Originally Posted by
TheHardOne 
Article of the day! 5/27/12
This is a really awesome read if your on a budget! This is from Universal Nutrition's site!
"Bodybuilding is about the basics – basic compound movements done regularly and with effort. This idea applies to eating as well. Many newcomers make the mistake of overcomplicating things. They get caught up with the latest fad diets they read about in popular magazines. They spend more time reading and creating elaborate meal plans, instead of actually trying out tried and true ones. Once again, these wannabe bodybuilders fall victim to “listening” (or in this case, reading), without enough “doing”.
Thus, the typical training tenderfoot is restrained by his own limited desire, his curbed appetite for reaching his physique goals. Instead of just stepping up to the plate and eating more, he thinks too much – he relies on the advice of so-called gurus everywhere and tries on one fad diet after another like so many hats. So what’s the answer? Very simple – the answer consists of two words: Dedication and simplicity. Armed with motivation and desire, you can make your dreams come true. Equipped with a basic, easy to follow diet program, you’ll be quickly on your way.
Just how basic can an effective bulking diet be? How about three items? We will use three of the most common breakfast foods around. These foods are can be found on any farm and end up in kitchens all over the country: whole milk, farm fresh eggs, and a loaf of bread. These three inexpensive staples can fuel the young bodybuilder’s growth when used wisely throughout the day. At this point, you might be scratching your head, wondering if we’re crazy – just a loaf of bread, a gallon of milk, and a dozen eggs? Yes. We call it the Farmer’s Diet.
But before we check out each of these foods in more detail, a few caveats are in order. Though these foods can provide the foundation for a bulking diet, your daily intake of foods should not solely consist of bread, eggs and milk while on that diet. Variety is the spice of life and this is just as true in bodybuilding as with anything else. So eat your veggies, including sweet potatoes, along with brown rice, yams, pasta, poultry, beef, fish and pork.
Let’s start by looking in the cupboards for a simple loaf of bread. For $3.39, you can find a carbohydrate-rich source of food that won’t cost you a lot of dough. You’ll get a total of about 20 super-soft slices you can snack on throughout the day, and each slice will deliver about a gram of fat, approximately double that in protein, and roughly 12 grams of carbohydrates. Best of all, for even more calories, you can use spreads to your advantage. Peanut butter and jams are all great options.
Next, open the icebox and take out a gallon of ice-cold milk. You’ll need something to wash down that bread with. This item will check in at $3.89 a gallon. You get 128 ounces of a wholesome beverage that packs quite a caloric punch and is also chock full of vitamins and minerals. If you were to divide that up, you’d get 8 servings at 16 ounces, and costing around forty cents per serving. For a quarter, dime and a nickel, you get plenty of calories and a nice balance of protein, carbohydrates and fats. All three are important for the athlete looking to add size and weight.
Last but not least, the incredible edible egg. Some call the egg the bodybuilder’s perfect food. Each egg gives you 6g of protein, no carbohydrates and some good, unsaturated fats. Now some worry that eating too many eggs will lead to high cholesterol levels. It’s not dietary cholesterol you need to worry about. It’s saturated fat. And remember, testosterone is made from cholesterol! Some elite bodybuilders will eat half a dozen eggs at breakfast alone, so start cracking!
Taken together, the Farmer’s Diet consisting of a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs, and a gallon of milk will only cost you $9.97 per day. That’s a little over ten bucks a day for a solid bulking foundation! The Farmer’s Diet will add close to 4500 quality calories per day, more than enough for any serious athlete when taking his entire diet into account. Here’s the macronutrient breakdown:
• Milk (whole, gallon, $3.89): 2344 calories, 124g protein, 204g carbohydrates,128g fat
• Eggs (large, dozen, $2.69): 852 calories, 72g protein, 0g carbohydrates, 60g fat
• Bread (white, loaf, $3.39): 1300 calories, 40g protein, 230g carbohydrates, 25g fat
Daily Totals: $9.97, 4496 calories, 236g protein, 434g carbohydrates, 213g fat
Let’s break down the Farmer’s Diet into more detail. Assuming you eat six meals throughout the day. Each meal would then consist of the following:
• 21 oz. glass of milk
• 3 slices of bread
• 2 boiled eggs
That’s it. Could you really pack on weight just by eating this simple meal, six times a day? Absolutely. While the Farmer’s Diet is simple, it will work because it will provide plenty of calories to sustain growth. That’s the real key. What matters most are calories and which foods you choose to eat.
The Farmer’s Diet is illustrative; it provides an example. Your own diet doesn’t have to include milk, bread and eggs. You could replace these three with other staple foods like yams, potatoes, rice, veggies, poultry, fish, and beef. At the end of the day, you need to make sure you’ve eaten enough. Theories and fads may be food for thought, but all the fancy ideas in the world won’t pack on weight. For that, you have to eat real food – and eating is what separates men from the boys.
SHAKE THINGS UP
When you’re eating four, six or eight square meals, the day can get really long, fast. Foods rich in fiber and fats can sit in your gut for a long time and digest slowly. With all those meals, you might end up feeling full and sluggish and tired. So while the day starts strong, it might go out with a whimper. Here’s where a simple strategy can help, one that will help you add even more calories. When times get tough, shake things up!
A delicious and nutritious shake can help you quickly obtain calories. Why shakes? For starters, shakes are tasty and very convenient. All you need is a blender or a shaker cup and you’re good to go. As shakes are a liquid source of calories, they will be digested quickly and efficiently. In other words, a shake won’t sit in your stomach for hours. This is especially important when you are eating a whole food meal every few hours. Calories that don’t keep you feeling full are vital.
So should you stock up on shakes all day long? The answer is a resounding no! Shakes are not meant to replace whole foods. They aren’t miracle supplements that will magically help you gain weight in a shorter period of time. Good, quality weight gain takes time. You can, of course, replace a meal with a shake. You can add a shake between a meal or two. Finally, you can top off a whole food meal with some liquid calories. There are many strategic ways to use a shake effectively and efficiently. Remember, a shake should be used to supplement your weight gaining goals.
When using a shake, feel free to use your imagination and add ingredients to really powerize that drink. Here’s a quick recipe that’s sure to taste good and help you add weight. Start by using a quality high protein, low sugar weight gainer in a basic flavor like vanilla. For our recipe, we prefer Vanilla Ice Cream flavored Real Gains because it contains superior sources of protein, important fats and fiber. Some old time bodybuilders used to use heavy cream for their shakes, but for our recipe, we’ll stick to whole milk.
• 3.5 scoops of vanilla Real Gains (605 cal, 5g fat, 88g carbs, 52g protein)
• 10 oz whole milk, cold (170 cal, 10g fat, 10g carbs, 10g protein)
• 1 medium-sized banana (105 cal, 27g carbs, 1g protein)
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (188 cal, 16g fat, 6g carbs, 8g protein)
• Ice
Place all the ingredients in a blender and mix for 10-15 seconds. Pour the shake into a tall glass and you’re all set. With this delicious shake, you get a whopping 1068 calories from 71g of protein, 131g of carbohydrates, and 31g of fat. Now add those 1068 calories to the Farmer’s Diet and your grand total is 5564 calories per day.
Without a doubt, a nutrient-dense shake can really help you out of a tight spot when looking to get big. Use one smartly and only as needed and a shake could mean the difference between meeting your daily intake of calories and missing it day after day, week after week, and month after month.
TOP 10 TIPS FOR GETTING BIG
OK, let’s summarize everything and list the most important things to do and avoid when trying to pack on weight:
1-Simplify your diet: Don’t overcomplicate things and fall for fancy, complex diet plans.
2- Eat big: When it comes to eating, go big or go home; at home, eat some more.
3- Lift heavy: Train big and be consistent; as with eating focus on the basics like compound movements.
4- Add in increments: Whenever you can, add an extra serving to meal; add an extra meal to the day; add extra calories using a small shake at the end of a meal.
5- Shake it up: When you’re full, add a shake; also add foods to that shake (such as peanut butter, fruit, ice cream).
6- The right meat: Instead of white meat, focus on red meat.
7- Carbs are your friend: When it comes to gaining weight, don’t neglect carbohydrates.
8- Move up: Instead of water, use skim milk; if that doesn’t work, move up to whole milk or even cream.
9- Avoid cardio: If you can run, jog. If you can jog, walk.
10- It’s a marathon: When it comes to bulking, it’s a marathon not a sprint so take your time and do it right.
As any muscle head will tell you, meals are an important part of the bodybuilding equation. When you bomb your muscles with one intense workout after another, you can’t afford to let a weak, inadequate diet hold you back from making explosive gains and obtaining an unreal body. Plan a simple, basic, effective diet and then stick to it. When you do, you’ll soon find more meat sticking to your ribs."
