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Small guy here: 5’6” and between 145 and 155lbs based on current goals. My motivation comes from achieving whatever goal I currently have. Usually body fat in the spring/summer and strength in fall/winter. What do you think you can’t change about your body aside from height? Anything is possible!!
@OP The term hard gainer is thrown around but at the end of the day if you aren’t gaining weight then you are not eating enough. No one wants to put on too much weight but if you are struggling to add any amount of muscle you need to ensure that you have 2 things in place:
1) A gym programme which results in progressive overload (gets harder over time)
2) A calorie surplus to fuel the workouts and allow for the growth of new muscle.
I think this may be your problem OP. The solution may not convenient with your work schedule but we may have to transform your mealset. While you’re eating mostly quality food, if you really want to get major gains may have to throw out some of the processed stuff. Do you drink caffeine? As that not only suppresses your appetite but also speeds up your metabolism (a gains killer for us if not used correctly). I can break down my meal plan for you if you wish to get some ideas.
Breakfast: 3 whole eggs, 4 egg whites, 4-6 pieces of toast. Snack 1: protein bar, banana, Plain Greek yogurt, Lunch: 8oz chicken breast, 1/2 sweet potato, kale. Snack 2: oatmeal, handful almonds. Supper: 6oz chicken breast, broccoli, rice/potato. Dinner: 2 filets of tilapia, spinach, 1/2 sweet potato. Somewhere in the day I’ll stick my workout in. This kind of diet is hard to accomplish when you’re on the road or changing projects but these foods have become my staple.
Thanks D1! Height’s the big thing for me (pun intended). I’m 5’ 4” and a hard gainer - the most I’ve ever gotten up to was 117lbs and that’s when I was on the bench and treating the gym like it was my job 😄
Appreciate the input, but I’m familiar with those concepts. I take in 2600 cal/day and have a workout plan that I’ve crafted from working with a personal trainer and doing independent research. There is not a single person biologically related to me who is remotely muscular, and I come from a long line of military dudes. Trust me, I’m a hard gainer 😄 I don’t say that as an excuse - I’m still out there putting in the work. I’m just aware of the fact that it doesn’t pay off as easily for me the way it does most other people.
I’m an ecto endo hybrid (skinny fat), worse than just being skinny. I’m naturally skinny in the arms with a belly. I noticed when I first started lifting, 8 years ago, I would never actually keep any weight. What I did was completely transform my meal plan. You say you have a workout plan, but for you and really anyone else, most of the magic happens outside of the gym. Break down your meals for us, let’s pinpoint the issue.
I usually have Greek yogurt + protein granola for breakfast with whole grain cereal (kashi) and a banana + almond butter. For lunch I’ll do a big salad with grains (quinoa and/or rice) and chicken in it, sometimes also half a sandwich. Dinners a little more up in the air, but generally something with chicken, grains, and veggies. I snack on Greek yogurt and granola throughout the day too. Post workout I’ll usually do creatine and a protein shake.
I’d really appreciate that!
Thank you! I really appreciate it - I’m going to try to aim for something like that and see how it goes.