Gaining weight quickly might not always be as easy as you think. Especially for hard-gainers (people who have difficulty gaining weight) or people with very fast metabolism, weight gain can start to seem impossible. Gaining healthy weight means gaining lean muscle mass or improving bone density, and resistance training does both. Following a few tips for your weight-gain program can help you achieve your desired results quickly.
Frequent Meals
Eat five to eight times per day to quickly gain weight. Although “eating more” seems obvious and vague, it does not mean binging at each meal. To gain healthy weight, eat smaller meals or snacks every two or three hours throughout the day. Include some lean protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats in each meal or snack.
Eat By the Clock
Eating by the clock keeps you focused on your goal. For example, if you ate breakfast at 8 a.m., then you know you must eat another meal by 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. It could take your metabolism a few days to adapt, so you might have a little stomach discomfort at first. Persevere, and you will see results quickly.
Increase Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred source of energy because they burn a lot of calories. Overeating them, however, leads to weight gain, so one of the best things hard-gainers can do is to increase carbohydrate intake.
Increase Healthy Fats
Healthy fats help you gain weight because they contain 9 calories per gram, meaning they have high caloric density. By comparison, carbs and proteins have only 4 calories per gram. Healthy fats include olive oil, avocados, natural peanut butter, nuts and seeds. Include a serving or two in each meal.
Creatine Monohydrate
Creatine monohydrate adds volume to muscle cells by drawing water inside them. Some people contend that creatine merely bloats you up with water weight, but it does more than that. Weight gain in the neighborhood of 5 to 10 pounds in a week or two can occur with creatine use.
Weight-Gainers
These protein formulas have a lot of carbohydrates added to them to supplement your diet. If you cannot stick to a diet or eat by the clock, have one to three weight-gainer shakes in conjunction with your three traditional meals. For example, have breakfast, lunch and dinner, then have a protein shake before working out, another after and one more before bed.
Cut Back
For some people, too much cardiovascular or resistance training can inhibit weight gain by burning too many calories or releasing the catabolic (breaking-down) stress hormone known as cortisol. Cut back to three full-body workouts per week and limit your cardiovascular work to accelerate weight gain.
About this Author
Andrew Bennett enjoys exploring health and fitness through his personal workouts, as well as researching the latest about the subject. As a natural body builder, Bennett enjoys the ongoing pursuit of health and wellness in all aspects of life. He writes articles, blogs, copy, and even award-winning screenplays.
