If you’re underweight or are looking to gain weight; perhaps in the wake of an upcoming competition, perhaps to make a certain weight category, this is the article for you.
Whilst many people turn to a fitness journey to lose weight, tone up or increase their stamina, many also look to alter their diet and lifestyle in order to gain weight healthily. It’s important to make sure you’re at a healthy weight to maintain a strong immune system to ensure that you can fight off any infections and maximise your performance both physically and mentally.
If you’re embarking on a weight gain journey, we’re sure that you have a lot of very valid questions circling round your mind, such as “how long does it take to gain weight?”, “how many calories do I need to gain weight” or maybe even perhaps “how can I gain weight healthily?”. If that sounds familiar, we’ve got all the information you need to help you on your weight gain journey.
How to gain weight healthily
Here at Innermost, when members of our community approach us with a particular fitness goal, our main concern is ensuring that the methods you employ to reach this goal is healthy – and when gaining weight, that goal is no different.
Gaining weight healthily is all about tailoring your diet and lifestyle to maximise your potential in this area. We’re talking a tailored diet plan, nutritious food groups to target, and of course, a good exercise routine.
Some people may be fooled by the idea that you’d want to avoid exercise when trying to gain weight – and we can of course forgive you for thinking this. The reality is, in fact, that partaking in regular exercise, particularly weight and strength training, is a vital area of weight gain and a real area of focus when it comes to gaining weight healthily.
Our top tips: here’s how-to put-on weight
There are a range of ways to put on weight, but if you follow the below tips and tricks and implement these into your lifestyle, you’ll definitely start to see a difference.
- Eat more frequently (and don’t forget to snack!)
- Don’t forget to exercise
- Introduce smoothies and shakes to your diet
- Include strength training to your routine
- Ensure you’re getting the right nutrients in your diet
Is protein good for weight gain?
Absolutely. Protein is potentially the most important nutrient that you need to be getting into your diet if healthy weight gain is your goal. We’re talking meats, eggs, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and all those other goodies. You might be surprised to hear that baked beans are a really great source of protein, too!
What are the best foods for healthy weight gain?
There are a range of healthy foods you should be including in your diet to maximise your potential when it comes to gaining weight healthily.
To guide you on your journey, we’ve listed some of our favourite examples below:
- Nuts, legumes and seeds
- Cheese and dairy products
- Peanut butter
- Dried fruits
- Avocados (these are a great source of healthy fats)
- Portions of lean meat
- Cows milk
- Fish and seafood
- Eggs
- Smoothies
And at last, but by no means least… protein shakes. If you're not already including a high quality protein powder into your diet, now is the time to start. That’s where The Strong Protein comes in.
The aim of the game here is to up your intake of healthy calories. Whilst you may think that high-carb, high-sugar foods and snacks are the way to go, remember, we want to maintain a healthy diet and lifestyle. So, whilst you can still eat these food types in moderation, remember that these types of foods are still bad for you, and whilst they will inevitably make you put on weight, that’s not a healthy way to do so.
How long does it take to gain weight?
This question is one that we can’t really answer, and it’s important not to become discouraged if others are seeing results quicker than you are. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. There is no real way to gain weight healthily if your primary goal is to gain weight fast.
Our advice here is to gradually start adding additional calories to your day, with a good ball-park being around 500 extra. Again, whilst everyone is different, implementing this extra amount daily can amount to someone gaining up to nearly 7kg within 6 months, which is a great rate of growth.
Summary
Whatever your fitness goal, there is always a solution, plan and strategy that can be put in place to help you get there.
That being said, If you feel like you are struggling with your weight, your relationship between your weight, or that with food, please know that you are not alone. There are a range of organisations and charities that you can get in touch with to assist you with this, and it’s a lot more common than you think.
You can find help with weight gain, weight management and more from the following organisations:
