The Essentials of Encouraging: Crystallized Ginger

I'm gonna be writing a handful of posts on essentials for encouragers. Just like I did for gainer essentials, but a little more broken up cause I'm busy.

One of the unwanted side effects of getting a guy really stuffed, is that after the moment has passed and the sexual charge of it all has faded, your gainer may be suffering from an uncomfortably full belly, and quite possibly a bit of an upset stomach from all of the rich food crammed into it. Now, my guy loves to eat just as much as I love to encourage him, but sometimes he has a bit of a sensitive stomach. I always feel bad when he feels sick after a particularly enormous meal, or playing around in bed with doughnuts and half and half, or something. What usually happens is after we finish things up in bed, he hits the tums and we cuddle up and call it a night. He's very stoic about it ( "Small price to pay for a growing belly" he says), but being the meddling perfectionist that I am, I wanted to try and hunt down some safe, simple, natural ways to calm an upset stomach.

So I started researching. My favorite stomach calming method is crystallized ginger root. Remember how your Mom would bring you ginger ale with the bubbled stirred out when you had an upset stomach as a kid? Same concept, but more effective. Ginger has been used for centuries as a way to fight nausea all over the world. On top of its stomach settling effects, ginger is considered a natural aphrodisiac, and may be helpful in lowering cholesterol and fighting heart disease! How awesome is that! And it's really pretty! Look! LOL


Here is a simple recipe I like for do it yourself crystallized ginger. Use high quality, as fresh as you can, organic ingredients and you will find yourself with an effective, tasty way to quiet any gainer's upset stomach.

Two more ginger related items I'm intending to try soon are Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, and the always wonderful Payard bakery's Domain de Canton ginger truffles. I picked up a bottle of Domaine de Canton after reading about it and realizing it was on Fresh Direct, and am seriously debating wandering across the park to Payard to grab some truffles. I intend to use the Domaine de Canton in a handful of cocktails to accompany the major feast I have planned for the boyfriend this weekend, so I'll report back on how well it works as a method to calm an upset stomach (or prevent one).

If you're intimidated by the recipe for crystallized ginger, you can always buy it at a store. Most grocery stores will have it, but it won't be as fresh and generally awesome as it would be if you make it yourself. And also, if you're an encourager and intimidated by a recipe that has 3 ingredients, one of which is water, you need to take a cooking class, a.s.a.p. Every encourager worth his salt knows how to cook -a topic I will get into more next time. Have a great weekend everyone, and please, if you have any other stomach settling tricks, post 'em in the comments section.

Really hot gainer guy

This guy is just absurdly hot.



If only there were more model handsome gainer guys willing to show off like this, the world would be a much more awesome place.

So hot.

Jesus. Look.


Biggest Porker

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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The Blogoshpere grows more!

So, I know I haven't been updating regularly, but between moving twice, my laptop dying, and the general vagaries of life, I'm not actually feeling that apologetic about it. ;)

First, I want to take a moment (I know this is a little ridic, but I do feel sad about it) for the loss of The Oinquirer. Huge, huge amounts of effort went into that site, and there was nothing else like it on the internet. I'm sure that it was some sort of issue with the webmaster not wanting to shoulder the burden of such a big site on his own, but, it's a tragic loss. Thank you Mr. Oinquirer webmaster guy, whoever you are, for all your hard work. It was much appreciated.

We've also lost BellyGrow's blog, and Zmariottax's blog, Ravenous Haven. Both will be missed.

Second, I have some new blogs to point out. First, the blog of a dear friend of mine (you may know him as Bryan on BeefyFrat):

Trouble in the Mix



It's an excellent mix of gainer inspired fiction, general exploration of masculinity, and an intelligent viewpoint on life. Read it, even if you don't beat off to all of the posts haha it's very worth it. Be sure to check out his story series, Lucky -it's excellent.



Another very new blog is The Ballooning Jock. A former wrestler who wants to get big -he's straight, but, I'm sure you guys will find it stimulating, and I don't think he minds the attention ;) It's a great start, and I hope he keeps up the good work. Check it out:

The Ballooning Jock

And here is a vid he posted on youtube of him trying to fit into some old 32 inch jeans, now that he's hit 260(up from 189, when they fit):



Another nascent gainerblog is Fatten Me Up (run by flip07924 from Beefyfrat). A handsome guy, a growing belly, and a hint of interactivity? What more could you ask for:

Fatten Me Up

And a vid of Mr.Flip's growing belly trying to get into an old swimsuit for this summer:



Next we have StuffMeBloated's blog. It's off to a good start, just like this guy's belly. Check it out.

StuffMeBloated:The Gaining Story

And here's a vid of Mr.StuffMeBloated's belly that I sadly cannot embed.

Finally, last, but certainly not least is UrsoLogo's blog, In The Closet. A Chilaen psychologist, he offers not only an interesting and intelligent perspective on gaining, but also a very hot, growing gut. Check out his writing at:

In The Closet

And check out his belly in this vid -he's up to 207 from 187 a few months ago and man, I think he looks fantastic:



Well, that's it for now. I've got some stories in the mix, and am def. looking to feature some new gainers. I'm debating of doing a promising young gainers post, so, if you think you'd qualify, shoot me an email. Hope all you guys are finding time to eat even though it's summer. ;) I know it's hot, but it's worth it.

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The Blogoshpere gets even fatter!

Just a quick post to tell you guys to check out these new gainer/encourager related blogs I've stumbled upon recently.

Belly Envy's Progress Blog
Taylor's Fattening Male Celeb Blog
A Gainer's Journal
Ciccionlan (This one's in Italian)
RiotBear

They will make you hungry. I've got a new story I'm working on so, keep an eye out for that, and if you can think of anything you want me to blog about (if you're really proud of your growth, if there's a gainer you are totally admiring), email me!

GetASnack@gmail.com

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Merry Christmas to all!

And to all a good night!

Talk to me!

So, as I was playing around today, I figured out how to place a Meebo widget on here. You an see it in the sidebar, under the links. If I'm online, you can easily reach me there. I think it's pretty neat. IM me! Say hi! Meebo is a remote IM service that lets you use multiple accounts all over a sleek web interface. It's super useful for accessing your accounts when you're not on your own comp (my laptop exploded, so, this has become invaluable to me).

Also, although I have not been able to find any pictures to support this, I saw the movie Dan in Real Life recently, and I figured I would let you guys know that Norbert Leo Butz, a well known Broadway actor, plays the main character's brother, and man, he's gotten very chubby. Not super fat, but, he's def. at that sorta cute, cuddly, handsome young Dad who eats too many cookies stage. Plus, the movie is decent.

Last but not least, I added a youtube widget to the blog so you guys can quickly see what vids I've recently favorited on youtube.

Gotta love how all of this web 2.0 social networking stuff makes expanding your spankbank easier, right?

Nothing after the jump. Go eat something :P

Ryan Gosling -Closet gainer?

Before


After

I thought that you guys would all appreciate this. Apparently actor Ryan Gosling took it on himself to put on weight for a role he had for an upcoming movie, The Lovely Bones, but ended up getting too fat for the role! This reads like gainer fiction. Handsome, young heartrhob moviestar has to chunk up for a role but chunks up too much. Drool. One of my friends saw him wandering around Soho this past weekend and said he looked noticably big, like a lumberjack. Very sexy. Although this movie ended up not getting made with Mr.Gosling in the lead, check out Lars and The Real Girl. Apparently Gosling also gained for that.

Celebrity weight gain for a role is such a great idea for a story. I'd love to see something well written about it. A friend of mine pointed out an interview that George Clooney and Matt Damon gave after working together on Syriana that read like something out of a gainerfic. Damon told the interviewer how in order to help George gain weight for the role, he and Clooney would sit in his room and just gorge on pasta. Apparently Mr. Damon uninentionally put on a good 20-25lbs during the filming. Can you imagine being the roomservice boy in that hotel? Droooool. lol

One more quick update - a new gainer blog I wanted to mention. First, there's another blog to keep an eye on -check out newbie gainer A Growing Wolf. He's new to the gaining scene, but, I think this boy's got potential. Eat up boys, and shoot some encouragment to that skinny little wolf ;)