Being that weight loss is such a hot topic of conversation in the media, weight gain is often overlooked. In actuality, there are many people that are skinny and want to "bulk up." If you fall into the thinner category, there's a healthy and unhealthy way to pack on pounds. The healthiest ways take discipline and the similar hard work that it takes for weight loss.
Calorie Dense Foods
Eating healthy is a mandatory feature of gaining weight. Sure it's true that foods like deep fried onions, doughnuts, sausages, hot dogs and hot fudge sundaes are high in calories, but they are also high in saturated fat, sodium and cholesterol. Avoiding these foods is the determining factor between healthy and unhealthy weight gain. The foods you want to include in your diet are low in saturated fat and high in energy density, or calories. Include foods like fruits, dried fruits, starchy vegetables, beans, lean meats, fish, poultry, whole grains and whole grain products, dairy, nuts and seeds.
Calorie Increase
According to the Centers for Disease Control, you can lose one to two pounds a week by reducing your daily intake by 500 to 1,000 calories. If you want to gain weight, do the complete opposite. Determine your daily average intake and add 500 to 1,000 calories to it. If you need help determining calorie amounts and keeping track of your intake, refer to an online resource like The Daily Plate.
Multiple Meals
When you are trying to eat extra calories, it can be tough to fit them in with your standard three square meals a day. To make it easier on yourself, eat meals every two to three hours throughout the day, starting first thing in the morning. With each meal, combine complex carbs and protein to balance them out. Two turkey breast sandwiches on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and low-fat mayo is a meal example.
Smoothies
Another way to facilitate extra calorie intake is by making healthy, high-calorie smoothies. To do this, you will need a blender, frozen fruit, fresh fruit, ice cubes, flavored soy milk, regular milk, granola, nut butters, frozen yogurt, regular yogurt and protein powder. A simple chocolate-peanut-butter-banana smoothie can exceed 700 calories. Add 16 oz. of chocolate soy milk, one frozen banana, two tablespoons of peanut butter, one scoop of chocolate protein powder and three ice cubes to the blender and mix thoroughly to create this smoothie.
Exercise
Exercise is another important aspect of weight gain, but it needs to be done right. High amounts of cardio can keep your body thin. If you choose to do cardio at all, keep it short and simple--two to three days, 20 to 30 minutes and a light to moderate intensity. Weight training is where you can pack on pounds. More specifically, focus your attention on compound exercises. Unlike isolation exercises, compound exercises involve more than one muscle and joint simultaneously. The end result of doing these exercises is a high recruitment of muscle fibers and more size. Bench presses, shoulder presses, bent-over rows, dips, chin-ups and squats are examples. When doing these, use the heaviest weights you can handle and perform eight to 12 repetitions and three to four sets. To give your muscles adequate recovery time, take two days off in between your workouts.
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