for fading them. Although a lot of over the counter stuff doesn’t do much, there are things you can do, just ask your doc.

Tape Measure


Any generic tape measure will do. As I mentioned with the scale, numbers can be a big motivator. Measure your belly -you’ll notice growth there even sometimes when you don’t see it on the scale.

LiveStrong Calorie Counter App for iPhone


This app is fantastic for a gainer. You put in your stats, tell it you want to gain 2lbs a week, and log everything you eat. It tracks your progress, accounts for exercise (cause a strong, healthy gainer is a happy gainer) and gives you a visual representation of how much you need to be packing in each day (at least haha).

Blender


Makes gainer shakes. Then you drink them. Nuff said. Try this cool, retro one.



Online Food Delivery Websites

What aspiring fatboy doesn’t want the internet to bring him food. There are a host of websites that make finding a local place that delivers easy. A few places even deliver groceries.

In Manhattan, I am a fan of SeamlessWeb.com, and a little less so of Delivery.com. Bad customer service experience on Delivery.com, but both are pretty solid. Menupages is a little less streamlined, but also useful. FreshDirect.com is unbeatable for groceries, and they have nutrition facts. You can pick the most caloric thing, and have a great selection of high quality and organic stuff delivered right to your door. Awesome.

Zagat.com is great if you’re planning on leaving the house, and they have guides for cities all over the world. If you're in college, or even near one check out CampusFood.com
According to Oneoddguy, a lot of pizza places have online delivery too. His favorite website is Domino’s. Here’s why:

“I love Dominos. It tells you what’s going on with your pizza, from who made it to who’s bringing it.”

I personally enjoy Poppa Johns cause they’ve added a whole wheat pizza crust. I mean, I know it’s still not good for you, but it’s cute they’re making the effort.

Camera

The one complaint I’ve heard consistently over the years from gainers is that they wished they had taken more pics of their progress. Nothing is hotter than seeing how far a gainer has come, and few things are more inspiring to a beginner who doesn’t even think they’ll be able to get fat. Get a decent digital cam, and take pictures whenever you feel like it. I have a Canon Elph, and I love it. So, take a pic. Make a vid. Even if you don't show anyone, you’ll be glad you did when you’re rubbing your hard earned belly, reminiscing about your skinny days.


See? That hotness would not have been possible without a camera. And a lot of beer contributing to that Freshman 40.

Premium Beefyfrat

Although some guys might find this a little controversial (and no, I’m not being paid a dime to say this), I really think every gainer needs a premium Beefyfrat membership. Seriously. It’s 5$ a month. That’s like, one frap at Starbucks, or two ATM fees a month. I’ve def. spent a lot more money on things that don’t directly lead to me getting off. The guys on there are incredibly inspiring. Feeling full? Look at a few pics of one of your idols on Beefy and try finishing that last slice of pizza. It’ll make it easier.

15 Ways to Thin-Proof Your Home

The Encourager has already tackled the some of the big obstacles to building American bellies—tight pants, lack of focus, etc.. Now it’s time to take it home: Use these simple tips to turn your home into a fat-gaining, belly growing superweapon.

You don’t have to throw away any of your favorite foods, stop going to the gym, or turn your life upside-down. Just make these 15 simple tweaks to stay motivated and active as you drive toward your weight-gain goals.



Out of Sight, Out of Mind

If you’ve got candy or nuts sitting in your cupboards from the holidays, put ‘em out, and make sure there are always snacks around all the time—Never put them in a cabinet.



“When those things are in plain view, you’ll eat them regardless of whether or not you’re hungry,” says Chris More, Ph.D., nutrition adviser to the Discovery Channel and others. “When you’re not walking by and seeing them, you’re less likely.”

In Sight, In Your Mouth

While you’re moving food in your kitchen, get whole fruit out of your fridge—and out in the open. You’ll be more likely to grab a piece when you see it—and when it fills the room with aroma as it ripens.

“Whole fruit is getting a bad rap,” says Get A. Snack, The Encourager’s weight gain coach. “It’s the perfect snack –Natural sugars and carbs to keep you healthy, but no shortage of calories. Grapes and blueberries are great little anti-oxidant laden calorie bombs”

Work On This

Keep your muscles growing with your gut. Put a pair of barbells by a door you use a lot in your house—each time you cross the threshold, do one rep of bicep curls, and one lunge. It won’t seem like much, but all that moving will add up, and your muscles will keep your heart healthy, and support your growing belly.


Set This Alarm

Does Apple's iCal beep to remind you of meetings? (Us too.) Does it annoy you? (Us too.)

Put that little beep to work: Set an alarm every 15 minutes—using Outlook or your phone—as a reminder to get and grab a handful of something to snack on. Each time it rings, eat a hand fun of some healthy, caloric snack food—nuts are great, mixing almonds and M&Ms, anything.

Your I'm Late! Strategy

Does this routine sound familiar? You wake up in the morning, stumble out of bed, and realize you’re already late… and run straight out the door. You’re famished, but you don’t have time to even grab something quick (and probably less than you’d like to be eating).


“Change your pattern,” says Chris More, Ph.D., nutrition adviser to the Discovery Channel and others. “Pack something substantial the night before for the car ride to work so you’re not missing out on your hunger. And try and make time to eat, the results will show for themselves.”


Reorganize Your Fridge

The “crisper” drawer in your refrigerator is made for fruits and vegetables—and don’t forget it. Use the more visible parts of your frige to keep higher-calorie foods like high quality protein, cheeses and chocolate in plain sight, and move the fruits and vegetables down to the crisper. Keep easy-to-grab snacks that will kickstart your progress—on the top shelf, in plain sight.



Banish Your Scale

Don’t leave your scale to sit out and haunt you. Put it in a bathroom closet so you’re not tempted to weight yourself too often—and get distracted by small fluctuations in weight.

Weigh yourself just once each week, and spend the rest of the week focusing on the stuff that will move the needle—your eating, your workouts, and your attitude.


Empty These Bags

A lot of carb calories are usually easy to grab—chips, cookies, bagels, or bread (for a quick sandwich). Make sure you keep the easy calories in your kitchen, don’t just favor of foods that need preparation—meats, brown rice, or vegetables—or you might be more likely to let a fleeting craving pass.

If you snack on an easy high carb option, “you might get less nutrients, but there are often lots of calories, and it’ll stick to you,” says Carlos Gordo, author of The Perfect Belly Diet. You’ll stay be less full, and for a shorter period of time, and feel more likely to grab more food. And the tried and true rule of, "If you can open it, you can finish it" is sure to pack on the pounds quickly


Always Have Time For A Shake

Keep all the components of a gainer shake in your fridge—all of the ingredients of a high calorie gainer shake, ready immediately.

“You’re not making the whole shake ahead of time,” says Chris More, Ph.D., nutrition adviser to the Discovery Channel and others. “But it’s like your own encourager.” And the calories in your shake bar are safe—gainer shakes are basically free calories in your diet, as long as you stay away from hydrogenated oil and too much saturated fat.

Take a Tip From Rocky IV

Rocky stared at a picture of Ivan Drago every day as he trained to fight the enormous Russian. Find your own motivator: a nemesis like a picture of the way you never want to look, a mantra that reminds you why you’re gaining, or a photo that reminds you of your goal—like a picture of a guy with a belly you’d like to have.


Tape your motivator to your bathroom mirror—look at this one every morning to stay motivated. Tape another to your refrigerator—look at this one whenever you feel your hunger slipping.

Recycle Paper

All those menus in your kitchen drawer and next to your fridge? Put as many as you can on the frige itself. Even if you have the numbers memorized, adding the visual cues—the menu in plain sight—will increase your temptation to order.

Decorate Your TV

Give yourself a constant reminder to eat: Put a can of nuts on top of your television each day. Keep them there until you’ve finished the can for the day. Don’t like the look it gives your living room? Get eating and get ‘em off the set.
Get New Plates

You’ll gain weight with bigger plates: A study at Cornell University found that participants scooped out 50 percent more ice cream when given bigger dishes and spoons.

Put the power on your plates: Swap 10-inch plates for 12-inchers, and you’ll eat 22 percent more calories.

Use Your Couch


Make sure you eat when you’re in front of the tube. People who eat meals in front of the TV snack more between meals—20 percent more, according to a British study.

Invest In Yourself

Use your wallet to stay motivated: Buy a pair of pants, book a vacation to visit an gainer or encourager buddy you always wanted to meet, or make reservations to gorge yourself at a spectacular restaurant—choose a goal, and throw your cash behind it. Remind yourself of the investment by keeping your new purchase in plain sight. When your money’s in it, your motivation won’t be far behind.


Stick with these tips, and you'll have packed on 20lbs before you know it.

The Article was adapted from Men's Health Magazine for Gainers

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