You’ll see a lot of articles about how to lose weight and get in shape but let’s show some love for those that actually want to GAIN weight…yes, those people exist and they need our help too! When I got to thinking about this issue over my double cheese pizza and soda I thought “That’s it!! I know what to tell people that want to lose weight so why not work this thing out in reverse” So, here you go all my ectomorph friends, some tips that might help you gain weight (and if you are under a
1.Determine how many calories you really need. If you aren’t gaining or losing then in general (In “GENERAL”…weight gain and weight loss is just slightly more complicated than that but that is for a whole other blog) you are getting the exact amount of calories to keep you at your weight. Try determining how many calories you are taking in each day and adding 500-1000 calories on top of that. That’s a big range so play with the numbers and start on the small side first…don’t want to upset the tummy with too many calories right off the bat.
2.Start eating several times a day. Don’t settle for 3 squares a day…add snacks in there and aim to eat 5-6 times a day.
3.When you do eat, increase your portion size. If snack #1 was going to be a yogurt (I know…yuck!) then have 2 yogurts instead. But the goal is to try to increase your portion sizes with each meal.
4.Focus on good foods. Breads are a nice dense food and you can put on your favourite toppings like peanut
butter, honey, hummus….Mmmmm (there should actually be 7 “m”s in the word hummus because it’s so good). When picking veggies pick the ones that have less water content. Things like cucumbers have a lot of water so will make you seem more full while taking in less calories…you don’t want that…you want potatoes, carrots, corn etc. Same goes for fruit…pick the more dense ones like a banana over an orange (dried fruits are good!)
5.Fats are where it’s at (I’m good at rhyming words) Fats are so good because they pack 9 calories per gram while carbs and protein only have 4 the losers. BUT…pick healthy fats. Nuts, seeds, peanut butter, avacados, hummus, oils…all good! And the good thing is you can add all these to everything you eat. Cooking eggs? Cook them in oil…Having toast? Spread on some hummus…Having a salad or cereal? Sprinkle on some nuts or seeds and add some more oil to your salad. You can add healthy fats any time you sit down to eat. Toss some dried fruit on a salad or granola…Top your potatoes with oil or cheese. You’re only limited by your imagination.
6.Sick of eating? Drink your calories. There are lots of healthy meal replacement drinks that are good but why not make your own smoothie? Make it with milk, fruit, honey…whatever…then sprinkle on some seeds.
7.Gain some muscle. If you lift weights then you can gain some lean muscle mass and what’s even better…the increased workload may even boost your appetite…WIN!! If you want to gain muscle mass then add in some extra protein to your meals too. Protein intake that is too low can actually make you lose body mass so keep your intake to a healthy level. Beans, peanuts, chicken, tuna…all good! However…if you’re trying to gain then shy away from the cardio.
8.A healthy ratio of Proteins/Fat/Carbs looks like this: Proteins 10-35% of daily calories; Fats 20-35%; Carbs 45-65%. With such a generous range to work within you can play around with adding more foods (healthy fats in particular) given the ratios above and still have adequate nutritional intake while having a goal of gaining weight.