Diet is the most important thing when it comes to building muscle.  You can do everything perfectly in the gym – lifting weights 3 times a week, doing the right number of reps and sets, keeping your sessions under 60 minutes, and sleeping the recommended 8 hours a day – but if you don't eat what you need to eat, you will see minimal results and you will truly be wasting your time.

You MUST eat every 3 hours from now on! No matter what your goal is, your body NEEDS a regular stream of nutrients EVERY THREE HOURS. The bulking diet should consist of 6-8 meals per day, eaten every 3 hours. Make the commitment to doing this for life and you with forever wipe away being "skinny".

Also read the post Eat Six Small Meals A Day.

There are certain foods that you must eat in order to build muscle most effectively. We will discuss these foods in this article.

Here are the main areas you need to focus on as a hardgainer:

1. Protein (You need 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight every day to build and maintain muscle.) Buy Whey Protein Powder
   • Chicken & turkey breast
   • Chunk Light Tuna (in water because greasy oil is no good; albacore has too much mercury) 
   • Salmon
   • Eggs or
   • 100% Whey (protein powder)
   • Lean Beed(round cuts are the leanest)
   • Turkey Burger
2. Carbohydrates – Unrefined/non-processed
   • Oats
   • Whole Grains (breads, cereals, brown rice) and NOT white breads, white rice, sugary cereals
   • Sweet potatoes
   • Beans (also high in protein)
   • Fruit (fresh whole fruits are better than dried fruits or fruit juice)
   • Fibrous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower and spinach)
3. Fats (healthy fats)
   • Peanut Butter (All-natural is best.)
   • Nuts (Almonds are king.)
   • Flax (Flaxseed Oil or Flax seeds)
   • Fish oil
   • Olive oil
   • Dressings (without added sugar or hydrogenated oil)
   • Products with omega fatty acids

With No Nonsense Muscle Building, you will receive a planned program that will tell you exactly what exercises to perform in the gym and what foods to eat to ensure size and muscle gains.  Vince DelMonte does an excellent job in laying out exactly what you need to do to get from skinny to muscular in no time.

A sample meal would be a turkey breast, 1 cup of cooked brown rice, and a serving of broccoli. For breakfast, you could eat a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter, milk, and a banana.

Those foods are what is necessary to bulk/gain muscle.  Chicken and rice should always be a staple of your diet.  Substitute good foods for other good foods when you get tired of one food source.  I eat chicken every single day thanks to the George Foreman Grill; it's incredibly easy to grill a chicken breast with a little season salt sprinkled on it.

It is also extremely important to drink enough water.  Drink .66 oz of water per pound of bodyweight each day. A 200 lb person should drink a gallon of water a day, so adjust that for your bodyweight. For most people, a gallon of water a day is a great rule to live by; bigger people will need more.  Read the importance of water.

I recommend adding a few capfuls of lemon juice to your glass of water; it makes for a great-tasting drink and I never drink water without it. Milk is also important for bulking, especially for hardgainers.  99% of my fluid intake consists of whole milk and lemon water.  Try skim milk if you need less fat. You should DEFINITELY eliminate the drinking of sodas, energy drinks, and other sugary liquids, as they are bad for you! Buy lemon juice here.

Eating should be about fueling your body, and not about pleasing your taste buds.  To build muscle and also to live a healthy lifestyle, your goal should be to eat the foods that will have you looking and feeling your best.  You CAN change your eating habits; first you must make the decision that eating healthy is important.  Then , it's just a matter of planning your meals and just doing it.  You will get used to it if you stick with it.

Once you see that muscle growth, you will be hooked on healthy eating!