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10 Easy Ways to Gain Weight

If gaining weight is your goal, you're in luck: it doesn't have to be difficult. By adding certain foods to your diet and altering your daily routine slightly, you can add weight in no time. If you're following a healthy regimen, you should look to gain between 10 and 15 pounds monthly.

  1. Total Calorie Intake

    • In order to gain weight, the number of calories that you consume has to be greater than the number of calories that you burn throughout the day. If you are coupling an increase of calories with weightlifting, ensure that you keep track of the number of calories you burn by lifting weights.

    Upper Body Lifting

    • Lifting weights allows you to add muscle to your body; because muscle is heavier than fat, you will do better to lift weights along with increasing your food intake than just to increase your food intake alone. Weights and lifts designed to strengthen the upper body--such as the bench press and free weights--will help you gain weight. Focus on your whole arm, not just on "glam" muscles like the biceps. Begin visiting the gym three times a week and eventually work your way up to lifting four to five times per week.

    Lower Body Lifting

    • Focusing on your lower body is great way to add pounds to your body. Your legs, buttocks and hips are critical for basic functions like walking and running, so ensuring that they are as strong as your upper body is important. Try squats, which can be done at home or in the gym, lunges and leg lifts. Ensure that you alternate upper-body lifting and lower-body lifting; do not focus on both during a single day.

    Milk

    • In an effort to increase your calorie intake and gain weight, drink a good deal of milk. You should drink a glass of milk at least with every meal and snack. To ensure that you're receiving the maximum number of calories, go with whole milk as opposed to reduced-fat varieties.

    Snacking

    • Increase your calorie intake by upping the amount of snacking you do throughout the day. Packing a single meal with a large number of calories is difficult, especially if you are beginning the process of increasing your caloric intake, so interspersing snacks throughout the day allows you to sneak calories into your body without becoming full or bloated. Try protein-rich foods like nuts, tuna and cottage cheese; avoid foods that are high in sugar.

    Protein Shakes

    • The more protein that is in your diet, the better you will be able to increase your muscle mass, which will increase your weight. You can drink protein shakes regularly--once a day--to increase the protein in your diet. The formulas for these shakes are available at most health food stores, and can be mixed with other protein-rich foods, such as peanut butter, for an added boost.

    Fruits and Vegetables

    • Giving your body the proper nutrients is a critical component of healthy weight gain. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that, among other things, aid in muscle tissue repair and protein synthesis. If you have begun an intense weightlifting regimen and have upped your intake of protein, ensure that you are adding more fruits and vegetables to your diet, including a large amount of greens.

    Aerobic Exercise

    • While weightlifting is important for weight gain, so, too, is aerobic exercise. You must ensure that your heart becomes more fit and efficient as the rest of your body bulks up. Aerobic exercise will help your breathing and circulation, which will increase your body's recovery period, which will help you gain weight because you won't need to rest as long between weightlifting sessions.

    Beverages

    • Limit your beverage intake to 30 minutes before and after a meal. This will ensure that your body metabolizes everything in such a way that promotes weight gain. When you drink, drink mixed juices, such as apple/berry or peach/orange/banana. These juices generally have higher calorie values, which will promote weight gain.

    Alcohol

    • Before some of your meals, such as dinner, try drinking a small amount of alcohol. A "small amount" qualifies as four ounces of wine, six ounces of beer or half an ounce of liquor mixed with juice. Alcohol will stimulate your appetite. However, if you are on any medication, check with your doctor before adding alcohol to your diet.

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