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I defeated my skinny genetics just after college and I am about to show you four tips that helped me climb from a 149 pound weakling to a rock hard 190 pounds in six months.

f you are underweight, then your first step to gaining weight is to understand that you must play by a different set up rules. I have said this before and will say it again,

You must think outside the box and give up the excuse of being a "hard gainer." It is time to stop listening to all the naysayers who have told you that is impossible to gain weight because of your genetics. Regardless of what you have been led to believe, you do have the potential to build an impressive physique that turns heads and even intimidates!

Double It Up: One of the most practical steps you can take is to double whatever you are currently eating in the kitchen right now. If you are eating one chicken breast per meal, then cook up two.

Live Your Life Around Food: Sure, you know that you must eat every 2-3 hours, but how well do you execute? Set your clock on a countdown timer to go off every 2 and 1/2 hours so that you reinforce the habit of eating literally not a second late for each meal! Don't turn off the damn beeper until you start chowing down.

se BIG Eating Equipment: If you want to bulk, then you have to eat like Hulk. Do you think Hulk eats out of a small plate, or a small bowel, or a small cup? If you are aiming to get big and huge, you are going to require large amounts of food, most likely close to double of what you are currently eating.

Never Train Hungry: How many times have you woken up, whipped up a protein shake and than headed off to the gym? Or maybe you had a long afternoon and missed a few meals and then attempted a weight training workout after work? I thought this was common sense to avoid, until a few of my skinny clients confessed that they were showing up for their workouts having only eaten a piece of fruit and some crackers within the entire day!

. Eat Nutrient Dense Foods: Focus on caloric-rich foods that are loaded with nutrients. Avoid foods with empty calories, which means there is little or no nutrient value in the calories you are eating. Why would you consume a 500-calorie plus meal that is loaded with fat and sugar which does nothing but make you feel sluggish and soft? Instead, eat a high caloric meal loaded with slow releasing carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Carbohydrates: Oatmeal Rice Breads Yams Beans Potatoes Fruits Veggies

Proteins: Steak Chicken Lean beef Cottage cheese Whole milk Eggs Salmon

Fats: Olive oil Flax oil Avocados Nuts Peanut butter

Extras (high calorie cheat food): Ice cream Raisins Dried fruit Trail mix

Drink A Carb & Protein Drink While You Workout: How hard is to sip on a calorie-rich drink during your weight training sessions? Simply mix up a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein with one liter of water and you instantly have a few extra hundred calories per day. Now have an extra workout drink before your workout and extra workout drink after your workout and that's easily an extra one pound per week. Only use this technique if you are weight training at a very high intensity.

Live The Motto, "Never Stop Eating" Did I hear you say, "But I'll throw up if I eat all day?" Maybe... Is it necessary? Of course not. But this is a part of pushing your body's threshold.

Eat less - eat what is adequate, do not over eat

Health promoting eating habits

Ensure balanced and adequate nutritional intake

The more natural and less processed the food, the better its health promoting value

Eat when hungry and do not overeat regardless of food.

Variety and moderation in diet is important.

If you’re feeling tired and run down

may need more iron in your diet.

Teenage girls are at higher risk of being low on iron

Good sources of iron include red meats, breakfast cereals fortified with iron and baked beans

Don’t follow fad diets.

If you often feel hungry,

eating more high-fibre foods such as wholemeal bread, beans and wholegrain breakfast cereals.

Aim to eat at least five portions of a variety of fruits and vegetables a day.

good sources of many of the vitamins and minerals your body needs.

fruit juice, smoothies and vegetables baked into dishes such as stews can all count towards your total.

Don’t skip breakfast.

eating breakfast can actually help people control their weight.

Whole grain cereal like muesli with fruit sliced over the top is a tasty and healthy start to the day.

Make sure you drink enough fluids.

drink six to eight glasses of fluids a day: water, unsweetened fruit juices and milk are all healthy choices

At snack time, swap foods that are high in saturated fat or sugars

High saturated fat foods include pies, processed meats such as sausages and bacon, biscuits and crisps.

And too much saturated fat can also cause high cholesterol.

Weight Management.

Better Skin Tone.

Increased Energy.

Individuals that eat the wrong foods or eat at the wrong times are always complaining of tiredness.

you will feel more energetic and in due course your rate of metabolism increases as well.

Protection from Diet-Related Disease.

effect of a healthy diet in the protection from diseases may not be immediately apparent.

In fact, you may never realize what health problems you may have developed had you not followed a healthy diet

useful in the management of adult onset diabetes, heart problems, high blood pressure and high cholesterol as well as other health issues.

Better Sleep Patterns.

If you eat the right size portions of healthy foods at the right time

find that you tend to sleep better in the night since the body is not busy trying to digest and excrete toxins found in junk foods.

You will begin to feel much healthier in no time!

Eating Breakfast Out

choose the apples, pears, grapefruits, strawberries, and/or blueberries because they are lower in sugar. Avoid fruit juices because they are filled with excess sugar, calories, and sodium.

Rule 2:  Eat slowly and savor each bit. Enjoy the conversation at the table. Put your knife and fork down between bites. Don’t pick it up again until you've completely swallowed the last bite - allow your body time to digest.  

Beware:  Portion sizes in restaurants can be more than you need.

Drink water: 

Most of us inhale the bread basket while waiting for our entrée.

usually the more expensive the steak, the less fat it contains.

Share your dessert. Never, ever eat the whole dessert yourself.

Consume Enough Protein "I eat enough protein. I probably ate around 50 grams today." Now if this sounds like you, we are in some serious trouble. That is unless you are a 60-pound child whose major energy expenditure for the day is playing with your Tonka Trucks. Ok, down to the serious stuff here. If you don't eat optimal amounts of protein, you will never put on the muscle mass that you so much desire. You are also hindering your strength gains as well. If you are going up a weight class and you aren't eating the proper amount of protein, guess what?

have some of my athletes consume between 1.25-1.5 grams of protein per pound when trying to pack on size.

# 5 Maximize Your Carbohydrate Intake

# 6 Bump Up Your Fat Intake

Milk…It does a body good! You should have known this would be on the list. Milk is the drink of all strength champions throughout history.

I knew you would like this one. What true powerlifter wouldn't? Now again, don't get me wrong here. The point is that you should increase you lean meat consumption during a mass phase. Note I said lean meat consumption. This doesn't include bacon, ham, sausage, deli meats, beef jerky, or pepperoni sticks.

Whatever you decide to eat, keep the 5:1.6 g carb-to-protein ratio in mind.

Obviously, the closer you get to your workout time, the smaller the meal should be

Many protein shakes and sports bars are designed specifically as pre-workout nutrition and have the precise nutrient ratio you need. They also have the added advantage of being portable, which can be convenient for those who hit the gym on the way home from work.

If you are stuck without your favorite supplement at hand, fat-free chocolate milk will suffice -- according to Mohr, it provides the exact carb-to-protein ratio as a pre-workout shake. The fat-free part is important though -- fat digests slowly and can weigh you down when you least need it.

Supplements are simply convenience products, and are not necessary to good nutrition. You can get the same benefit from whole foods, but this requires more planning and label reading. Fat-free yogurt with fruit and granola works, as does a whole-grain bagel with peanut butter.

Timing is important -- even the perfect meal can leave you flat if you eat it too early or weigh you down if you eat it too late

The actual amount of carbs and protein you eat depends upon how much time will elapse before your workout.

f your only pre-workout nutrition is a regular meal, eat it about three or four hours before you exercise so the food has time to digest. Otherwise, your full stomach will be susceptible to upset, and the nutrients won't be available in your bloodstream when your body needs them. Smaller meals can be eaten two or three hours prior, but stick to a small snack if you only have an hour to go.

Supplements are by far the easiest way to ensure you get the proper ratio in an appropriately-sized food source.

For a larger meal, a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce and tomato is a nearly perfect pre-workout meal, and bananas or fruit juice can be a last-minute snack for quick energy.

Instead, teach teens which foods should be eaten in moderation and which make up a regular part of a healthy diet.

When there's no junk available, both kids and grownups make healthier choices.

Tips for Healthy Eating for Teens

Always eat breakfast.

include some complex carbohydrates and a piece of fruit or fruit juice.

load it up with fruit, veggies, complex carbs and lean protein.

Make sure there are plenty of healthy snacks in the house for after-school munchies.

research has shown that teens who eat with their families tend to have healthier diets when they're older.

girls who have regular family meals have less incidence of eating disorders.

make supper healthy dinners as well.

Eat moderate portions yourself, as well, to set the example.

Teens tend to gulp down their meals quickly. This may cause them to overeat, because feeling full takes a few minutes.

Chewing slowly helps improve satiation, causes you to eat fewer calories, and improves nutrient absorption.

Offer a varied diet with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.

same foods repeatedly can lead to nutritional deficiency.

Minimize processed foods that come in cans, boxes, bags, jars, and packages. These foods tend to be high in preservatives, sugar, and artificial ingredients.

Food and Energy

right food can increase levels of energy in teens.

does not mean loading up on sugar for an immediate energy boost.

will help them stay focuses in school, perform well in sports and keep their body and mind healthy.

Food and Socializing

teens will relate food to socializing

attend parties, there is always food. Teens can still have the fun associated with socializing and eat some foods that will provide benefits

Choosing the Right Foods

Basically, when they are hungry, they eat.

grab whatever is easy and ingest foods that may not have any nutritional quality.

but this should not make up the eating habits of teens.

Choose Healthy Snacks

Instead of reaching for chips, soda and candy, teens should have other things available for those midday snacks.

Teens who snack on crackers, cheese, fruit and vegetables are much healthier than those who do not think twice about what they are ingesting.

Fresh fruits

Fresh vegetables

If "healthy eating" makes you think about the foods you can't have, try refocusing on all the new foods you can eat—

Calcium-rich foods

A new twist on an old favorite

Some general tips for comfort foods:

Consume them less often.

Eat smaller amounts.

a lower-calorie version.

Making the same healthy eating choices over time can lead to better eating habits.

thinking more positively

focusing on what you can have

iii. Eat less red meat

iv. Prevent constipation

Add fibre to your diet;

v. Have onion and garlic 

vi. Use less salt in your cooking

vii. Have calcium-rich foods

viii. Switch from maida to whole grains

ix. Have foods that contain iron

x. Relish the flavours

foods ranging from white rice to buckwheat.

whole grains are generally healthier because they offer more fiber

Examples of whole grains include barley, brown rice, oatmeal and whole-wheat bread.

Unsaturated Fats

Fat calories should make up about ¼ to 1/3 of the calories you eat.

saturated and trans fats can damage your cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease

Swap these less healthy fat sources out for unsaturated fats, which are found mostly in nuts, seeds, plant oils and fish.

Lean Proteins

Protein should make up about 10 to 35 percent of your total calories

Fish, seeds and nuts also happen to be high in protein.

choose skinless chicken breast over fried dark chicken meat, replace whole milk with low-fat or skim milk, and choose beans over red meat in tacos, for example.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

get about 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day

a glass of 100 percent fruit juice can equal one serving of fruit but you shouldn't fill up on juice because it doesn't contain any fiber.

canned and frozen fruits and vegetables can be healthy alternatives when you don't have access to fresh produce, but avoid the ones that have been doused in salt, sugar, syrup and creamy sauces.

fresh fruits and vegetables can become less healthy if you prepare them in unhealthy ways

Make it easy

Buy foods that are easier to prepare (but keep an eye on their nutritional value).

Avoid dieting

avoid strict diets. These may change your metabolism so that you gain weight even faster when you end the diet.

provides the proper balance of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in our diets.

Remember that it’s difficult to reduce the amount of fat in the diet if we don’t intake more carbohydrates or protein.

Healthy eating provides plenty of waters in our body.

Healthy eating provides also sufficient but not excessive amounts of essential vitamins and minerals

Choose whole grains versus refined grains more often.

Choose fish* and meat alternatives such as beans, lentils and tofu more often.

Drink skim, 1% or 2% milk each day.

Within each food group, choose foods that are lower in fat, sugar and salt.

Include a small amount (30 – 45 mL) of unsaturated fat, such as oil, salad dressing, soft margarine or mayonnaise each day.

Limit your intake of : saturated fats from fatty meats, butter, lard, shortening and hard margarine sugar from desserts and soft drinks foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt

Avoid foods with trans fats.

CFG recommends two food guide servings of fish each week. See Health Canada’s advice on limiting certain types of fish

By eating a variety of foods from each of the food groups you’re more likely to get all of the nutrients you need, and by limiting your intake of fat, sugar and salt, our eating pattern will be healthier.

Sufferers of exercise bulimia use excessive exercise to purge or compensate for eating binges or simply regular eating, often working out multiple times per day or for three or four hours at a time

Deep down, this disorder has more to do with control than it does the desire to fit into a smaller size of jeans

The scary thing about an addiction to exercise is that it creeps up gradually, usually among everyday people who start exercising, feel good afterward, revel in the calories they're burning, have a desire to get healthier or lose weight, and therefore start believing that more is better

Oftentimes, people who develop an exercise compulsion don't feel like there's anything wrong with what they do

Compulsive exercisers build their lives around working out and are genuinely distressed if they can't exercise as much as they feel they need to (or should be)

Exercise bulimia is similar, but involves eating binges. People who suffer from exercise bulimia often binge on food and then exercise obsessively to make up for it. Exercise becomes a way to control calories, justify eating, and punish oneself for eating too much or eating the "wrong" things.

In general, exercising for up to 60-90 minutes, most days of the week is reasonable and healthy for most people as long as recovery and downtime is built in.

Exercise is usually a good thing, but rest and recovery are very important, too

Excessive exercise can weaken the body and cause a host of problems, including: Fatigue Suppressed immune system Lack of menstruation (amenorrhea) in women due to a lack of body fat Reproductive problems Heart problems (such as muscle wasting and rhythm problems) Dehydration Arthritis Osteoporosis Stress fractures and sprains Kidney failure

Getting a Diagnosis

Compulsive exercise and exercise bulimia can affect both men and women of all ages, races, body types and weights.

A doctor may ask if the person is exercising and get the right answer (yes), never knowing the extent to which the patient is actually jeopardizing his or her health by taking exercise to the extreme

A physician may first suspect a problem if a woman stops menstruating due to a drop in body fat, which affects estrogen levels, but the condition may be virtually undetectable in men whose body fat levels can be much lower without creating any health problems.

Treatment Options

Studies have found that sufferers often come from families where food was used as a way of controlling behavior and battles surrounding food were common

Traditional treatments for exercise bulimia include support groups, cognitive behavior therapy, psychotherapy, and/or medication, such as anti-depressants.

While protein-rich foods don't cause digestive problems by themselves, eating a lot of them may leave less room for high-carbohydrate foods in your diet, which tend to have a lot of dietary fiber.

More severely, taking in too much protein could raise your risk of serious diseases including cancer, heart disease, and liver or kidney problems. Partially, that is because so many protein-rich foods are also high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium, all of which can enhance risk factors for those diseases. If you choose plant-based proteins instead of animal proteins and full-fat proteins, your personal risk may not be quite as high.

Protein contains calories -- sometimes more calories than carbohydrate- or fat-rich foods. Although it can help you gain lean muscle mass, eating protein in excess of your body's needs will result in fat gain.

The question of how much protein to eat can be a tricky one because the right amount for one individual may be far too much for another. MayoClinic.com recommends getting between 10 percent and 35 percent of your daily calories from protein, or about 50 to 175 g per day.

You can also calculate recommendations based on your body weight. Dr. Melina Jampolis, physician nutrition specialist for CNN.com, suggests getting about 0.8 g of protein per day per kg of your body weight.

Unless you're following a diet that is very unbalanced, you're likely not at risk for eating too much protein. It's also important to realize that some protein is essential for health, since protein-rich foods build and repair muscle and bone tissue, satiate hunger and provide energy. If you have concerns about the protein amounts in your diet, talk them over with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Your pre- and post-workout meals should be in the form of a protein shake made with a minimum of 48 g of protein, skim milk and fruit

he protein in skim milk stimulates muscle synthesis better than the protein in soy milk. Carbohydrates like fruit enhance muscle tissue building when combined with protein powder. The amino acids in protein powders are more quickly absorbed into your bloodstream and your muscle cells compared to meat and chicken, optimally enhancing muscle growth.

Protein powders are dietary supplements and must not replace all the sources of protein in your diet. Healthy options of high-protein foods include lean chicken breast, turkey, mackerel, lean meat, low-fat dairy and salmon. Chicken breast, turkey and mackerel are high in magnesium, a mineral essential for optimal muscular contraction

Lean red meat is high in iron, necessary for effective transport and use of oxygen, giving you maximal energy. Low-fat dairy products are rich in calcium, another minimal necessary for muscular contraction. Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which helps to reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.

Plant sources of protein like beans, rice, wheat, nuts and seeds are incomplete proteins. This means such plants are missing at least one essential amino acid. If you do not eat animal products, combine two different sources of plant protein such as beans with rice, seeds, corn, wheat or nuts. Consuming multiple sources of plant protein ensures you eat all the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle.

Balance

Variety.

Try to limit red meats in your diet (beef and pork) to once or twice a week. Instead, eat chicken, turkey, or fish (not fried!)

Eat a healthy breakfast.

keep your body 'thin'.