Being over or underweight might sound troublesome, but striking the right balance between them is the real challenge. However, we often talk about weight loss, and no one considers gaining weight a problem. Well, it is a real problem!
Being a fitness trainer, I understand how disturbing being underweight can be. I have seen people passing comments on skinny people like, “Don’t you eat anything?” People can be very insensitive towards the struggles of skinny people to reach an ideal weight. Since I have been through this, I understand how hard things can get for skinny people. So, do not worry anymore because I am here to help you get an ideal size and figure.
Gaining weight is not something that can happen overnight. It is a long and tiring procedure that requires patience – lots of it! But I believe when you reach your destiny, you forget the hardships you faced in your journey. So, if you have the stamina to work hard to achieve your dream body, I have got you!
You must be wondering how to gain weight, right? So, I will enlist some impactful yet doable tips to gain weight as fast as you can. Shall we start?
Wholesome and Nutritious Diet to Gain Weight
Many of you might be thinking about how to gain weight fast, but only a few understand that it always starts from a BETTER DIET. Take a moment and rewind what you ate in a day; it will provide many undesired answers.
Do you really eat what you should?
So, it is time to make a firm decision to start a clean and healthy diet. This way, you will not only gain weight but also build muscles. So, let me tell you what you need to add to your diet and how it can help you gain weight.
1. Consume More Calories
I understand your limited appetite, but who asked you to increase the quantity? Simply put, you need to increase the calories in your food. That you can do by adding more butter or topping your food with dried fruits.
Try to think of some creative ideas to make your food interesting yet healthier and wholesome. For instance, if you are having a bowl of fruits, put on some peanut butter. It will not only make your food more delicious but also help you consume more calories.
2. Never Miss Proteins
Protein is the essence of your diet plan. It is not only significant for gaining weight but also for muscle building. So, look for high-protein food options and add them to your diet. In your every meal, there must be a portion of protein. For protein consumption, you can add red meat, salmon, yogurt, oily fish, beans, tuna, and supplements like whey protein to your diet.
3. Drink High-Calorie Liquids
Water is good for your health but can reduce your appetite. If you are fond of liquids, you should drink high-calorie beverages. To make your beverages healthier, I recommend you add full-fat milk, protein powder, fruits and nuts, and peanut butter. Also, you can use peanut or coconut milk since both are used for weight gain.
In addition, when making yourself shakes or smoothies, try to avoid adding processed sugars since they can cause inflammation in your body, making you think it’s weight gain, but actually, you are just getting more health problems.
4. Add More Fibre in Your Diet
We often forget the significance of fiber in our diet. Fiber helps you digest easily, so it is important to consume a fibrous diet. Having a portion of celery or vegetables on the side of your plate will not only increase the calorie count but also help you with easier and faster digestion.
So, look for vegetables or fruits that have fiber as well as healthy fat. For instance, you can eat avocados, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, mangoes, grapes, berries, bananas, and more.
5. Eat Snacks with High-Fat
Eating high-fat snacks is necessary to increase weight. But make sure it comes under a clean diet. To gain fat in a healthy way, you can eat snacks like dried fruits, nuts, cheese, and Greek yogurt. And if you want something fancier but healthy, you can always have crackers with hummus, cheese, pesto, or guacamole. Also, having a granola bar is also a good and healthy option.
Sculpting Strength and Gaining Muscle Mass
Do you want to improve the definition of your muscles along with weight gain? So, with a clean diet and the right exercises, you need to strengthen and build your muscle mass. Incorporating the right exercises to build muscles can be difficult for a novice. As a fitness trainer, I can guide you on increasing muscle mass and strength. So, let’s delve into the ultimate muscle-gaining tips:
1. Elevate Your Muscle Strength with Training
As you know, muscles weigh more than fat, so you will gain weight as you build muscles. Also, it is important to strengthen your muscles so that you can delve into intense yet impactful workouts. If you train at home, you can incorporate light exercises into your routine. As a fitness trainer, I suggest lunges, squats, wall handstands, backpack curls, and bent knee push-ups.
Additionally, if you go to a gym, you can workout on machines as per your trainer’s instructions. What we do wrong is to not communicate our ultimate fitness goals to our trainer, so you must avoid this. Be open with your trainer and ask how to gain weight with the help of exercises. Moreover, if you have any other concerns, do not hesitate and be transparent about them.
2. Strengthen Your Body with Aerobics
To balance your workout routine efficiently, nothing can beat the significance of aerobics. Being a cardiovascular exercise, aerobics strengthens your heart muscles and also helps with many other chronic conditions like diabetes and hypertension. In addition, it builds stamina and improves your overall health. As you know, aerobics is intense in nature, and if you feel that you are not gaining any weight, reduce the frequency and intensity of exercising.
3. Do Not Overtrain Yourself
If you are a fitness enthusiast, you might consider the gym your home. It is not bad, but anything in excess can cause you harm, and so does overtraining! Sometimes, people train a lot to stay fit, but they forget the overall impact of overtraining on their bodies and end up losing a lot of weight. So, if you are making the same mistake, avoid it.
So, to avoid overtraining, you need to structure your workout routine. The ideal approach is to perform three sets of a maximum of five compound movements followed by 1 to 2 isolation movements.
4. Eat Something Before and After Your Workout Session
Before stepping into the gym, make sure that your stamina is well-boosted. So, eating something before and after your workout session is important to keep your energy levels high and maintained. But I will not suggest you consume anything heavy before your workout. Just take a small snack or meal of protein and carbohydrates before an hour so that you can exercise easily.
If you eat a proper and wholesome meal, wait at least three hours to start your workout routine. And do not forget to eat a healthy snack after your workout. You can take yogurt, fruits, crackers, or a high-protein beverage like a shake, smoothie, or whey protein as well.
5. Seek a Personal Trainer
As a fitness trainer, I have seen many people struggling in their weight gain journey. For a novice, it may be hard to choose the right exercises to incorporate into their routine, and instead of gaining weight, they end up losing more. And you won’t want that! So, seek a personal trainer, discuss your concerns and fitness goals, and create an effective exercise plan.
Safeguarding Your Well-Being: A Priority Above All
Gaining weight is a time-consuming procedure, just like losing weight. So, it is important to keep your patience level high and don’t get carried away. So, the following tips are about how to gain weight and safeguard your well-being in your fitness journey:
1. Slow But Healthy Weight Gain
Your goal should not be only gaining weight but a healthy weight. Gaining weight fast can not be healthy or practical in the long run. If you start eating everything even when it makes you feel unwell, you are doing it all wrong. You may gain weight, but it will destroy your overall well-being.
So, consume a healthy diet and increase your frequency to 5 to 6 meals a day. Also, increase your calorie and protein intake. Talk to a dietitian and get yourself a diet plan. The ideal weight gain is approximately two pounds a month. So, continue your weight gain journey slowly and steadily until you reach your goal.
2. Eliminate Junk Food from Your Life
Fast food is called “junk food” for a reason. Certainly, it has a higher calorie count, and you can gain weight quickly by consuming junk food, but it comes with a lot of health risks. So, plan out your meals for a week and try to get them ready yourself at home. If you are too busy to cook, consider buying food from stores that offer healthy meals, like smoothie shops or restaurants with high-protein sandwiches.
3. Do Not Rely only on Supplements
I have seen many people who prefer supplements to gain weight instead of improving their diet. Well, we should consider the fact how some artificially produced pills can be more beneficial than natural foods.
Also, some fitness trainers suggest you take supplements, which can cause many health problems like insomnia, blood rush, aggressiveness, and hormonal disturbance. So, avoid taking supplements and try to consume homemade food containing similar calorie count and protein.
4. Consistency is the Key
Once you embark on your fitness journey, you have to stay consistent. Whether it’s losing or gaining weight, these procedures take enormous time, and to maintain the results, you have to be consistent about it even after achieving your goals.
5. Do Not Compromise on Your Sleep
To build muscles, sleep is as important as exercising. It is essential to relax your body and let the growth hormones do their work. When you are asleep, your body grows and heals itself naturally. So, it is an integral part of your journey to sleep adequately. You must sleep 7 to 9 hours a day and do not hesitate to take power naps whenever you feel the need.
My Sincere Recommendation as Your Fitness Guide
Sometimes, people lose unintended weight, and they think it is because of their eating habits. Well, this may be the case, but if you are going through unintended weight loss, I will suggest you see a doctor or dietitian.
Losing weight quickly may be possible because of any underlying problem you may not know about yet. Get yourself properly checked, and if possible, check your hormonal balance and thyroid.
Final Takeaway
As a fitness trainer, I understand how problematic gaining weight can be. It is as challenging as losing weight. But no worries. With the right incorporation of food and exercise, you can make it happen.
As a fitness enthusiast, I have provided useful tips on how to gain weight fast, considering my experiences. So, create a diet and workout plan for you and start working on it. In no time, you will see the results you are looking for! Have a happy fitness journey!
Frequently Asked Questions
How to gain weight in a week?
As I have said before, gaining weight quickly is not considered to be healthy. It is a long procedure, and you have to be patient in the weight gain journey. However, if you still want to gain weight fast, add extra calories to your meals. You can do it by topping your food with cheese, nut butter, or full-fat cream. Also, add drinks containing extra protein, like protein shakes, smoothies, and dry or liquid milk.
What beverages should I prefer to gain weight?
It is important to ensure that your beverages contain a high-calorie count to increase weight. To gain weight, use fortified milk and add flavored powders like Horlicks or Ovaltine. Also, consume smoothies and shakes containing dried fruits, nuts, or whey protein. You can also drink juices diluted with vitamin C twice a day. All these beverages will help you gain a healthy weight.
How many bananas a day can help me gain weight?
The quantity of bananas depends on your fitness goal. It contains a good amount of carbohydrates and calories, so eating one a day can be good. But if you want to gain weight quickly, you can add two to three bananas daily to your diet.
Do eggs help in gaining weight?
Eating eggs does not help in gaining weight; however, it is a healthy option for those struggling to lose weight. But if you eat more eggs than required, you will be in a caloric surplus and end up gaining weight.
What should I do to look bigger?
To look bigger, it is important to gain weight and muscles. For that purpose, I suggest you eat six meals a day and do exercises for muscle building. Also, it is important to eat more protein than regular.
