How to Gain Weight

Most articles on diet currently circulating the web are on how to lose weight.  However, if you are a part of the rare breed that needs to gain weight, here are some tips on how to do so:

Daily Diary

Keep a Bridget Jones style diary where you keep track of what you eat, but celebrate the calories instead of lamenting them. Many people who want to gain weight think they eat all the time but they actually eat very little or at sporadic intervals. By noting down what you eat you can plan ahead to make sure you get all the goodies you need.

Four Hour Rule

Don’t go four hours without eating anything. It is time to celebrate eating three main meals a day with two snacks in addition.Your body needs a continuous supply of energy as your heart is always beating, blood is circulating, and your brain and muscles are working. There’s no need to go without.

Four Food Groups

Try and eat food from at least four different food groups at each meal. Be inventive in your culinary creations and aim for this with snacks as well. Try topping a few slices of whole grain toast with almond butter and banana slices.

Drink plenty

Liquids aren’t too filling so they can add nutrition without that awful bloated feeling. Treat yourself with 100% fruit juice, organic skim milk and smoothies. Smoothies are perfect because you can add all kinds of good stuff, like wheat germ, carrot juice, and protein powder (better than it sounds!)

Pack a Punch

Go for nutrient-rich foods that pack a lot of carbohydrates, protein or fat into a small serving. It’s better to eat dense fruits such as bananas, over water based fruits such as oranges. Try munching on: dried fruits, nuts, seeds, chicken, tuna, crackers, bagels and wholegrain bread.

Healthy over fatty

It is important to stay healthy while trying to put on weight- eating more trans fats isn’t the answer. Don’t give up on vegetables but eat ones with plenty of starch, such as potatoes, corn, carrots, and squash. Keep enjoying that cake but don’t rely on sugary products to gain you weight.

Snacks that build strength

Enjoy snacks that will help build up your strength, such as: cereals, eggs, soybeans, peanuts and spinach. There is a huge, random range of foods that build strength so get researching guys!

Building muscle

Building muscle through weight training will convert your extra weight into lean body mass. Show your strength and stimulate your appetite in one. The extra muscle will increase the speed of your metabolism, so you’ll need to consume more calories to maintain or gain weight. It’s a win-win situation.

Quality Sleep

The majority of muscle repair and growth of the muscle itself is done while we sleep. Trained muscles should be given 48 to 72 hours for full recovery and you should be aiming for eight hours of sleep per night. The perfect excuse for lazy mornings!

Take Your Time

Don’t expect to be able to gain weight immediately. It will take time to build up strength and increase your weight. It is much better to gain weight in a slow and healthy way, than binge on sugary foods that won’t enhance your overall health. Follow these tips and enjoy the results.

Happy eating everyone!