Updated: 07/30/2019
In This Article
About 2/3 of people in the United States are either obese or overweight. However, there are also lots of people with the opposite problem of being too skinny. We often talk about weight loss problems, but there are also lean people who want to gain several pounds in this world. Being thin is not always a great feeling. This article will show you some of the best ways on how to gain weight fast and safely for women and men. These ways not only help you gain body weight but also make you look fit and healthy.
- Foods that make you gain weight
- Cheap healthy foods for weight loss & energy
- Natural herbs for weight loss
Some Ways How To Gain Weight Fast & (Some) Safely For Women & Men
I. Diet Tips For Weight Gain
Focusing on eating food is a great way on how to gain weight fast. Follow some of the diet tips below:
1. Healthy Fats
Generally speaking, good fats are essential for the production of hormones, such as testosterone[1] and for muscle growth. This is necessary for the strength and growth of muscles[2] [3]. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good fats that can be obtained from salmon, nuts, leafy veggies, avocado oil, flaxseed oil, and many seeds. Besides, healthy fats are a rich source of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids.
2. Add Calories To Your Diet
Everything you consume contains some calorie content. You consume foods with fewer calories to reduce weight, whereas you need to eat foods with more calories to gain body weight. Foods rich in proteins and calories easily help you gain and maintain weight[5]. Eat more calories rich foods such as pulses, cereals, bread, meat, rice, nuts, and dry fruits. Include vegetables such as French beans, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, carrots, lettuce, asparagus, spinach, eggplants, and pumpkins in your diet. You can also add olive oil in generous amounts to your salads. Also, increase the intake of dairy products to add calories to your regular diet. Avoid cereal bars or fast food.
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3. Raise The Number Of Meals
Consuming 6 meals per day, and eating every 3-4 hours will help to maintain consistent energy levels in the body.
What To Do
- For breakfast: Consume a full bowl of whole grain cereal, whole grain toasted bread with butter and fruit.
- For snacks: Have fruits and nuts, cheese sandwiches or boiled veggies with cream.
4. High Proteins And Calories
Only calories will not help you gain body weight. You need to add the right quantity of proteins to your diet. Proteins consist of amino acids that are the building blocks of muscles. They will provide you with enough protein to build and tone muscles, helping weight gain[8]. Foods, rich in proteins, include eggs, fish, lean meat, skinless pulses, sprouts, chicken, and low-fat dairy products. Besides, fish such as mackerel and tuna are loaded with healthy fats and are also one of the excellent ways on how to gain weight.
5. Weight Gain Supplements
In a few cases, just the exercise and diet can’t bring results as fast as you expect. Adding some additional supplements to your diet is another method to go about this. In this case, including some supplements, such as whey protein, helps with the body and muscle mass development[9]. Whey protein is a popular supplement that you can add to smoothies or milk.
II. How To Gain Weight Fast & Safely For Skinny Women & Guys In The Right Ways
A. How To Gain Weight For Women
For some females, gaining body weight may be difficult. However, there are lots of ways to gain one to two pounds per week safely and efficiently. More frequent meals and larger portion sizes are some fast tips to add extra calories to your day. Aim for high calorie, nutrient-dense foods to fill out the meals. Remember to incorporate lifestyle changes and healthy workouts into your routine to keep your weight under check.
1. Changing Your Eating Habits
You should learn how to change your lifestyle and manage your eating habits for weight gain aim[10].
- Take an additional 500 calories a day. It’s safe to gain around 1 to 2 pounds weekly. To achieve this goal, you need to include an extra 500 calories in your daily diet. Eating more nutrient-dense foods is the healthiest method to do this. You should write down everything you consume and how much exercise you perform. Record your weight once per week. Talk with a registered dietitian or doctor to determine your proper weight.
- If you do not like larger meals, consume several small meals. For some people, consuming larger portion sizes can’t be an appealing choice[6]. Try eating six small meals all day. These meals may consist of breakfast, lunch, dinner, and three snacks.
- Before hitting the bed, indulge in a snack. If you eat a small meal or snack before your bedtime, your body can’t burn it off before sleeping. Besides, during sleep, your body builds more muscle, helping to gain body weight[11]. Having a snack before sleeping provides the body with the nutrients necessary for building more lean muscle. Try to eat a bowl of cheese or pasta and crackers if you like savory foods. You can also consume a serving of ice cream, a bowl of fruit, or several pieces of chocolate.
- Avoid drinking half an hour before each meal. Liquids may fill you up, which in turn makes it harder to finish a full meal[12] [13].
- Before eating meals, promote your appetite. There are lots of things you can perform to feel hungrier before you eat. A few simple ways to increase your appetite are:
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- Eat in a comfortable, calm atmosphere. If you are distracted or tense, you may not want to consume as much.
- Before meals, take a short walk or exercise can assist you in feeling hungrier.
2. Choosing The Right Drinks And Foods
- Consume nutrient-dense and high-calorie foods[14]. Processed food and fast food may be full of calories, but they supply empty calories that do not hold many useful nutrients. Nutrient-dense foods possess more calories, along with more good fats, minerals, vitamins, and protein. For vegetables, eat corn, peas, winter squash, and potatoes. Within the dairy group, choose cheese, frozen yogurt, ice cream, and whole milk. For fruits, eat bananas, raisins, pineapples, avocados, and dried fruits. When it comes to grains, choose bread such as pumpernickel and whole wheat. Whole wheat bread, wheat germ, and bran muffins are also good options.
- If you want to build muscles, you need to consume more protein[15]. Building muscle is an excellent way to gain weight. Protein aids your body in building muscle mass. Eggs and lean meats are abundant in protein. A few good vegetarian choices include nuts, peas, beans, and hummus. Protein shakes and bars make for great snacks since they comprise extra protein together with other nutrients.
- Add extra ingredients to your meals. You can stir nutritious, high-calorie powders, or foods into your preferred meals to add extra calories. Some great tips are:
- Sprinkle nuts on your cereal or salad
- Spread butter, cream cheese, or nut butter on crackers, toast, or rolls
- Stir powdered milk into soups, stews, beverages, and sauces
- Sprinkle cheese on your soups, casseroles, scrambled eggs, sandwiches, and salads
- Stir ground flaxseed into cereals, salads, and smoothies
- Do not consume one type of food when consuming a meal or snack, add protein to each meal. For instance, don’t just consume toast, try to top it with peanut butter and add sliced bananas on top. If you eat eggs in the morning, try to scramble them with pepper & sausage. You may also add fruit to protein-containing foods: don’t just eat a cup of yogurt, try sprinkling berries and granola on top.
- Cook with butter and oil. Cooking foods in butter and oil will increase the total number of calories of a dish without including more food on your plate. You can cook with olive oil, coconut oil, butter, or canola oil. Please be mindful that if you have a tendency to develop high cholesterol, it won’t be beneficial to you to consume higher amounts of saturated fat, such as the fat found in butter.
- Try to drink protein-rich drinks in between your meals if you cannot stomach a snack Avoid juices and sodas. Protein shakes, smoothies, and milk are good options.
3. Adjusting Your Lifestyle
- Deal with any underlying medical issues. Certain conditions and medications may make it hard to gain weight. So, make sure you are treating your medical condition. Check with a doctor to find suitable options for you.
- Talk to your registered dietitian because she or he can assist you in designing meal plans to achieve your weight aim healthily. Also, they can provide advice about stimulating your appetite or exercises.
- Quit smoking because smoking can suppress your appetite and affect your sense of smell and taste[10]. If you can’t quit smoking, try avoiding smoking for one or two hours before eating a meal.
- Begin strength training to build your muscle. Strength training is particularly good since it helps to build your muscles[18] [19], thus allowing you to gain weight. You can also practice body weight exercises such as Pilates or yoga. Avoid too much aerobic exercise or cardio, as they may inhibit you from gaining weight[20] [21]. Good strength training exercises are squats, overhead presses, deadlifts, bench presses, dips, chin-ups, barbell rows, crunches, leg presses, bicep curls, and leg curls.
B. How To Gain Weight For Men
Gaining weight can be a challenge for some men. The key to gain weight quickly is to stick to a workout routine and eat more every day. You can reach your weight aims and enhance your self-confidence by being persistent and committed.
1. By Eating
- Eat more than three meals a day. Eat not just when you are hungry throughout the day. To gain weight fast, aim to eat five meals per day[11]. You can eat snacks such as dense granola bars, bananas, and peanut butter because they pack in calories.
- At every meal, eat plenty of calories[14]. Consuming five low-calorie and small meals is not going to cut it; they have got to be big and high in calories. Eat a restaurant-sized meal with big portions of meat, a carbohydrate, and vegetables.
- Opt for whole foods packed with nutrients. Eat food that is rich in nutrients to gain healthy weight. While you can easily gain weight by eating large pizzas daily and drinking sugary sodas, this can cause you to gain fat and harm your metabolism. Try the following when you are selecting food to eat:
- Look for unprocessed foods[22]. For example, instead of instant oatmeal, you can choose old-fashioned oatmeal. Instead of breaded and fried chicken, choose baked chicken.
- Cook as many meals from scratch as possible. Stay away from getting frozen dinners, snack foods, and fast food, which come with an abundant amount of sugar, salt, and other fillers without nutrition.
- Drink plenty of water daily because water intake will assist your body in processing the extra calories and protein you are taking in. Consume some glasses with every meal to stay away from getting dehydrated. Also, you can consume unsweetened tea, flavored water, and other healthy beverages. Avoid overconsumption of Gatorade together with other sports drinks because they consist of a lot of sugar (although there are low-sugar and zero sugar options of these kinds of drinks).
- Focus on lean protein, whole grain carbohydrates, and unsaturated fats, since these macronutrients will aid you in gaining weight.
- Proteins: eggs; tuna, salmon, and other fish; pork chops, pork roast, and ham; lean beef burgers and steaks; chicken breasts and thighs, and bison
- Fats: Olive oil, cold-pressed canola oil, safflower oil, grapeseed oil, and coconut oil; avocados, almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds.
- Carbohydrates: Fruits and vegetables; lentils, peas, and beans; honey; whole grain bread, brown rice, whole grain pasta and other whole grain products, etc.
2. By Building Muscle Mass
- Focus on weight training because it is a fantastic way to get bigger[18] [19]. It is an exercise form designed to make the muscle stronger and larger. You can practice this exercise at home or a gym. Do it a few times per week. You can also do resistance exercises, which work the muscles without using weights.
- Do training workout various muscle groups. It is best to spend equal time working out the arms, chest, back, legs, and abdomen. Plan out your week; and thus, you can aim each muscle group evenly.
- Enjoy a protein shake instantly after each workout. Studies show that every shake is perfect for improving your endurance while exercising[23] [24]. After exercising, have a banana, a sports energy shake, a pinch of dried fruit instantly, etc.
- Allow your muscles to rest between exercise sessions. This way is important to help the muscles get stronger and bigger. Remember to wait at least two days before you work the same muscle again. Besides, you need to get 8-9 hours of sleep nightly for optimum gains.
3. By Knowing What To Avoid
- Limit cardio sessions[20] [21]. You are using up energy that can be instead funneled toward the growth of muscle when you run, swim, bike, and perform other cardio exercises. When you are trying to gain weight, limit your cardio to twenty to thirty minutes every day. You can also select lower-intensity exercises such as hiking or walking.
- Avoid getting stuck in a rut. Your body can adapt quickly; thus, if you do not change your exercise routine occasionally, you’ll hit a plateau. Alter your routine once a week. You can decrease or increase the number of sets or reps, or simply alter the order in which you do your routines.
- Don’t neglect signs you’re training too hard or gaining too fast. If you undergo an injury during a workout, see a doctor immediately. Before taking any supplements, ask your physician.
III. Surprising Home Remedies For Weight Gain
Below are some of the natural home remedies to gain weight quickly without too much effort.
1. Mango
Mango is a juicy, delicious fruit that is chock-full of vitamins and minerals. It is also free from cholesterol, fat, and sodium[25]. Your body will store the fructose from this fruit as fat and energy. Consequently, it aids you in putting on weight. However, eating mangoes alone won’t aid weight gain. You must eat them with milk.
What To Do
- Simply, consume a mango milkshake two times every day for a month.
- You can also take a ripe mango and eat it followed by one glass of milk. Repeat this process twice or thrice per day for around one month.
Side Effects Of Mangoes
Certain people are allergic to mangoes. These allergies can include food hypersensitivity, contact dermatitis, etc.
2. Egg
Eggs are high in fat, protein, and calories, which help increase weight naturally. The fat in eggs provides energy while the protein aids the building blocks of the muscles and body. They are also high in Omega-3 fats[26] [27] that aid in body cell health and joint mobility.
What To Do
Take the 3-4 eggs and eat their egg part every day. You can eat scrambled egg whites or egg-white omelets for breakfast every day for a minimum of one month.
Cautions
Don’t eat raw eggs because they can lead to serious health problems.
3. Beans
Beans are perfect for gaining weight, as they are rich in calories. Along with that, they are also full of fiber, carbohydrates, and protein[29]. You can eat them as a snack or eat at any time of the day.
What To Do
To gain weight, you can consume a variety of beans such as red beans, black beans, soybeans, lima beans, kidney beans, and lentils. Make bean salad or bean soup and enjoy them fresh every day for 1-2 months.
Side Effects Of Beans
The fiber in beans helps to move food through your intestines, thus preventing constipation. Too many beans can sometimes cause diarrhea.