The weight gaining-diet is for people struggling with being skinny and those who want to build muscle mass.

Every 6 out of 10 people in the world are either obese or overweight.

However, there are also many people fighting the problem of being underweight.

Both being overweight and underweight is a concern and could be bad for your health.

This article outlines the best way to gain weight or muscle mass fast – naturally and safely

How to Find If You Are Underweight?

A person with body mass index (BMI) less than 18.5 is considered as underweight. This is less than the body mass needed to sustain optimal health.

Inversely, 25 is considered as overweight and over 30 is obese.

To find out where you stand on the BMI scale, use this calculator. (opens in new tab)

However keep in mind that this calculator only gives an estimate of your body mass index, because it does not take muscle mass into an account.

According to this calculator, being underweight does not necessarily mean that you are unhealthy.

Also, note that being skinny isn’t always mean that you have an underlying disease, it can cause due to poor eating habits, high physical activity, lack of access to food, and body type.

How to Gain Weight Fast – Naturally

There are two ways to gain weight – the healthy way and the unhealthy way.

Binge eating on burgers, fries, or donuts may help you gain weight, but it can worsen your health at the same time.

Gaining a balanced amount of muscle mass and subcutaneous fat should be your goal if you’re underweight, rather than gaining a lot of unhealthy fat.

Not only obese but normal-looking people also get type 2 diabetes, heart diseases because of their unhealthy eating habits.

Looking healthy from outside not always mean you are healthy inside.

Therefore, it is important to follow a healthy diet for gaining weight and live an overall healthy lifestyle.

Here are some effective tips to gain weight fast or muscle mass without affecting your health.

Eat in Surplus

The process is simple – for gaining weight you need to create a calorie surplus – that is – you have to eat more Calories than your body needs.

Conversely, to lose weight, you need to eat fewer calories than your body needs.

Use this calculator to get an estimate of daily calories you need to gain weight.

Aim for 700 – 1000 calories more than your maintenance calories if you want to gain weight fast. 500 or less if you want to gain weight slowly.

Use MyFitnessPal or a similar app to keep track of how many calories you are eating.

You don’t have to count calories for your whole life but it’s a good idea to do it for the first few weeks to get an estimate of how much you have to eat.

Eat Plenty of Carbohydrates

Many people cut off carbs when try to burn fat.

But it’s a bad idea if your goal is to gain weight, because you have to eat more calories, and cutting carbs will make it harder to get enough calories.

According to the National Academies of Sciences, the diet should consist of 45 percent to as much as 65 percent of carbs.

Eat Frequently

Eating more frequently can help you take in more calories throughout the day instead of eating all at once.

Try to eat 5 meals per day or 3 meals and 2 servings of energy-dense snacks.

Spreading your calories into 5,6 meals can help you eat more and reach your daily calorie goal easily.

Eat Before Bed

Many people may find it counter productive if it’s for weight loss but for weight gain you can take advantage of eating late at night.

Our body enters fasting state if we don’t eat for 5-6 hours and that is what happens when we sleep. The body goes into the fasting mode and use energy from stored calories.

Going into fasting mode is helpful if your goal is weight loss, but for gaining weight, you need stored calories.

And, eating just before bed prevents the body from going into fasting mode, saves stored calories, and help in weight gain.

Lift Weights & Gain Strength

Lifting heavy weights and building strength makes sure that excess calories go straight into muscle cells and you gain muscle mass instead of just fat.

Lifting weights can also increase hunger which is helpful if you feel less hungry or struggling with eating more.

Try to exercise 3-5 days per week. Lift heavy weights and focus on progressive overload.

Start with doing compound movements like dead-lifts, squats, push-ups, pull-ups, etc. Always do these exercises in the presence of a experienced trainer.

Eat Snacks High in Fat

High fat snacks does not mean anything high in fat. I am referring here to fat snacks such as almonds, cashews, peanut butter, flax-seeds, etc.

Eating snacks high in fat can help you eat more calories and reach your daily calorie goal easily.

Because 1 gram of fat contains 9 calories which is almost double than calories in 1 gram of protein and carbs.

Additional Tips to Gain Weight

Eating more than tour body needs and indulging in strength training are the two most important factors for gaining weight.

However, there are several other ways which can help you reach your goal faster.

1. Avoid drinking liquids before meals, this can fill your stomach and make it hard for you to eat enough calories.
2. Drink milkshakes instead of soda, soft drinks. Drinking milk or something like banana shake not only provides you with enough calories but with nutrition also.
3. You can also try this weight gainer shake. This is high in calories, protein, and carbs.
4. Use a larger portion. People tend to eat less when there is less food on the plate.
5. Use butter when cooking food. A way to add more calories.
6. Sleep well. Sleeping is more important for gaining weight and muscles.
7. Carry snacks with you wherever you go.

Healthy Weight Gain Foods

Foods make a whole lot difference whether your goal is to lose weight or gain weight.

Eating certain foods in your diet can help you gain weight more effectively.

Here are the list of 9 foods you can include in your weight gaining diet.

1 Week Diet Plan For Gaining Weight

A diet for gaining weight should consist of foods which is both nutritious and high in calories.

Here is the sample diet plan for gaining weight you can follow –

Monday

• Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal + 2 whole eggs + 15 almonds
• Snack: 1 cup of yogurt + 2 spoon flaxseeds + 1/2 cup of berries
• Lunch: 1 cup of rice + 100 gm chicken thighs served with salad
• Snack: 100 gms cottage cheese
• Dinner: Salmon or Beef with long grain rice served with 1 cup salad
• Before Bed: 1 cup milk + 2 spoon peanut butter

Tuesday

• Breakfast: 3 slices whole-grain bread with 2 whole + 2 egg whites omelet. + 1 cup berries
• Snack: 15 almonds + pancake
• Lunch: 1 cup whole grain rice with 1 cup kidney beans + 1 cup broccoli
• Snack: 1 cup quinoa + 1.5 cup of mixed fruits
• Dinner: Brown rice with 100 gm chicken breast or salmon or beef served with salad
• Before Bed: Same as Monday

Wednesday

• Breakfast: 100 gm chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread served with 1 cup of fruits.
• Snacks: 1 cup yogurt mixed with 3 spoon flax-seeds + 15 almonds
• Lunch: Grilled fish or chicken breast served with salad + 1 cup rice
• Snacks: 4 egg whites omelet with mushroom, spinach, and onions with 1/2 cup oatmeal
• Dinner: 100 g bacon or 1.5 cup chickpeas curry with 1 cup long-grain rice served with 1 cup steamed broccoli
• Before Bed: 50 g cottage cheese + 1 cup milk

Thursday

• Breakfast: 2 whole eggs with smoked salmon or chicken breast or bacon on 3 slices whole-grain toast.
• Snacks: 2 spoon peanut butter + 1 banana
• Lunch: Oats pancake with 150g smoked chicken thighs
• Snack: 1 cup quinoa + 10 almonds and a mixed cup of fruit.
• Dinner: 100 g bacon or 150g chicken curry with 1 cup long-grain rice served with 1 cup mixed veggies
• Before Bed: 50 g cottage cheese + 1 cup milk

Friday

• Breakfast: Smoothie with oats, berries, milk, yogurt, and cinnamon
• Snacks: 15 almonds + 1 cup yogurt + 1 apple
• Lunch: 1 cup whole grain pasta cooked + 1 whole and 3 egg whites served with 1 cup steamed beans
• Snack: 1 cup oatmeal + 1 cup of berries.
• Dinner: 150 g Roasted chicken breast served mixed salad + 1.5 cup cooked rice.
• Before Bed: 1 slice bread with two spoon peanut butter + half cup milk

Saturday

• Breakfast: 100 gm chicken sandwich on whole-grain bread served with 1 cup of fruits.
• Snacks: 1 cup yogurt mixed with 3 spoon flax-seeds + 15 almonds
• Lunch: Grilled fish or chicken breast served with salad + 1 cup rice
• Snacks: 4 egg whites omelet with mushroom, spinach, and onions with 1/2 cup oatmeal
• Dinner: 100 g bacon or 1.5 cup chickpeas curry with 1 cup long-grain rice served with 1 cup steamed broccoli
• Before Bed: 50 g cottage cheese + 1 cup milk

Sunday

• Breakfast: 1 cup oatmeal + 2 whole eggs + 15 almonds
• Snack: 1 cup of yogurt + 2 spoon flaxseeds + 1/2 cup of berries
• Lunch: 1 cup of rice + 100 gm chicken thighs served with salad
• Snack: 100 gms cottage cheese
• Dinner: Salmon or Beef with long grain rice served with 1 cup salad
• Before Bed: 1 cup milk + 2 spoon peanut butter

The Bottom Line

If you are just starting out, this weight gaining diet may seems like a lot more eating to you, and yes it is.

But remember, your goal is to gain weight and for that, you have to eat more. It can be difficult for you to gain weight but you can do it if you want it.

If you are new to dieting and this seems so much eating to you, try eating as much as you can in the start then progress slowly.

I hope this guide will help you to gain weight safely and more efficiently. What’s your thought on this. Please share your opinion in the comment section below.