What do you eat to gain weight healthily?

SpeakToAmanda

I would like to gain muscle but not fat! Thank you for your advice.

shmoony

A simple answer is that as long as you get enough protein, it doesn't really matter what you eat. 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is a good place to start. As far as gaining muscle without gaining fat, good luck. You need to eat more calories than you burn in order to gain muscle, and unless you dial that in perfectly, you are either going to be eating a little too much and gain a little fat with your muscle, or not eating enough and not gaining anything. Gaining muscle without fat is a looong meticulous process which requires specific tracking, logging, post analysis, patience, and hard work at the gym. Which is why most people choose the "eat a crap load of food, bulk up, and then run off the fat" approach.

shmoony

I have been attempting slow, lean gains approach for a year now, and I have gained only about 4-5 pounds of muscle while maintaining the same body fat. Just be patient.

deksgrl

What types of exercise are you doing to try to gain muscle?

It's not what you eat (although adequate protein is very important), it is how much you eat, and heavy lifting. There isn't a special food that will add muscle. It is difficult for women to gain muscle because we don't have anywhere near the amount of testosterone that men do.

I just saw your other thread, it sounds as if you may have been restricting your calories to a dangerous level. You need to learn what the appropriate amount of calories is for you to maintain weight (and from there you will know the healthy amount to gain or lose weight) and then work on body composition (body fat %, lean body mass, etc) Are you going to school? Perhaps your school has a nutritionist and/or sports trainers who could guide you.

minuz5

Here is the calculator which will roughly tell you how many calories you need to consume :
http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

and when it comes to tracking them, just use the MFP food app to add the food you consumed. Then check the numbers and adjust accordingly

I_mustacheU4pancakes

Lift heavy+meet protein needs+eat a small 200-300 calorie surplus+ patience +
Consistency = gaining weight in the form of muscle (with fat but not as much if you
Aren't in a huge surplus)
Look up starting strength, strong lifts, ice cream fitness, new rules
Of weight lifting for women. All good beginner programs.

cwolfman13

I would like to gain muscle but not fat! Thank you for your advice.

You can't really gain appreciable muscle without gaining some fat. If you just want to work on body composition then eat to a maintenance level of calories, get plenty of protein, and hit the weight room with an actual tried and true hypertrophy lifting program.

If you want to actually put on muscle you need to eat at a surplus of calories...shoot for around 250 calories more than your body needs to maintain to minimize fat gain and maximize muscle growth. Also, hit the weight room with an actual tried and true hypertrophy lifting program. You will slowly put on weight (muscle & fat)...then you cut again to reduce your BF% and reveal your newly established muscle.

SonyaCele

i avoid as much packaged processed foods as i can , I choose local , organic and non-gmo as much as possible . no refined flours or sugars

this is what i eat . if i wanna gain i increase my servings, if i wanna lose i decrease my servings.

fresh non starchy vegitables, lots and lots
couple pieces of fresh fruit
couple servings of whole grains
little bit of dairy
lots and lots of lean protein sources , roast turkey, egg whites etc
healthy oil - olive oil, PB, avocado, etc

alyhuggan

If I ate a clean 4000 calories I would gain the same amount as 4000 calories from "unclean foods", as long as you get enough calories, enough protein and maintain a decent amount of fat while working out properly you will gain muscle but not gaining fat is nearly impossible and very unpractical.

CleanScience

List of things to do/eat to gain weight:
1. EAT BREAKFAST! This means within 30 mins of waking.
For example: 1 small piece of fruit, 1-2 egg or egg whites, 8oz of skim or 1% milk, small bowl of oatmeal or two pieces of multi grain bread.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours. Not big meals, but complete meals. Try to get good unsaturated fats, complex carbs and protein all in.
3. Do not think that fast food is the answer. You can gain weight by still eating healthy.
4. Do not be afraid to gain muscle. It is incredibly hard for a women without certain tools to look like a bodybuilder. Stop thinking that putting on muscle will do that to you.
5. Find a good, quality, clean protein supplement. This means do not go to Walmart and buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. Do research.
6. Find a protein powder that has a "time release" type of formula. Something that uses different metabolic rates so that you will fuel your muscles for a greater period of time after a lift.
7. Make your gym time count. Try to limit yourself to the most productive 1hr you can. Then drink your protein and eat about two hours again after your protein shake.
8. Dont forget water. Lots of water. More then you think you should drink.
9. REST! People over look this so often. You do not grow at the gym. you grow when you sleep and on rest days. Get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep a night. Make sure you have 2 rest days a week. Preferably not in a row.
10. Lift in the 4-8 rep range. Make the weight heavy enough to almost reach failure on every set. Don't be afraid to use drop sets and forced reps OCCASIONALLY. Try to get good, slow, clean reps 95% of your workout. The last rep of the exercise should be a drop set or forced rep.
11. FInally, have a 1/4 cup of greek yogurt or cottage cheese 30 mins before sleeping.

Those are the basics. I am very confident that will get you gaining.

KANGOOJUMPS

wine
whiskey
vodka

Live4theLift

First off you dont have to eat at certain intervals to gain weight you can even bulk using IF if you want. As for going to walmart to buy your protein.... MuscleTech makes 6 star whey which they sell at walmart, ive used it and i enjoy it although its not my first choice it is a cheaper product with decent quality. As for weight lifting you can do a "Clean" bulk or "Dirty" bulk, this just refers to the amount of calories you take in clean is less than or equal to 500 cals over maintenance a day and dirty is >500 a day. You will need to include 1g of protein per lb of LBM though no matter what route.

Barbellgirl

I am doing a clean bulk (aiming to gain about 1/2 lb. a week) and I'm just eating my normal healthy diet of lean protein sources, lots of vegetables, and some fruit, seeds and nuts and other healthy fats. I don't eat a lot of grains, but that shouldn't matter much if you are a big grain eater. I'd just stick with the whole grain products instead of the overly refined processed empty calorie stuff.

Just lift heavy and eat 200-300 calories over your daily TDEE (maintenance) amount.

ETA: women can't hope to add muscle mass as quickly as men, they typically aim to gain a pound a week which is why they shoot for a 500 calorie a day surplus. If we women do that we'll end up packing on more fat that we have lose later.

Amadbro

I have been attempting slow, lean gains approach for a year now, and I have gained only about 4-5 pounds of muscle while maintaining the same body fat. Just be patient.

I would reevaluate my diet if after a year I only gained 4-5 lbs in a year considering the average person can increase their lbm by .3-.5 lbs per WEEK. Again this is the AVERAGE. Personally I'd rather gain as much as I can in a 6 month period. Yea you're going to put on fat so what? If you know how to get rid of it then it's not a big deal. Personally I love cutting and can't wait to cut this spring and see what I've packed on underneath all this flab

fashionosack

To digest, high protein, high calorie principle, and gradually increase the intake of various nutrients, regulate the spleen and stomach while eating some Chinese medicines, such as hawthorn pills, Sijunzitang so on. In addition to the usual food rich in animal protein meat, eggs, poultry, etc., to eat some fat, carbohydrate rich food, appropriate to eat some soy products and vegetables, fruits and so on.

Joe_pat

A simple answer is that as long as you get enough protein, it doesn't really matter what you eat. 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight is a good place to start. As far as gaining muscle without gaining fat, good luck. You need to eat more calories than you burn in order to gain muscle, and unless you dial that in perfectly, you are either going to be eating a little too much and gain a little fat with your muscle, or not eating enough and not gaining anything. Gaining muscle without fat is a looong meticulous process which requires specific tracking, logging, post analysis, patience, and hard work at the gym. Which is why most people choose the "eat a crap load of food, bulk up, and then run off the fat" approach.

Since many days i was worried about my health and weakness and i was unable to find cause as well as solution. This idea is helpful for me. thank you so much.

Bananacup

Give up the idea of gaining muscle but not fat. In the majority of cases, it simply isn't realistic. Being afraid of fat is the fastest track to an ineffective bulk.

Shateyn

Give up the idea of gaining muscle but not fat. In the majority of cases, it simply isn't realistic. Being afraid of fat is the fastest track to an ineffective bulk.

\

^This guy knows what's up. Don't waste your time and energy. It's winter anyways, go for it!

alyhuggan

List of things to do/eat to gain weight:
1. EAT BREAKFAST! This means within 30 mins of waking.
For example: 1 small piece of fruit, 1-2 egg or egg whites, 8oz of skim or 1% milk, small bowl of oatmeal or two pieces of multi grain bread.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours. Not big meals, but complete meals. Try to get good unsaturated fats, complex carbs and protein all in.
3. Do not think that fast food is the answer. You can gain weight by still eating healthy.
4. Do not be afraid to gain muscle. It is incredibly hard for a women without certain tools to look like a bodybuilder. Stop thinking that putting on muscle will do that to you.
5. Find a good, quality, clean protein supplement. This means do not go to Walmart and buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. Do research.
6. Find a protein powder that has a "time release" type of formula. Something that uses different metabolic rates so that you will fuel your muscles for a greater period of time after a lift.
7. Make your gym time count. Try to limit yourself to the most productive 1hr you can. Then drink your protein and eat about two hours again after your protein shake.
8. Dont forget water. Lots of water. More then you think you should drink.
9. REST! People over look this so often. You do not grow at the gym. you grow when you sleep and on rest days. Get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep a night. Make sure you have 2 rest days a week. Preferably not in a row.
10. Lift in the 4-8 rep range. Make the weight heavy enough to almost reach failure on every set. Don't be afraid to use drop sets and forced reps OCCASIONALLY. Try to get good, slow, clean reps 95% of your workout. The last rep of the exercise should be a drop set or forced rep.
11. FInally, have a 1/4 cup of greek yogurt or cottage cheese 30 mins before sleeping.

Those are the basics. I am very confident that will get you gaining.

I shed a tear while reading some of that broscience.

Amadbro

List of things to do/eat to gain weight:
1. EAT BREAKFAST! This means within 30 mins of waking.
For example: 1 small piece of fruit, 1-2 egg or egg whites, 8oz of skim or 1% milk, small bowl of oatmeal or two pieces of multi grain bread.
2. Eat every 2-3 hours. Not big meals, but complete meals. Try to get good unsaturated fats, complex carbs and protein all in.
3. Do not think that fast food is the answer. You can gain weight by still eating healthy.
4. Do not be afraid to gain muscle. It is incredibly hard for a women without certain tools to look like a bodybuilder. Stop thinking that putting on muscle will do that to you.
5. Find a good, quality, clean protein supplement. This means do not go to Walmart and buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. Do research.
6. Find a protein powder that has a "time release" type of formula. Something that uses different metabolic rates so that you will fuel your muscles for a greater period of time after a lift.
7. Make your gym time count. Try to limit yourself to the most productive 1hr you can. Then drink your protein and eat about two hours again after your protein shake.
8. Dont forget water. Lots of water. More then you think you should drink.
9. REST! People over look this so often. You do not grow at the gym. you grow when you sleep and on rest days. Get AT LEAST 8 hours of sleep a night. Make sure you have 2 rest days a week. Preferably not in a row.
10. Lift in the 4-8 rep range. Make the weight heavy enough to almost reach failure on every set. Don't be afraid to use drop sets and forced reps OCCASIONALLY. Try to get good, slow, clean reps 95% of your workout. The last rep of the exercise should be a drop set or forced rep.
11. FInally, have a 1/4 cup of greek yogurt or cottage cheese 30 mins before sleeping.

Those are the basics. I am very confident that will get you gaining.

ugh..the broscience is strong with this one...1,2,5,6,10...all inaccurate
1.Fasted training is fine during a bulk and in some cases optimal..POST workout is where nutrition counts.
2. Meal frequency is irrelevant. It doesn't "speed up your metabolism" or "give you a steady supply of nutrients"..do you really think that if you eat a 1800 cal post workout meal its going to waste? LOL the body may not use it then and there but it WILL use it over the course of the day.
5. I know plenty of guys who have had great gains with cheap whey products. Whey is whey. It may not taste as good, but in the end it is what it is.
6. Whey vs caesin?
10. lift in the 4-8 rep range? Who says you can't bulk with hypertrophic rep ranges?
11.nuff said..

wilmnoca

To gain muscle you have to eat a surplus of calories. You WILL also gain fat with this. Eat clean, and the fat will be minimal but you can't have one without the other. Period.