“I just can’t gain weight. No matter how much I eat.”
I'm sure you've heard this phrase before. It is a common complaint amongst lifters.
While this typically is not true (they could still eat more), I understand that sometimes getting enough calories in can really be a challenge. Protein shakes definitely help increase protein intake for the day, and if you mix them in milk instead of water you can add a nice amount of extra calories. But sometimes throwing two scoops in milk still doesn’t quite cut it. So what is someone to do? Pull out the blender and start mixing drinks, that’s what. No, not those fruity alcoholic drinks, but some quality, high-calorie weight-gaining shakes.
This first shake was once (and may still be) a staple of elitefts™ team member Clint Darden’s own daily diet. He even dubbed it The Karnes Shake. If it’s good enough for Clint, it’s good enough for you.
The Karnes Shake
Nutrition Facts:
1,111 Calories
61g Protein
90.5g Carbohydrates
58.5g Fat 
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. 2% Milk
- 1 scoop vanilla whey or blended protein
- 1 low carb yogurt (Carbmaster from Kroger is what I recommend)
- 1 Banana
- 2 heaping tablespoons of mixed nuts
- 1 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
- Splenda, to taste
*Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
While this shake has been very popular among those who’ve used it, one common complaint is that it is too much liquid to drink. Again, it’s just like with eating food to gain weight—sometimes you’ve just got to force it. But being the nice guy that I am, I decided to come up with The Karnes Shake #2. My goal was to keep the calories high, but the overall volume of liquid lower, and it worked out perfectly.
The Karnes Shake #2
Nutrition Facts:
1,122 Calories
49g Protein
111g Carbohydrates
59g Fat
Ingredients:
- 12 oz. 2% Milk
- 1 scoop vanilla whey or blended protein
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 1 Banana
- 2 heaping tbsp. of mixed nuts
- 2 tbsp. Olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry oatmeal
- 1 cup mixed berries
*Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
For the final 1,100+ calorie shake that I concocted, I wanted to combine some high-calorie coconut milk (the stuff that comes in a can, not carton), coconut oil, and sweet potatoes. I did some experimenting and came up with another super high calorie shake that tastes awesome as well.
Coconut Sweet Potatoes
Nutrition Facts: 
1,107 Calories
65g Protein
87 g Carbohydrates
57g Fat
Ingredients:
- 10 oz. 2% Milk
- 2/3 cup coconut milk (the full fat canned stuff you find in the Asian section of most grocery stores)
- 2 scoops vanilla whey or blended protein
- 7 oz. Baby food sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1 banana
- ½ cup mixed berries
*Mix all the ingredients in a blender and blend on high.
All three of these shakes boast over 1,100 calories. If you’re having trouble gaining, I suggest adding one of these to your current diet each day and see what happens. These are not a replacement for food—you’ve still got to eat a lot, but one thing I do like about them is that they include REAL food. There is a lot more vitamins, minerals, nutrients, etc. in these shakes than there is in the old school approach of throwing two scoops of protein powder in some milk or water. And they taste a lot better than downing a dozen raw eggs, Rocky. So give these a try and let me know which your favorite is.
