What to Eat to Gain Weight Quickly

If you are naturally fit – slim and slender, and you are considered a hard gainer, you need to find the right diet for you, and start eating healthy food which is high in calories and low fat at the same time. This complete guide will show you how to naturally gain muscle if you’re a skinny guy with a high metabolism.

The Right Foods to Eat – A List of High Calorie Low Fat Foods

Lets jump straight into it shall we…

High density food

This is a term you should be familiar with, because high density food is excellent for you: it is extremely rich in calories and very easy to digest at the same time. This kind of food is full of concentrated calories, and contains small amount of water at the same time. Here is the list of groceries also known as the high density food:

  • Salami – if you are a fan, then this is good news (still, many people avoid this kind of food and I can’t say I blame them)
  • Candy bars – also known as energy bars, quite tasty and an instant energy boost
  • Potato – we all eat it on weekly basis, so it’s good to know it is considered high density food
  • Protein shakes – they are created to have good nutritive balance for people who workout and want to gain weight
  • Fried food – often very tasty, high in calories, but not very healthy, so don’t make it your main priority
  • Rice – you can choose between white or brown rice, but it is good to know that brown kind has more fibres and higher nutritive formula (high in calories low in fat, perfect for hard gainers, eager to gain muscles and body mass)
  • Beans – rare vegetables with high nutritive values, only one cup contains more than 220 calories
  • Pasta – the secret behind Italian sculpt body, it will keep you feeling full, and is easy to digest so you can eat it 2 hours before hitting the gym. If you want to avoid gaining fat, and then skip the tasty creamy sauce – it is full of oil which is not very healthy nor easy to digest
  • Bread – whole grain version is the best, but if you prefer some other king, you should go for it. Bread is very healthy if you eat it in normal portions – two slices per meal are more than enough
  • Fresh fruit juice – fruit is very easy to digest and full of fruit sugar, also it is tasty and a perfect substitute for other drinks which are also filled with calories but unhealthy (say good bye to frizzy drinks and sodas)
  • Olive, sesame, sunflower oil – healthy and packed with calories, excellent for your meals
  • Chocolate – yes, hard gainers have that privilege of eating as much chocolate as they want

We will talk more about your perfect diet, but before continuing the list of preferred groceries; let us look at the reasons why hard gainers have trouble with gaining weight.

First thing is quick metabolism. If yours is fast, there is nothing you can do but eat more, use supplements (recommended by your doctor or your trainer) and work out. As doctors often say, people who are skinny and determined to gain weight and eventually build muscles need to get their speeding metabolism into submission – that is the key. Think of your body as of a machine which burns fuel (in this case – food and calories). If it is burning fuel too fast, you need to take more of it – to eat more, and to eat the right food. Three meals per day will not be enough.

You will have to eat at least five times a day: a strong calories filled breakfast, a tasty but also strong snack, a tasty and huge lunch, another snack (or shake for instance) and finally a large dinner portion.  Combine food you like, with caloric ingredients, and drink a lot of fruit juice and water also.

At first you might feel full, but that feeling will only last for few days. After that food drill, your body will start asking for food 5 times a day, you will feel hungry, and soon will be able to eat more. That is how you will achieve to gain weight – by eating more, by eating more often and by consuming proper food: rich in calories and light in fat.

Now let us continue with the list of food good for your weight gaining diet:

  • Fish – rich in healthy acids, not too rich in calories, but extremely healthy – keep it on your menu at least twice a week
  • Chicken – it also looks like a light food to some people, but is excellent for those who are ready to slowly gain weight and start exercising
  • Butter – and other dairy products too, milk for instance (avoid low fat and fully skimmed dairy products, you should consume ones with more fat, and more taste too) they contain carbs and proteins
  • Peanut butter – it is very strong so don’t eat too much of it, but include it in your daily menu while gaining weight
  • Peanuts – also full of calories, one handful should be enough per day (if you are a try fan, treat yourself with two)

Five meals is a minimum for hard gainers, if you can eat six – even better. If you are determined to count calories every day, try to reach 4000 – it is quite a challenge but you should at least try. Also, say goodbye to junk food. It is full of calories, and mostly very tasty, but still – we are trying to help you gain weight and stay healthy, and junk food will not give you that result, and you know it.

Food supplements are also a good solution, but in order to start using them, you need to visit your doctor, do some tests, and ask him if you are eligible for this kind of diet. The biggest mistake people make is when they try to prescribe something without consulting a professional. It is extremely unhealthy and it can ruin your organism. Even worse, if you use supplements which are simply unsuitable for your body, you can transform yourself from a hard gainer to a fatty, and it is very wrong. So, if you are determined to use something else than food, to gain weight always do it after you have talked to your doctor or trainer. Otherwise, you will have more trouble than satisfaction. Remember – your health always comes first.

Another interesting topic for hard gainers is water consumption. If you are willing to eat five times a day, and want to gain weight, you will have to start drinking water, a lot of it to be precise. At least 1l will be your daily dose, but if you can drink even more – perfect! If you don’t like drinking water (you don’t like the taste for instance) you can always buy flavoured water or simply squeeze a lemon in your bottle. That will add some taste and help you drink your water easier.

If you truly are a hard gainer, eating often and a lot is not the only thing you need to do. Second essential thing you must embrace is exercise. If you start eating like a bear you must burn these calories and transform fat into muscles. Otherwise, you will just slip from one problem to another: from being skinny to being overweight and unhealthy. That is why a good exercise program is a must for you.

How often should a hard gainer exercise?

If you are really determined to redefine the look of your body, feel stronger and be healthier, you will have to hit the gym at least three times a week (four is even better if you have enough time). Each session at your gym should last between 60 and 90 minutes, and we suggest you start working out with a professional trainer (at least for the first few months). In between, you can walk, ride a bike, swim, or do something else during the week, when you are not going to the gym.

Exercise program for hard gainers

Exercise program for hard gainers is connected to their new eating regime. As you start gaining weight you need to transform fat into muscles, which is why your training will contain weight lifting, cardio exercises and a lot of stretching to avoid injuries.

First of all, never eat right before hitting the gym. It is wrong for so many reasons. You should eat at least 2 hours before going to your exercise hour. Also, while you are working out, never drink sodas or fruit juice – stick to the water.

Your adequate training should start with a proper warm up:

  • Weight lifting – but at the beginning use smallest weights, just to warm up
  • Skipping rope – slower tempo, the purpose is just to get into the work out mode
  • Cardio exercises – always perform with a supervision of your trainer (don’t do cardio for more than 10 minutes at the beginning)

These exercises will help you warm up, and you must stretch after performing them, it is essential and will prevent you from getting hurt or having sore muscles and feeling pains. By the way, keep in mind that muscle soreness will follow you for the first few weeks if not months, and it is quite normal – your muscles were sleeping so they are feeling pain now that they are being active after a long time.

Your exercise regime must be tough and very strict, but you can’t push your body to the limits – injury will happen and you will be left without the results you desire. Therefore, be patient, and keep in mind that gaining weight and building muscles can last from 4-5 months to a year, depending on your eating regime, metabolism and discipline.

Set out your exercises should be changed every 3 weeks approximately, for two reasons: you need to activate different muscle groups and second thing – you will get bored otherwise. This is why you might want to consider working out with a professional. You see, you can find exercises online, or ask a friend to recommend something, but once you are in the gym, you need to work out correctly, because otherwise you will get injured, or define muscles you don’t want to. That is why having a professional on your side is highly recommended – at least for the first three or four months.

Conclusion: Right food plus proper exercise = success

If you consider yourself a hard gainer, and have trouble gaining weight and building muscles you need to focus on few things:

  1. First of all, you must start consuming food rich in calories, and low in fat, and also, start eating at least 5 times a day – ideally around 4000 calories
  2. Second very important thing – food supplements, protein shakes etc. Yes – they can be very suitable for you but you need to speak with your physician before buying and consuming these products.
  3. Exercise – include your workout routine in your weekly schedule; at least 3 times a week you need to hit the gym. If possible, go to the gym 4 times every week, and when you have a day off, swim, cycle etc. If it is possible, hire a trainer, to help you make a customized workout program according to your current physical condition and future goals.
  4. Rest – yes, you’ve read it correctly – you need to sleep for 7 hours every night, and to take some rest on daily basis, because that is when your muscles build, while you are resting.

These 4 things should be your personal mantra from now on. It all starts with healthy eating, what you consume helps you feel fresh and full of energy. Supplements just add to that feeling, while exercise and rest (in that order) define your body muscles.

Be focused, determined, have realistic expectations and you will achieve your goal, within few months. It will be much easier from there – to maintain your good physique and condition, and continue with eating healthy, living stress less, and resting enough each day.

We wish you all the best!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *