How to gain weight healthily: 7 tips
When you diet to gain weight, you must consume more calories than your body expends. You should therefore eat at least every 3 hours, avoiding skipping meals and adding healthy, nutritious and fatty foods to each serving, such as olive oil, fruit smoothies, oatmeal, avocado and nuts.
However, although this high-calorie diet is clearly aimed at making you gain weight, it is important to choose your foods wisely and avoid all highly processed products such as chips, sodas and sauces. This is not a healthy way to go because these foods are high in sugars and saturated fats, which will make you gain fat and lead to triglyceride, cholesterol and heart disease issues.
So what can you do to gain weight in a healthy way?
Here are our 7 key tips for successful healthy weight gain:
To start, the ideal is to gain muscle mass while losing fat in order to feel better in front of the mirror and improve your well-being and your health. To do this, you need a balanced diet and physical activity tailored to your goal.
#1. Include protein in your meals and snacks
The most important thing is nutrition, in other words it is your eating habits that will allow you to have the energy necessary for your workouts and to gain weight. For this, the best thing to do is to include protein in all your meals of the day, this way you will have constant levels of amino acids in your blood throughout the day, which will help your muscles to repair themselves and become stronger after each workout.
Some of the protein foods you can eat include meats, eggs, fish, dairy products, grains, and legumes. Snacks are important, but you still have to choose the best ones for your health and limit yourself to reasonable portions. We recommend smoothies with banana, oatmeal, peanut butter and almond milk, or cottage cheese with almonds and dried cranberries. That way, you'll get the protein, calories, and fat you need in each dish to get you closer to your goal.
No. 2. Eat every 3 hours
The idea for healthy weight gain is to increase your calorie intake throughout the day so that when you exercise you don't lose all your calories. As mentioned earlier, every meal should contain some protein for effective muscle mass gain.
Start your day with breakfast. Then plan a small snack 3 hours later. Lunch at noon followed by a snack at 4 p.m. End your day with dinner at 7 p.m., for example. Choosing to eat 5-6 times a day can be a great way to gain healthy weight, especially if you're struggling to eat all the calories you need in a single meal.
No. 3. Eat only good fats
It is important to avoid eating processed foods as much as possible. What we call “fat” are lipids. They have a bad reputation, yet essential to our health. But it is important to know how to recognize the “good fats” from the “ bad ones ” .
The fats your body needs, i.e. unsaturated fatty acids, are found in large quantities in nuts, peanuts, almonds, coconut, avocados, olive oil, fatty fish (salmon...), flaxseed oil or seeds. They will help you increase the calories in your diet without harming your body. By adding these foods to your morning smoothies and snacks, you can enjoy a naturally rich and balanced diet.
#4. Exercise daily
Proteins, good fats and eating three times a day must be accompanied by exercise because it is exercise that will help you define and transform the fat consumed into muscle. We recommend that you have a good physical routine at least 3-5 times a week. Strength training seems to be the smartest choice to promote mass gain because it allows you to gain muscle and improve your metabolism.
Leave aside all your prejudices about women who do bodybuilding , dumbbells are not reserved for men and you will not look like them! You will simply tone up and gain muscle mass. As the days pass, we assure you that you will enjoy the results.
No. 5. Drink water
Water is essential, you must consume at least 2.5 liters a day, it is essential when you want to gain muscle mass. The reason for this is that hypertrophy, which is basically the increase in muscle cells, will only have a positive result if those cells are well hydrated.
Don't forget that soft drinks and fruit juice cartons don't count! Also avoid drinking water while eating, as it can interfere with your intake. So be sure to drink between each meal and why not download mobile applications to help you respect and consume your 8 to 10 glasses of water per day.
No. 6. Eat fruits and vegetables every day
Fruits and salads should be part of your everyday, every day. Salads are great for lunch and dinner to help increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in your body. This will help your metabolism work and help you gain weight and muscle mass.
The fruits are to be consumed fresh, in the form of smoothies or dried fruits, include them in snacks or as desserts. Their sugar is not harmful, but it should not be abused. It is advisable to eat the whole fruit, in order to make the most of all its benefits.
No. 7. Avoid fast food
It should be clarified that it is not necessary to eliminate foods from your diet, it is simply better not to consume them constantly (especially fast foods). Your diet should be 80% based on natural ingredients only, which provide you with vitamins, minerals, good fats and natural sugar.
FAQs:
1: Why can't I gain weight?
Several factors can contribute to difficulty gaining weight, such as high basal metabolic rate, genetics, level of physical activity, stress, and underlying medical conditions. To gain weight in a healthy way, it is important to increase calorie intake, eat nutritious foods, and exercise regularly to stimulate muscle growth. It is recommended to consult a medical professional to identify the underlying causes of the difficulty in gaining weight.
