Recipes for Summer Gaining: Grimmwolf's Southwest Pasta Salad

The next recipe in our series comes from Grimmwolf, the encourager formerly known as the gainer JockBalloon. Grimm knows a thing or two about gaining- he packed on around 100lbs of fat to his frame after quitting wrestling after high school. See pic:


Recently he's chosen to embrace his inner encourager, to drop a bit of the belly and concentrate on getting really muscled. But don't forget, from personal experience, he knows just how to get a guy fat.

So, try this spicy pasta salad -it's tangy, easy to make, and ripe with calories. And while you're eating, be sure to check out GrimmWolf's Tales, a new gainer fiction blog written by the chef himself. Here's the recipe, in his own words:

Grimmwolf’s Southwest Pasta Salad:

2 boxes of your favorite pasta (I like to mix it up between two different types. Organic tastes better. NO ELBOWS.)
3 Bell Peppers: One Yellow, One Orange, One Red (you can swap in a green or any other bell peppers)
1 One Yellow Onion
2 ears of Sweet Corn.
3 Chicken Breast
1 Avocado (Yes we've seen these before)
Mayo, Hot Sauce, Lime, Little bit of Chipotle.

Before you start, note that a lot of this needs a grill. Either inside or outside, no using a George Foreman. All else fails u can use a pan but I wouldn’t recommend it.

First slice and de-seed all the pepper. It’s easiest if you do it in quarters or halves first. You wanna fire roast the peppers slightly, enough to char the skin and meat but not enough to dry out the veggies. This is going to apply for all the others veggies after the pepper. After the peppers are ready, dice them to thin bit. Go across the side to give you short bits and then put them into the bowl.

Make sure you have cooked the sweet corn before hand; this should be done before you start the pasta salad. But the corn on the heat and as it begins to get marks from the grill get turn it. Once the corn is nicely charred, slice the corn from its cob and put it in the bowl with the peppers.
Repeat the process with the onion that you have with the other veggies. Remove the skin, slice and lightly char. Then dice and drop it in the bowl.

Cook up the chicken, again nice char marks are a must! Then slices it up and again into the bowl.
Avocado. Can be done either slightly charred or just regular. Cut into small wedges and then when it is read (they will take the shortest time).

I’m not telling you guys how to cook your pasta. Cuz it all depends on taste. Anyway once all the items are ready you can toss them in with the pasta. Now on to the Southwest Mayo, to make it a pasta salad.

I can’t give you appropriate measurements because it again depends on your preference with how much sauce/mayo you like with your salads.

Either use homemade mayo, or take your regular store bought mayo (not lite) and mix it in with the hot sauce, chipotle, lime zest and juice. When it is all mix, the southwest mayo should appear a light pink. Obviously the redder it is, the more heat is going to be in it.
Its good cold and hot, as a meal or a side.

Recipes for Summer Gaining: Victor's Florentine Chicken Ring

So, I asked my friend Victor for a gainer friendly recipe. Being that Victor is 6' tall and 300lbs of beautifully fattened gainerman (up from 140lbs) he knows a thing or two about making yummy food that gets you growing.

Photographic Evidence of Victor's knowledge of good food:



He's literally twice as big as he was in high school. Drool. Onto the food!

Here is his recipe, and his words:

"This is a dish that I got from my mother over 15 years ago, and it is a perennial favorite with all my friends and family... Pretty much everyone I serve this to falls in love with it, and with good reason, too: the ingredients are simple, familiar, unfussy, unpretentious, easily storebought, and easily prepared.

It is hearty enough for the most diehard gainer or bodybuilder -- chock full of high-protein chicken breast and nutritious spinach -- yet is cheesy and carby enough to serve as a great comfort food too. The presentation is elegant enough for serving at a classy brunch, lunch or dinner party. Good playmates include a simple leafy green salad, a bowl of crisp chilled watermelon and cantaloupe, and some fudgy dark chocolate brownies for dessert. My beverage of choice is Coke, but if you're into wine, just go with a chilled Chardonnay or some other white wine to accompany this chicken ring."



INGREDIENTS:

- 4 chicken breasts, cooked thoroughly and cubed

- two 10-oz packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained

- 1 cup mild cheddar or American cheese, shredded

- 1/2 cup mayonnaise

- zest of 1 lemon

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

- 2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls (8 count each)

- 1 refrigerated pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, spinach, cheese, mayonnaise, lemon zest, salt and nutmeg until a homogenous blend is created.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Move oven rack to middle position.

3. Unroll pie crust onto a lightly greased pizza pan or pizza stone. Using a sharp knife, cut an 8-pointed star about 4" in diameter in the center of the crust.

4. Scoop the chicken mixture evenly onto the pie crust in between the star and the outer edge, staying about 1/4" away from both. Pat and mould the mixture until an even ring of filling is formed.

5. Unroll the crescents and separate them into individual triangles. Begin to cover the filling with crescents, by laying the wide end of a crescent at the outer edge of the pie crust; the narrow point of the triangle should be touching the 8-pointed star. Continue with remaining crescent rolls until the entire filling is covered in triangles. Note that small gaps may remain in between triangles; this is OK, as it allows for steam to escape. Also note that you may not use all 16 of the crescent rolls.

6. Using your fingertips, tuck and seal all the edges of the triangles into the pie crust on the outside edge of the ring. Do the same thing on the inside by rolling up the segments of the star and tucking the points of the crescent rolls into them. The end result should look like a giant donut.

7. Bake in the preheated 375-degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the crescents are golden-brown. Serve piping hot by itself for brunch or lunch, or with a side salad as a dinner entree. Yield 10-12 servings.

I suggest you try and eat as many servings at once as possible, rub your belly and enjoy.

Recipes for Summer Gaining: Tagliatelle with Truffle Butter

The next recipe in my summer gainer recipe series comes from my dear friend (and beautifully accomplished gainer), DangerCocktail.

DangerCocktail suggested Ina Garten’s Tagliarelle with Truffle Butter as an easy dish to whip together on a weeknight or for a more formal dinner -a pretty classic, fattening recipe brightened up for spring by some fresh chives.

He suggests, “Pair it with a light, white wine -I don’t like white but you need something really light on the tongue, because the truffle butter with cream is rich. Serve that pasta with a great grilled steak or tri tip, and then a fresh spring vegetable with light butter/salt/pepper, or maybe a salad with oil and vinegar. Keep the other notes in the meal very bright and light.”

Fattening, luxurious, and easy. What more could you ask for? A recipe with both Ina Garten and DangerCocktail's stamp of approval. Yum.

Recipes for Summer Gaining: Cubanjew's Super Awesome Frittata

So, in my hunt for summery gainer friendly meals, I asked my pal Cubanjew if he had anything that was good for a breakfast or brunch type meal. He suggested his Super Awesome Fritatta recipe.

Cubanjew's Super Awesome Frittata Recipe

8-10 eggs (I prefer organic, cage free eggs -knowing the chickens are happy makes me happy)

2 or 3 not too small potatos, washed and sliced*

Shredded/grated cheese to taste*

Salt & Pepper to taste

Whole Milk (or for the adventurous, heavy cream or half and half)

Olive oil*

Butter*

*Organic if you can manage it

In his own, awesome words:

“First I cut one of my potatoes into thin slices and sauté them a little. Once the potatoes are decently soft, I mix in the salt, pepper and shredded cheese. Melt it down and mash it all up Don't use all of the cheese though! I generally do grated parmesan and then either a shredded cheddar or mexican mix and have it all combined. Trader Joe's has some really nice, organic pre-shredded cheese mixes, if you're too lazy to grate your own. Let it be a little lumpy! We like it like that!

Next, put your mixture aside and preheat the oven to 400. Wash your remaining potatoes and slice them fairly thin, but not transparent cause you want some substance to them, and microwave them submerged in water for a minute and 30 seconds to start their cooking process. Let them sit. Then, in a medium-large pan, combine your olive oil and butter and let it get hot, but don't burn the butter! I suggest medium heat on your range for this. Mix your potato cheese mixture up and cover the bottom of the pan in the mixture, and let it sit for a few minutes.

In a fairly large bowl, crack and combine your eggs as if you were making an omelette, and salt and pepper it to taste. Put that aside and look at your potatoes in the pan. Start flipping it over when it's brown on the bottom and add more of the mixture in. It's good when it's golden and crispy. When you have a little potato mixture left, remove it all and place it back in the bowl and mix it all together. Now you want to put more oil and butter in the pan, and arrange your potato slices in an even layer and let cook with a cover on the pan for 4-5 minutes. Put a thin layer of your grated cheese on top of that, and then your mixture of browned mashed potatoes and unbrowned mashed potatoes on a lumpy textural layer over that. You can toss in anything here; bacon, veggies, anything you have laying around, it'll taste good. I suggest if you add veggies to sauté them beforehand, and make sure that any meat you add is cooked through. Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes with a cover on it. Now you'll want to pour your eggs on top and then place a final layer of grated cheese and cook for 3 minutes with a cover on the pan.

You'll want to see it start to bubble. That's when you uncover and place in your preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, with you checking in 5 minute intervals by sticking a knife in. When the knife comes out clean, you're done and you can take it out of the oven. Let your frittata cool for a few minutes, then flip onto a plate and serve! When going to a party or somewhere I'm expected to bring a dish, my frittata never fails to impress! Or you could always, ya know, eat the whole thing yourself... lol”

And there you have it -a simple, fattening, versatile calorically gifted brunch recipe perfect for any growing gainer. Up next, DangerCocktail's summer dinner suggestion :)

New Study on Fatness and Fitness

I found this study on the relation of body compisition (how lean or fat a guy is) and fitness levels (thanks to sometimesgainer) and I figured I'd let you guys take a look at it.

The conclusions, as stated in the abstract, are that fit men have a lower mortality rate than either unfit lean men, or unfit fat men. They even go so far as to say "being fit may reduce the hazards of obesity." This speaks to the point that I've made in earlier posts that the perils of having a bigger body are much more complex than society generally believes, and that health conscious gainers are not necessarily as prone to the complications of being overweight as someone who is not as careful about exercise and what they put in their mouth.

Obviously it's one study, albiet a credible one, but, I was just heartened to see someone looking at obesity in a more complex way.

New Year's Resolutions

Happy 2010 everyone!

Yeah, the pic isn't related to the post really but, a hot boy for the New Year can't hurt.

So, around this time, everyone seems to be making dramatic, sweeping new years resolutions. Tons of people are making up big exercise plans, attempting to stick to ridiculous diets, determined to loose weight. And most of these people, within a few weeks, a month or two tops, will fail.

Now, you may be thinking, why would I bring up people trying to loose weight on The Encourager? I personally think that there a lot of gainers fall into the same two main pitfalls that these New Year’s Resolution dieters hit.

Similarity one: The Impossible Goal

Yeah, he didn't drink all that and get that belly in one day

Much like dieters who proclaim “I’m never going to eat sugar or any kind of dessert again,” gainers often feel like they’re not doing enough if they don’t eat enormous meals all the time. By setting the bar unreasonably high, you set yourself up for failure, and then get discouraged.

Just like if you were going to diet, getting fat is a lifestyle shift. It doesn’t have to be a huge shift, but it has to be consistent. I was chatting with a buddy of mine who has been hovering around 200 for a while now. I pointed out if he consistently adds 500 calories to his daily diet (about the calories of 1 grande caramel Frappucino with whipped cream from Starbucks, or a handful of cookies) he’ll put on nearly 50 pounds this year. Now, adding a Frapp’s worth of calories to your diet every day isn’t rocket science, but, many guys try and just stuff themselves silly every now and then instead of the simpler, easier to follow through on option of just making sure they get an extra 500 calories right before bed.

Similarity two: Slow Results

Yum. He wasn't discouraged that it took a little while to get that big.

Many gainers complain that they just eat and eat and they don’t see any results. Many dieters complain that no matter how little they eat, they don’t see any results. The answer to both is the same. Changing your body takes time. If you’re eating to gain, or eating to loose, don’t expect to see any real changes in your body for at least four weeks. You may get a nicely bloated gut after a big meal, but, you’re gonna have to overeat pretty consistently for about a month to start noticing a change. To see a dramatic change in your body, it’s prolly gonna take at least 3 or 4 months.

So, in short, relax, eat up, and have fun. Just cause you don’t gain 10 pounds your first week, doesn’t mean that you’re not putting on weight, doesn’t mean your body’s not changing, it just means that you’re normal and this takes time.

Anything worth having is worth working for, right?


In short, keep up as regularly as you can, consistently getting at least 500 extra calories in your daily diet, and don’t get discouraged.

My Resolutions

As for my New Years resolutions, here is what I’m going to try and stick to:

Update the blog at least twice a month, with the end goal being a weekly update schedule. I’m not sure how easy it’s going to be to stick to this one, but, I am hopeful.

Be more regular about going to the gym. Since November I’ve been all over the place with holidays and parties and such and a regular routine will make me (haha and the boyfriend I imagine) quite happy. This shouldn’t be too hard to stick to as the weather will be getting warmer and I really love being outside.

Be more consistent about eating organic and avoiding transfats. Whatever your intention weightwise, gaining, maintaining or loosing, pesticides and transfats are gross. I think I'll be pretty good about this, cause I'm already pretty good about eating organic and avoiding transfats. I'm prolly looking to go from like 80% success to like 95%.

Be more positive, even when dealing with people I really don’t like / Find other ways to be funny besides putting other people down. This will be hard as I am exceptionally talented at making fun of people who annoy me.

My last resolution is to be more focused and organized. Making lists and such. This post was one of the first things I put into my new To Do app (Things for Mac), and look, I actually wrote it up! I’m normally a really super organized, a-type kinda guy so I’m most confident about this one.

What kind of things did you guys pick as resolutions (gaining related or not)? Post yours in the comments section.

Happy New Year everyone!

Don't forget!

It's November 1st! Go stock up on discounted Halloween candy boys. No excuses :P Gotta get a jump on the holiday weight gain! Just remember -if you start pushing yourself today, you could be 20 or 30lbs heavier by New Years. Exciting, no?


This public service message was brought to you by The Encourager and BellyBuilders Moderator OneOddGuy.

Gym Bodies

So, a lot of the time I focus on guys getting really big, and I tend to overlook the really sort of hot, tender moment where a guy finally chooses to let go and gain. It's a moment full of passion, excitement, and if shared between two loving boyfriends, usually a lot of tenderness and relief. It's a sweet little story, a quick but satisfying read.

I remember reading this back when I was just realizing that I was into guys, and into growing guys at that, and this story really gave me a great sense of relief that there could be a sweet, sensual, tender connection between guys into all this stuff.

Hope you guys enjoy.

Gym Bodies
by J.B.

"Well, what will it be this time, Twinkies or cupcakes?", Rick pondered as he surveyed the rack of junk food. He had stopped at the grocery store on his way home from the gym to pick up a few things. He glanced into his basket - diet soda, fresh fruit, skim milk, and orange juice. After a tough workout he felt like treating himself to something bad. It was a habit of his, working out every day, watching what he ate, but once in a while splurging on junk food. "Hasn't hurt so far," he thought. At 5'10" tall Rick weighed in at a solid 180 pounds, well-built with the washboard abdominal muscles and 32 inch waist he had labored to achieve. Topped with sandy brown hair and wearing shorts an a tight white tank top, he presented a very attractive package.

"Big decision, isn't it?" a deep voice behind Rick questioned. "I prefer the Twinkies myself", the voice continued. Rick turned to see where the voice was coming from, and when he did he was pleasantly surprised. He found himself taking a quick inventory; black hair and blue eyes, beard and mustache, 5'11", about 175 pounds, well defined muscles, tight abs, very attractive. Rick smiled back at him.

"Whatever I choose I'll have to pay for at the gym tomorrow".

The other man laughed. "Tell me about it," he said, "but that isn't going to stop me, either." They stood for a few minutes talking about what gyms they belonged to, reps and sets, free weights and nautilus. "The name's Jerry", the stranger said, offering his hand. Rick introduced himself as he shook Jerry's hand. "Listen, I've got an idea", Jerry said then.

"As long as we're both being bad why not do it together? You pick a box of something and I'll pick a box of something and we can go back to my place and enjoy it. Besides, if two guys are doing it together it cancel out the guilt." With a laugh, Rick agreed.

"Want a beer?" Jerry yelled from the kitchen of his apartment.

"Sure, why not - may as well go all out" Rick yelled back from the couch.

"In that case, I'll order us a pizza, and we'll probably need this stuff too" Jerry said as he entered the room carrying a half gallon of ice cream, a bottle of chocolate syrup, 2 bowls, and a six-pack of beer. He handed a can of beer to Rick, noticed his raised eyebrows, an said "Oh come on, how often do you really let go, really pig out? From the looks of that hot body of yours, not very often". With a grin Rick gave in, noticing the stirring in his crotch and the beginnings of a hard-on at Jerry's words. Two hours later the ice cream and sauce were gone, as were both boxes of Twinkies, and they were finishing their second six pack of beer. Only 4 slices of pizza were left in the box.

"May as well finish them" Jerry said. His tee shirt was rolled up, and his belly looked rounded from all he had eaten.

"I can't", Rick mumbled, "I'm really stuffed." He had his feet propped on the coffee table, his tank top stretched over his full belly, and his gym shorts pulled low to relieve the pressure on his stomach. He ran one hand over his midsection, surprised at how hard and full it felt. Oddly enough, he also felt horny.

"Sure you can", Jerry said, gently stroking Rick's full belly, "here, let me help you". He picked up a slice of pizza and put it to Rick's mouth, and with a little pressure pushed it in, rubbing Rick's belly the whole time. He then stuffed 2 more slices in, gently but firmly ignoring Rick's mumbled protests. Part of Rick wanted to get up and leave, this was going too far, he had eaten way too much. But a bigger part of him was enjoying the sensation of laying back with a full belly and having a hot man caress it, and the moment Jerry had shoved the food in Rick had gotten an instant, raging hard-on. "There's one slice left," Jerry said, "why don't you help me out?" Rick leaned over and shoved the pizza in, rubbing Jerry's distended abdomen as he did an noticing the growing bulge in Jerry's shorts.

They staggered off together to Jerry's bed, where they rubbed each others bellies and jerked each other off. Full and slightly drunk Rick and Jerry passed out together.

Rick opened his eyes the next morning to see Jerry standing in front of the mirror. "Good morning - just checking things out - doesn't look like there was any permanent damage". With a smile Rick laid back with a hand on his own stomach, remembering how full it had been.

"Shit, we ate a lot last night" Jerry said coming back to the bed.

"I know, I can't remember ever being that full, " Rick said, "but you know... it felt kind of good - it made me horny as hell."

Jerry looked at him for a second, then said "Yeah, me too." He paused, then asked "Did you ever want to just say fuck it? Fuck the gyms and the work-outs always dieting, always worrying? Just eat whatever you want, whenever you want, forgetting the sit-ups, and just letting yourself go?"

"Sometimes," Rick answered slowly, all of a sudden unsure of himself. Years of commitment, of sweat and hard work, and long hours at the gym, and, he thought, of denial. But to throw all that away...?

"Then why don't we?" Jerry practically shouted, "we can go for it together - pigging out, gaining weight - partners in crime". He laid a hand on Rick's stomach, "What do you say?" Drawing a deep breath, and remembering the sensuality of the previous night, Rick agreed to it.

"Great!" Jerry exclaimed, "and we'll keep track of our progress - pictures, weights, measurements - we're going to have a blast!" He kissed Rick long and hard, and said softly "and we're going to do it together".

One month later, Rick woke to the smell of bacon frying. It had been a month of gorging themselves, of constant eating and drinking.

Big, greasy breakfasts every morning, fast food lunches, and huge dinners after work washed down with gallons of beer, followed by sweets and desserts until bed, where they would lay for hours, rubbing their bloated bellies together, exploring each other's changing body - the thickening middles, the rolls at the sides, the softening chins. Rick loved to lay back and let Jerry run his tongue all over his full stomach.

They had discovered that the various weight gain products the had taken to build muscle also helped to add fat, especially when mixed with generous helpings of ice cream. They would take turns force feeding each other, each helping to stretch the other's stomach. With slight smile, Rick ran a hand over his stomach. Gone were his washboard abs, replaced with a soft, round pot belly. He could feel the love handles forming at his sides. This morning would be a special one - it was the start of their vacation. For the past month they would squeeze in as much eating as possible around their jobs, and of course on weekends. Now they had 1 month of uninterrupted gluttony, and they were going to make the best of it. "Let's go my little piglet, breakfast is waiting - on the scale!" Jerry yelled as he entered the bedroom. He was wearing a pair of gym shorts, and his developing spare tire hung over the waistband. Rick climbed on the scale, and waited for Jerry to read it. "196" Jerry said, as he wrapped the measuring tape around Rick's waist, "and 34 inches; now it's my turn. How much?"

"189", Rick replied, "33 and 1/2 inches around the middle".

"Not bad", Jerry commented, "16 pounds for you and 14 for me - we're off to a good start." He took Rick in his arms and rubbed their bellies together, asking "Any regrets?"

"Only one", Rick answered with a smile, "Its taking too long. I want a big gut and I want it now! Let's eat!"

Breakfast consisted o mounds of pancakes drenched with butter and syrup, and piles of bacon and sausage, soaked in grease. The sight of the table alone gave both men a hard-on. They tore into the food, washing it down with glasses o weight gain shake. When Jerry started to slow down Rick grabbed handfuls of pancakes and shoved them into Jerry's mouth, followed by chunks of butter, and syrup poured in straight from the bottle. Jerry moaned with pleasure, his hands dropping down to caress his expanding gut as he sucked the last of the syrup out of the bottle. Rick and Jerry staggered off to the bedroom, laying on their backs to keep the pressure off their bloated bellies. "I'll be right back", Jerry said.

He disappeared into the kitchen, returning with a funnel and 2 large pitchers of weight gain shake. Rick eyed the funnel; "I'm already real stuffed" he said, "and we've never tried that before." Jerry smiled and caressed Rick's belly.

"It's time we tried - one for you and one for me - this will really bloat us out," he said as he gently inserted the funnel into Rick's mouth, and poured the drink in. Rick's belly felt a if it would burst, as it protruded rock hard into the air. He groaned, combination of pleasure and discomfort as the heavy liquid poured down his reluctant throat. He also felt a raging erection starting as his belly expanded. When the last drops had been poured in Jerry removed the funnel and lay back in the bed. Rick rolled over and, struggling to work around his swollen belly, poured the weight gain shake into the funnel, now stuck in Jerry's waiting mouth. At the same time Rick massaged Jerry's hard dick, bringing him to orgasm as he drained the pitcher into Jerry's mouth. Jerry shot load after load, covering his bloated belly with sticky cum. Rick knelt over him, swaying under the weight of his over-full gut, and shot his load all over Jerry, collapsing next to him as the last stream shot from his dick. They lay there bell to belly, and Jerry whispered "and that was only our first meal - imagine what the rest of the vacation will be like".

The rest of the vacation was beyond anything in Rick or Jerry's wildest imaginations. They spent days and nights gorging themselves, wild feeding sessions followed by sex made more erotic by the feeling o their distended bellies rubbing together. Rick would cover his swollen gut, chest, dick, and balls with chocolate sauce and make Jerry lick it off, burying Jerry's face in the soft fat that was growing there. They would set the alarm clock for the middle of the night and take turns pouring pitchers of weight gain concoctions into each other. After hug meals Jerry would hoist Rick's legs in the air and, his bloated gut resting on Rick's, shove cookies or donuts down Rick's throat as he fucked him, slapping his balls into Rick's newly soft, rounded ass, their developing paunches grinding together. They would stuff themselves with beer and pizza, and then lay in bed in the 69 position, taking turns on top and feeling the erotic thrill of the others full, expanding gut pressing down on his face, being buried in a mound of flesh. At the end of the month the results were impressive. Rick weighed in at 217 pounds, and Jerry at 212 pounds; both measured 38 inches around the waist. Muscles were softening, and covered by fat. Firm asses were now soft and fleshy. Tight abs and lean chins had been replaced by paunches and double chins. Jerry shaved his beard just so Rick could see the soft fold of flesh growing there. And neither man wanted to stop. "Well tomorrow it's back to work", Rick said as he lay next to Jerry, kneading the soft rolls spreading over Jerry's sides, "too bad it has to end."

"Does it?" Jerry asked. "I've got some money saved up, plus sick days, plus..."

The Healthy Gainer

One of the most dubious and avoided questions in the gainer community is the issue of how purposely gaining weight affects health. Mainstream society tells us that fat people have a host of problems avoided by the thin, ranging from heart issues, to diabetes, and just about everything in between. There are several points that one should make about how a gainer is different from your average fat guy.
The first and most important is that a gainer, most of the time, is not someone who is naturally fat. What the studies generally do not account for, since they monitor people who are already overweight in comparison to people who are currently skinny, rather than comparing the before and after rates of skinny people who put on weight, is that maybe, whatever predisposes a fat person to be fat, is the factor that predisposes them to be more susceptible to the maladies that we associate with being overweight.
Another difference between a gainer and your average fat guy is that your average fat guy is most likely fairly sedentary. A gainer doesn’t have to be sedentary. In fact, a gainer should make sure he works out. It’ll help him be able to easily and painlessly carry more weight, help shape a nice round gut, and, most importantly, keep his heart and body healthy. Most studies linking disease to overweight people don’t differentiate between a fat person and a sedentary person. An active fat guy is almost definitely going to have fewer issues than a sedentary twig.


Similarly, unlike someone who is fat by accident, a gainer likely pays great attention to his diet. Many of the crappy preservatives that is in processed food are things you really do not want in your body. Diseases linked with obesity (cancer, diabetes, heart disease) are definitively linked with the consumption of food additives such as high fructose corn syrup. So, what we can take from that is that a gainer, who generally eats a lot more food than the average person, is at risk to consume a lot more of this toxic shit if he doesn’t pay attention to what he puts in his mouth. But since a gainer is trying to get fat, making sure he’s putting all the calories he can in his mouth, it’s not a huge jump for him to pay attention and make sure he’s not putting crap in his mouth that’s gonna make him sick. Here is a list of stuff you just shouldn’t be putting in your body, even if you are a gainer (in no particular order)

Things to avoid:

Sodium nitrite -bad for you, makes you sick, found in cheap hotdogs and some cured meats. Hummel makes nitrite free hot dogs that are really yummy.

Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydrozyttoluene (BHT) -Preservatives that have been suggested to cause cancer. Read the ingredient list, and just don’t eat ‘em.

Propyl gallate - Another toxic preservative. Don’t eat it.

High fructose corn syrup - This stuff is terrible mainly because it screws with how the body metabolizes sugar, and has been linked with the development of type II diabetes, a disease that makes gaining in any way that isn't totally self destructive very difficult and time consuming.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) - is an amino acid used as a flavor enhancer in soups, salad dressings, chips, frozen entrees, and restaurant food. It is commonly associated with Asian foods and flavorings. MSG can cause headaches and nausea in some people, and animal studies link it to damaging nerve cells in the brains of infant mice. Don’t eat it, look for Chinese delivery places that advertise that they don’t use it.

Trans fats/ Partially hydrogenated oils - are totally horrible. They’re oils that are altered to make them more stable so food with them won’t go rancid as quickly, and although they do preserve food well, they do it at the expense of how they are metabolized by the people who eat them. Fats you eat go into not only building your belly, but also into maintaining cell walls, sustaining a healthy heart, keeping your skin looking good, your hair shiny and strong, literally tons of important processes in your body. Don’t eat transfats if you can avoid them, because they don’t exactly fit like normal, naturally occurring fats do when trying to fill into those bodily processes, and thus create all sorts of problems when they are too concentrated in your body.

Sugar substitutes - (excepting naturally occurring ones, like agave) generally cause cancer as a rule, and please, if you’re not worried about calories, just have some raw cane sugar.

Food colorings are a big no no. If its not in nature, it doesn’t belong in your body, and being a gainer doesn’t change that.

Potassium bromate is rare, but still legal in the U.S., and used as an additive to increase volume in white flour, breads, and rolls. It causes cancer. Don’t eat it.

I debated but ultimately chose to include both white sugar and salt on this list. They’re linked to all sorts of issues, sugar most clearly to diabetes and insulin resistance, and salt to all sorts of cardiovascular hypertensive unhappiness. Both have to be watched if you’re eating to gain. If you’re craving sugars, use sugar in the raw instead of bleached white sugar when you can. Try not to put a lot of salt on stuff cause there usually is a good amount already. Don’t kill yourself avoiding these two, but, keep them in mind.


So, after that big long list of what to avoid, we of course have to come to the what to eat list. One of the most beautiful, erotic parts of being a gainer is being able to indulge. All the rich, calorie laden delicacies of life are the domain of the gainer. Here are a bunch of healthy, appetizing little calorie bombs that will get you growing in no time:

What to eat:


Almonds (or any nuts -macadamia have the highest caloric content, but they’re expensive)
Avocados -Calorie dense, full of good fats, and they taste great
Although it’s not super healthy, it’s good to know that Butterfingers have no transfat, unlike most candy bars.
Granola -super calorically dense, heart friendly, yummy healthy treat. The bf likes it with some vanilla yogurt for breakfast.
Organic whole milk - Calorie dense, easy to drink, not full of crap like soda, used by bodybuilders when they’re looking to healthfully add mass. Try a gallon a day and you’ll blow up like you won’t believe (not for the faint of heart -whoever you are, bigger men than you have tried to grow like this and failed, but, try it haha)
Root Veggies -Lots of non-sugar starchy carbs. Always good for bellybuilding.
Sweet Potatoes -They’re just awesome, calorically dense, make great fries. Toss some olive oil on them to fortify the calorie count and snack away.
Olive oil -Heart healthy, tasty, generally awesome. Put a little on everything. 9 calories per gram, it’ll add up and add inches to your gut.


Although it’s counter intuitive, most of the stuff for people trying to lose weight and take care of themselves actually holds a lot of useful information for a healthy gainer. Apart form things telling you to limit your calories, most of the information to be healthy can be adapted to a growing boy’s lifestyle. Being healthy and strong is basically the obligation of anyone choosing to gain. Make sure you go to the gym, run, not endlessly, but, for 15 minutes or so, enough to keep your heart pumping and healthy. Lift weights! I t will make you hungry, make the fat settle in a hotter, less cellulite-y way by increasing testosterone, and keep you healthy. If you run for 20 minutes, burn 200 calories, eat an Oreo or two and you’ve made up for the calorie loss, and still retain the benefit to your heart. I’ll get a total gainer friendly workout in another post, but, just get moving and get lifting.


To conclude - remember, that to gain one pound, a person must consume 3,500 calories more than are burned (500 calories per day over the course of a week). As long as your packing an extra 500 calories on top of what you're burning off with your daily caloric needs and exercise, you're gonna gain, no matter how healthy the food you get the 500 calories happens to be. A pound a week is a pretty respectable gain, I mean, think about it; You'd be 52lbs heavier this time next year if you just keep up that extra 500 calories a day. Pretty wild, hunh? And the boyfriend has gained nearly 100lbs in the nearly a year we've been dating, eating tons of organic, healthy food I've cooked and lifting a few times a week, so, I have first hand experience that following this kind of regiment works to get a guy healthy and growing. You just have to be consistent. So eat up, lift hard, and get growing guys ;)



Oh, and if any of you guys think of something I've missed, a good healthy gainer food, or something to avoid, a tip, a trick, just email me at getasnack@gmail.com and I'll tack it onto the post :)