Your Weight Gain Diet Plan To Add Pounds The Healthy Way!

If you find gaining weight or building muscle a tiresome hassle of difficulty, you might need an effective weight gain diet plan. Contrary to common belief, some people do want to add pounds. And they find it just as difficult as some people find it to shed some pounds. Merely eating junk food to gain weight is not a healthy option. So, for them, a well-mapped healthy weight gain diet plan is essential to follow, just like how others plan out their diet while losing weight.

Keep scrolling to find a weight gain diet plan to add pounds the healthy way!

Weight Gain Diet Plan: Everything You Need To Know!

People try to gain weight for several reasons. It could be because your body mass index (BMI) classifies you as underweight and you have to gain weight (1) to reach your ideal weight. Because being underweight brings several health issues including infertility, malnutrition, osteoporosis, weakened immune system, developmental delays, etc. In conclusion, no one can afford to be underweight.

Other reasons for gaining weight include being an athlete who wants to build muscles to perform better or increase muscle size and strength. In some unfortunate circumstances, you may be recovering from major surgery or may have a health condition that demands a calorie increase.

Gaining weight may be a larger priority for some people. And it is not exactly easy to gain weight healthily. Yes, you can munch on all kinds of junk food all day and transcend your ideal weight. However, it is not a healthy way to gain weight and your body will suffer because of it later. So you need a healthy weight gain diet plan to reach your goal.

Whatever your reason may be for gaining weight, the diet plan mapped below will help you healthily add pounds.

Know Your Body’s Calorie Needs

Daily calorie needs vary from person to person. It varies based on several factors, such as gender, age —calorie burn rate declines with age, height —tall people require more calories to maintain the weight, and physical activity —exercise and other activities increase calorie needs. When it comes to gender, it is important to consider the fact that women generally burn 5-10% fewer calories at rest than men.

In that case, for an adult woman with average height (5’4”) and weight (128 pounds), daily calorie needs range from 1600-2400 per day with high ends for those who are physically active. Depending on your body’s size and activity level, you could require even 3000 calories per day. Especially if you are an athlete or you have a physically demanding job.

Find Your Caloric Needs To Gain Weight

The standard 2000 calories target for your daily eating may not work for all people. This is why you need to know your body’s caloric needs. And yes, there is a way to find out how many calories you need to gain weight. In fact, only with three simple steps of accurate calculation, you can find out your own caloric needs for weight gain.

Step 1: Resting Metabolic Rate

Multiply your current weight by 12. This is the number of calories your body burns throughout the day of a sedentary lifestyle, not including exercise.

For example, if you weigh 140 pounds: 140 x 12 = 1,680 calories per day (2)

Step 2: Activity Level

Multiply your RMR by the following numbers depending on your activity level.

• Lightly active (1 to 3 days a week): x 1.2
• Moderately active (3 to 5 days a week): x 1.4
• Very active (6 to 7 days a week): x 1.6
• Extra active (6 to 7 days a week: intense exercise): x 1.8
• Super active (6 to 7 days a week: intense exercise and a physical job): x 1.9

For instance, if you do moderate exercise: 1,680 calories a day x 1.2 = 2,016 calories per day

Step 3: Add More Calories

To add more pounds, you can add 5 to 10% more calories.

To give an example,

For 5% more calories: 2,016 calories per day x 1.05 = 2,117 calories per day

For 10% more calories: 2,016 calories per day x 1.1 = 2,218 calories per day

7-Day Weight Gain Diet Plan: Foods with High Calories and Good Nutrition!

When it comes to adding pounds, it is important to increase energy and protein intake (3), while not overeating foods with high calories and little nutrition. Therefore, macronutrients —carbs, fat, and protein— matter. Ahead, find an effective 7-day weight gain diet plan that includes all three macronutrients. Thus, this diet includes all foods to increase your weight quickly, including high-calorie snacks.

Protein Shakes for Your Weight Gain Diet Plan

Homemade protein shakes are important to drink to gain weight healthily as they are highly nutritious. You can include any of these protein shakes with protein powder for weight gain into your diet.

• Vanilla berry shake: 1 cup of frozen berries, 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein, 1 cup of high protein, and 1 cup of vanilla Greek yogurt.
• Chocolate banana nut shake: 1 banana, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein, and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter.
• Caramel apple shake: 1 sliced apple, 1 scoop of caramel or vanilla-flavored whey protein, 1 cup of full-fat Greek yogurt, and 1 tablespoon of sugar-free caramel flavoring.
• Chocolate hazelnut shake:  1 cup of chocolate milk, 1 scoop of chocolate whey protein, 1 avocado, and 1 tablespoon of hazelnut butter.
• Green protein shake: 1 avocado, 1 banana, 1 cup of pineapple, 1 cup of spinach, and 1 scoop of vanilla whey protein.

Final Word

Gaining weight is easy if you follow a diet plan consistently. When you mix fruits and vegetables along with whole grains, healthy fats, lean proteins, and high-calorie food for weight gain into your diet, you can add pounds healthily. You might as well add protein powder for weight gain.

Besides, you must keep in mind that those with medical issues should consult a medical practitioner before changing their diet. In any circumstance, the best way to gain weight is to stick to a healthy diet plan along with being physically active. Then, you can change your body weight the way you want.