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Weight Gain Products for Women

While dieting to lose unwanted pounds often gets the fair share of media attention, women have the exact opposite problem in trying to gain weight. This may seem odd in today's fat-fighting society. Consuming enough calories is key. Luckily there are a few options that exist for what the nutrition industry calls the "hardgainer," as supplements that increase daily caloric intake can be used in conjunction with regular diet to help increase the number on the bathroom scale.

  1. Supplement Mixes

    • Sports nutrition and supplements are big business, claiming profits of nearly a billion dollars annually. While most them are geared at weight loss or promoting muscle growth, some can be used to gain weight. Supplement companies like Met-Rx offer products such as Xteme Size Up, a powdery mix that combines high levels of protein, carbohydrates and fats to equal around 600 calories per serving. The suggested serving for these products is twice daily, meaning 1,200 calories can be consumed to overload the otherwise high metabolisms of the gainers. Many companies offer similar powdered mixes, and they are usually available in different flavors.

    Ready to Drink Shakes

    • A fairly popular ready-to-drink product, Muscle Milk, offers an alternative to measuring and mixing the powders. These drinks are convenient and adequate in calories, as they have a high protein content but are moderate in fat and carbohydrates. Like the mixes, these can be consumed two or three times a day, and a double serving would serve as one dose of the powders.

    Supplement Bars

    • Several high calorie food bars are on the market that can be used in conjunction with the powdered mixes or by themselves. MRPs, or meal replacement bars, have the same calories as one might ingest at a regular meal. Eating one or two of these bars in lieu of a regular meal, or with a meal, equals more total calories consumed.

    Food

    • Just as the supplements play their part, adequate food intake is paramount to gaining weight, and women looking to pack on pounds should eat like their male bodybuilding counterparts. In addition to the supplements, eating four to five meals a day (with snacks) increases caloric consumption, and choosing high calorie foods like cold water fish, avocados and whole grain pastas should form the basis of most meals.

    Warning

    • Supplements aren't FDA regulated, so consumers should exercise caution when buying or ingesting any nutritional supplement, whether mixes, drinks, or bars.

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