How to Gain Weight Slowly

Even though it is more common to hear about people wanting to lose weight, there are also people desiring to gain weight. Gaining weight should be done slowly, at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per week. Fast weight gain is unhealthy and means only that you are gaining fat, not muscle. To prevent going from skinny to chubby, make some lifestyle changes to gain weight successfully.

Instructions

• 1

  Weigh yourself before your weight-gain quest. By weighing yourself, you can keep track of your progress along the way.

• 2

  Consume more calories than you burn. If you live an active lifestyle, you need to consume more calories to gain weight than someone who leads a predominantly sedentary lifestyle. Multiply your weight in pounds by 20 to get the minimum amount of calories you need to consume daily.

• 3

  Eat up to six times per day, every three hours. Avoid eating fattening foods since they will only make you gain weight in an unhealthy way. To gain lean mass in a slow and healthy manner, take in high-quality, nutrient-rich calories, in foods such as skin-less chicken, fish, steak, milk, cheese, fruit and vegetables. Eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and three small meals per day should be sufficient to meet your caloric requirements.

• 4

  Drink weight-gain shakes. Weight-gain shakes supply your body with a lot of weight-building calories. They are quick and easy to make by simply adding a serving to juice or water. They also make good breakfast replacements if you are in a rush.

• 5

  Incorporate weight-training into your lifestyle, three or four days per week. Working out with weights will build muscle mass, and muscle weighs more than fat. Weight-training will also keep fat gain at bay and keep your body toned. Focus on compound weight training, where you work out multiple muscles with one exercise. Examples include chin-ups, squats and dead lifts.

• 6

  Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and energized. Dehydration can lead to water retention because you scare your body into thinking it won't get any more liquids. The body counteracts by holding on to water, making you appear bloated and puffy.

• 7

  Sleep eight hours per day. When you sleep, your body restores itself so that you will have plenty of energy for the coming day. Lack of sleep will affect your weight-gain progress.

• 8

  Weigh yourself every week to track your progress. If you stop gaining weight over a two-week period, you have reached a plateau. Every time you plateau, add 250 calories to your diet to overcome this.