Gaining weight can be as challenging as losing weight, especially for men. You want to add pounds in the form of muscle to help you look and feel healthy. Gorging on high-fat, high-calorie foods is not the best strategy for healthy weight gain. Just like losing weight, gaining weight is about following the right eating and exercise strategies.
Add Calories
To gain weight, you must eat a greater number of calories than you burn daily. You may feel like you are eating enough, but if the scale is not creeping upward, you simply are not taking in enough food. Several websites, such as MyPyramid Plan at MyPyramid.gov, can help you estimate your daily calorie burn. To that number, add 500 to 1,000 calories per day to gain 1 to 2 lb. per week. Some active young men may need more than 3,500 calories per day to gain weight.
Eat Often
Fitting in all the calories you need to gain weight can be challenging in just three meals. Between your primary meals, snack on mini-meals such as sandwiches made with calorie-dense peanut butter and whole wheat bread or smoothies made with fruit, nut butter, protein powder and soy milk. If you do not have time to prepare snacks, keep trail mix, nuts, dried fruit and low-fat cheese in your briefcase or backpack. Eat a bedtime snack as well, perhaps consisting of whole-grain cereal and milk or a meat and cheese sandwich.
Exercise
Weight training and light cardiovascular workouts can help stimulate your appetite. Muscle tissue weighs more than fat, so adding muscle automatically adds pounds. Consult a trainer to help you devise a program that is appropriate for your physical condition.
Focus on Calorie Density
Learn to identify high-calorie foods. Chunky soups, dense breads, pastas, whole-wheat pancakes and unsaturated fats such as nuts and plant oils contain significant calories per serving. While fruits and vegetables are important parts of any healthy diet, many are low in calories. Opt for starchy versions, such as baked sweet potatoes and steamed peas, which tend to have more calorie density per serving.
Write It Down
Consider keeping a food log to make sure you are hitting your daily calorie targets. A food log can help you recognize where you are making poor nutritional choices or inadvertently skipping meals. Once you understand where your pitfalls are, you can devise strategies to overcome them.
Member Comments