If you’re a self-described “slim” person trying to put on weight, you probably feel like a second class citizen when you’re researching on the Internet. Most fitness articles is geared towards weight loss.
Being underweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5. This is estimated to be less than the body mass needed to sustain optimal health.
Skinny teenagers, underweight adults, and hardgainers of all stripes scour the Internet for ways to put on muscle.
Sound familiar? Then you’re in the right place.
How To Gain Weight:
- Eat more calories than you expend.
- Eat nutrient-dense, calorie-rich food.
- Increase dietary fat intake.
- Add a weight-gainer supplement.
- Resistance training
According to one study, being underweight was associated with a 140% greater risk of early death in men, and 100% in women
Being underweight can also impair immune function, raise your risk of infections, lead to osteoporosis and fractures, and cause fertility problems
Bottom Line: Being underweight can be just as unhealthy as being obese, if not more. People who are underweight are at risk of osteoporosis, infections, fertility problems and early death.
How to gain weight in healthy manner
if you want to gain weight, then it is very important that you do it right.Binging on junk food and desserts may help you gain weight, but it can destroy your health at the same time.
If you are underweight, then you want to gain a balanced amount of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat, not a bunch of unhealthy belly fat.
| One can put on weight in a healthy manner if the weight is lean mass. Body fat percentage is a much better indicator than BMI when it comes to predicting health outcomes. It’s also important to keep waist circumference low, since that’s a surrogate for visceral fat which puts you at a higher risk for heart disease. |
Eat More Calories Than You EXPEND
You need to eat more calories than your body burns in order to gain weight. Aim for 300-500 calories per day above your maintenance level, or 700-1000 calories if you want to gain weight fast. You can determine your calorie needs using this calorie calculator.
Eat Lots of Protein
The single most important nutrient for gaining healthy weight is protein. High Protein food include meats, fish, eggs, dairy products like milk , cheese , paneer , soya bean , legumes, nuts and supplementsĀ like whey protein can also be useful if you struggle to get enough protein in your diet Protein forms the building blocks of your muscles. Eating sufficient protein is required to gain muscle weight instead of just fat.
Eat good amount of Carbs and Fat, and Eat at Least 5 Times Per Day
Eat plenty of high-carb and high-fat foods if weight gain is a priority for you. It is best to eat plenty of protein, fat and carbs at each meal.Make sure to eat at least 3 major meals per day, and 2 snacks and try to add in energy-dense snacks whenever possible.In order to gain weight, eat at least 5 meals per day and make sure to eat plenty of fat, carbs and protein.
Lift Heavy Weights and Improve Your Strength
In order to make sure that the excess calories go to your muscles instead of just your fat cells, then it is absolutely crucial to lift weights or do training which includes body weight
Go to a gym and lift, 2-4 times per week. Lift heavy, and try to increase the weights and volume over time.
If you are completely out of shape or you are new to training, then consider hiring a qualified personal trainer to help you get started.
You may also want to consult with a doctor if you have skeletal problems or any sort of medical issue.
It is probably best to take it easy on the cardio for now. Focus mostly on the weights.
Doing some cardio is fine to improve fitness and well-being, but donāt do so much that you end up burning all the additional calories you are eating.
It is very important to lift heavy weights and improve your strength. This will help you gain muscle mass instead of just fat.
Eat a Lot of Energy-Dense Foods and use herbs and spices .
Try to emphasize energy-dense foods as much as possible. These are foods that contain many calories relative to their weight.
- Here are some energy-dense foods that are perfect for gaining weight:
- Dried fruit: Raisins, dates, apricots and others.
- Fats and Oils: Ghee & Vegetable Oil , butter ,
- Grains: Whole grains like wheat ,rice, bajra
- Tubers: Potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.
Dark chocolate, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk, granola, trail mixes.
Supplements Help
Supplements were created for a reason: Everybody needs a little help now and then. Putting on muscle can be just as much work as trying to lose 30 extra pounds of fat. Adding some simple supplements to your diet can make life just a little easier. Have your protein shakes , or weight gainer drink and definitely add ashwagandha to your diet
More Tips For Gaining Weight
Eating, training, and supplementing should make up the backbone of your weight-gaining endeavors, but these other helpful tips can make the whole process more efficient.
1. Get Some Sleep
As in any fitness regimen, sleeping is an imperative part of the recovery process. Your muscles don’t grow when you’re in the gymāthey grow when you’re restingāso make sure you spend enough time catching z’s.
Skipping out on shut-eye can also increase cortisol levels in your body over time.8Ā Cortisol is a stress hormone produced by your adrenal glands that can stimulate muscle breakdown. One of the best ways to keep that from happening is to spend more hours with your head on a pillow.
Go Big
One of the tricks for losing weight is to put food on small dishes so it looks like you’re eating more than you are. Well, we think the same thing will work for putting on pounds. The only difference is we’re swapping a baby plate for a giant one.If you have bigger plates in your cabinet, use them. Same with your glasswear. Use bigger plates and glasses to eat and drink .
Be Patient
Putting on muscle is not a fast process. It takes a lot of time and it takes a lot of consistency. Give yourself a few months of work before you quit the whole process. If you understand that going in, you’ll be much less likely to get frustrated before your body has time to respond to the food and training.
Keep Track
Log your food, your workouts, your weight, changes you see in the mirror, and how you feel.
If you have no way of measuring progress, it can be almost impossible to know if you’re moving forward, backward, or just spinning your wheels.
Sample Diet Plan for weight gain
| MENU | Calories kcals | Protein (gms) |
| WAKING UP 1 Glass of Milk with whey Protein + 1-2 Banana | 300 | 25 |
| BREAKFAST 2-3 Pieces of Sattu /Aloo/Gobhi Paratha 1Bowl of curd + 7-10 soaked Almonds Or 2 eggs + 2 egg white + 2-3 slices of toasted bread + 7-10 soaked almonds + 10 -12 raisins | 500 | 30 |
| Mid Morning Fruit Platter + 1 slice of cheese | 200 | 5 |
| Lunch Roti/Rice + Dal/Fish + vegetables + Salad | 575 | 25 |
| Mid Evening Paneer + vegetable Roll + Fruit Or Dried fruit | 300 | 7 |
| Dinner Roti /Rice + Dal /Chicken + vegetables | 575 | 30 |
| Before Bed 1 Glass of Milk with Dates /Gulkand | 150 | 4 |
| Preworkout (30 mins before your workout) Banana /Peanut Butter Sandwich / Sweetpotato + Bcaa supplement | 150 | 4 |
| Postworkout ( immediately after workout ) Whey Protein /Soy Protein Isolates 1 glass of Milk | 250 | 28 |
| Total ( approx. ) | 3000 | 150 |
This is a sample diet plan and the above figures are approximate values that need to be altered according to the specification of an individual body type. Also, supplements too may differ from individual to individual.