puffta. skinny.

I am a skinny guy. Not skinny as in not overweight, skinny as in I need peck implants for Christmas. I know this, I am very aware that I don't have the Adonis body type everyone wishes they could achieve. I look in the mirror every day, I don't need someone to tell me I'm skinny but alas people still do!

Let me tell you a story. It was a scorching summer evening and my friends and I were walking through the village on our way home from a bar. I was wearing a grey tank top because it was so hot and my friends convinced me that I looked good, so I wore it.

As we walked we approached a bar with a front patio full of hot muscular men so we crossed the street to pass them with a better view. We were looking, they were looking; there was a whole lot of looking going on. I couldn't believe they were checking us out! Suddenly I held eye contact with one as he turned around to face me- oh my god! What do I do? I smiled acknowledging that I noticed him and that I was interested. I expected the same from him but instead he yelled, "Eat something!" then turned back around laughing with the rest of his pack.

We went to my apartment and I threw out that grey tank top (along with most of my self esteem) and we did vodka shots until I was able to forget the whole situation and pass out.

The next day I couldn't stop thinking about how unattractive I felt and I realized that it wasn't due to the hot guys rude comment, I have felt this way about my body for a long time. So I thought to myself you have two options. 1. You can sit here and sulk in your muscle-less misery or 2.You can do something about it.

I began surfing the net for some help but couldn't seem to discover anything as I found myself in a sea of web sites for weight loss. Strangely I felt guilty for wanting to gain weight and even began to feel like a minority, but after some more searching I came across some sites that were pretty helpful.

One in particular was a site that featured the story of Anthony Ellis. He defines naturally skinny men as 'hard gainers' who have a difficult time gaining weight of any kind. Many of the men who seem to have the perfect body type also have genetics on their side which we do not, and a lot of it has to do with genetics and a person's metabolism. It is very hard to change your body's natural physical type but it is possible. He continues to explain that for hard gainers you must shock your body into growth. "The first shock is by eating more calories than your body is used to. This is the most important factor in gaining mass. When you overload your system with plenty of protein and fats, your body has no other choice but to gain weight. To gain weight you have to eat, period! It basically must become a job. In addition to eating more calories, I also had to eat more often. Eating three meals per day did not cut it! It did not provide my body with the constant flow of nutrients and energy it needs to grow. So, I increased my meal intake to 6 per day - eating every three hours. Yes, six meals per day."

I was shocked! Something so simple as to eat more, why didn't I think of that? When I examine my own diet routine I realized I was technically only eating one meal a day. I never eat breakfast (unless you count coffee and a cigarette) and lunch consisted mainly of the crap in the food court near my work. For dinner I was pretty good at eating healthy but I was definitely not giving my body enough to sustain my current weight let alone enough to be gaining anything.

As great as this tip was it didn't inform me as to what foods to eat, so my search continued. Any foods high in calories, carbohydrates, and proteins are essential but for hard gainers the best foods to eat are ones that are high in protein (between 12 and 30 grams per serving).

What is the difference between carbs and protein? Carbs are sugars which you need for energy. The body will use carbs as a first choice to break down to get ATP (energy). Proteins have amino acid building blocks in which these amino acids are put together in certain combos to make muscle.

Here are some high protein diet suggestions for every meal.

Breakfast
•Cereals and hot cereals like oatmeal (with 2% milk)
•Eggs
•Toast (whole wheat) with extra butter, cream or cheddar cheese, or peanut butter

Lunch
•Cream soups rather than broth
•Sandwiches with whole wheat bread and extra fillings. Your best bet is tuna which has on average 21 grams of protein per can.

Dinner
•Pasta (made from wheat)
•Potatoes •Chicken (breast and thigh)
•Fish (all are high in protein)

With today's busy lifestyles and hectic work schedules it can be hard to make time to cook every night so to make it easier cook enough for the next day or even the next two days.

Snacks
•Yogurt
•Bananas
•Nuts (almonds and peanuts)

Supplements The most important thing you need to know about supplements is that they are not a substitute for proper nutrition and training. If you have a busy schedule, being able to get a complete, high-protein meal quickly and conveniently throughout the day can mean the difference between success and failure.

During a recent visit to a gym where my friend works the front desk I popped into the supplement store beside the gym to get information on how to use them correctly.

The two most efficient and effective supplements are the protein bars and shakes that come in many different brands and flavours to choose from. The bars ranging from $4-5 each contain between 24-30 grams of protein and are great for people who are always on the go. The shakes are a little more expensive ranging between $5-7 (for that price my milkshake better be brining all the boys to the yard) and require time to prepare, but contain between 40-45 grams of protein.

Another benefit with the shakes is that you can mix the whey protein powder with milk or juice and any fruits you desire to add to the flavour and nutrition of the shake.

A key point to using supplements is to create a diet that works for you and to also know what your body needs and when it needs it. To experience the best results have a bar about an hour before your workout and a shake right after. Also if you're experiencing bloating feeling afterwards eat pineapple or papaya fruit or juice because this will help breakdown the protein and make you feel more comfortable.

Bulking up was going to be not only difficult but a total lifestyle change. It's going to take dedication and great organizational skills but if you're serious about shedding your twinky body type then this is the only way to go. Looking back on the 'eat something' incident I am aware that the muscle guy was being a rude jerk but oddly enough he was telling me exactly what I needed to hear. So who knows, maybe in six months from now I'll be able to buy a new tank top and wear it with pride.