Which food is best for weight gain?
You must do it correctly if you’re underweight and want to gain weight.
Soda, doughnuts, and other junk foods may help you gain weight initially, but they can also raise your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer (1, 2, 3).
Rather than developing a lot of undesirable belly fat, a better approach to weight increase entails gaining a balanced quantity of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat (4).
A recent animal study reveals that abdominal obesity, in particular, may be associated with an increased risk of cancer (5).
Even if you are not overweight, a large proportion of body fat raises your risk of getting type 2 diabetes and other health concerns (6, 7).
To gain weight healthily, focus on eating more nutrient-dense meals and leading an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercising, getting adequate sleep, and, if possible, lowering stress.
This article explains how to acquire weight without swiftly increasing your risk of sickness.
Why is gaining weight necessary?
While over 74% of individuals in the United States are overweight or obese, numerous people still are underweight (8, 9).
Some people are inherently underweight owing to genetics or a quick metabolism. Being skinny might also indicate inadequate diet or underlying health problems (9).
Furthermore, many people who are not clinically underweight may wish to increase muscle and gain weight for other reasons.
The basic concepts are the same whether you are clinically underweight or want to acquire muscle weight.
What does it mean to be ‘underweight’?
Underweight is characterized as having a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5. This is believed to be less than the body mass required to maintain optimal health (10).
You can use this calculator to determine your BMI.
However, remember that the BMI scale, which solely considers weight and height, has several flaws. It does not weigh muscle mass.
Some people are naturally thin but healthy. Being underweight on this scale does not necessarily indicate that you have a health condition.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), women are almost twice as likely as males to be underweight. According to a US poll of men and women 20 years and older, 1.3% of men and 2% of women are malnourished (9).
Health risks linked to being underweight
Being underweight is terrible for your health.
According to one research, clinically underweight people had nearly double the chance of mortality as obese people, implying that being underweight may be worse for your health than being obese (11).
Furthermore, another study discovered that self-reported health outcomes declined dramatically in underweight people beyond the age of 38, indicating that a low BMI later in life may be associated with more significant health risks (12).
Being underweight can damage your immune system, increase your risk of infection, induce osteoporosis and fractures, and create reproductive issues (13, 14, 15, 16).
Furthermore, underweight persons are far more prone to develop sarcopenia (age-related muscular loss) and may be more vulnerable to dementia (17, 18).
Youngsters can also cause growth and development issues (19).
Causes of being underweight
Several medical problems can result in harmful weight reduction, including:
- Anorexia nervosa, a significant mental health illness, is one example of an eating disorder (20).
- Thyroid issues: An overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism) can increase metabolism and induce unhealthful weight loss (21).
- Celiac disease is the most severe form of gluten sensitivity. Celiac disease has become more common in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries (22).
- Diabetes: Uncontrolled diabetes (mainly type 1) can result in significant weight loss (23).
- Cancer: Cancer can cause the body to enter hypercatabolic, resulting in increased energy use. It can cause significant weight loss, although the severity and amount of weight loss depend on the kind of cancer and the person’s age. (24, 25)
- Infections: Certain infections might cause a person to lose weight. Parasites, TB, and HIV, are examples of this (26, 27, 28).
You should consult a doctor to rule out any major medical concerns if you are underweight.
This is especially crucial if you have begun shedding much weight without trying.
Different strategies for gaining weight
Whatever your motivation for wanting to acquire weight, there are some ways you may employ to bulk up.
We’ve included some methods to help you acquire weight below.
Increase your caloric intake
The essential thing you can do to acquire weight is to consume more calories than your body requires.
You may use this calorie calculator to figure out how many calories you need.
According to the calculator, if you want to gain weight slowly and consistently, aim for 300-500 calories more than you expend each day. If you’re going to gain weight quickly, aim for 700-1,000 calories more than your maintenance amount.
Remember that calorie calculators are simply estimations. Your daily calorie requirements may vary by several hundred calories.
You don’t have to count calories for the rest of your life, but it might be helpful for the first few days or weeks to get a sense of how many calories you’re consuming. There are plenty of excellent tools available to assist you.
Increase your protein intake
Adequate protein consumption from animal products is required for healthy growth, development, and human health (29).
A 2020 research of 23 people found that increasing protein intake increases lean muscle mass (30).
The RDA for protein is 1.0 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day to enhance skeletal and muscular development and physical strength in healthy people who engage in moderate to vigorous physical exercise (30).
Protein intake of up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day may be safe for healthy people, with a daily maximum of 3.5 grams per kilogram.
Examples include meat, fish, eggs, numerous dairy products, legumes, nuts, and other high protein foods. Protein supplements, such as whey protein can also be beneficial if you struggle to acquire enough protein in your diet.
On the other hand, protein may dramatically diminish your hunger and appetite, making it more challenging to consume enough calories (31).
Furthermore, consuming too much protein may raise your risk of heart disease (32).
Consult your doctor to determine if increasing your protein consumption would help you healthily attain your weight-gain goal.
Increase your intake of carbs and fat
When trying to reduce weight, many people try to restrict either carbohydrates or fat.
This may make it difficult to gain weight since consuming enough calories is more complicated.
If you want to gain weight, eat a lot of high carb and high fat meals. At each meal, consume sufficient protein, fat, and carbohydrates.
You should avoid eating programs like intermittent fasting. This eating plan can benefit weight reduction and other advantages, but it can make it much more challenging to consume enough calories to gain weight (33).
Eat at least three meals each day and aim to incorporate energy-dense snacks wherever feasible.
Increase your intake of energy-dense foods
It is critical to consume primarily whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.
However, these meals are more filling than processed junk foods, making it more challenging to consume adequate calories.
Using a variety of spices, sauces, and condiments can assist. The more delicious your meal is, the simpler it will be to consume a lot of it. Toppings may also provide calories.
Also, try to eat as many energy-dense meals as possible. These are foods that have a high calorie content with their weight.
Here are some energy-dense meals that may aid in weight gain
- Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and peanuts are examples of nuts.
- Raisins, dates, prunes, and other dried fruits
- Dairy products with high fat content, such as whole milk, full-fat yogurt, cheese, and cream
- Extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are examples of fats and oils.
- Grains, such as whole grains such as oats and brown rice
- Fattier cuts are also available for meat, such as chicken, beef, hog, and lamb.
- Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and yams are examples of tubers.
- Dark chocolate, avocados, peanut butter, coconut milk, cereal, and trail mix are all high in energy.
If gaining weight is a goal for you, you should limit your intake of veggies and fruits. Fruits and vegetables include fiber, which might help you feel fuller sooner. This may leave less room for high-energy items.
These nutritious meals may help you gain weight quickly if you’re looking for additional ideas.
10 quick tips
Combining a high calorie diet with intense resistance exercise may assist you in gaining weight (34).
However, there are also more methods for gaining weight quickly.
Here are some more weight-gain strategies:
- Drinking water before meals is not recommended. This might fill your stomach and make it challenging to consume adequate calories (35).
- Eat more frequently. Include an extra meal or snack whenever possible, such as before bed.
- Consume milk. To satisfy thirst, drinking whole milk might be an easy method to consume additional high-quality protein and calories.
- Consider weight gainer shakes. Consider weight gainer shakes if you’re having difficulties gaining weight. These are heavy in protein, carbohydrates, and calories.
- Make use of larger plates. To consume more calories, utilize larger dishes, while smaller containers may induce individuals to eat less (36).
- Pour some cream into your coffee. This is a straightforward approach to increasing the number of calories.
- Consider creatine. Creatine monohydrate, a muscle-building supplement, can help you acquire a few pounds of muscular mass (37).
- Get enough rest. Sleeping well is critical for muscular building (38).
- First, consume your protein and fat sources. If you have a variety of dishes on your plate, prioritize the calorie-dense and protein-rich foods. Last, consume more fiber meals such as fresh veggies.
- Avoid smoking, and if you do, think about stopping. Smokers often weigh less than nonsmokers and quitting smoking frequently increases weight (39).
How can I gain weight without overeating?
To gain weight, you will most likely need to consume more calories.
By beginning a resistance training routine, you may prevent overeating and ensure that the extra calories go to your muscles rather than your fat cells.
Resistance training, often known as strength training, consists of bodyweight exercises and free weights. Resistance exercise causes muscular hypertrophy, increasing muscle mass (34).
Combining protein supplementation with strength training can increase lean body mass more than resistance exercise alone.
Protein supplementation during resistance training for six weeks boosted lean mass gain by 27% in healthy people, according to one research (40).
If you’re entirely out of shape or new to training, consider hiring a certified personal trainer or enrolling in a class to help you get started.
You should see a doctor if you have bone difficulties or other medical complications.
To optimize muscle growth, resistance training should take precedence over cardio (41).
Cardio can assist enhance health and well-being, but you should avoid exercising so much that you wind up burning up all the extra calories you’re eating.
How long will it take to gain weight?
A person might acquire an average of 15 pounds (6.8 kg) over six months by ingesting 500 more calories every day (42).
A more robust technique of eating an extra 1,000 calories per day may allow a weight increase of roughly 25 pounds (11.4 kg) in 6 months. However, a significant weight gain might be due to fat (42).
Gaining weight can be difficult for some people, and the time it takes can vary depending on the individual.
That might be because your body has a weight where it feels comfortable, known as a setpoint. It’s thought that whether you try to go below your setpoint (reduce weight) or above it (increase weight), your body opposes change by controlling your appetite and metabolic rate (43).
When you consume more calories and gain weight, your body may react by suppressing your appetite and increasing your metabolism. This might be handled mainly through your brain and weight-regulating chemicals like leptin (43).
However, researchers have yet to establish or disprove their notion, requiring additional study (43).
As a result, you may face some trouble.
The bottom line
There are several reasons why people wish to acquire weight.
It is critical to accomplish so by eating nutritious meals and growing lean muscular mass.
Changing your weight is ultimately a marathon, not a sprint. It may take some time, and you must be consistent if you want to be successful in the long term.
If you’re having trouble gaining weight after attempting the above measures, it’s time to consult a doctor or a dietician. A dietician may assist you in developing dietary practices that will help you attain your goal.
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