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The Skinny Guy's Guide To Nutrition
By Vince DelMonte
“Give me a 64-ounce steak, double-baked potato with extra sour cream and an apple pie for
dessert. No, not a slice – give me the whole pie, please.”
If you have ever had the opportunity to go out with a bodybuilder for dinner, you would be
familiar with that kind of order delivered to the distressed waitress. These high-carbohydrate,
high-protein, and high-fat diet meals were the popular method for packing on muscle and
climbing the scale. “I'll pack on all the weight I can now, then melt off the fat later,” was the
common motto.
Many bodybuilders put a lot of focus into the details of their nutritional strategy. A small food
scale, calculator, note pad and pencil are common items found in their kitchen. Some
competitive bodybuilders go to the extreme of weighing and measuring everything wherever
they go and scribbling numbers into their notepad after every meal.
Obviously, not every skinny guy has the same aspirations, desire and determination to live the
life of a bodybuilder. Skinny guys will be more successful today if they have a quick and
convenient plan to follow that involves minimal measuring and minimal number crunching.
The See Food Diet Is NOT The Answer
One of the biggest benefits you’ll get from sprinting is the EPOC effects it creates. This is
known as excess post-exercise oxygen consumption and is where the body will expend a great
deal of calories returning the body back to its former state after the workout.
Because sprint training is so intense, this will contribute to a large calorie burn after you have
finished the workout. To even further increase the EPOC that is seen, consider doing hill sprint
training. Since this is even more intense in nature, it will further challenge your body.
Metabolic Adaptations
The reality is that many skinny guys’ nutritional level does not exceed the See Food Diet, that is,
'see food' and eat it. Not a bad option if you can avoid getting a potbelly in the process. If this is
you, then consider yourself blessed with a Lamborghini-style metabolism. Go right ahead and
eat whatever and whenever you want until you’re ready to audition for Rambo IV.
For the most part, the See Food Diet is typically not the most healthy meal plan since it puts
zero restrictions on any food categories and is more a concept to shift a skinny guy’s mind-set
than anything else. These days, the majority of readers should know the fallacy of a See Food
Diet. Sure, you can eat a super high calorie diet, like the See Food Diet, and add some
muscle, but you'll add even more fat. And from personal experience, and I'm sure many of you
can personally testify, putting the fat on is much easier than taking it off! Conveniently,
bodybuilders now have an “off-season shape” card to flash year-round to excuse themselves
of looking like a pregnant powerlifter.
Muscle-Building Nutrition Principles
Mastering the principles of nutrition should be like mastering the principles of training –
simple. Master the basics and execute them consistently. Think about the 80/20 rule. 80% of
your results will come from 20% of your knowledge. Taking what you already know and putting
it into action consistently is the magic formula. Let's go over the most important nutrition
principles you'll need to practice to get your body growing.
Principle #1: Eat Often – Every 2.5 to 3 Hours
Don't expect to pack on quality mass – muscle without body fat – on three square meals a day.
This would lead to massive quantities of both protein and carbs at each meal. Your body can
only store so many calories per meal, so guess what this results in? Bloating, poor digestion
and unwanted body fat.
Your first meal should be consumed within 15-30 minutes of waking up and consumed every
2.5 to 3 hours. Set your stopwatch to beep until you get something in your body. Don't view
these meals as burdensome but as opportunities to fuel and grow your muscles. Look at
them as growth surges. Think of the next meal as a fuller chest, broader shoulders, bigger
arms and rock-hard abs!
And if you miss a meal, visualize a sea of piranhas eating up your muscle tissue like it’s an all-
you-can-eat buffet. And those deadly piranhas are eating up your CURRENT muscle that you
are not even satisfied with. They are actually making your muscles
smaller. No, you will not lose an inch on your arms if you miss one meal, but once you start
averaging 3-4 instead of 6-8 meals a day, don’t be upset when people look surprised when you
tell them you work out with weights regularly!
So how many meals should you be eating? That’s easy - just divide the time you’re awake by 2
or 3. I would suggest mastering eating every 3 hours before you consider every 2 hours. So if
you’re awake 18 hours a day, eat 6 meals.
What if one of those meals falls right before bedtime? Then eat up! Take the opportunity to eat.
If we went to the extreme we would eat every 3 hours throughout the night as well. No matter
what you have heard on this (never eat after 7 P.M. garbage) ignore it. Trust me!
Also, don’t view these feeding opportunities as ‘snacks.’ This is a wimpy word mentality that
should not be in your vocabulary if you are trying to build muscle. Do you think Ronnie Coleman
says, ‘Hey, I think I’m going to go eat a snack?’ Every 3 hours you should be eating decent size
meals that will make your body better.
Principle #2: Eat A Variety Of Foods
It is easy to get into a robotic state of nutrition where we eat the exact same foods every day,
ingesting the same breakfast, lunch and dinner and the only time we eat differently is when we
go out for dinner or someone else cooks for us. It is easier to choose convenience over variety.
Just like our training that we rotate around to prevent boredom, you should rotate your food
selection. Normally, you will eat whatever is in your house, so the best strategy to eating a
healthy variety is to shop for different foods each week. This will help balance out your diet and
help you measure the response a variety of foods. Don’t go for the boring and easy route.
Principle #3: Eat Enough Calories
Building muscle is an eating game because your muscles grow on calories. Not eating
enough calories is like an attempt to buy a $50,000 car with only $25,000 in the bank. It's not
going to happen. If you are not gaining at least 1-2 pounds per week, then add some extra
carbohydrates and proteins to your breakfast, pre-workout meal or post-workout meal.
THERE IS NO WAY AROUND THIS STEP. Even if you have the perfect training routine, you will
never grow unless you provide your body with the proper amount of nutrients. It’s like saying
you want to build a house but you do not have enough bricks, cement and wood. It will be
impossible to build that house. It’s like saying you want to race a car as fast as possible but
you don’t have any gasoline or oil. It’s downright impossible.
If you wish to ensure that your muscles have enough fuel to support your workouts, lift heavy
weights for high reps, recover from workout to workout and, let’s not forget, GROW NEW
MUSCLE, then you have to keep track of what you are eating every day. There is no way around
it. This is the number one reason why skinny guys never gain weight or why anybody for that
matter will not make quality gains that they so desperately strive for.
Keeping track of what you eat is a lot easier than it sounds – it’s probably why most people
avoid it, because they perceive it to be difficult.
Sure, you’re going to have to take some extra time to read containers and labels, but if this
method will promise another 20 pounds in a few months from now, is it not worth it? And the
good news is that your brain will create a new file to store all your new nutrient calculations,
and since you are eating from the majority of the same foods, your ‘memory food bank’ will
expand quickly.
Principle #4: Eat 40-60 Grams Of Protein Per Meal
Building muscle is not on your body’s 'to do' list – simple survival is. Not getting enough
protein for your internal organs results in your body robbing it from your muscle tissue. Your
body cannibalizes itself for the amino acids it needs! This is the polar opposite of what skinny
guys want.
Proteins should make up at least 35% of your overall caloric intake. This translates to 40-60
grams of protein per meal for males less then 200 lbs and will be enough to maintain your
appetite, increase your muscle mass, accelerate recovery and keep body fat levels low. Hit this
level and you’re doing well.
It is better to get your protein from whole, complete, and lean protein. Remember that protein is
a costly food and burns twice as much energy as carbs and three times as much energy as fat.
You need protein to maximally turbo-charge your metabolism, improve your muscle mass and
accelerate recovery.
Aim for lean meats such as ground beef, chicken, turkey, etc. Aim for fish such as salmon,
tuna, orange roughy, etc. Aim for Omega 3 eggs and pasteurized egg whites. Aim for dairy from
cottage cheese, yogurt and partly skimmed cheeses. And if you have to resort to supplement
shakes, go for whey, casein or milk protein blends.
Principle #5: Eat 60-80 Grams Of Carbohydrate per Meal
Not getting enough carbohydrates will make you feel like you’re carrying a bear on your back
throughout your workouts. Your body’s gas tank is comprised of carbohydrates. No carbs and
don't expect to get that car too far.
A lack of carbs in your diet can slow the muscle-building process because your muscle tissue
can be used as energy if your body’s preferred source of energy, carbs, are not available.
It is best to get your carbohydrates from a variety of high-fiber, complex and low-glycemic
carbohydrates as opposed to simple carbs (sugars) found in fast food, fried food, processed
food and junk food. Complex carbs release a slower and longer lasting energy that is critical
for your intense training workouts. Complex carbs will rarely get converted to fat unless you are
clearly eating too many of them. If you are gaining more fat around your midsection as
opposed to muscle, then you know you should cut back on your complex carbs or add a few
cardio workouts.
Aim for high-complex, muscle-building carbs such as bran, barley, buckwheat, beans, brown
rice, cornmeal, oatmeal, pasta, potatoes and whole grains.
Principle #6: Eat 20-30 Grams Of Fat Per Meal
About 30% of your diet should consist of fat - this number should remain pretty consistent for
everyone. And as a skinny guy or anybody who wants to maximize muscle growth, then eating
30% of your intake from fat is critical for boosting testosterone levels. However, the key is to
balance out your intake between saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. If you
achieve 1/3 in each of these, then you will optimize your health and muscle gains. This is not
as complicated as it looks.
Since North Americans are harshly deficient in mono (olive oil) and poly fats (from fish oils) and
get enough of saturated fats as it is, your job is to simply include more olive oil and fish oil into
your diet. This is something that can be recommended for every man and women and has no
potential side effects. Again, don’t worry; the meal plans included have got you covered.
The only fats you MUST avoid at all costs - for so many reasons - are trans fats.
Trans fatty acids, also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when
vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many other foods
besides margarine and shortening, including fried foods like French fries and fried chicken,
doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers. In the United States, typical French fries have about
40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to
50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.
To determine the amount of trans fat in a food you must know what to look for on the food
labels. Whenever you see shortening, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil higher up on
the list of the ingredients, the more trans fat.
Principle #7: Eat Vegetables With Every Meal
How are vegetables supposed to promote muscle gain? Your mom was right when she told
you to eat up all your vegetables if you wanted to grow big and strong. Finally, the ‘muscle-
nerds’ are catching up. Not only are vegetables loaded with vitamins and minerals but they
also contain important plant chemicals called phytochemicals that are essential for optimal
physiological functioning.
The most neglected benefit of eating vegetables is their role in recovery. Sure, you need
calories to grow, but you also need these veggies for their high antioxidant profile that will help
reduce the amount of free radicals from heavy training, and they will accelerate recovery by
healing damaged muscle cells.
Most people are unaware that proteins and grains create high levels of acid loads to the blood,
and if this is not balanced out with alkaline rich vegetables and fruits, then too much acid can
result in a loss of bone strength and muscle mass. So it is important to keep these acid levels
balanced by ingesting vegetables (and fruits) for their alkalinity to the blood.
The best way to get your vegetables is to cut them all up at the start of the week. This will make
life easier and make them more accessible. Aim for at least 2 servings, which is the equivalent
of 1-2 cups per meal. Yes, every 2-3 hours you must be eating veggies.
Principle #8: Eat Your Biggest Meal At Breakfast, Pre-Workout and Post-Workout
No matter what anyone says, I believe this is the safest and most effective way to
maximize your muscle:fat gain ratio when bulking. In this article we will not discuss the topic of
nutrient timing.
Shortly we will discuss the benefits of packing the bulk of your calories around the most
catabolic and anabolic times of the day so you will have sufficient energy to train hard and
heavy without any risk of muscle breakdown, not to mention enough calories to support muscle
growth. How much food you eat at a particular time of the day should be based on the NEEDS
OF YOUR BODY AT THAT CURRENT MOMENT.
Principle #9: Plan Ahead
This principle could easily be number one because oftentimes it is not a shortage of
information that creates a roadblock but our lack of CONSISTENCY and CREATIVITY. I bet if you
did not change anything about what you are currently eating but ensured food was there when it
was time to eat, you would experience a growth surge.
I strongly agree with the famous cliché that states, ‘Failing to plan is planning to fail.’ It is so
true. You must have a plan that will ensure you have the food prepared and cooked in the right
selection and amounts every time you eat. This might require you to spend a few hours on
Sunday evening cooking and storing all your food in Tupperware containers. This might mean
waking up half an hour early so that you can cook all your meals for the day. This might require
you to carry a lunch bag wherever you go. This might mean packing a few shaker bottles if you
know you will be on the road most of the day. Bottom line - be prepared.
Principle #10: Eat Whole Foods 60% Of The Time and Liquid Meals 40% Of The Time
I often have my clients use as few supplements as possible for the first few months of training.
You will be amazed at the results achieved by simply putting all your efforts into following your
meal plan, proper training and sleep. It’s a very eye-opening experience when they see almost
immediate changes in body composition, health and energy levels.
Your food intake should come from high quality food at least 60 % of the time, which means at
least 4 of the 6 meals you are eating.
This will ensure more vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber that supplements and pills
lack. Whole food is loaded with digestive enzymes as well that help the absorption of food
instead of eating too much ‘ground up’ food in the form of powder. Power shakes will make
your life much easier and will remove some of the inconveniences of having to cook and
prepare food all day. Aim to use these at least 2 out of your 4 real meals a day and never more
than three power shakes unless your life is extremely hectic and unmanageable.
Conclusion
Dedicate the next 12 weeks to putting these muscle building nutrition principles into action.
Building muscle is really quite simple and exciting because you get to indulge in large
quantities of food, try new recipes and become a master chef since you'll be spending more
time in the kitchen. Taking these principles and applying them consistently over time and
making them a part of your lifestyle is the secret.
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About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building: Skinny Guy Secrets To Insane
Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.com
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight quickly without
drugs, supplements and training less than before.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may reprint this
article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and all links are made live. This
article may never be sold individually or as part of a package.
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