What many people don’t know is that it can be more difficult to gain a couple of pounds than to lose some. The internet is full of advice on how to lose weight. And not so much with useful information when you are struggling on how to gain weight healthfully.
The problem with gaining weight is something I found out myself when I started exercising. I thought it would be quite simple, just go to the gym often and eat more than I did before. My strength did increase, but I did not gain any weight at all. And that got me pretty frustrated. Of course this is understandable if you don’t get what you expect. So that’s why I decided to write this blog and to give some tips that can help you, because it certainly helped me to gain weight.
The Reason Why You Can’t Gain Weight
If you don’t have any health conditions it is most likely that you have a fast metabolism. This means your body breaks down food very fast and converts it into energy. This energy is then transported to your cells and organs. The speed of your metabolism is determined by several things. It depends on factors such as gender, age, height, hormone balance and genetics.
Underweight
Before you start gaining weight, it is wise to check if you are just skinny or underweight. The easiest way is to look at your BMI (Body Mass Index). Here you can see whether you are a healthy weight in relation to your height.
Get your BMI calculation using this free BMI calculator
If your result is below 18.5, it is advisable to discuss this with your doctor or a registered dietitian. Even if you plan to gain a lot of weight, it is important to do this in consultation with your doctor.
8 Tips To Gain Weight Healthfully
1. Keep A Diary
Try to keep track of exactly what you eat and drink for a week. To make progress you first need to know what your starting point is (your baseline). You can simply keep track of your calories on paper. But there are also many apps available that can help you with this. Once you know exactly what your normal calorie requirements (your maintenance level) are in a day, you can start increasing your calorie intake. You should do this by eating 300 to 500 extra calories per day and checking the scales to see what happens. The aim is to gain about 0.5 to 1 pound per week. If nothing happens you can add another 300 to 500 calories. If you add more than 1 pound per week, reduce your calorie intake.
2. Start Strength Training
Besides the fact that exercising in general is very important for your mental and physical health. This will also help you to gain weight healthfully. You can gain unhealthy weight by storing more fat in the body. But you should gain weight in a healthy way and you do this by increasing your muscle mass. Muscles need good nutrition to grow. If you only train without the right nutrition, you will burn your muscle tissue. Resulting in weight loss.
When you start exercising try to keep your workouts as short as possible with low repetitions and with heavy weight. This way you give your muscles the most stimulation and you will develop muscle tissue faster. In comparison with high repetitions and lower weights.
3. Follow A Training Schedule
It is very important to keep a schedule for your training. This way you can be sure that you train the right muscle groups. It is very logical that there are certain exercises that you prefer to do. But it is important that you train all your muscle groups. With a schedule you ensure that you keep a clear overview of what and when you are training. A good balance between training and recovery is very important. This reduces the chance of overtraining and injuries.
It is good to adjust your schedule after about 6 to 8 weeks. If you keep the same schedule for a longer period of time, your body can get used to this and this can result in less or no muscle growth. So you have to be sure that you stimulate your body again. Because everybody is different you will have to experiment a bit to find out exactly how long you should follow your schedule.
If you’ve never lifted weights before, I would advise you starting out with the help of a certified personal trainer. They’ll be able to teach you the proper form and they can create a custom program for you.
4. Change Your Eating Habits
If it is very difficult to keep track of everything, you can also start small with changes in your eating habits. For example, if you only eat 1 sandwich in the morning, try eating 1 extra. And make sure your toppings contain more protein and healthy fats. You can also try eating some yogurt before going to bed. And take a handful of nuts every day. It is even better if you eat several times a day. Normally, people eat an average of three meals a day. But if you want to gain weight and have trouble with larger meals. Then try to eat 3 extra small meals. So that you eat at least 6 times a day.
If you have trouble with solid food in the morning, you can also start the day with a protein shake. I usually make my shake with: peanut butter, banana, oats, 1 scoop of whey protein, almond milk, avocado, honey and some spinach.
5. Don't Drink Before A Meal
It is important to drink a lot of water in a day, about 1.5 to 2 liters. But if you drink something before you start your meal, it may fill you up and cut your appetite. Try to drink between or after your meal.
Another tip, try to drink something that contains more calories and proteins like milk, juice and smoothies instead of water, tea and coffee. These drinks provide more nourishment and can help to increase your nutritional intake.
6. Don't Use Mass Weight Gainers
If you want to gain weight healthfully, I advise you not to start with weight gainers. These shakes are full of sugar and it is possible that all the extra weight you put on comes from fat instead of muscle mass. If you want to use supplements, which can be a good idea, then it’s better to take whey protein. This contains a lot of (pure) proteins and it supports the growth of lean muscle mass.
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7. Build It Up Slowly So You Can Keep It Up
Assuming that you do not only want to gain weight temporarily, it is important that you build it up slowly. You are making a lifestyle change and you can’t do it all in one day. So build it up slowly at your own pace. This increases the chance that you can sustain this for the longer term.
8. Don't Give Up
We all want to see as many results as possible in a short time. But be realistic with yourself. This is a big change and everybody reacts differently. Give yourself and you will see the results. Try not to compare yourself to anyone else, especially the people on social media. Also try to weigh yourself only once a week. It certainly should not become an obsession.
Summery
Gaining weight is not only about the end result, but also towards a healthier life. Try to keep track of your eating behavior and build it up with small steps. Change your eating habits and do this with healthy food. Combine it with strength training so that you will gain weight in a healthy way by muscle mass growth. Give your body time to change! Weigh yourself regularly to see your progress, but no more than once a week. Enjoy the investment in your health and don’t be too hard on yourself.
Disclaimer
All content and media on Beanzzz.com is created and published online for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice and should not be relied on as health or personal advice. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition. Never disregard the advice of a medical professional, or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this Website.
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