Hardgainers typically find it difficult getting enough calories to gain weight and build muscle. The secret to consuming enough calories is to choose calorie dense foods. You have to be eating lots of high calorie foods and beverages or you will be fighting an uphill battle.
Gaining weight doesn’t have to be a struggle if you are eating the right kind of calories. This can be changed if you begin to analyze your daily diet plan to include more calorie dense foods. Let me explain more about calorie density.
What are High Density or Calorie Dense Foods
High density foods are foods which (measure by volume) contain a high number of calories per serving. Calorie dense foods tend to be high in fat and/or sugar due to the fact that all proteins and all carbohydrates contain four calories per gram whilst all fats contain nine calories per gram. Moreover, some foods are more “calorie concentrated” then others as they contain less water content etc. Let me explain.
Visualize two kitchen measuring cups side by side (both the same size); one filled with chopped cucumber and one filled with raisins. Each cup now contains exactly the same VOLUME of food, right? But did you know that the cup of raisins has 37 times more calories? That’s right! The cup of cucumbers contains 14 calories, while the cup of raisins contains a whopping 520 calories. If cucumbers and raisins both have four calories per gram, then how could this be? The answer has to do with calorie density. The cucumbers have a lower calorie density because they have a higher fiber and water content. The calories in the raisins are more “concentrated”.
Typical calorie dense foods include things like fatty meats, salami, candy bars, rice crackers, cookies, potato chips, anything which is fried, cola, beer (although there is low calorie beers on the market nowadays) and ice-cream. These are all examples of high calorie foods and drinks because they are high in sugar and/or fat.
When making adjustments to your weight gain diet plan to include more calories, do so in a healthy manner. Don’t just look to be consuming more calories, look at the nutrition value of foods. Let me give an example. We all know fruits and vegetables and nutritionally very good for us.
Fibrous carbohydrates and vegetables such as lettuce, asparagus, cucumber, and broccoli are very low calorie foods. This is because these vegetables are high in fiber and your body has a hard time absorbing the caloric content of fiber. These types of vegetables also have a high water content.
So now let’s look at some “calorie dense” foods which will help pack on the pounds. Leave the vegetables in the pantry if you want to gain weight, and replace them with simple carbohydrates such as fruits which have a higher calorie density. This is because simple carbs are more concentrated and they contain less fiber. Fruit juice is even more concentrated then eating the fruit itself. Instead of having the one medium size orange, which contains about 60 calories, drinking a glass of orange juice will serve you better as it contains about 160 calories. Fruit and fruit juice therefore make a great addition to a weight gain program.
Complex carbohydrates (starches) such as whole grains, pasta, cereals, beans, potatoes and rice also have higher calorie densities than fibrous carbs. A typical serving of pasta contains about 800-1000 calories. Pasta and other complex carbs are great foods for gaining weight.
Now that you know what carbs to eat, let’s talk about fat. There is a common misconception that all fats are bad for you and they should be removed from your diet. This is untrue, there are good and bad fats. Fats have a major impact on the calorie content of foods, so they are an important consideration. Just keep in mind that fat should consist of about 15-25% of your total calories. You want to be getting most of you calories from carbohydrates and protein.
In small amounts, unsaturated, “healthy” fats are not only good for you, but they can help you gain weight more quickly. Just one tablespoon of flaxseed oil and two tablespoons of peanut butter would add nearly 500 calories to your daily diet and you’d hardly notice that any extra food was added.
In addition, you can supplement your healthy diet with protein supplements. It is often difficult to eat enough protein each day from normal foods, so supplementing with a weight gain supplement such as a soy or whey protein shake can help increase overall caloric intake. You want to make sure the weight gain supplement is a good mix of both protein and carbs and doesn’t contain too much sugar.
For example, a post workout shake containing 40 grams of protein, 80 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of fat would provide almost 500 calories. If you wanted even more calories, you could mix the powder in juice instead of water and also add flaxseed oil.
So, let’s summarize your plan for quickly and easily adding more calories to your diet. Continue eating the same healthy foods, just eat more of them. Healthy high calorie snacks is a great way to increase calories. Replace low density foods with high density foods. You could eat salads all day until your face hurts, but it won’t do much good for weight gain. Eat plenty of starchy carbs including whole grains, pastas, rice, and potatoes. Don’t be afraid of adding some fat to your diet, just ensure it’s no more then 15-25% of your total calories. Some of the “good” fats will actually help you to gain weight. Most importantly – just because you need to eat more calories doesn’t give you permission to stuff yourself with unhealthy foods.
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{ 276 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi I am 13, 38kg, and would like to put on more muscle. I know what foods to eat, and I workout with light weights, but I’m sometimes not really hungry for a morning or afternoon “small meal”, as is reccomended for those trying to put on muscle. Any tips?
Thanks, great site, Jim
im turning 19 on sunday and im a toothpick. i’ve been like this for as long as i can remember. i see all these programs and adds on how to lose weight but this is the first i’ve seen on how to gain it. i eat healthy and everything and still maintain a weight between 118 and 125. and that doesn’t sound bad, but im 6’1″ and i know i should weigh more.
protein powders help out. I work at ups in the warehouse so i get a nice workout everyday. I had a huge problem gaining weight my first 2 years there. I began taking protein shakes last year and just recently switched to mass gainers. Im not sure if 13 is too young to be taking protein powders (you should try to construct your own healthy/power foods list before you add in supplements anyways) but you can look more into that if you like. My best advice for a 13 year old is to keep going once you get tired. the more tired you get, the stronger you will become afterwards (as long as you are not injuring yourself*** and you also gotta eat right before and after working out)
I am a soldier in the us army i am currently in Iraq…i have developed a very nice and consistent work out plan…to go along with it i take a protein shake when i wake up…..i take another one sometime in the afternoon time (no specific time)…and one before i workout about 45 mins to an hour before i workout…plus i eat three to 4 times a day…and i eat snacks throught out the day…you HAVE TO GET YOURSELF TO EAT WHEN YOU REALLY DONT FEEL LIKE IT AFTER ABOUT A WEEK YOU BODY WILL DEVELOP ITTS OWN HABIT TO EAT AT THAT TIME AND THEN YOU WE BECOME HUNRGY AT THOSE TIMES YOU ATE SOME FOOD UNWILLINGLY……FOR THE FIRST WEEK IT IS TOUGH BE IT GETS ALOT EASIER TO WHERE YOU DONT REALLY THINK ABOUT IT.i have put on a nice amount of muscle in the last 3 months…it very possible the sercet to doing it is stay consistent….you have to keep the same eating habits just like its second nature.You really don’t have to work that hard when you work out either…I think its all about the eating side of it.
Hi I am a vegetarian and I am looking for the healthiest weight gaining power bars that have no to very little sugar
I hope you can help
Thanks Glenn
Nicci and whoever else,
i used to have small frame as well, i am 6’3, first of all u must realize that to essentially become bigger requires hard work as well as a decent period of waiting 6 months to a year for proper gains. The most important aspect is consistency. People hit the gym hard and eat well but only for a few weeks or months expecting to be massive, clearly not long enough, you need to also be eating as much as you possibly can, stuff your face with good foods like pasta, rice, banana’s etc, if u feel u need to, get a weight gainer, not protein powder (for now) but a high calorie shake, someone of your stature should be getting about 4000 calories, a lot i know but it worked for me. warning stay away from pro hormone pills etc
The next part is the exercises you should be doing in the gym.
i can’t stress this enough but the true mass building exercise is squatting: i will not explain the science behind it but squatting is the best exercise, add any other compound exercises as well like deadlift, bench press, shouolder press etc but don’t do curls, waste of fucken time. (warning due to our ectomorphic stature extra care needs to be taken when doing deadlifts and to a lesser extent squats, get a proper instructor to show u how to do these awesome exercises otherwise serious damage could occur.
so remember eat fucken well and alot about 4000 calories, and squatt in gym with deadlift bench etc
as they say muscle is built in the kitchen not in the gym.
good luck
Heyo. “Flake” here. im not overly underweight but my BMI is about 17.2 (183cm, 60 kg) and i plan to up that to a bmi of about 23ish. thanks for the advice here. its rather good!
Hey, am 14 and have been working out ever since I could get in to the only gym in town (July seventh when I turend fourteen) I have always been skinny, and in the two months of working out I have only gained 4-5 pounds, maybe even less.
Basically, I have started eating protein bars after workouts (Isoflex, 30g protein, about 400 calories) and wonder if I should also should be taking weight gainers/protein shakes too?
Dont want to get massive big, but I hope to gain a few pounds in time for hockey season.
Thanks, zac
I’m 19 years old and about 3 months ago I weighed 165 pounds (6’3″), I put myself on what I thought was a good weight gaining diet, Breakfast a bowl or two of Life cereal, two pieces of whole grain toast with peanut butter and honey, a banana, a glass of juice and a glass of milk, Lunch, a sandwich usually tomatoes lettuce salami cheese dijon mustard (all the good stuff), pasta salad. Dinner, Either a big plate of pasta with some whole grain buttered toast, and/or some sort of protein, I love steak, chicken’s good, pork is delicious, fish… not so much but I eat it on occasion. During the day I will eat a couple pieces of fruit, an apple orange, etc. and a whole bunch of dried fruit, probably a cup’s worth of raisins or apricots, or anything of the like. For a work out I do a yoga practice every morning along with about 100 push ups, I started at 20, and if my abs aren’t too tired from yoga I’ll do some sit-ups. I am now about 185, and pretty much all my weight gained was muscle.
You don’t need all this fake shite to help you gain weight, you just need dedication and a little bit of common sense. When I was 14 I was a hardcore athlete on my way to the olympics (long track speed skating), but training in the gym eff’d up my muscles in a way that I won’t ever be able to skate again without excruciating pain, this was a level 9 national team coach’s training program (for those skeptics out there).
Alot of gyms in my city don’t even allow anyone under 16 because they know of the dangers when underdeveloped muscles are strained like that. Anyways, just a little bit of insight, I know all you 13 year olds want to be nice n jacked so you can get all the ladies come highscool, goodluck and I hope you don’t mess yourself up like I did.
Well i’m a 14 year old girl with virtually no appetite, I get fully very quickly and i’m vegetarian so I’m only about 36kg. What foods (low sugar, relatively healthy) can I eat to help me gain weight. (I eat 3 weetbix for breakfast and usually have rice or pasta with vegetables for dinner)
hello, i’m a 21 yr old guy, i’m about 190cm n only weighing about 70-75kgs, used to do gym for a while but didnt see my self gettin bigger, so i’m thinkin of puttin some weight first than do it again, i tried a weight gainer but it didnt seem like it was work for me, so any other ideas?
thanks….
My age is 22 height is 5.3 wieght is 40. I want to put on weight . Plz suggest
Hi my names Caleb, I live in Australia, the Blue Mountains to be exact. Im 6′ 4 – 85kg (187 lbs). I find that the best way to gain muscle is to maintain a HEALTHY high calorie diet. Not all fats are bad for you. So if you weigh 150 lbs you should be consuming anywhere from 2550 – 3000 calories PER DAY. I know it sounds daunting, but with a HEALTHY high calorie diet, consistant – diverse workout program and determination it will become frighteningly easy and with the rightt traing you’ll start to gain mucsle in just a few short weeks.
I am 67 years old and weigh 142 lbs. I have lost approx. 20 lbs over the last 10-15 years and I would like to know how many calories a day I should be eating to gain some of the weight back? I do not eat breakfast, “Healthy Choice” type frozen dinners, turkey and baloney, etc for lunch, and mainly seafood, shell fish and pasta for dinner. I am not a “big” eater.
If you really want to gain eat high caloric foods four times a day and in very large amounts like summo wrestlers and try as much as you can to limit straneous activity or u could be burning up all your calories. If you seriously workout a muscle group give it ample time to relax like a week. About eating big i get scared when its time to eat because i stuff myself until i sometimes throw up but its worth it so far ive gained over 7 pounds.
hi!! i turned 61 in april and i weight about 155lbs. i’m in pretty good shape. two to three times a week, i run five to seven miles. i love it!! my only problem is that i want to gain weight and i can’t. until a year ago when i increased my running time and distance, i had some belly fat; now i don’t. i want more strength and definition so i’m thinking about lifting weights again. what specific foods should i consume to build more “muscle” and shape. i eat three health meals a day and no fast foods or sweets. i’m open to meals with protein powder shakes before/after runs. thanks!!
Hey all. I have already started this weight gaining thingy few weeks back. And I must say it works! True enough, we need to switch our eating patterns to a more high-caloric, dense foods. The first week could get you feeling uncomfy of having to “stuff” snacks in between meals (something I do not do when I was underweight) but hey, surprisingly, the week after, my body unconciously craved for some munchies in between meals. And that’s where my appetite started roaring. I am so happy now that I’m gaining.
Here are my stats:
Female
Height: 150cm
Previous weight: 39kg
Current weight: 43kg
And I’m still eating more now :) Wanna reach to 45-46kg and maintain it just nice.
Good luck to all!
difara, thank you so much for your post! My appetite comes and goes and I recently lost 3lbs due to stress. I feel weak and tired all the time. I’m looking to gain those back and 3 more to bring me to 5ft 110lbs. Maybe even more. We’ll see how it goes. I absolutely hate stuffing myself and forcing myself to eat and I love my veggies, but you have given me hope. If my body can adjust in just a week that would be wonderful! Thank you all for your comments and good luck!
I am 29 6’4″ and weigh around 140 lbs. I eat 8 or more times per day and I can not get weight on me. I have went to doctors about this problem and they tell me I am lucky. I have had friends suggest that I have a tapeworm, although I have yet to have this proven to me. I have about 3% body fat and nothing I have tried to do is putting weight on me. What high calorie foods should I be eating to gain weight?
Hi All
Eating high calorie food is key. An average man should consume around 2500 calories per day and a female 2000 calories. If you require to put mass on, you have to work your way to eating more calories per day.
On average a bodybuilder eats up to 7500 calories per day to gain mass. (This is based on the bodybuilder bulking up). The aim should be to eat consistently throughout the day, ensuring you have the daily required nutrients in your food plan.
An excellent way of gain mass is to drink meal replacements, because it has the nutrient in it and provides extra calories. The following foods are good for gaining weight: Nuts, Full fat cheese, Bananas. If you can eat 2/3 Bananas at night it’s a good way of gaining some weight.
Hope this helps!
hey its mike
i been working out steady for about six months, i recentlly have started using supplemnts and high calorie intake. i was 150lbs worked out off and on and drank like a fish! i was diagonsed a diabetic last year when i left the hospital i was 125lbs. anyway my gains have recently broke through im currently at 152lbs i must say working out always feel good but i noticed better results supplementing and following strict or at least well planned diet
I agree with some of you the way to gain weight is to eat a lot of food when you dont really feel hungry. I have gained probably 15 pounds in a few months by eating little 1$ pizzas they have 750 calories when im not hungry. Just eat when your not hungry and take in at least 3500 calories a day and youll gain. Some people take in 7k-10k a day and have gained 35-40 pounds over the summer in offseason. Stacking calories and carbs is a key way to gain weight. Just try to figure out an eating schedule where you are eating often and it should help a lot.
Hey im 16, 5’6 and 121.5lbs as of today, and I have gained 4 lbs in a week while still working out and running.
I’ve been trying to gain by eating about 4000 calories a day with a balance of protein, carbs and fat, and I plan to gain more.
I eat peanut butter, cheese, clif bars, seafood and protein shakes as well as pie, cheesecakes and carbs such as dried fruit. throw in nuts, granolas and protein cereals as well as fruits and vegtables for vitamins and fiber, because you still need these.
Also, drinks like odwalla or carrot juice can really boost your vitamins without making you stuff with salad, which leaves room for other food.
Just don’t binge too hard at one sitting, unless you need to. You will just crap it all out at once, it might even make you loose weight due to diahrea.
If you could use some fat (like me, a runner) don’t be afraid of ice cream, milkshakes, pie and cheesecake. Just make sure you eat other foos as well, and aim for hearty, homemade pies with some fat and protein.
Seafood is high in protein, so hit the tuna, shrimp, salmon, and mussel or oysters. I never eat pork and hardly eat beef, I think it’s inferior protein to fish.
I am 46 and have a hard time gaining weight or feeling hungry enough to eat. I lose weight faster than I can gain. I want to gain weight and keep it. I am so tired of the up and downs of my weight. What do you suggest?
I enjoy this page and agree with how important high density foods are to gain weight. At 6’4” 200 lbs., my diet mostly consists of consuming as many carbonhydrates, and protein as I can and only consuming liquid that is either calcium or vitamins. I am active when it comes to weight training and feel as though it is vital to incorporate eating and lifting.
A key component in my lifestyle which is necessary for gaining weight is eating a meal after a hard work out. Many people overlook this and consume food before exercising because they feel as though lifting on a full stomach is beneficial.
If you lift on a full stomach, your body will use enzymes and energy to break that food up. Because of this, your body will not produce the energy needed for high intensity exercise. If you wait to eat after you work out, your body will save the energy needed that would of been used to digest food, therefore resulting in a more satisfying exercise.
If you are trying to gain weight and muscle at the same time, obey a difficult weight trainging program and also a strict diet. Commitment will be the factor of your results.
I am 32 years of age & 5’9″ I weight 158lbs I workout 4-5 days per week 2 hours within those days. I eat 7 eggwhites eggplant and homefries in the morning, everyday..lunch i eat subway 6″ tuns with lettuse cucumber and onions. with salt and pepper.. as for dinner it seems to me my dinner is always the same, chicken chicken, with vegi’s and yams sometimes pasta slides.
i recently just started to make pasta ziti with chicken with ragu’ sauce. and i am trying to consume protien that has 650 calorie before and after workouts. so what am i doing wrong being that i know how to workout cause i use to be a trainer, i think im doing something wrong here, my triceps are not growing and its been a big issue and yet my biceps grow like its nothing. so as for foods what am i doing wrong? thank you
To Sami, as well as many others out there.
I consistently weighed about 155ish lbs at 5’10 and was very active in the gym and outside but still never really seemed to gain too much weight. I recently bought a kitchen scale and started keeping track of EVERYTHING I ate and tracked my intake (50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat).
I found I was actually still under how many calories I should be eating for my weight, lifestyle and body type. Though I had 3 good sized meals a day, I was only getting about 2800-3200 calories a day, while my activities used about 3200-3400 calories a day.
I have been struggling since to maintain about 4,000 calories a day but I immediately began to gain weight. In the first week, I went up about 7 lbs. This is typically not a good thing but considering my body fat was 2-3% I have a feeling I was essentially starving myself.
My weight gain rate has slowed to a normal rate since and it is still early to give conclusive results, but for the first time for me I can destroy my muscle groups at the gym and feel like doing it again later in the day. I have energy the entire day, and my performance in the gym has increased, most noticeably in endurance.
Also, spread your meals out throughout the day, like every 3 hours. It keeps your metabolism up and makes it a bit easier to consume 4,000 calories.
For tricep work outs, my favorite is to bring a backpack with filled water bottles/jugs to add weight and do push-ups and dips. That added with my regular weight routine is a killer.
Also, change up your tricep work outs frequently so the muscles do not develop a habit and get used to certain work outs. I try to never do the same exercise twice but change it each session I work that group.
i’m 53 and a bit of a mess at this point. i have chronic pancreatitus with the relative digestive issues as well as diabetes since my pan dosn’t make insulin. i’m currently trying to recoop from my 2nd pro-
lapsed rectum surgery. have had a total of 17” of intestines removed. my weight has always fluctu-
ated between 125-140 but is now down to 115 (i’m 5′-4″) and my skin has begun to hang where at least
some muscle used to be. also, the texture is getting a little “funny”. i’m not eating or sleeping well anymore and often don’t feel like eating or am not hungry. i feel like i’m melting away. my husband feels that i’m not getting enough protein or nutrients etc. and my body has gotten all it can out of itself and that’s what’s going on since i’m not eating properly. i’m also taking a lot of pain meds. doctors have not been much help with the diet issues. have even tried a nutritionist. nobody is interested enough to provide me with a meal plan. they just tell me to eat a low fat diet.
my husband’s ready to shoot them all. i need someone to “show me the way”as i also have vomitt-
ing issues and am not sure what to eat anymore. can you help me. thanks so much
Hi my name is Anthony from upstate NY. I’m 31 yrs old, 6’2 and I’m a tooth pick always have been. I really want to put on weight always did, just didn’t know how to go about it. I recently quit smoking, 1 month ago and now I’m eating quite a bit to gain weight, but not much. I need a plan to follow wi9th a list of good foods to be eatting. So far, I’m eating healthy, but most high calorie junk foods. I want a program to follow but I don’t think I should have to pay for it, nor should anyone have to. If anyone has a good weight gain program they could share with me, I really would be greatful. I’m 31, 6’2 and weigh bout 160lbs. I’m looking to gain 30-40 more pounds. Thanks and hope all the other skinny people are able to accomplish their goals too.
hi I’m nina and I’m 18. I weigh about 97pounds . I have a fast metabolism and I’m trying to gain weight. I want to weigh at least 125 pounds . is there any protien bars with high calories that I can eat? also is it possible for me to gain 25pounds in less than 2weeks? I really want to gain weight before prom =(
please help !
Nina
First and foremost gaining that much weight in that short space of time is by all means not healthy. If you would like help to gain weight in a healthy manner then here are two commitments you need to make.
1) You need calculate what you are currently eating on a day to day basis – try to be as honest as possible with yourself.
2) You have to be committed on putting on weight, a lot of times for many people though my experience, putting on weight is not about the consumption of food but actually convincing the mind they want to increase body weight.
In the mean time try eat high calorie foods, try eating three big meals and 3 small meals (snacks) in between (Flap jacks are a good source as they are high in calories, and taste ok as well, Milkshakes are also good as snacks for gaining weight). Never eat more then you can bear, If you are feeling uncomfortable, don’t try eating more on top. It will come with time. Patience is very important.
Hi Everyone, im 6 ft and weighed 64kgs two weekz ago, i thought id tryed everything iv alwayz been quite skinny and have had enough, so i started eating every chance i can an to the point were i can no longer eat with out spewing up, my diet in one day is for beakfast porridge (filled bowl) – morning tea bacon eggs hashbrowns taost & cheese cake, lunch is a hunger buster from mcdonalds – afternoon tea 6 eggs & a can of baked beans an a bowl of ice cream & dinner i usaully am having another hunger buster or a combo with two extra chees burgers… iv put on 3 kgs in two weeks and was wondering if this diet is a good plan or not i feel quite healthy and am drinking lots of water constantly with this diet as well.
This has worked for me so far but is it a unhealthy diet to maintain?
If putting on weight is the only goal then the method you have chosen is one way of adding the additional weight. Having said that, your current diet will only allow you to put on a certain amount of body weight, before your body adjust to the current eating plan at which point it will not increase as much as you are currently noticing. There is a couple of questions that arise and determine your answer:
1) Do you exercise?
2) How many times a week?
Our body work in an amazing way. We have two different factors affecting our body weight:
1) Diet
2) Genetics
Some people can eat all they like and find it very hard to put on weight where as some people on the other hand don’t eat half as much but seem to put on more weight. This is a lot to do with the genetics and we can only do a certain amount to change this (It can be done).
A couple of years ago there was an experiment with a number of skinny students, they had to eat 5000 calories a day for a whole month in an attempt to put on weight. These students had always been skinny, but within 1 month after the 5000 calorie diet had put on weight and size. This was good but however when they went back to their original eating plan most of the students gradually went back to their original weight. This is very much down to the genetics of these students. However if you were to maintain your diet for slight longer period of time, then your body will adjust to this as the norm and can maintain that weight.
Our diet is something we have 100% control over.
One very important factor that a lot of people miss out, your body tells you how it is feeling and when it is in need of nutrient, it gives signs, so when you feel hungry, its your body telling you it is in need of energy. Point being if you feel healthy then that is a good sign. Over eating is never recommended.
Ok, I am an 18 year old male trying to gain weight. I weigh between 119-126 lbs (8.7 – 9 stone) and i have for as long as i can remember. I came to this site trying to find ways to put 20-30 odd pounds or so, to realise i have unintentionally been doing everything that the article says to do and eat, and so I’ve got nothing out of it in the last 6 years, So whats up, and what else can i try?
Nick, it may be a case of waiting im afraid! I was exactly the same as you between the ages of 18 to around 28, ate like a horse, trained like hell and never shifted above 9.5 stone, used to bother/upset me so much.
Ive now hit 30 and finally ive seen a bit of progress, im now at 10.5 stone, im eating more and training harder than ever before but have been on this weight for over a month now and isnt getting any higher so its looking like i may have to wait till my 40′s and then maybe ill start gaining again! lol.
Probably going to get shouted at for saying this but from my own experience for some people it really is impossible to gain weight and your efforts will be in vain.
Nick ad Rick, gaining weight is not hard. I know it is easier said than done. But as long as you know the process of doing something it is not impossible. For example I may say that doing a heart operation is impossible but yet ask a doctor and they will surly tell you it is not hard? The point being that you need the right information. Send me a plan of what you currently eat on a day to day basis and your typical training plan and if you are serious about gaining weight I will give you a eating and training plan where you will notice the difference within a month. Two commitments I need:
1) You have to convince yourself that is what you want as a lot of times gaining weight is a scary thought and the fear of not looking right.
2) You have to attempt to follow the plan to the best of your ability, and note down what you do eat.
If you are interested email me on imrankhan69@hotmail.com
Imran
Hey imran,
i disagree completely when you say “gaining weight isnt hard” though. When your 9.5 stone like i was and your eating 3500 – 4000 calories a day, 150 grams of protein, go to the gym 3 times a week and get to the point where your bench pressing more than your own body weight and after 3 months of this you weigh……yep you guesssed it 9.5 stone!
Thanks for the plan offer, but believe me ive spent many many hours researching books, net and peoples brains for info, like i said i have made some weight gains, just think a lot of its to do with my age. hopefully nick will take you up on it, keep me posted! if he follows your plan and is a 14 stone hulk in a few months time ill happily eat my words and get in touch! lol.
LOL
Gaining weight is a slow process, in one month, half a stone is a good goal to work towards.
You seemed like you had a good routine – 3500 calories, (did you check to see if you had tape worms – it is much more commen then people think).
Gaining weight is difficult! There was a phase where i started to eat like F**K and really got used to eating all of the time and get into the habit of eating when i wasn’t hungry. And after about a month i had lost 11 pounds. I came to the conclusion that by eating soooo much, and giving my metabolism so much extra work to do that it inadvertaintly kept on going burning more off than usual. There was also a stage recently where i got life threateningly ill about 3 months ago. I lost 27lbs in 1 night and went down to about 6 and a halkf stone ish. When i fully recovered i found myself back to 9 stone within 5 days. Thats obviously the ‘plateau’ of my weight and figure. I’m going to agree with Rich here saying that my efforts will be in vain.
Nick
I hope you have fully recovered from you illness. You have to be carefull when planing any kind of eating plan with other illnesses.
If you increase you intake but cut down you training for a month or so, you will see a difference. Spend time actully noting down how much you are eating and try ensuring you eat the right food and add the calories. I can agree it is harder for some more the others but not impossible.
im 31 yrs old weigh 87 lbs im healthy and always have been, but i dont like my weight at all im very insecure about how thin i am im 5’3″ and i feel gaining weight should be easy i have read your page and willing to try it, ive tryed many others and no luck yet so heres hoping
Iam 23 plus my weight is only 50 kgs i want to gain weight and my body too pls suggest what foods should i eat. i exercise daily in mornings for about one hour but i like a toothpick my body front shape is good but my back not so much. i want to become a little more bulky to shape up myself. waiting for the reply.
Nicci
Can you note down what you eat on a day to day basis and send me a typical week plan. Also what will be very useful is what how actve you are?
How often do you go Gym? imrankhan69@hotmail.com.
Just remember inorder to to gain healthy weight it will take some time but can be done.
Imran
Aarif
Eating food that are high in calories is important and maybe even reducing your exercise every day will help. In order to gain weight you have to eat more calories. Try eating every 2-3 hours.
The followig foods are just some foods that can help gain weight but you have to understand everyone works differently: So what may work for others may not for you:
Until I understanding you exact current situation and you current diet it is hard to list the kind of foods that would be best for you but just try ensuring you are eating higher calories. Generally if you can try to eat 300o calories a day that would be a good start.
Some foods that help gain weight are as follows:
Flapjacks, – Good source of complex carbs
Milkshakes – Good way if adding calories – This is a very good way as it is simple to drink and you dont really get full up. Even ice cream is a good way of putting on weight.
I dont know if you have not tried it buit maybe try a weight gain milkshake. You can get some good ones in the market that use natural products
Imran
I’m 5’11″ and about 135 pounds. I need to gain but it’s quite difficult to consume foods like pasta in great amounts like I need to. I need to know some relatively lighter foods that still contain the calories and carbs I need to gain some healthy weight.
i’m a 28 year old mother of two. I’ve been an athelete up until the age of 21. Since then I have been trying to gain weight. I thought with my children I would gain weight however, I lost weight during both pregnancies. I lost a total of 20 pounds each time. I eat six full meals a day and snack in between. I have a high calorie diet however, weight gain for me seems to be a task. my friends and co-workers think that I am lucky i can’t retain weight but they have no idea how hard it is for me. I have to eat alot of meals just to maintain my weight. Every month during my regular mentrual I lose five pounds. If i get sick I can lose between 5-15 pounds. Sometimes, i would stay up at night and snack so my weight can stabilize. My doctor said I had a high metabolism and as long as I don’t become underweight I was ok. I stopped exercising seven years ago with the hope that my body would slow down. Even without working out and consistently eating I am only 134lbs. my goal weight is 150. Is there anything else I can try ito mprove my weight?
Is a 134lbs bad for a 28 year old woman???? That equates to 9 stone 8lb, id say your bang on the mark at that, should give you a really nice petite figure. Most girls i know are 9 – 11 stone in weight. Everyone loses weight when theyre sick, shouldnt worry about that.
Anyways, my diet at the moment is giving me weight gains of just under a quarter of a pound a day, dosent sound a lot but it adds up, so give it a try. Is it a well balanced diet??? ive no idea but its gaining me weight so im not really bothered. lol. Im lucky i work on my own so can eat when i like! lol You need to buy a full roast chicken a day aswell from asda, which you can pick away at all day.
6.30am – cereal/milk
-half pint fruit juice
-small jacket potatoe
8am-slice of wholemeal bread with plenty of nuttela hazel nut spread on
-bannana
-some chicken
10am-protein shake
-bread/nuttela
-fruit juice
11am-bannana
-some chicken
12.30-bread/nuttela
-protein shake
2pm-fruit juice
-some chicken
4.30pm-jacket potatoe
-fruit juice
-full tin of tuna
-some slices of cheese
6pm-finish off chicken
8.30pm-mcdonalds (2 hamburgers, large fries, medium coke)
I eat this every day, im so bored of eating the same thing and fed up of force feeding myself i wonder if its really worth it!! haha. Still, after being trying to gain weight for the last 17 years ive put on 12 pounds in a few weeks so yup its worth it!!!!
Tylar
To gain weight without consuming heavy foods is slightly hard however try having more heavy liquids like milkshakes, You can put things in your milkshakes to help add calories. This works for a lot of people who find it hard to consume heavy foods.
If you want to try something that works quite well for gaining weight then try the following:
Put foods that are high in calories (Flapjack etc) in the blender and then consume them like a milkshake (Put in Milk and ice cream – and any other ingredients you fancy). This in fact is a very tasty and nutrient drink. Try consuming two – three a day between your meals.
Imran
Hey i like ur weight gain site alot i literally thought i was the only human being in this country that was trying to gain weight. i am 25 yr old female, i fluctuate from 96-107 lbs…i have always been a skinny girl(my brother is little, my mom, and other family members). I do work out and am very strong for my size…In fact i was helping my gf (weighs prob 15-18 lbs more than i do) with her mom who is constantly heckling me about how skinny i am… When it came time to life a table i lifted the entire one side of a table over 100 lbs, and she told her daughter to let me take the harder lifiting positions because i was stronger; my girl replied shes 80 lbs! her mom answered “80 lbs of steeel!” lol i am also on adderall and i know that is causing me problems of forgetting to eat, loss of sleep, and dependence on the medication for energy. I do not look unhealthy or sick….i look very lean and athletic, i would just like to have more curves and look more feminen,.. Do you have any advise or opinions on how to deal with the adderall factor as well as the genetics factor…. I’m willing to work
Sweets
Ok believe it or not I have worked with someone with the same case like you. He was a marathon runner until the age of 24. The fact that he would run 10 KM at least 3 times a week. He was very skinny. Then when he did want to add weight he found it all most impossible.
Everyone is different so what works for one may not work for another. You goal seems reasonable of adding 15 lbs. Let me suggest a thing. Eat what you can comfortably, don’t push yourself too much as it normally leads to giving up much quicker. Have you thought about taking weight gainers? This is an easy weight to add calories to your diet between meals without feeling bloated all the time and uncomfortable. When you say high calorie diet, the question arises how high? If you were an athlete then I guess you have always eaten a much higher calories diet compared to others. So to increase your weight you now have to work twice as hard. One more thing, don’t worry about it too much, You seem healthy and eating regular meals though out the day, try increasing your portions if you can without again over eating, or try changing you meals to consist of higher calorie.