Like some individuals struggle with losing or maintaining weight, there are people who struggle with gaining healthy weight. This may be because of factors like their body type, genetics, lack of nutrition, and so on. In this blog, we will discuss the basics of healthy weight gain and provide you an insight of how you can plan to achieve the same.
Understanding the Concept of Weight Gain
The simplest definition of weight gain is when the number of calories consumed by you in a single day exceeds the number of calories burnt. This is also termed as a situation of caloric surplus. In order to increase the caloric intake, most individuals consume mass gainer protein or weight gainers without gathering any proper information about the same. Rather than helping with weight gain, improper use of these products leads to more negative effects.
You should also know that weight gain is not just about caloric surplus, but also involves proper exercise, consumption of healthy calories, and timing of nutrition. The right combination of all this can help you attain the desired weight effectively.
Role of Proper Nutrition in Gaining Healthy Weight
When we talk about proper nutrition for weight gain, the topic of consuming more high-calorie foods does come into picture again. This does not mean that you munch on highly processed, unhealthy foods with empty calories. Rather, it means that you should focus on the consumption of healthy forms of nutrients that can help you gain weight.
Balancing out the intake of macronutrients as well as micronutrients is important when it comes to gaining healthy weight. You should focus on the consumption of nutrient-dense foods that support not only the growth of your muscles but your overall health as well. Some of these foods include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, dried fruits, avocado, and lean cuts of eggs, fish, beef and dairy products. You can also rely on weight gain supplement for a boost in overall growth.
Workouts for Effective Weight Gain
Workouts are as important as consuming a calorie-surplus diet when it comes to weight gain. Combining the following exercises with a healthy weight gain diet can help you achieve the desired results:
- Resistance Training
Resistance training involves using free weights, resistance bands, weight machines, and the weight of your own body to promote muscle growth. It is also popularly known as weightlifting or strength training. You can practice this 2-3 times a week for optimal results.
- Cardiovascular Exercise
Practicing cardio exercises like running, cycling, or swimming every week can add to the benefits of resistance training and help you achieve the desired number on the scale. Perform these for 20-30 minutes 2-3 times to benefit your overall health and fitness.
- Compound Exercise
Compound exercises are designed to target multiple muscle groups simultaneously. Practicing compound exercises like squats, bench press, deadlift, and so on can help increase overall muscle mass as well as strength.
- Progressive Overload
Progressive overload can be defined as the process of gradually increasing the resistance or weight during your workouts. This can help you continually challenge yourself to attain muscle growth.
Lifestyle Choices that Affect Your Weight
Even after consuming all the right nutrients and performing all the exercises correctly, there may still be a chance that you are not able to achieve the desired weight gain. In order to make your weight gain process even more efficient, making healthy lifestyle choices is important.
Here are some tips you can incorporate in your lifestyle to attain the desired weight:
- Get enough sleep, at least 7-9 hours, to allow your body to recover and regulate the hormones present in your body.
- Ensure that you drink enough water to stay hydrated but also not so much that it ends up suppressing your hunger.
- Manage stress in order to avoid the risk of emotional binging on snacks or skipping meals and, of course, maintain better mental & emotional health.
- Excessive alcohol intake can lead to consumption of more and more unhealthy calories, and therefore you should ensure moderate consumption.
- If you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, make sure that you follow an exercise routine for at least 30 minutes a day.
Conclusion
The process of gaining healthy weight after going through the blog may seem a bit challenging. But don’t worry! With the right kind of planning as well as consistency, you will be able to achieve desired results. Use the information discussed in the blog as a guideline for setting up a plan for nutrition as well as workout. Set some rules for yourself about staying regular with it, and maybe add a reward system in the form of a cheat meal you can enjoy every 1-2 weeks.
You can also consider connecting with your healthcare provider or even your trainer in order to get a customized workout plan, diet or the right protein powder, BCAA supplement or any workout supplement. A professional will be able to have a one-on-one consultancy session with you and provide solutions specifically based on your goals and requirements.
