There is a big misconception that going to the gym is all about losing weight or getting bulging muscles…For many of us, the task of just gaining weight in a healthy and sustainable way might be the main goal.
If this sounds like you, here are a few things that you can try to help promote weight gain without putting you in risk of putting on weight too quickly.
1) PROTEIN
The NUMBER ONE nutrient you need to focus on when it comes to putting on weight is protein.
Protein is the macronutrient which helps build and sustain muscle and for the most part, very few of us are overeating it.
When we say protein, we mean QUALITY sources of protein. Meats like Wild Alaskan Salmon, quality beef and free range chicken are all excellent choices…We are not talking about KFC here.
If you are unsure of how much protein you need to be eating, a good rule of thumb is 1 gram of protein per 1lb of weight per day.
For example, if you weight 150lbs, you should be consuming around 150g of quality protein each day. Of course, some people may need more, some may need a little less, but as a general guideline, that is a good place to start.
2) CALORIES
In order to gain weight of any kind, you will need to be consuming more calories than you are burning in any given day. It is impossible to gain weight whilst in a calorie deficit.
Due to calorie counters and unsustainable diet plans, many of us are often overly worried about the number of calories we are eating and typically train ourselves to limit our calorie intake to a certain number. Because you might have to essentially ‘train’ yourself to eat, it can actually be far harder to gain weight than to lose body fat.
If you feel like you are not getting enough calories each day, the best place to start is experimenting with your intake!
Start by making sure you are having 2000 calories/day. Then try upping them to 2200 for a week, see if there has been any weight gain, if not, adjust again the following week to 2400… and so on until you find an amount which allows to you gain weight at a steady rate.
If you are struggling to fit in your calories for the day, a great calorie dense snack would be to take a wholemeal wrap, cover with peanut butter and wrap around a banana. Perfect for a quick snack on the go!
3) EXERCISE
This is somewhat a given, but definitely worth mentioning.
If you are looking to gain weight and create muscle, resistance training is crucial. Only by progressively putting your body under resistance will you be able to challenge your body’s existing muscle and continue to develop more.
4) EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT
On the face of it, the issue of weight gain may seem like it’s focused at men looking to be bursting with muscle, however, we would recommend this same advice to ANYONE who feels like they would like to gain weight to change their body shape, whether you are underweight or if feel like you would like to be stronger.
That is also why at The DVCC, we have our very own specialist nutritionist, separate from the training team, who specifically focuses on this area.
If you would like to learn more about The DVCC nutrition program, click here:
https://www.thedvcc.com/nutrition-accountability
