WORKOUT
You may think that working out is not a good idea since you don’t want to lose weight, but many types of workouts such as strength training will help you gain healthy weights and build sexy curves. If your main goal is to gain weight you should limit the amount of cardio you do in a day simply because it burns a lot of calories and that’s not what you want right?
So, it’s important to be consistent and workout out at least 4-5 times a week in order to see results. By working out, I mean lifting heavy weights! The heavier you lift, the bigger muscles you will build. When training with weights, do 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps for each exercises. This will help you gain weight but still look sexy and fit.
NUTRITION
When it comes to gaining weight, what and how often you eat is what will make the biggest difference. If you want to gain weight naturally, you need to change your diet in order to consume more calories.
Try to eat about 5-6 meals a day (breakfast, lunch and dinner + snacks in-between each meal). I’m not saying that you should indulge yourself with fast food and chocolate. You should focus on eating the healthiest food that will nourish your body with essential macronutrients (healthy fats, protein and carbohydrates).
- Healthy fats: The best options include avocados, olive oil, almonds, nuts, eggs, ghee, coconut oil, chia seeds and flaxseeds. I’m obsessed with guacamole on my toasts in the morning or with chia seed on my smoothie bowls.
- Clean protein: If your goal is to gain weight and build more muscle, you should eat a lot of protein. To know how much protein you need to gain weight, take your weight and multiply it by 1. For example, if you weight 140 pounds, you should aim for 140 grams of protein a day.
Best options are lean beef, wild salmon, chicken breast or turkey, and eggs. I also recommend taking a supplement of whey or vegan protein to help you meet your daily protein goals.
I usually eat eggs in the morning, 1-2 portion of meat during the day and I’ll have a whey protein shake after my workouts. If I’m hungry in-between meals, I’ll make a vegan protein shake which keeps me full until my next meal.
- Carbohydrates: Adding this nutrient to your diet will help you gain weight. My philosophy is that my meals should always be balanced: fats, protein and carbohydrates. I avoid simple carbohydrates and always aim for complex ones such as quinoa, brown rice, sweet potato, bananas, apples, and berries.
CONCLUSION
Remember, it takes time and consistency to start seeing results. Start slow by setting small goals and adapting some of the tips and tricks I gave you above and then you can start setting bigger goals. Always remind yourself that you are doing this for yourself so you can feel healthy and be the best version of yourself.
By Sofya Iden