Arber Xhekaj just revealed what he ate every day to gain 65 pounds in a few months

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Elias Edmonson
September 3, 2023 (4:04 PM)

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A few days ago, information emerged that Arber Xhekaj's younger brother, Florian, experienced a significant growth spurt this summer. The 4th round pick (101st overall) by CH in the last draft now stands close to 6 feet and 4 inches tall.

While this height isn't surprising given his older brother, Arber, is the same height, it's notable that Florian was drafted as a player who was 6 feet and 1 inch tall. This means he grew an impressive 3 inches in just one summer! We don't yet know his weight (to be seen at the Habs camp), but it wouldn't be surprising if it's proportionate to his height.

This drastic change in the measurements of the now 19-year-old is indeed surprising. However, knowing the diet his older brother followed, which he also adopted, it's not so shocking.

Indeed, in an article from last February, Stu Cowan from The Gazette informed us about Arber's diet. Both he and his brother had no less than six meals a day during the canceled 2020-21 season.

"It was a big year for me because I trained a lot and had a stable schedule. My mother cooked all my meals. I ate a bowl of oatmeal and a smoothie when I got up, before heading to the gym. When I got home, I had two more breakfasts. I'd get back from the gym and eat my 6 or 7 eggs in addition to the breakfast my mom prepared for the rest of the family. She made something different every day. I'd then take a nap and, upon waking, I'd have another meal before heading to the rink. When I got back, I'd have yet another meal. It was always healthy food that my mom made for me and it was really good. When hockey resumed and I arrived at my host family's house, they thought I'd gone mad!" - Arber Xhekaj

While the Canadiens' defenseman no longer follows this diet, he is trying a new approach, which sounds challenging.

"I have to stay away from all-you-can-eat buffets! I've developed a certain tolerance to food, and I'm rarely full. No, I definitely don't have the same diet anymore, and I try to stick to just one plate during meals. I'm no longer trying to gain weight, but rather maintain it." - Arber Xhekaj

It will be interesting to see how Florian fares on the ice this season. It's not uncommon for players to temporarily lose their skills following a body change or evolution. He'll need to recalibrate, which will surely require an adjustment period.

In 68 games last season with the Hamilton Bulldogs, the forward scored 13 goals and made 12 assists for a total of 25 points. We saw in the recent Canadiens documentary on the last draft that Nick Bobrov didn't want to miss his chance to draft him at the 101st spot. The hockey men were torn between him and Bogdan Konyushkov. They were finally able to draft the Russian defenseman at the 110th spot.

You can see all this in the video below, around the 13th minute.