As all of your friends seem to be eating non-fat, low-calorie frozen meals to try to burn off the extra flab, you struggle to pack on even one extra pound. Unfortunately, fewer people seem to be as sympathetic to your plight and you can find only about one "gain weight" resource for every 100 "lose weight" resources you come across.
Eat Frequently
The basic way to gain 1 lb. a week through diet is to take in more 3,500 calories than you burn off, which translates to 500 calories per day. While you want to bulk up your meals, you don't want to eat past your levels of fullness. One way to add calories without overeating in one setting is to eat frequently throughout the day. Instead of eating three large meals, eat two to three calorie-dense snacks between meals. One example of a calorie-dense snack is peanut butter spread on celery sticks; just 1 tbsp. of peanut butter is 95 calories. If you add 100 calories to each meal you will eat an additional 500 to 600 calories per day.
Eat Healthy Fats
Skip out on unhealthy fats such as hydrogenated oils found in pre-packaged foods, but bulk up your meals with plenty of healthy fats such as the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from almonds, cashews, vegetable oil and peanut butter. For example, a handful of nuts can be a tasty snack or a way to add pizazz to a noodle dish or salad. Don't hesitate to add full fat dairy products to some of your meals. Add full-fat shredded cheese to your scrambled eggs and baked potatoes, drink whole milk and use butter on your vegetables.
Drink Your Calories
If you're having trouble adding calories to your meals, drink high-calorie beverages. Your local grocery store should carry pre-made nutritional supplement drinks as "instant breakfasts" as well as nutritional supplements for the elderly and for children. Alternately, make your own nutritional supplement drink by blending together ice, half-and-half, yogurt, peanut butter and bananas to your desired texture and flavor.
Protein and a Workout
When your muscle fibers are stimulated through weight training, they will grow and cause healthy weight gain in your body. However, your muscles require amino acids for growth and repair as you train with weights. To have sufficient fuel and to see maximum weight gain through weight training, you need to consume protein for fuel directly before your workout and protein for repair right after your workout. Find great sources of protein in egg whites, lean meat, fish, legumes and nuts. Also consider using protein powder in shakes for a post-workout boost. Talk to a registered dietitian to ensure that you are eating an appropriate ratio of protein to all of the other nutrients essential to a well-balanced diet.
References
- Diet Health Club: 5 Diet Tips to Gain Weight
- Center for Young Women's Health: Healthy Weight Gain for Teens
- Iron Magazine: 10 Things You Must Do to Gain Muscle Mass!
- The Diet Channel: Maximize Your Workout With Protein & Nutrition Timing
- Lucille Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford: High-Calorie / High-Protein Diet
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