Since the dawn of internet forums in the early 2000s, dudes have devised many questionable diets in the pursuit of those sweet gains in the gym. But only one promises to pack on as many as 11 pounds in a single month.
Sound good? Get ready to guzzle 60 pounds of milk every week.
This is the simple yet extreme strategy behind the GOMAD diet, short for “gallon of milk a day.” And while slugging 128 ounces of liquid dairy every day can definitely get you some gains, it can also jack up your prostate and trigger some of the sloppiest, smelliest dumps mankind is capable of.
Keep reading for the full scoop on the GOMAD diet, what kind of results you can expect, and the risks to be aware of.
What Is the GOMAD Diet?
The GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) diet is as simple as it sounds: Drink a full gallon of whole milk every single day until you put on enough weight or surrender to the side effects of copious amounts of lactose.
For context, a gallon of milk isn’t the only thing you consume in a day on this regimen. You slug the milk in addition to your regular diet. It’s basically a cheap way to tack on an absurd amount of calories and protein every day.
Curious about the macros for a gallon of milk? Here’s what you’ll get:
- 2,400 calories
- 123 grams of protein
- 127 grams of fat
- 187 grams of carbohydrates
- 0 grams of fiber
The word “diet” is a bit misleading, considering it’s not about losing weight. Rather, it’s the opposite. The GOMAD is a bulking strategy to help you gain a bunch of weight (ideally muscle mass) in a matter of weeks.
Does the GOMAD Diet Work?
There isn’t any solid (or liquid) proof that the GOMAD diet is a safe, effective way to bulk up. But it stands to reason that if you ingest an extra day’s worth of calories and protein on top of your normal diet, you’ll gain weight.
Not to mention, it’s way easier to drink 2,400 calories worth of milk than it is to eat 2,400 calories worth of solid food. There’s also no fiber in milk, which makes it less filling.
There may not be any clinical studies on the GOMAD diet. There are, however, dozens of DUDES with convincing testimonials. So let’s roll with those until we find something more reliable.
“I did manage a 600lbs deadlift in a year of training, most of which I practiced GOMAD,” wrote one guy on r/strength_training. “I ate plenty of other foods, which were cleaner and drank plenty of water. At my heaviest I got up to 325 lbs at 35% body fat. I don't think GOMAD is great for a beginner lifter, but it's a useful tool for advanced lifters who are eating 5k+ calories a day.”
“I did GOMAD years ago. Gained a bunch of weight, some good, some bad. Gives you really bad gas. On days I didn’t finish the entire gallon I felt defeated. The struggle to finish the gallon and live with the side effects outweighed the benefit from the additional calories. Overall not worth it. There are far better ways to gain muscle mass.”
Bottom line: The GOMAD diet “works” in the sense that it forces your body to gain weight. But is it good for you? That’s where things get dicey.
4 Risks of the GOMAD Diet
Sure, milk is packed with protein and nutrients. But forcing yourself to guzzle a gallon of milk every day can give you some nasty side effects that definitely aren’t worth setting a new PR on bench press. Here are four big problems with the GOMAD diet.
1. Gastrointestinal Issues
Your gut isn’t designed to break down that much dairy. That’s why the GOMAD diet is notorious for causing bloating, nausea, diarrhea, and horrifically smelly farts—even for people who aren’t lactose intolerant.
“The biggest downside I had with GOMAD were the farts, man,” one guy told MEL Magazine. “I’m not good with dairy, so more often than not I felt like ass, literally.”
2. Fat Buildup
A gallon of whole milk clocks in at around 127 grams of saturated fat—far above the daily recommended amount. Some of the gains you get from GOMAD will be muscle mass, but a significant amount will also be fat. Your body can’t use that many calories in one day, so the leftovers get stored as fat.
3. Sodium Overload
A gallon of milk gives you nearly 2,000 grams of sodium, which is almost your entire daily recommended limit. Too much sodium in your diet has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke, according to Harvard Health.
4. Calcium Overload
A gallon of milk supplies more than 4x the amount of calcium you need per day. You might think that will give you bones of steel, but it turns out too much calcium can backfire in a bad way.
Researchers have found a link between excessive calcium intake and prostate cancer. Another study from 2014 even suggested that too much milk can weaken your bone health.
GOMAD = Go Poop
There’s a lot we don’t know about the GOMAD diet. But we do know that it does a number to your number two’s. Don’t be surprised when you have to make a mad dash to the toilet mid-way through your lifting session.
If you pick up 7 gallons of milk from the grocery store, make a detour to the TP aisle and stock up on DUDE Wipes. We won’t judge you for a dirty bulk, but we’ll definitely judge you for a dirty butt.
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