How To Gain Weight - Tips To Pack On Size & Get Big Safely & Effectively

Contrast to common trends, there are many individuals who enter gyms with goals to gain weight and not to lose it.  As certified fitness professionals, we are frequently asked questions about the best methods of gaining muscle, bulking up and not gaining fat in the process.  To help you on your way, I recommend the following suggestions for gaining weight and getting big without packing on fat.

#1. There are two basic ways to gain body weight:

• Consume more calories than you burn off (diet)
• Burn off  less calories than you consume (exercise)

#2. To gain weight, you will have to take in more calories than your body will burn up during exercise.

#3. A pound of body weight equals ,3500 calories.  So, in order to gain a pound, you will need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body uses.

#4. Realistically, you can gain about one or two pounds in a week if you consume 500 to 1,000 extra calories every day.

#5. You must eat at least three balanced meals a day and preferably 5-6 meals a day.

#6. Eat daily servings from the four basic food groups:

Cereals and Breads - 4 servings
This important food group contains those foods made from flour and whole grains.  They contain from 7 to 14 percent protein and 75 percent carbohydrate, making them primarily an energy source. 

Fruits and Vegetables - 4 servings
Most fruits do not contribute greatly to the caloric or protein intake but as a source of vitamins and minerals, they are extremely important.

Dairy Products - 3 servings
High quality proteins and high content of calcium and phosphorus make milk and other dairy products an important part of a balanced diet.

Meat, Poultry, and Fish. - 2 servings
This food group is the main contributor of protein to our diet.  Generally meat is 20-25 percent protein with variable percentages of fat depending on the cut of meat.  Poultry does not differ between the varieties available, as much as other meats.  All types of foul give approximately the same nutritional contributions in our diet.  Fish and sea food do not differ that much from the other meat group, except there is less fat content in most fish than in beef.  Eggs tend to be easily digested and the proteins are about 98 percent absorbed.  An average egg contains about 13 percent protein and about 12 percent fat.

*Notice that with eight servings coming from grain products and fruits and vegetables, allows for most of the increased calorie intake to come from carbohydrates.

#7. Eat larger portions at each of your meals.

#8. Have snacks between each your meals that are high calorie and also rich in nutrients. Focus on eating foods like nuts, dried fruits and cheese.

#9. Avoid eating snacks between meals that are high in calories, but low in nutrients.  If you do eat them, do not substitute them for nutrient rich foods.  Some high calorie, low nutrient foods include cakes, pies, cookies, salty snack foods and doughnuts.

#10. Start your day off right by eating a quality and hearty breakfast.

#11. Try to eat a good healthy snack before you go to bed each night.

#12. Remember to weight train because the weight you do gain needs to be lean muscle mass.

GAINING MUSCLE INSTEAD OF FAT
To put on muscle, you need to eat extra calories.  But common sense tells us that if we take in extra calories and don’t exercise, you will gain fat.  Strength training will use the extra calories to stimulate muscle cells to grow.  A good way to see if you have gained muscle and not fat is to measure your percentage of body fat before and after you start your weight training program.

Remember the key to success with any goal whether gaining or losing weight is to be consistent, work hard, and set realistic goals.  I hope that this article answered your questions. Best of luck on your quest to gain weight and get big.

By Dusty DeStefano