How to Gain Weight

With everyone seemingly obsessed with losing weight, it can be difficult to know how to gain weight safely and healthily. But don’t worry – gaining weight is completely doable if you’re determined to make a plan and stick to it.

Table of Contents

Eat to gain weight

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Increase calories in meals. When you cook, think of ways to increase the amount of calories in your food. Can you put a slice of cheese on a sandwich? Adding a poached egg to a hot soup? Drizzle olive oil over vegetables or sprinkle nuts, seeds, or cheese over salads? ^{[1] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS

Nutritionist

Claudia Carberry is a licensed dietitian specializing in kidney transplantation and counseling for weight loss patients at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is a member of the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Claudia received her MS in Nutrition from the University of Tennessee Knoxville in 2010.

Claudia Carberry, RD, MS
Nutritionist

Claudia Carberry, licensed dietitian nutritionist, says: “High-calorie foods will help you gain weight faster. Add fats like oil or butter to make them more energetic.”

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Stock up on high-fat snacks. Fat is an essential part of the diet, and consuming fat can be a healthy way to manage weight. ^{[2] X Source of Research} You should eat nuts, seeds, and nut butters. Try cheese and crackers or fresh fruit and full-fat yogurt. Hummus is great with bread or vegetables. A decent amount of sesame butter and olive oil can help you increase your calorie intake. Olives and cheese will be delicious if you like bold flavors. ^{[3] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Store sauces like guacampe, tapenade, pesto, and hummus in the refrigerator for easy snacking.
Bring a few nut bars with you to satisfy your cravings when you’re out and about.

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Drink milk and other energy drinks. Drinking water is fine, but water can reduce appetite. If you need to drink while eating, you should try to include energy drinks such as milk, smoothies and shakes. ^{[4] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Drink full-fat milk instead of skim milk. ^{[5] X Research Sources}
Add peanut butter or protein powder to smoothies and shakes.
Plant-based milk such as coconut milk, peanut milk is a fatty and delicious drink.
Try traditional nutritional drinks that are famous around the world. Kefir, horchata, chia fresca, lassi, misugaru, and telba are all high in calories and protein.
Drink water and low-calorie beverages after eating.

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Eat protein. Protein is an essential ingredient for weight gain. Red meat can help you gain weight, especially if you’re working out to build muscle. Salmon provides lots of calories and good fats. Yogurt is also high in protein. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

Other fish oils may also help you gain weight. You should store sardines and canned tuna in the kitchen cabinets.
Legumes are a good source of protein and starch.
If you find it difficult to get enough protein, you can take a supplement such as whey protein.

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Eat energy-rich vegetables. Instead of eating celery and other water-rich vegetables, eat vegetables that contain calories. Avocados contain good fats and are easy to prepare. Starchy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini and corn can also help you gain weight. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Fruits like bananas, blueberries, grapes, and mangoes can provide calories and fiber.

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Eat bread made from whole wheat. Breads, pastas, pastas and cookies are higher in nutrients and calories than processed grains. Enjoy bread with butter, olive oil, peanut butter or sesame butter and honey. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

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Desserts. While you shouldn’t rely on foods high in sugar, there’s no harm in eating something sweet from time to time. You don’t have to worry about occasionally treating yourself to a cake or ice cream. If you crave dessert every night, try eating small portions and choosing healthy options: dark chocolate, full-fat yogurt with fruit and whole grains, a mix of nuts and dried fruit, cereal cakes or pastries made from whole grains. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Eat more meals. People who are underweight can eat more quickly. The solution to this problem is to eat more meals. You should try to schedule 5-6 small meals a day instead of just eating 3 meals. Snack between meals. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Eat a meal or snack right before bed. Meals before bed can help you gain weight.

Build muscle mass

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Build muscle with strength training. Muscle weighs more than fat, so you will gain weight as you build muscle. Do strength training exercises at least twice a week. Crunches, knee bends, and squats are exercises that can be done at home. You can also lift weights, working with kettlebells, dumbbells, or elastic bands. ^{[11] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

If you like to go to the gym, you can work out on the treadmill.
Sign up for a Pilates class.
Enroll in a class or watch a video of an assignment before starting a new exercise format.
Remember to stop if you feel pain. Pain is a sign that you are at risk of injury.

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Do aerobic exercises. Regular aerobic activity won’t build muscle as quickly as strength training, but it will help you balance out your workout schedule. Cardio exercises strengthen your heart, improve or manage certain chronic conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, and increase your endurance throughout the day. ^{[12] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Cardio exercises can include: jogging or walking, cycling, swimming or hiking.
If you’re doing aerobic exercise and it’s hard to maintain your weight, you may need to reduce the intensity, frequency, or duration of your workouts.

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Eat before and after exercise. Carbohydrates will give you strength before training, and carbohydrates combined with protein will help you recover muscle after exercise. ^{[13] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Eat a snack or snack at least an hour before exercise.
If you have just eaten, you need to wait 3-4 hours before starting to exercise.
Appropriate post-workout snacks might include peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt and fruit, chocolate milk and crackers, or smoothies with milk, yogurt, or whey protein.

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Find a personal trainer. If you find it difficult to schedule an effective workout, a personal trainer can help keep you on track. They can guide you through specific exercises or create an exercise schedule that will help you gain weight.

Find a trainer at the gym. Many times you will find a coach at the gym, they can even reduce the fee for the first consultation.
Talk to your trainer about your weight and goals. Say you want to gain weight in a healthy way.

Keep safe

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Gradually gain weight. Rapid weight gain is both unhealthy and impractical. If you eat so much that you feel uncomfortable, then you are harming your body. Avoid binge eating: stop eating when full. If you’re worried that you’re not eating enough, then you can snack more. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Work with your doctor, dietitian, or trainer to set a weight-gain goal.
You can gain about 0.5 kg to 1 kg of muscle per month if you are determined to gain weight and stick to your exercise regimen. You can gain more weight each month than this, but that’s the weight of both muscle and fat. Gaining about 0.5 kg to 1 kg per week is a healthy rate of weight gain.
Without weight training, you can gain about 1 kg-2 kg of weight per month, including fat and muscle. ^{[15] X Research Source}

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Avoid unhealthy foods. Increasing your calorie intake will be much easier if you eat fast food every day, but your health will definitely be affected. Instead, cook your own meals if you have time. If you don’t like to cook or are too busy, find healthy ways to eat out. Stores that list meal ingredients such as sandwich shops or smoothie shops are good places to choose.

If you want to cook for yourself but are busy during the week, try to make a lot of food on the weekends. If you are worried about food spoiling, you can freeze half of the cooked food.
The general rule is to avoid fried foods, sugary snacks, soft drinks, and candy.

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Talk to your doctor or dietitian. If you experience unintentional weight loss, talk to your doctor. It’s possible that an underlying problem has caused you to lose weight. Your doctor can check your thyroid and see if you have a hormone imbalance. If your doctor can’t help, see a dietitian for advice. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Steps

Eat to gain weight

Build muscle mass

Keep safe

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