In a society where we are constantly on the run, living in the fast lane causes us to make poor eating choices. This presents enormous challenges to our health, and ability to regulate our weight. One may assume that having the right balance between the amount of calories expended, versus the amount consumed, plays a role in how much we gain. Though this is true, there are other factors that contribute to weight gain.
The Unhealthy Way to Pack on the Pounds
One of the ways we can add pounds involve the types of foods or beverages we put into our bodies. For instance, sugary beverages such as soft drinks are personal choices that impede our ability to regulate long-term energy balance, which increases the likelihood of gaining weight. In contrast, foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and proper water consumption, will keep our body weight intact.
As the widespread level of obesity continues to rise, more Americans are looking for ways to maintain the weight. One alternative that many have used is relying on low-calorie drinks. But do these beverages actually help you lose weight? In addition, are these drinks actually healthy? According to Dr. Dana Small at Yale’s Neuroscience 2010 conference, there are obvious effects of weight gain that come from low-calorie sweeteners and soft drinks.
Though not high in calories, diet beverages still contain artificial sweeteners, and can result in added pounds. Most consumers feel trying to lose weight with low-calorie beverages is healthy, but this is simply not the case. In fact, there were studies that suggested that these drinks led to unhealthy weight gain.
For instance, according to the San Antonio Heart Study, 3,682 adults over a seven-to-eight year period consumed diet beverages. The research found higher BMIs (Body Mass Index), and their average BMI gain was +1.01 kg compound compared to those who did not consume diet beverages. This indicates that regardless of the type of sweetener or sugary drinks consumed, it will allow for rapid unhealthy weight gain.
The Three-Meal Disaster Plan
We have all heard it growing up. The basic meal plan in one’s diet should include breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What happens? Well, if you eat a meal at noon, and dinner is scheduled at 7:30, that is a long wait to eat a meal. You’ll get in a habit of eating three large meals, and your body will store food causing unhealthy weight gain. It is important to eat five to six meals every three to four hours to speed up your metabolism, as it will allow you to stay lean and trim. In addition, the meals may contain a lot of unhealthy carbs and high fat. In contrast, eating simple carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats like olive oil and nuts, can aid in adding healthy muscle weight.
Metabolism and Weight Gain
Many individuals gain weight in a variety of ways, and there are certain factors that determine how fast a person gains. One reason pertains to the type of metabolism an individual has. A fast metabolism makes it harder for one to gain weight, but there are ways to combat the issue. For example, you can raise your calorie intake. Typically, you’ll need 3,500 calories to gain a pound. This comes out to an additional 500 calories per week, which means you will need more foods with more healthy calories. You can also add some condiments such as mayonnaise, or can even add peanut better to your favorite food of choice (such as a banana or a celery stick) to pack on the calories. As far as conditioning, you’ll want to exercise moderately such as participating in 30-minute casual walks two to three times a week. In addition, adding resistance training to your repertoire, will also aid in slowing down your metabolism for quality weight gain. By training three times a week, 30 to 45 minutes per session, you’ll experience substantial muscle gain and fat loss. You can do this with the help of a buddy or trainer to give you extra motivation for muscle mass enhancement.
Don’t Drink Liquids Before You Eat
It is also important to limit your liquid intake before you eat your meal. For instance, if you happen to drink juices or water before you eat, chances you are, you will eat smaller portions. In contrast, if you drink liquids during meals, you’ll be able to eat a well-balanced dish without being full. In addition, you can wait until after you eat to consume more liquids. Furthermore, drinking vegetable or other juices between meals, (not right before) can also help add more healthy calories to your day. Consuming juices may seem small, but the calories will quickly add up, and help you reach your desired weight.
Snack Throughout the Day
Throughout the day, it is important to also eat healthy snacks between meals. For instance, you may want to try sliced fruit, crackers with tuna, or another easy-to-make food to add calories. This will contribute to quality weight gain that will lead to positive results. Though adding extra calories throughout the day is vital, picking healthy choices can also go a long way to add pounds to your frame. For example, a Kit Kat bar is high in sugar, and can be detrimental to your health. You’ll want to stick to lean meats, whole wheat foods, fruits, and vegetables. By adding extra healthy snacks, you will not only gain weight safely, but improve overall wellbeing. Other good choices include fruit, nutritious bars, celery sticks, and cucumbers. If you’re ready to experience massive gains, then snacking throughout the day is a key element to help you reach desired results.
Focus on Eating a Well-Balanced Diet
Gaining healthy muscle weight requires smart meal preparation, and this includes making a variety of dishes. To consume the necessary nutrients for a well-balanced diet, you’ll need to create a chart to help keep track of your carbs, protein, and fat ratios. Try and aim for 60 percent of your food coming from carbs, 20 percent from protein, and 30 percent from fats. Of course, the carbohydrates must include low-glycemic foods such as oatmeal and yams. The fats should also be healthy, which can involve nuts, avocados, and butter. These foods can be ideal for gaining muscle weight instead of fat. In addition, keeping the carb-protein ratio as such, aids in digesting food properly compared to protein foods. This will help build quality muscle, and enhance healthy weight gain.
Stick With High-Calorie Foods
If you want to put on healthy weight, you must eliminate fat-free foods, and pick dishes that are high in calories. Some choices include fish, which is a high-omega source that will help you add weight the right way. Other high-calorie choices to consider are yogurt, cereals, and cottage cheese. In addition, healthy foods such as raisins, rice cakes, and peanut butter contain high calories with nutritious value.
Choose a Smoothie
Though you can use liquids such as protein shakes and unsweetened tea, smoothies can be a great way to add some extra pounds. There are a variety of these beverages to choose from that have nutritious ingredients. Many smoothies come with a protein scoop of whey, or may be filled with almond butter. Not to mention that most of them are great-tasting, convenient, and packed with healthy calories. Depending on the type of smoothie, you can either use it as a meal replacement, or snack between meals. If you are trying to gain muscle weight, it is better to have a small ounce smoothie to avoid being full when you prepare to eat your next meal.
Keep Track of Your Calorie Intake
Gaining weight requires discipline and dedication, and one of those ways to stay focused is to have a food log. This will help you keep track of your calorie intake, and allow you to reach your desired weight. By keeping track of your logs, you’ll see what works, and in the process, adjust accordingly. You can evaluate the log every week to see what changes are needed. For instance, if by the end of the week you had too many low-calorie snacks, you can re-adjust your intake, and eat more high-calorie foods.
Add on the Protein
As you continue your quest to gain weight, try to fill your meals with the proper muscle-building nutrients. This includes high-protein foods or replacements. Some examples of effective sources can include lean meats such as grilled chicken and tuna. Other great sources of protein include eggs, pork tenderloin, poultry, turkey breast, and beef. In addition, when you’re pressed with time, you can grab a protein shake to meet your adequate daily needs. By filling your appetite with high-protein meals, you’ll allow yourself to build more muscle while adding healthy pounds. As a rule of thumb, to pack on massive muscle weight gain, try and aim to consume 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per body weight. This means if you weigh 150 pounds, you want to intake between 225 to 300 grams of protein per day.
Consuming More Calories than You Burn
Another way to pack on the pounds is by taking in more calories than you actually lose. If you find yourself doing this regularly, your weight will increase substantially for the long haul. To figure out your daily caloric expenditure or (how many calories you burn per day), you will need to calculate your age, weight, height, gender, and activity level. In order to increase your weight to about one pound per week, you would add an additional 500 calories to the daily calorie expenditure number. There are also online calculators that help you estimate your daily calorie expenditure. Based on your personal eating and drinking habits, the way you gain weight is decided by your food and beverage choices. You can either consume sugary drinks and highly-processed foods, or choose healthy, alternative ways to pack on the pounds.
Set Realistic Goals
If you are trying to gain weight, remind yourself that adding pounds takes time. Just like anything else, you need patience throughout the journey. Though there are factors as to how one quickly gains weight, overall well-being and metabolism play a big role. To reach your desired goal, it will depend on how well you follow your eating log, and what food choices you make. You may have a set weight in mind, but visiting a practitioner, personal trainer, or health coach can assist in reaching your objective.
Mass Gainer
If you’ve been struggling to add healthy pounds, there are options to increase muscle mass for optimal weight gain. After all, muscle weighs more than fat and with the right formula, you’ll find yourself looking like a lean muscle machine. You may have tried valiantly to gain weight with no results, but now you can put your trust on master sports nutrition to do the trick.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a number of ways to pack on the pounds. By choosing the right diet and mass gainer formula, you’ll experience life-changing results in no time. If you are looking for ways to gain healthy weight, then a mass gainer should be a part of your arsenal. Taking steps to reach your goals isn’t easy, but with the help of smart planning, your desired weight could be within reach. Are you ready to make some gains?
