To make a long story short, lazy eating habits caused me to lose about 20 pounds -- and I was having trouble gaining it back.
I won't call myself a "hard gainer", since I know that's not an accurate term, but while I have a healthy appetite, I have trouble sticking to a weight-gaining diet.
I'd been supplementing with olive and coconut oil for years, but one day it occurred to me: there are about 125 calories per tablespoon of olive/coconut oil, meaning that if I took 8 tablespoons per day rather than 1 or 2, that's an extra 1,000 calories.
And it's a lot cleaner than junk food and causes less bloating than carbs.
(Note: I'm not trying to claim I originated a diet high in olive/coconut oil nor that I'm the first person to use it to gain weight.)
Using Olive/Coconut Oil to Gain Weight
Let's say your maintenance calories are around 2,000 per day. If you consume 8 tablespoons of oil per day on top of this, you'll gain roughly 2.3 pounds per week.
7,000 excess calories / 3,000 calories per pound gained = 2.3 per week
If you eat above your maintenance calories, as I did, you can pack on pounds at a very quick rate.
For example:
3,000 calories per day from food (1,000 excess) + 1,000 calories per day from oil = 4,000 calories per day
(2,000 x 7) / 3,000 = 4.6 pounds per week
Of course, these figures don't include calories burned through physical activity, exercise, etc.
In my case, I was consuming about 4,000 calories per day, but in the end I gained roughly 30 pounds in 3 months, which works out to approximately 2.5 pounds per week.
Currently, I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I've ever been, meaning an "oil diet" has been more effective for me than GOMAD (gallon of milk a day), mass gainers, weight-gaining shakes, etc.
And I've gotta say, I feel pretty good. I'm right around the "average" height for an American male, and I enjoy having a little more weight to throw around.
Which leads me to the other benefits...
Other Health Benefits of an Olive/Coconut Oil Heavy Diet
Diets high in olive oil are common in the Mediterranean/Southern Europe and have been credited with lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, burning fat, improved digestion, improved hair and skin health, etc.
Personally, when I'm using large amounts of olive oil daily, I notice:
- My skin has less blemishes, even if I wash my face less; and my skin tends to have a healthier look in general
- My hair is more full and has a more natural sheen
- My digestion is better; my bowel movements are even more regular, and they pass very easily
For this reason, I've continued to consume large amounts of olive oil, even though I'm not currently trying to gain much weight.
Coconut oil has many similar benefits to olive oil, as well as some unique ones.
It's high in medium-chain triglycerides (or MCT), which improve cognitive function and help prevent Alzheimer's. It's also good for your teeth and bones and a potent anti-fungal.
And there are also benefits to healthy fats in general, like increased testosterone, etc.
I've also experimented with avocado oil, which is supposedly pretty healthy, but I don't have much personal experience with it yet.
Consuming a lot of oil can also be a good way to start or maintain a ketogenic diet, though this isn't something I've actually tried. Brandon Carter is one person I've seen do this. But I do find it very useful as a way to maintain your weight if you're trying to eat healthier, leaner, low carbs, etc.
How to Incorporate Large Amounts of Olive/Coconut Oil Into Your Diet
Here's the part where I lose a lot of people.
Most days, I pour anywhere between 4 to 8 tablespoons of olive oil into glass at night and drink it. Sometimes I drink it straight, but usually I'll mix it with something, like a little chocolate almond milk. Note: Oil and milk don't actually "mix", but it still makes it taste better.
The average person thinks this is quite strange -- but they think the same about baking soda, ACV, etc.
But like I said, I tend to be pretty lazy about when I eat, and this is such an easy thing to stick to. Before brushing my teeth, etc., I just think about how many calories I've eaten that day, what my current weight is and how much I want to gain, etc. and down whatever amount of olive oil fits my needs.
Other people, like in the videos I referenced above, prefer to split it between smaller "shots" spread throughout the day, but I find this tedious.
Of course, that's not the ONLY way to add oil to your diet.
I also:
- add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to my coffee; I tend to drink a lot of French press coffee, which is oily anyways, so it doesn't really even affect the taste
- cook in generous amounts of oil and drizzle more oil over prepared food; you'll barely notice an extra tablespoon of olive oil on your sauteed chicken, for instance, but it adds up; it adds some nice flavor to carbs, like rice or bread, too
- add oil to shakes, etc.
Is Drinking Olive Oil Bad for You?
As far as I can tell, no. In fact, most of the recommendations I've seen explicitly against olive oil only do so because it tastes bad, can upset your stomach, is weird, etc., not because there's actual research showing that it's unhealthy.
For instance, some people will do shots of olive oil several times a day but think it's strange to drink those shots all at once, which seems a little silly to me.
Personally, I've noticed health benefits from it, and it doesn't upset my stomach at all -- just the opposite, as I mentioned above. Though I have read that taking it on an empty stomach can make you a little queasy. I don't necessarily take it on a FULL stomach, but I don't do it first thing in the morning either.
This "diet" is also a much better alternative, in my view, than loading up on simple carbs, junk food, etc. to meet the same caloric requirements or using things like GOMAD, mass gainers, and the like to gain weight.
I try to keep daily intake at or below 8 tablespoons on most days, though there are times where I go over. That's just an attempt to keep my diet relatively balanced rather than some kind of science-based limit though.
P.S. I'm assuming that most of the health-conscious folks on the forum are already aware that "fat" is not bad for you -- and that healthy fats, like saturated fat, are actually quite good for you, especially as men.
What Kind of Oil to Use?
First of all, I want to address some misinformation regarding the quality of store-bought olive oil.
There's an oft-cited UC Davis Olive Center Report from 2010 that claims 69% of olive oil sold in the US (and elsewhere) is "fake".
But the only thing fake is the report itself, which:
- was based on taste testing, not actual lab testing
- was not at all scientifically rigorous
- has repeatedly failed to be replicated
- was conducted by a California-based organization that receives funding from California-based olive oil makers
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-...aves/48223
https://blog.aboutoliveoil.org/olive-oil-fraud
In short, sure, some olive oil is probably better than others, but the claim that the majority of olive oil is cut with "inferior" oils like it's bad cocaine is not true.
With that said, you should make sure you're getting "Extra Virgin" olive oil and "Unrefined" (also known as virgin) coconut oil. Organic is also preferable.
From there, whether you want to spend $50 on olive oil bottled by Mother Theresa or just something from your local supermarket is up to you. Different areas, supermarkets, budgets, etc. will leave you with totally different options, so it's kind of pointless to discuss specific brands. Personally, I try to select brands that aren't the cheapest but are still reasonable priced.
The best deal I've found is at Costco, where you can get a 2L of Kirkland's organic extra virgin olive oil for around $15 and 2.5L of Kirkland's organic, unrefined coconut oil for around $15 as well.
This is an amazing deal. For instance, if you're using it for weight gain, that 2L of olive oil contains about 133 tablespoons, which works out to over 16,000 calories.
If we assume roughly 3,000 calories per pound gained, that's basically 5.5 pounds for $15.
The only problem with the Kirkland brand oils listed above is they come in plastic, not glass, containers, so that's something to consider if you're averse to plastic.
Disclaimer:
This isn't meant to be medical advice, and I'm not advising everyone to go out and gain 20 pounds.
Like I mentioned above, I was regaining weight I had lost, plus a little extra. And I was hitting the gym heavily while I put on weight. On the other hand, if you've been 180 pounds your whole life and suddenly hit 210 in a few months, for example, this could obviously cause problems with your joints, etc.
I won't call myself a "hard gainer", since I know that's not an accurate term, but while I have a healthy appetite, I have trouble sticking to a weight-gaining diet.
I'd been supplementing with olive and coconut oil for years, but one day it occurred to me: there are about 125 calories per tablespoon of olive/coconut oil, meaning that if I took 8 tablespoons per day rather than 1 or 2, that's an extra 1,000 calories.
And it's a lot cleaner than junk food and causes less bloating than carbs.
(Note: I'm not trying to claim I originated a diet high in olive/coconut oil nor that I'm the first person to use it to gain weight.)
Using Olive/Coconut Oil to Gain Weight
Let's say your maintenance calories are around 2,000 per day. If you consume 8 tablespoons of oil per day on top of this, you'll gain roughly 2.3 pounds per week.
7,000 excess calories / 3,000 calories per pound gained = 2.3 per week
If you eat above your maintenance calories, as I did, you can pack on pounds at a very quick rate.
For example:
3,000 calories per day from food (1,000 excess) + 1,000 calories per day from oil = 4,000 calories per day
(2,000 x 7) / 3,000 = 4.6 pounds per week
Of course, these figures don't include calories burned through physical activity, exercise, etc.
In my case, I was consuming about 4,000 calories per day, but in the end I gained roughly 30 pounds in 3 months, which works out to approximately 2.5 pounds per week.
Currently, I'm about 10 pounds heavier than I've ever been, meaning an "oil diet" has been more effective for me than GOMAD (gallon of milk a day), mass gainers, weight-gaining shakes, etc.
And I've gotta say, I feel pretty good. I'm right around the "average" height for an American male, and I enjoy having a little more weight to throw around.
Which leads me to the other benefits...
Other Health Benefits of an Olive/Coconut Oil Heavy Diet
Diets high in olive oil are common in the Mediterranean/Southern Europe and have been credited with lowering the risk of heart disease and stroke, burning fat, improved digestion, improved hair and skin health, etc.
Personally, when I'm using large amounts of olive oil daily, I notice:
- My skin has less blemishes, even if I wash my face less; and my skin tends to have a healthier look in general
- My hair is more full and has a more natural sheen
- My digestion is better; my bowel movements are even more regular, and they pass very easily
For this reason, I've continued to consume large amounts of olive oil, even though I'm not currently trying to gain much weight.
Coconut oil has many similar benefits to olive oil, as well as some unique ones.
It's high in medium-chain triglycerides (or MCT), which improve cognitive function and help prevent Alzheimer's. It's also good for your teeth and bones and a potent anti-fungal.
And there are also benefits to healthy fats in general, like increased testosterone, etc.
I've also experimented with avocado oil, which is supposedly pretty healthy, but I don't have much personal experience with it yet.
Consuming a lot of oil can also be a good way to start or maintain a ketogenic diet, though this isn't something I've actually tried. Brandon Carter is one person I've seen do this. But I do find it very useful as a way to maintain your weight if you're trying to eat healthier, leaner, low carbs, etc.
How to Incorporate Large Amounts of Olive/Coconut Oil Into Your Diet
Here's the part where I lose a lot of people.
Most days, I pour anywhere between 4 to 8 tablespoons of olive oil into glass at night and drink it. Sometimes I drink it straight, but usually I'll mix it with something, like a little chocolate almond milk. Note: Oil and milk don't actually "mix", but it still makes it taste better.
The average person thinks this is quite strange -- but they think the same about baking soda, ACV, etc.
But like I said, I tend to be pretty lazy about when I eat, and this is such an easy thing to stick to. Before brushing my teeth, etc., I just think about how many calories I've eaten that day, what my current weight is and how much I want to gain, etc. and down whatever amount of olive oil fits my needs.
Other people, like in the videos I referenced above, prefer to split it between smaller "shots" spread throughout the day, but I find this tedious.
Of course, that's not the ONLY way to add oil to your diet.
I also:
- add 1 to 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to my coffee; I tend to drink a lot of French press coffee, which is oily anyways, so it doesn't really even affect the taste
- cook in generous amounts of oil and drizzle more oil over prepared food; you'll barely notice an extra tablespoon of olive oil on your sauteed chicken, for instance, but it adds up; it adds some nice flavor to carbs, like rice or bread, too
- add oil to shakes, etc.
Is Drinking Olive Oil Bad for You?
As far as I can tell, no. In fact, most of the recommendations I've seen explicitly against olive oil only do so because it tastes bad, can upset your stomach, is weird, etc., not because there's actual research showing that it's unhealthy.
For instance, some people will do shots of olive oil several times a day but think it's strange to drink those shots all at once, which seems a little silly to me.
Personally, I've noticed health benefits from it, and it doesn't upset my stomach at all -- just the opposite, as I mentioned above. Though I have read that taking it on an empty stomach can make you a little queasy. I don't necessarily take it on a FULL stomach, but I don't do it first thing in the morning either.
This "diet" is also a much better alternative, in my view, than loading up on simple carbs, junk food, etc. to meet the same caloric requirements or using things like GOMAD, mass gainers, and the like to gain weight.
I try to keep daily intake at or below 8 tablespoons on most days, though there are times where I go over. That's just an attempt to keep my diet relatively balanced rather than some kind of science-based limit though.
P.S. I'm assuming that most of the health-conscious folks on the forum are already aware that "fat" is not bad for you -- and that healthy fats, like saturated fat, are actually quite good for you, especially as men.
What Kind of Oil to Use?
First of all, I want to address some misinformation regarding the quality of store-bought olive oil.
There's an oft-cited UC Davis Olive Center Report from 2010 that claims 69% of olive oil sold in the US (and elsewhere) is "fake".
But the only thing fake is the report itself, which:
- was based on taste testing, not actual lab testing
- was not at all scientifically rigorous
- has repeatedly failed to be replicated
- was conducted by a California-based organization that receives funding from California-based olive oil makers
https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-...aves/48223
https://blog.aboutoliveoil.org/olive-oil-fraud
In short, sure, some olive oil is probably better than others, but the claim that the majority of olive oil is cut with "inferior" oils like it's bad cocaine is not true.
With that said, you should make sure you're getting "Extra Virgin" olive oil and "Unrefined" (also known as virgin) coconut oil. Organic is also preferable.
From there, whether you want to spend $50 on olive oil bottled by Mother Theresa or just something from your local supermarket is up to you. Different areas, supermarkets, budgets, etc. will leave you with totally different options, so it's kind of pointless to discuss specific brands. Personally, I try to select brands that aren't the cheapest but are still reasonable priced.
The best deal I've found is at Costco, where you can get a 2L of Kirkland's organic extra virgin olive oil for around $15 and 2.5L of Kirkland's organic, unrefined coconut oil for around $15 as well.
This is an amazing deal. For instance, if you're using it for weight gain, that 2L of olive oil contains about 133 tablespoons, which works out to over 16,000 calories.
If we assume roughly 3,000 calories per pound gained, that's basically 5.5 pounds for $15.
The only problem with the Kirkland brand oils listed above is they come in plastic, not glass, containers, so that's something to consider if you're averse to plastic.
Disclaimer:
This isn't meant to be medical advice, and I'm not advising everyone to go out and gain 20 pounds.
Like I mentioned above, I was regaining weight I had lost, plus a little extra. And I was hitting the gym heavily while I put on weight. On the other hand, if you've been 180 pounds your whole life and suddenly hit 210 in a few months, for example, this could obviously cause problems with your joints, etc.
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