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How to Gain Weight Fast? - Genetic Nutrition

How to Gain Weight Fast?

, by Sandesh Prasannakumar, 9 min reading time

Introduction

Weight gain is something that most people, especially those with a fast metabolism or who find it hard to gain weight, consider as their ideal body weight or even an addition to their body weight. That is why being underweight has health consequences, such as depriving the body of essential nutrients, resulting in later life osteoporosis, and the immune system is not as strong as it should be. Weight gain is very doable, especially when a proper calorie consumption strategy is employed with some lifestyle modifications.

How Many Calories Should I Eat Per Day?

The first key step in creating a weight gain strategy is determining the amount of calories one requires daily. Utilise an online calorie calculator to determine how many maintenance-level calories you require, which means how many calories you need to hold your current weight. Then, increase your daily calories by 500. Taking an additional 500 calories—meaning consuming more calories than the body burns daily—results in about a pound gained per week. Gradual supplementation is advisable if the goal is to gain weight in the long run without the risk of side effects.


Especially for extremely thin people who want to gain weight fast, it is sometimes advised to add 1,000 calories over what your body requires for maintenance. But scale back if those additional calories are refined carbohydrates, sugar and unhealthy fats. Sustain your weight gain plan with whole, nutrient-dense meals rather (more below).

Best Kinds of Foods to Take to Gain More Weight

Certain foods provide the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats to help you gain weight:

Protein-Rich Foods

Getting enough protein primes your body to build lean body mass and muscle effectively:

  • Red meat
  • Poultry
  • Fish and seafood
  • Eggs
  • Dairy products
  • Beans, lentils, nuts and seeds

Complex Carbohydrates

Complex carbs provide longer-lasting energy than simple carbs:

  • Complex carbohydrates – The foods include oats, brown rice and quinoa.
  • Potatoes – fresh, frozen or canned, sweet potatoes, frozen peas
  • Products – bananas, mangoes, dried fruits

Healthy Fats

Don’t fear healthy fats—your body needs them for absorbing fat-soluble vitamins and fueling tissue growth:

  • The present study compared nuts and nut butter to forecast the product's potential. In contrast, stratification by nut type was used to assess the different effects of nuts on weight management.
  • Avocados
  • Olive, avocado and coconut are some of the healthy fats people should consider using.
  • Full-fat dairy
  • Some types of fish are known to be fatty fish, such as salmon.

For weight gain, it is recommended to take lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. These foods can be taken in three large meals and two to three snacks daily.


It is also very important to minimise the intake of foods high in sugars, refined grains and fried in oil since they lead to fat deposition rather than muscular development. Prioritise whole foods instead.

What Type of Exercise is Most Effective for Putting on Weight?

Strength or weight training is a key factor in weight gain and involves exercising. Remember that training with weights and doing bodyweight exercises such as push-ups and squats helps your body create muscle. Muscle tissue is denser than fat in that it takes up less space therefore, you appear to be leaner even as the scale number goes up.


Aim for 2-4 strength sessions weekly focusing on all the major muscle groups:


  • Chest – Bench press, push-ups
  • Shoulders – Overhead dumbbell press 
  • Back – bent over rows
  • Legs – Squats, lunges
  • Upper limbs – bicep flexion, triceps flexion

Sleep sufficiently as those muscles, too, require rest to grow and get repaired.


For cardio, it is recommended that you do it only 1-2 times per week for moderate intensity. Excessive consumption can lead to reduced power and muscle mass.

What are Some Quick Weight Gain Tips?

Thus, it is crucial to emphasise that putting on a healthy weight is a long and patience-requiring process dependent on regular training and a proper diet. But several strategies can help accelerate the process:


  • Take more food in portions by expanding vegetables, grains, and proteins.
  • Take snacks in between the meals.
  • Consume calorie-containing shakes such as milk, fruit, nut butter, protein powder or avocado.
  • Indulge in high-energy foods such as trail mix, granola, dried fruits, nuts, and peanut butter.
  • Cook with healthy oils and incorporate them into your salad dressings.
  • One should ensure they take a large meal during the evening before retiring to bed.
  • Perform strength exercises with heavy weights 2-4 days a week, emphasising increasing the load.
  • Ensure you have a healthy night’s sleep of between 7 and 9 hours.

Conclusion

The common temptation is to focus solely on cardio, but it's important to have patience and persist with a high-calorie diet and strength training. This means that realistically, gaining 1-2 pounds per week is achievable, but it should be done systematically. It's best not to aim for rapid improvement, as slow, incremental changes are more likely to lead to success in the long run.

For all your protein and supplements needs, visit Genetic Nutrition!

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to 4 commonly asked questions about gaining weight quickly:


  1. Is it bad to gain weight very fast?

Indeed, it is possible to gain more than 2 pounds a week, and it can be detrimental to your health if that is the case. Weight gain means that you are putting on more fats than muscles, and also, the risk of contracting diseases like diabetes and heart disease is highly likely. It is recommended only to try to gain 1-2 pounds per week for the safest and most effective way to gain weight.


  1. I consume large portions of food but cannot get any bulkier. What can I do?

Some individuals are naturally very slim and can take snacks all day without putting on any weight. If that is you, increase your calorie intake through nuts, nut butter, dried fruits, whole grain pasta and bread. Consuming smoothies and shakes between meals is another good strategy for increasing the calories consumed. Strength training, which aids in developing metabolic muscle, cannot go unnoticed.


  1. Will using weight gain supplements or mass gainers get me to my desired weight gain within a short period?

Consuming weight gain powders and shakes is acceptable, especially when accompanied by weight training programs for those classified as hard gainers. They contain condensed energy levels, the proteins to assist in the development of muscles. But they should not replace whole foods that contain important micronutrients to the body. It’s advisable to use supplements in addition to meals to boost the number of calories consumed daily and not in the place of meals.


  1. How do I maintain the weight?

Maintaining your new weight, therefore, means sustaining the eating pattern that helped you gain weight in the long run. Continue to consume those larger portions with additional snacks, but pay attention to calorie-density foods to sustain your new body weight. Another benefit of weight lifting is that it helps to maintain the muscle that contributes to metabolism, so your body continues to burn more calories all day. Create those habits and your underweight days will be gone for good.

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