In a world that is obsessed with losing weight - you are interested in gaining weight!

People predispositioned to skinniness are commonly referred to as "hard gainers." This is the cool way to label your scrawny frame despite the fact that your body turns into a Number 2 pencil when you wear yellow!

n the skinny guy's defense, the reality is that you have been cursed with traits like Lamborghini-type metabolism, giraffe like limbs, and the strength of a senior citizen. You have to fight with every bone in your body to do something about your small frame and to keep up to your male buddies who seem to grow muscle just by sneezing - those muscle freaks piss me off just as much you!

Protein-rich foods can be delicious as well as nutritious -- just think of a creamy, thick cup of yogurt or a savory, juicy grilled steak.

While high-protein foods have a bounty of valuable nutritional and health properties, however, the benefits can turn into risks if you eat too many of them over an extended period of time.

According to Katherine Zeratsky, a registered dietitian for MayoClinic.com, you may experience constipation if you follow a high-protein diet for several months or longer.

5 Perfect Protein-Packed Gym Snacks

Beef (From Grass-Fed Cattle)

Beets

The 15 Best Lean-Muscle Building Foods

The amino acids in the protein you eat, especially the essential amino acids your body cannot produce, stimulate muscle synthesis or the creation of new muscle tissue.

Men and women both need 1-½ to 2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day to gain muscle weight. However, you must include this protein intake as part of a dietary plan very high in calories. Men must first consume 50 calories per kilogram of body weight and women must eat 44 calories per kilogram of body weight just to maintain current body mass. Then, you must add 350 to 700 calories to that to build 1 to 2 lbs. of muscle per week.

The best protein powders contain 2 to 2-½ g of the essential amino acid leucine per serving. Leucine appears to trigger the onset of muscle protein synthesis more than other amino acids. Ensure you eat 3 to 9 g of leucine in each of your meals.

The theory behind low-carb diets is that when your body is deprived of carbs, your fat stores are burned to provide energy. This causes you to lose fat and stay slim and trim. Another benefit of a low-carb diet is that you tend to eat more protein, which helps build muscle. Make the change to a low-carb diet with an eye on how you feel and how much energy you have during your workouts and other daily activities.

The best way to reduce carbs in your diet is to restrict those foods that are comprised of simple carbs, such as snacks and foods made of refined sugar, white flour, white rice, snack foods, cakes, cookies and soda. Low-carb snacks or meals to eat before exercise include eggs, cheese, some fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

People with lower amounts of stored fat may find they do not have enough energy to get through the day. Low-carb diets also can cause “brain fog.”

We know that for athletes to optimize their performance and be successful, they must consume efficient amounts of nutrients from carbohydrates... Here are a few facts and tips about carb loading, its importance, who benefits, and more. By: Chuck Rudolph, MEd, RD Nov 25, 2009 Email More Article Summary: Endurance athletes will benefit from optimizing glycogen stores. Performance athlete should keep glycogen stores packed at all times. Carbs are the primary energy source for intense endurance exercise. Performance is defined as "the execution or accomplishment of work, acts, feats, etc." Today, we know a lot about how nutrition can affect the strength, speed and performance of athletes. We also know that for athletes to optimize their performance and be successful, they must consume efficient amounts of nutrients from carbohydrates, fats and proteins throughout the day. The main question is, "How can nutrition go above and beyond for performance when taken pre, during and post intensive exercise/training?" Click Image To Enlarge. Athletes Must Consume Efficient Amounts Of Nutrients FromCarbohydrates, Fats And Proteins Throughout The Day. What Impact Does Nutrition Have On Performance? Most of us already know that carbohydrates are the most readily available nutrient for e

In fact, current research is advising endurance/intense training athletes to consume 0.5-1.0 grams of carbohydrate per minute (intensity pending) during training or competition. Trying to consume more carbohydrates has only indicated intestinal distress and it is believed that the type of carbohydrate is the limiting factor.

A carbohydrate-loading diet, also called a carb-loading diet, is a strategy to increase the amount of fuel stored in your muscles to improve athletic performance. Carbohydrate loading generally involves greatly increasing the amount of carbohydrates you eat several days before a high-intensity endurance athletic event.

Your muscles normally store only small amounts of glycogen — enough to support you during recreational exercise activities. If you exercise intensely for more than 90 minutes, your muscles may run out of glycogen. At that point, you may start to become fatigued, and your performance may suffer.

But with carbohydrate loading, you may be able to store up enough energy in your muscles to give you the stamina to make it through longer endurance events without overwhelming fatigue

Yet they're doing the same thing you've been told to do your entire lifting career: Consume carbohydrates post-workout.

While the idea of carbohydrate-laden post-workout nutrition is a sexy sell to athletes and physique enthusiasts alike, where does it come from, and what does it mean?

Pretty much everyone who works out shares three basic post-workout recovery goals: To begin the recovery process To support muscle growth To support our hormones and metabolism after a hard training session

Your basal metabolic rate is the amount of calories your body needs to breathe, circulate blood, grow and sustain life. Once you have calculated your BMR, you will be able to determine how many calories your body needs each day to gain weight. Women can calculate their BMR by using the following formula: BMR = 655 + (4.35 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years). The formula for a man to calculate his BMR is: BMR = 66 + (6.23 x weight in pounds) + (12.7 x height in inches) - (6.8 x age in years).

Eat a snack before you go to bed at night and keep nutritious, high-calorie snacks where they are easily accessible. Increase the amount of food you consume slowly to allow your body time to get use to the extra digestion needing to be performed.

Writing down the food and drinks that you consume each day can be a tool to help you understand any calorie deficits that may be occurring

To gain weight, you need to consume more calories every day than you burn with physical activity. You can also gain weight by increasing the size of your muscles.

Nutrient-dense foods include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Foods that are both energy- and nutrient-dense include legumes, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados.

The main goal is to increase your overall intake of calories every day; it doesn't really matter if you eat more meals or increase the size of the meals you eat right now. If you're not used to eating much at any one time, you may prefer to eat several small meals or snacks throughout the day.

Caloric intake is also very important for your strength levels. If your calories are too low for your energy expenditure you will be going backwards with your progress instead of forward.

f you are training hard and you are not taking in the optimal amount of protein that your body needs to recover and replenish from your hard workouts, much of your time in the gym will be wasted. This doesn't sound so good does it?

One very important thing your Dietician forgot is your pre and post workout nutrition plan. Where are they? What you eat before and after your training plays a major role in your success. If your nutrition plan doesn't have these included in them then you are definitely getting shortchanged on your results.

Daily calorie requirements depend a number of factors such as age, activity level and genetics, so each person may burn energy at a slightly different rate.

According to experts from Columbia University, research has shown that you should consume an additional 2,270 to 3,630 calories per week to build as much as a single pound of muscle during that time span. This equals about 500 additional calories per day. A typical 180-lb. male needing about 2,700 calories per day would therefore require at least 3,200 calories. Furthermore, an hour of intense weightlifting burns 500 calories. Added up, this same person may consume as much as 3,700 calories on lifting days just to properly bulk up.

Every day, a topflight athlete or bodybuilder needs approximately 0.68 to 0.9 g of protein per pound of body weight. Most people who want to build some muscle will probably settle for less than the high end but more than the 0.36 g recommended for the average person. Without the proper consumption of protein, the muscles may not grow at a rate that is in accord with the actual amount of growth facilitated by strength training sessions.

hrough the age o

f 18, daily recommendations go up to 2,200 and 1,800,

If your child's level of physical exertion includes activities that equal walking at least 1.5 to 3 miles daily, your child will need about 200 to 400 extra calories depending on your child's age.

Q: Is Creatine a Steroid?

A:  I would like to dispel this myth by giving you the definition of what an anabolic steroid is.  These  are synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone.  Creatine, as you will see below is not.  Basically anyone who says this should immediately be labeled a gymbecile. 

Q: What is Creatine?

Young weightlifters who want to emulate athletic heroes try to improve their own weightlifting skills and athletic motivation. Yet in the realm of protein supplementation, youngsters would do well to learn as much as possible about sensible nutrition

Young weightlifters should avoid relying on protein supplementation for muscle and strength gains, as excessive dietary protein might carry unwanted side effects, and protein supplementation can be unnecessary and expensive.

Teenage weightlifters immerse themselves in a demanding sport that emphasizes power and body weight. Already dealing with growth spurts and body changes, these teens may obsess about muscle gain. However, it is exercise, not high protein foods, that builds muscle -- although dietary protein provides the amino acids from which new muscle can be built.

Creatine - Learn More Best taken 1/2 hour or so BEFORE a workout and again RIGHT after a workout. What I do is take a creatine/juice/protein drink about a half hour before a workout and than another shake right after. This "bracketing" technique helps set up an anabolic (muscle-building) state for your muscles and helps prevent muscle breakdown from a workout (catabolism). Other than these 2 opportune times, you can add another creatine serving or two any time throughout the day. I usually recommend 25 to 30 grams of creatine on a loading phase and 10-20 grams a day on a maintenance phase.

Glutamine - Learn More Definitely take glutamine right before bed. This is where the overwhelming research shows the value of glutamine raising growth hormone levels significantly by taking 5 grams before bed. Also, another great time is upon waking, when your muscles have been without significant nutrition for up to 6-8 hours. Another good time for glutamine is about a half hour or hour after working out. This helps in the recovery/recuperation process from demanding workouts. So, creatine definitely before and after your workout and glutamine right before bed and right upon waking.

The best times to take ANY protein drink or protein supplements are as follows. I've listed them in order of importance, so based upon what you can afford, start at the top of the list and work down. When Should You Take It? The most important time is right after a workout. Your muscles are like a sponge and need instant nutrition for muscle recovery and growth. Right before bed. You're about to sleep for 6 to 8 hours. That's a long time without protein. Could you imagine going throughout your day (when awake) not eating 6 to 8 hours? Right before bed is important. Right upon waking. Same thing, you've just gone 6 to 8 hours without proper nutrition. Your body needs protein quick. Half hour before a workout. This sets up the "anabolic window" before your workout and provides your muscles with adequate nutrition so that the effects of weight training (weight training breaks down muscle-called catabolic) are not as severe.

With all the different supplements that are available for use, many people have a tendency to get confused on which they should take. In some cases there will be one or two supplements in particular that will stand out to you and draw your attention.

One supplement to take, that often tops the list of many people, is creatine. Let's have a quick look at the top five reasons why you should consider taking creatine.

Why Should You Consider Taking Creatine?

Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images Active people involved in resistance training regularly take protein supplements to promote muscle strength, enhance muscle recovery and gain muscle size, as acknowledged in an article by Robert R Wolfe in the August 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition."

An effective protein supplement used before or after working out should contain the nine essential amino acids that cannot be synthesized in the body. The optimum combination of amino acids renders them "complete proteins." These are protein supplements derived from animal or dairy sources.

Writing in Bodybuilding.com, bodybuilder Hugo Rivera categorizes five types of protein used in supplements according to their bio-availability value--ability of the body to assimilate and use protein.

You can use this Protein Calculator to determine the optimum protein consumption to accomplish your goals!

t's healthiest to divide your protein consumption into 5 or 6 meals evenly spaced throughout the day with the total amount being in the range given by the protein calculator. For more info, check out our whey and ionic whey pages.

A good way to efficiently raise your protein intake is by drinking protein shakes or eating protein bars. Check out our full listing of Protein Powders or Low Carb Proteins for great results. Protein Bars and Protein Powders are perfect for enhancing strength and energy at your convenience.