|  | Diet Nutrition | Healthy Diets

Eating Plans to Gain Weight for an 18-year-old Male

Creating an eating plan to gain weight is not difficult. Mainly, it requires consuming more calories you expend. You will need to track calories to make sure you are eating enough each day. At age 18, you are old enough to build muscles, and this can greatly assist in increasing your weight and size. It is advisable to supplement a high-calorie diet with a muscle-building program to maximize the diet.

  1. Calculate Calories

    • Calculate the calories you need to gain weight by multiplying your body weight in pounds by 20. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs., you should consume at least 3,000 calories per day. At first you may not be able to consume this many calories if you are not used to eating so much, but if you steadily increase the amount of food daily, you will reach your target intake. Count your daily calories and avoid using rough estimates, as you may underestimate your intake.

    Eat Every Three Hours

    • Eating every three hours will inhibit loss of glycogen stores in muscles. This is important for weight gain, especially if you are using an exercise routine as well as boosting calories. That's because glycogen stores give your muscles the fuel they need to train properly. Planning six or more meals a day is troublesome and time-consuming, so if you do not have the extra time to do this, simply plan your regular three meals per day and drink protein shakes in between. You also can consume nuts, which are high in protein and calories, as a between meals snack.

    Calorie Dense Foods

    • Eating a lot of vegetables and fruit may be good for you, but these foods will not aid much in weight gain because they are low in calories. Aim to consume foods such as whole milk, bread, pasta, meat and tuna.

    Workout

    • Supplement this diet with muscle workouts. Lifting weights while on a calorie rich diet will cause you to gain weight through muscle building. If you have no previous experience lifting weights, there are a few exercises that are of vital importance and you can work nearly your entire body by just doing the following: squats, deadlifts, bench presses and shoulder presses.

    Protein Shakes

    • Consume a protein shake post-workout. While your muscles are recovering from a workout, they need to be fueled with calories and protein to help aid recovery. A protein shake will meet those needs.

Healthy Diets - Related Articles