How many calories do I (a hardgainer) need?

[ratiocinator]

Some people view it as a curse, others a blessing. Yes, I'm an ectomorph/hardgainer. I've been going to the gym for a little over a year now and have seen results, but no where near as good as they should be considering how long I've been lifting for.

I workout 5 days a week (taking the weekends off) and work my entire body evenly. (I'll spare the boring details, but rest assured my exercises/form/sets/reps are well planned.) So the workout itself is not the problem.

So my question is, for a hardgainer who wants to be toned/cut/lean and NOT bulky/buff how many calories should I be taking in and what's the idea caloric ratio (for example, 60% protein, 30% complex carbs, 10% good fats)?

There's one final problem: I'm also a poor college student. This means even though I try my hardest to eat 4-5 small meals a day sometimes I can't (so I'll eat 3 bigger meals instead) due to time/money. This also means that I drink protein shakes through the day as well. So keep in mind time and budget constraints.

I'm 6' 2", weigh 165 (I know, that's freakin' awful), have a high metabolism, and a typical diet for me is:

(Plenty of water throughout the day--around 1 1/2 to 2 gallons a day)
MEAL 1: 6-8 Egg whites, 1 Egg Whole, Bowl of Oatmeal, Bacon or Sausage
MEAL 2: Lean turkey sandwhich on whole grain bread
PRE-WORKOUT SHAKE: 2 scoops Whey protein in 1% milk (330 calories)
POST-WORKOUT SHAKE: Same as above
MEAL 3: Albacore Tuna or Lean chicken with Baked Potato
MEAL 4: Chicken or Lean Steak or Fish with whole grain rice or buns and veggies followed with a Protein Shake "chaser"
BEFORE-BED SHAKE: 1 scoop Casein protein in water (120 calories)

I haven't charted the calories in all this but I'd assume it's right around 2,000 calories or so which probably isn't enough for me and my situation.

I was thinking about trying CytoGainer out, due to it's high calories and how I have little time to cook all these meals. If I used this properly, would it help me to become more cut/toned or does CytoGainer only make you more bulkier? (If I did use it, I'd probably replace it for my pre/post workout shake, but keep using the whey protein as a chaser for my later meal and casein for my bedtime shake--if it would be idea, that is.)

Any help on my nutrition needs is appreciated, thanks.

[kraftpb]

If you're a hardgainer 2000 calories is probably too little. Start with 3000 calories and see if you have an easier time amking gains. Shakes with whey, pb, bananas/oats is a cheap way to add calories.

[tuberacer49]

If you're totally ecto, 3000 calories wont do **** for you. But it IS a good starting point to get your body used to the high caloric intake. You will have to experiment, though, to see what works best for you.

[terracotta]

Yeah, I'd say up it to 3000 for a few weeks, and then increase more as necessary.

Check out www.bulkingforectomorphs.com as well.

[Bramble]

if your a hard gainer i say 4-5 thousand

[Dm84]

2000 is less than cutting for me.

I have similar stats as you and I maintain on 2800, possibly even more, as I can get away with several days in a row of 3,000+.

Don't drink so much freaking whey. Eat whole eggs if you're poor - that's what I do. Buy meat in bulk.

I don't think you're an ecto - I think you just don't eat enough. You're 6'2" so you're going to need more than 2000 even if you're an endomorph.