Over half of the women in America are either obese or overweight. Notwithstanding, you might be surprised to find out that there are just as many women with the problem of being underweight. Now you might be thinking because being overweight makes you unhealthy, being skinny will make you healthy. However, being underweight could come with some major health concerns, prompting the need to gain more weight. Apart from the health concerns, you might also be skinny and simply want to stack up some pure muscle. Whichever way, the principles of gaining weight is the same thing. In this article, we have outlined some safe ways to gain more weight faster.
How to Gain Weight the Safe and Healthy Way
They say “anything worth doing at all is worth doing well”; and this does not exclude gaining weight. If you resolve to gain weight by taking junk food like donuts and soda, then you might have just been better off being underweight. While these junk foods might help you put on weight (a lot), they can have a diverse effect on your health in the process. You might be surprised to find out that there are a lot of normal weight women out there with heart disease, type 2 diabetes and basically all other illnesses that are associated with obesity. Moreover, it is very important that you approach the weight gaining process with a generally healthy lifestyle.
Below are some of the best ways to gain weight quickly and healthily:
Try to Maintain A Caloric Surplus Diet.
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When gaining weight, you need to ensure you consume more than enough calories for the body, In other words, maintain a caloric surplus (more calories in, fewer calories out) diet. Without this principle, there is absolutely no way you will gain more weight. If you intend to develop more weight steadily and slowly, a good idea will be to consume between 300 and 500 calories more than you burn daily. But if you want to fast track the process, consider consuming between 700 and 1000 calories more than you burn daily. Keep in mind; you won’t be keeping track of your calorie intake forever, for the first few weeks, however, it pays to understand how much calories you consume averagely.
Consume More Protein
An essential nutrient that enhances healthy weight gain is protein. Without protein, you might just be racking up abundant body fat since muscles are developed from it. According to research; an overfeeding diet if dominated with protein can cause most of the fat developed to transform into muscle.
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However, it is important to understand that protein works both ways at once. Apart from its muscle development properties, it can be quite filling and quench your appetite a lot. In turn lack of appetite can lead to lesser calories. If you want to gain more weight, try to consume between 1.5 and 2.2g of protein per kg. If your calorie consumption is high, however, you can simply go over that value.
Some foods containing lots of protein you should consider including eggs, fish, meats, nuts, legumes and more into your daily diet. Some of the best workout supplements for women could also help if you’re finding it hard to take enough protein.
Eat at Least Thrice Daily and Include Fat and Carbs with Your Meal in Abundance
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A lot of women like restricting fats or carbs from their diet when attempting to lose weight (which is generally a good idea) or when avoiding tummy fat. However, if your goal is to gain more weight, then you might want to consider taking more fat and carbs to gain more calories. A perfect diet for you (when gaining weight) will be a combination of high fat, carbs, and protein foods. Also, do not engage yourself in intermittent fasting. Although this will make you lose weight faster, it will in no way contribute to your weight gaining attempt.
Include A Lot of Energy-Dense Foods With Condiments, Sauces, and Spices
Nobody will deny the fact that eating whole, single-ingredient foods are always a good idea. But when it comes to gaining weight, you might want to stay away from them due to their stomach filling properties. There is another way, however; adding a lot of sauces, condiments, and spices to the food. It is much easier to gain an appetite and eat more food when the food is tasty. Also, include a lot of energy-dense (foods with a lot of calories in relation to their weight) foods wherever possible.
Enhance Your Strength and Muscles by Lifting Weights
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To ensure the excess calories are not just adding up as body fat but as strong and healthy muscles, it is essential that you lift weights regularly. Just register at a gym and lift between two-four times every week. Remember; you either go hard or you go home. If you are a newbie to training or are just a long way off from shape, then consider hiring the services of a personal trainer. Also, try to visit a doctor for consultation on any special concerns you might need to have on the body.
It will be ideal if you focus more on lifting weights rather than cardio. While cardio might improve well-being and fitness, it will also burn up every additional calorie you might have been consuming.
Related Article: 6 Simple Exercises to Build Perfect Booty
For some women, gaining weight can be a very hard task. This is because the body is usually comfortable at a certain weight. Whether you are looking to go below or over your weight set point, your body will continually attempt to resist your effort by regulating your metabolic rate and hunger levels. When you gain weight and eat more calories, your body will most likely respond by increasing your metabolism and decreasing your appetite. This is mostly initiated by the brain or body regulating hormones like leptin.
As a result, you shouldn’t expect to find the process easy. Sometimes you might need to force yourself to eat even if you’ve been stuffed. A popular saying for women looking to lose weight is “weight loss is not a sprint, it is a marathon”; well, this saying applies to weight gain as well. It might take some time, but with consistency, success can be yours in the long run.
Disclaimer: All images are provided by the author.
About the Author:
Emily is the founder of BodyShape101.com, a blog where she and her associates talk about exercise, fitness, and yoga. Their aim is to help people like you to achieve the perfect body. BodyShape101 has concentrated on exercise & fitness tips and making the most out of it. She is also a mother of one and she tries to find the balance between her passion and her biggest joy in life.