If you’re naturally thin, then a proper weight gain diet becomes absolutely crucial in your endeavor to gain healthy lean muscle mass, probably far more so than your weight training program. The purpose of this article is to outline the fundamentals of a good weight gain diet and then we’ll look at specifically what and when you could eat over a sample day.
First up, is something you’ve almost certainly heard before…
Consume More Calories
The only way to gain weight whether it’s fat or muscle, is to consume more energy than you expend. There is no escaping this basic law of human anatomy regardless of how many explanations you hear to the contrary. Admittedly some of us have faster metabolisms than others but that simply means that those who do need to eat even more again.
The basis of any weight gain diet should contain nutritious, high calorie foods. If you find to hard to put on weight then the greatest challenge you face is to consume enough energy without feeling full all the time. Don’t worry it can be done… quite easily!
So how many calories should you consume? Well, there’s probably a separate formula for everyone who asks the question. Some base it solely on your weight and age, others take lean mass into account and the most complicated have you recounting every bit of activity during a typical day…
There’s a short article at the bottom of this page that has some formulas for calculating your caloric needs. It also briefly explains basal metabolism and why it’s important.
To sum up, calorie counting isn’t much fun and this is not something you have to do long term. Once you establish a quantity of food and energy that maintains your ideal weight, you will know instinctively how much to eat each day.
Protein
The issue of how much protein we should consume incites fierce debate between Nutritionists, Bodybuilders and Sports Scientists alike. We’ll leave the debate for another article dedicated to the protein issue. For now…
Just know that Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recommends 50g of protein per day for the average male adult and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends 56g. But this is for the average sedentary Westerner…
The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for protein intake is 0.8g per kg or 0.36g per lb of bodyweight. A 140lb person would need to consume about 51g to meet their RDA. Sports Scientists concede that athletes and bodybuilders need more than this and conservatively recommend up to 1.5g per kg or 0.7g per lb of bodyweight. However…
If you talk to the vast majority of bodybuilders they will advocate a much higher intake than this. And they have some convincing arguments. In fact although in the minority at the moment the anecdotal evidence from bodybuilders is being backed up by some credible research. According to many lifters, coaches and some sports nutritionists an ideal weight gain diet should contain up to 2g per kg or 0.9g per lb of protein. This might seem like a lot but don’t forget you are consuming more calories than the general population and those calories have to come from somewhere. Is it unhealthier that they come purely from carbohydrates or just from fat? It’s probably best it it comes form all three.
So why is protein important?
From a weight gain perspective protein is made up of amino acids. There are 20 in total and 8 essential amino acids must come from food. Weight training increases the demand for amino acids and will break existing muscle down if it does not get enough from a weight gain diet. Without adequate protein, and more specifically, amino acids muscle gain is unachievable.
Good sources of protein include fresh and canned fish, lean cuts of red meat, chicken, turkey, low fat milk and yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, egg whites, soy products and whey protein powder.
Carbohydrate
Any weight gain diet worth its salt will contain plenty of unrefined carbohydrates. Just because you’re increasing your protein intake does not mean you should omit or even limit your carbohydrate intake.
Carbohydrate, which is converted into glucose and glycogen in the body, is the only macronutrient that can supply your body with an immediate source of energy – essential for any type of training.
Good sources of carbohydrate for a weight gain diet include whole meal bread, potatoes, brown rice, pasta, couscous, fresh and tinned fruit and dried fruit.
Fat
Certain dietary fats are crucial to both your well being and your ability to gain weight. One gram of fat contains more than twice the number of calories than 1g or protein or 1g of carbohydrate. A tablespoon of Flaxseed Oil contains as many calories as a banana for example so it makes sense to incorporate good fats into your weight gain diet. What is good fat?
Without going into too much detail about how fat is subdivided, the fats you want to consume are monounsaturated fats found in olive oil and avocados, and polyunsaturated fats found in oily fish, flax, sunflower, safflower and cod liver oil and some raw nuts.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s) are what the health care professionals love to talk about. And with good reason. EFA’s also known as Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids are found in polyunsaturated fats, particularly oily fish. As well as having a numerous health benefits they also play an important role in muscle building.
In short, a weight gain diet containing fish like mackerel, tuna and salmon (to name a few) or supplemented with a product like Flaxseed oil will not only help you build muscle but will keep you alive longer too.
Meal Frequency
Finally, forget about eating 3 large meals a day with a few snacks. The best approach to an effective weight gain diet is to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day. Separate them by 3 hours so your stomach has time to digest each meal fully. If your goal is to consume 3300Kcals a day I would eat 3 larger meals of about 700kcals and 3 smaller meals of about 400kcals. You will find an example in one of the articles below.
One last point before we wrap up. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables. They are the richest source of vitamins and minerals (particularly antioxidants) and have both health and weight gain implications.
The elements above have the most influence of your level and rate of weight and muscle gain. There are other important factors we haven’t touched on such as vitamins and minerals, fiber, water, alcohol and cholesterol… all very important to your health.
Now that you have a good grounding of what an effective weight gain diet should incorporate you can use this article as a starting point for reaching your weight goals.
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Hey Peter, thanks for the advice. i am 18 yo 165 lbs and 6 ft 1 tall and i am looking for a good diet routine like irish steve. I work out 3 times a week and work hard im gaining definition but am looking to move up in size. i just ordered mutant mass to help with calorie intake and i was wondering if you could emal me the same schedule you emailed irish steve. Thanks alot! gtxmatt@hotmail.com
i am 21 years old and i just had a baby. my average weight before i got pregnant was 100-110 lbs. well i gained 40 pounds while i was pregnant and i looked really good weighing 135-140 pounds. i was wondering if there is anything i could do to make me gain about 30 pounds back i feel really skinny now and i eat everything fattening that i can. what am i doing wrong? PLEASE HELP!!!
peter, I am 47 years old and very muscular naturally i need fat i’m one big muscle lol i need a good daily weight gain diet plan to follow as i eat and don’t gain a pound. some say i’m lucky but i’ve been in jail for falsely being accused of drugs. i need help fast. please respond.
i am 14.. yes i know that i shouldnt be worrying about my weight but i used to be healthy normal size about 2 years ago and i suddenly lost it.. from then on i have felt under weight even though im not and im just so skinny now.. i really need to put this weight on because its effecting alot of things now.. PLEASE HELP.. all i need is to put some more fat on.. i try and eat loads of rubbish food but then my eating habbits just get mixed up and im not hungry at the right times.. what should i be eating ? when should i be eating ? PLEASE HELP !
Hi, I’m a 6’1 male at 21 yrs old I’ve been taking amplified mass for about a month I’ve seen some small results but would like a good diet to implement as well and maybe a better workout routine than what I have now. Any help would be appreciated thanks
Love the article. I’m at 155 (5’6) and looking to gain 5 lbs for the remainder of the year, but definitely with 5 months left in the year I can expect to gain much more than that. I want to get to 170 lbs, because I had started at nearly 170 lbs, cut down to 135 lbs with no regard to muscle/fat ratio, and now I’m looking much better than the last time I was at 155 or 150 or whatever =)
Definitely the key is to eat right and to eat often. When I try to gain weight I eat so much that it ends up being a chore to eat any more – one thing I suggest is to investigate ways to eat CALORIE DENSE foods. So while you can get away with eating 600-700 Kcals per meal, if you have to eat it in veggies or in grain cereal, you’ll be eating too much throughout the day and will not succeed. Foods like pastas, potatoes, steak, ground beef, etc are high in calories but are still healthy and good for you, rather than eating chocolate or chips (though those two are calorically dense) or drinking soda.
If you are not gaining weight my advice is to try to eat more food that has more calories. If that doesn’t work eat more of it. Start counting calories because you may actually be undereating!
hey peter, im 19 years old 63kg n 174cm tall . i have been trying to go on a good died to put on weight but its really hard n didnt really work , i work about about 3 or 4 times a week n i really wanna put some size on , i want to get up to 73kg . so i was wondering if you could help me with the died program please . thank you :)
I am a 42 year old grandmother and I have been fighting to keep my weight above 100 pounds for years. I have tried doing the opposite of weight loss programs and this hasn’t worked. I am very tired of being told I am too skinny. When I had my youngest son at 22 I had gotten my weight up to 128. This looked good on me, but was gone within a matter of weeks after his arrival. The odd part of all of this is when I met and married my husband I weighed 159 pounds, we moved to the beach and I lost down to 98 pounds in four months. I was 17 years old at the time and several hundred miles away from family. Though I did drink a little alcohol at the time, but did nothing else other than work two jobs. Since this drastic weight loss I have been fighting to keep my weight at an acceptable level, my doctor wants my weight at no less than 115 lbs. Any suggestions?
Hi I’m 14 and looking to gain a bit of weight and muscle for rugby-league. Could you specify what I should eat in order to gain muscle and weight.
Thanks :)
Peter, I’m 17 years old and weigh 140 lbs. I play lacrosse, and am trying to gain wight before he next season starts in February. I lift weights on a schedual that was made to help people gain weight, but so far I’ve only lost a few pounds. I’m going to stick with it longer, because I’ve bulked a bit, but it’s not adding any weight yet. any suggestions?
i was masterbating from 10 years now i am 26 years going to marrige under weight 46 kg only height 163 cm. (5.7) inch and also lost my sex power what should i do to get sex power and weight gain.
peter. I m 21 years old and my height is 5.7 ,weight 54 kg i want to gain my my body which diet should i do i not so health i sleep 12 hrs a day i work out at home 5 days a week what should i do
Hey there, I am a 16 and a half year old guy and I weigh roughly 132 pounds and I’m 5-11. I play soccer at least 4 times a week and each time is pretty strenuous. I was hoping that you could tell me a good weekly diet that I could use to gain at least 15 pounds eventually.
Thanks,
Kevin
I am 42 yrs old, and about 105 pounds, my height is 5 foot one. I am tired of being skinny. I am mixed black and white, but i do not have my black sides BMI. I have tried everything. I took the depo shot for birth control for 9 yrs and weighed in at 140pounds and looked wonderful, but when i turned 36 they recalled the shot because of the calcium in my body. So i tied my tubes, but lost my weight in 3 months after, i cannot gain weight at all. I am tired of hearing about ppl trying to lose weight when i try to gain it. I miss my butt, thighs, and breast. I look like i am having eating problems, when in fact i eat more than my stomach can hold. I eat till i am physically sick. I have even tried lying to doctors trying to get back on the shot, but NNNNOOO they will not give it. I need help.
I am 17 years old, 6’3” and 165 lbs. I play soccer everyday and am starting P90X. I need to up my calories in a healthy way towards 4000 a day. please help!
I am 43, 5’2″ tall and weigh 97lbs female. I’ve been trying for years to put weight on and just can’t seem to do it. I am a very healthy eater most of the time. I just hate feeling full. My arms look like bones with skin on them. I tried a trainer for 6 months and I felt stronger but the weight never happened. My arms I would say bother me the most and then my legs. Not sure what to do next.
Hi, I am 25 year old i used to go to gym 5 times in week and i do heavy training in spite of this i continue loosing my weight please suggest me some weight gain diet plan. my daily diet _ 4 Egg, white, 4 bread slice, pulses, porridge, milk ,dry fruit, kindly help any how i want to put on some weight. thanks…..
Hello, i am 23 years old, almost 24. i weight only 83 pounds, and not tall at all – 5.1. people look at me and think im a teenager, because im so small. My mom and dad are skinny too. I did some exam to check my health but everything is fine. I really need to get some weight, fast. PLEASE HELP.
Waseem One problem might be that your burning more calories then you are taking in. If you are going to be training hard you have to pretty much double what your eating now to gain wait. You have to eat a lot of carbs and protein. Example carbs: Oatmeal, pasta, cereal, potatoes, Pretty much anything made of some sort of Grain. Example protein: Fish, Beef, Chicken, Cheese, Milk. Also you can pick of a weight gainer from a supplement store to help out with gains as well.
Mary you have to do the same. Eat a lot of carbs and protein. You have to make sure you have your three main meals a day. Also try to get a snack in before lunch, dinner, and after dinner.
i’m 5’11 and 135 lbs, i play soccer six days a week at the highest level and just started doing crossfit workouts monday through friday. I need to put on weight and would love a new diet to help me start increasing in size. Please help! Thanks.
I am 17 years old, about 6’1, weighing in at around 165 lbs. I play soccer and am athletic, but I am lean, having hardly any muscle definition what so ever. I have tried weight programs and workout programs such as p90x to increase strength but it lacks good results due to my very fast metabolism. I would like to gain healthy weight with increased muscle mass and definition, but my doctor is afraid too much protein for me would be bad as it increases poor kidney health. Is too much protein in this program bad for me? Keep in mind, I am extremely willing to gain weight and bulk up as fast as I can as I plan on playing soccer next year in college at a very high level. I have researched other programs online such as the one i found at muscleandfitness.com and it has a very similar meal plan as this one, except the total protein intake per day is around 330 grams. That seems to be extremely larger than the recommended 56 grams per day that you mentioned. Please if you can, take time to answer my comment in order to help me gain weight/muscle in order maintain a stronger, more effective soccer career. Thank you.
I am 21 years old, and have a hard time to gain weight naturally, because I am taking a prescription stimulate which causes the body to reject food once you take it. I used to eat big meals and have no problem in gaining weight but lately, even with the high calorie diet, and becoming a complete health nut in eating raw foods, I feel full that night but then I wake up the next morning noticing that I look skinnier every day. I also suffer from colitis, so I have to watch my intake on sodium as well as saturated fat… What can I do too gain weight, because I hate being this skinny and having every one tell me how I look so skinny.
Hi…I am 23 yrs old, having a height of around 5’4” and weight of just 82 lbs (approx.). I look too skinny. Its more of a hereditary problem in my case as my parents and brother are thin too. I have tried almost everything, I have a proper diet and have tried different kind of supplements too but none worked. I have a good stamina otherwise and I am healthy, without any disease.
I just need to gain weight anyhow, pls suggest me something!!
hey i am pinky and i am 20years old my height is 5ft and my weight is 40kg :( please suggest me good diet table break fast to dinner i will follow it.i am so so so tensed about my weight. soon i will get married..that is why i am so upset please help me,i m healhty wid out any diseases
hi i am a 23 yo male i am 120 pound and i cant gain weight i’ve tried everything out there, is it time i visited a doctor?
Hey Rod here Im 37 years old 6ft6 180 lbs. 32×36 in pants. I have been this size since I was in 10th grade I might have gain 3-5 lbs or lost 3-5 lbs for then to now. Im really looking to gain weight. I have tried even drinking a weight gain shake every day for about a month,but it didnt really do anything. I think I need a whole complete eating schedule for the day so I can follow it every day. I work like 8am-5pm daily 6 days a week Im a mail carrier in South Carolina. I would really appreciate any info that would help me. I think for 6 ft 6 I should be 200-225 for a average weight.
Can you please clarify which foods have more calories?
I have 3 kids and still only weigh about 100-110lbs. what in the world can i do to gain weight? i was fine after I had my last child and now i went back down to basicly nothing. What foods have more calories? I drink ensure plus and it seems like nothing is happening. What can i do to see an instant weight improvment?
Hi, I am 22 years, 48 kg, vegetarian, male. What should I do to gain weight? Are there any medicines to help me?
hi i am 146 pounds and i want to gain weight but in shape and for i am working out for an hour 6 days week plz suggest me diet plan for fast growing muscle without protein suppliment like whey creaton megga mass etc i want to know best protein chart for according to my weight plz email me on my id thanx
i am 48 year old male who 5’11″ and has weighed 130lbs since i have been 14 years old, i am hiv positive but i am totally undetectable it used to bother me when i was younger when i was called small or skinny but now i’m just plain sick of being called skinny. i know i have a small frame i would please love for u to help with a diet plan i assume part of my weight gaining problem is that i do eat way to health just because that the kind of food i like but i am willing change that if it will work also would like a good exercise program not necesarily to bulk up or anything just to be fit
Hey i am 16.
I am a Nationally ranked rower and i currently weigh 73kg and i am 6 3′ or 190cm.
I need to get my weight to 85kg if i want to get a scholarship to Harvard for rowing.
Just i have 6 months to gain this weight from what i gather just eat alot?
please respond
Hi. Im 16 yrs. old of age, turning 17 this coming September. I only weigh 79 pounds and I really want to gain weight to become a 100 pounder. I am not that tall but I know that my height is not appropriate at my weight. So I really need help. Oh and how many months will it take for me to achieve my goal weight? Thank you so much for reading this and hope ya’ll can help me. Good luck to all of us who wants to gain weight. The most important thing is not pushing yourself in looking like this and that but believing in yourself that you can achieve your goal weight to have our confidence and feeling good about ourselves. :)
im 14 and taking up rugby, im abit on the skinny side and need to bulk up. i go to gym twice a week and need some advice on what to eat to help me gain weight, any examples of a good diet?
Thank you for the advice. I am 17 at 5ft something and only weigh 100 lbs. Doctor says I need to gain. Plus I am tired of the jokes from other students about eating disorders I do not have. I have been trying to gain weight for three years with very little luck. This should help me.
hi im nearly 18yo, about 65kg and about 6ft tall and have been trying to gain weight for ages. Just started taking protien shakes but dont no what else to eat for meals and snack on, could you help please by sending me a diet plan. Thanks in advance.
Hi. Im a 46 year old, 5’11′, 132 lb male. I use to weigh 128 lbs till I started a body building programme back in 1996. I packed on 12 lbs and that was it. No matter how I ate or drank, Nothing. I also have a very fast metabolism. What can I do? Thanks in advance.
Hi.Am Karen and am 29 YEARS of age.I am so thin and tiny and i will really love to gain weight.I look like a 15 years old girl.I eat lots of calories and fatty food.I have a flat butt and my breast are fallen due to breast feeding my baby;but i stopped breast feeding him a year ago.
I am really so desperate gaining weight and having a big butt;Please Doc,i need your help.Are there piils i can take which can be of help to me?
As for vitamins,i do take them,but still no results.
Thanks
Karen
Africa
Hi, im not sure if some one else mentioned this but doesn’t eating 5 to 6 small meals a day speed up your metabolism therefore helps for weight loss?
This is a great article! YAY! Im gonna be big now!
Hi I am a mother of three, before I had my kids I was around 110 lb I gained 50 lb during each pregnacy. After haveing each child I lost down to 98 lb less then what I was before I had kids. My youngest child is now 5 and with in those five years I have only gained 15 lb I now weigh 113 that is still small for a women my age I am 25. My mother is small and my sister is very tall and weighs 120 lb I am only 5″4. My question – is it unhealthy to be under weight ? I can eat, and eat and still not gain weight not becouse I wont to because I stay hungry I have always been a big eater. The only thing im beinging to understand is the older I get I’ll gain a pond or two not much so maybe weight gain comes with age and not the type of diet you are on.
i am 22, my height is 6f and my weight is 60. i look so lean please suggest me good food to gain weight and good muscles.
im 20 years old im 5’2 and i had a baby 10 months ago and right afer i had him i was 107 and now im down to 88 pounds i know im way under weight and people callme a 12 year old all the time i went from fitting in a size three jeans when i was pregnant now i fit in a double zero please please help me i want to feel good about my body again i dont even like to look m self in the mirror anymore please help thanks
Hi my names melissa I was such a healthy weight when I fell pregnant weighting a nice 10 and a half stone, since having my child I have dropped to 7stone 11 nearly being hospitalised at one point! I have been put on a weight gain drink called complan and I eat a lot but nothing seems to be happening! Its getting me really down now, I have an appointment for blood tests to see if I have an over active tyroid and was wondering what else could I do to gain weight, I would like to be 9 and a half stone but I’m getting inpatient now as nothing seems to work for me! Please help
Really am feeling bad because of my apperance seems very thin,I am 51 kg weight with a height of 165 cm.i wanna increse weight of 10 kgs.And am not eating properly because i dont like to eat.help ma by advising what are ways to improve my health and prefer me the diet chart to increase 10 kgs within 2 months as my brothers marriage function is there i wanna look better.
F*** 6 small meals. I eat one meal per day. As in I wake up, start eating and don’t stop until I fall asleep at night. I have gained 37 pounds in 4 months and I still have a nice build because I go hard in the gym 5 days a week.
Just because you are legit as balls, does not mean your balls are legit.
@smallguy69
For most hardgainers, its going to be easier eating 6 meals throughout the day (3 main meals and 3 smaller meals in between).
Not only would it be impossible to consume the sufficient number calories you would need to gain weight eating one meal per day, you also can’t expect your body to properly digest and utilize that amount of food.
However, your point is a valid one, you need to eat ALOT.
Hi, i am 25 years old, 5.4” tall ,my weight is 45 kg and associated with corporate. Pls suggest a diet plan for gaining at least 5-6kgs
Hey, im 21 and im 6’1″ weighing in at barely 140. Im dyeing to gain as much weight as i can. Im having jaw surgery on the 6th of june and going to be on a 10 week liquid diet, im looking to gain as much weight as i can before that date as well as trying to keep it up with a solid liquid diet. Any help would be absolutely amazing. An email of just a few ideas would be fantastic.
Hey, I’m 38 yr old mother of 3 & I’m 5’7″, 135 pds. I weight train at the gym 3 x’a week and can’t get past my normal 135 pds. I have a fast metabolism & can eat a serious amount of food pretty much whenever I want. That’s what’s so frustrating. My youngest is 2 so I would love to be able to gain 10 pds and finally get out of my size 2 into a sexy, curvy woman that I used to be! What I’m I doing wrong? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
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