Gaining weight is something that may sound easy, but when it comes to doing it properly and maintaining that weight gain, it takes planning, commitment and the proper foods. Weight gain is ideally done during the off season, and then we work to maintain weight during season. Gaining weight during the off season promotes the opportunity to gain proportionately more muscle mass which translates to better performance. These tips were created for 15 years and up.
1. Make a reasonable goal. Knowing that you want to gain weight or should gain weight is not going to magically make it happen. Usually longer term goals are easier to make because thinking that far into the future, you are not putting a timeline that is somewhat tangible in place. An example of this would be wanting to gain 20 pounds by next year. Knowing that goal doesn’t make the choices you make today seem to matter because you have so much time to achieve that goal. I recommend making a weekly and a monthly goal. Generally half a pound per week weight gain is a realistic weight gain goal, promoting muscle growth and development when your nutrition plan is paired properly with strength training.
2. Make a plan. You have created your weight gain goal, now put a plan in place to make it happen. Keep it simple. Take what you are doing now, and add in one extra meal or snack. If you currently skip breakfast, commit to adding breakfast in with your other meals. Make sure that you are not taking an alternative meal or snack out by adding in your breakfast or other snack. If you are already doing 3 meals per day, try to add in a significant snack. Generally if you are going 5+ hours between meals, there is a great opportunity to add in a snack. Make it substantial calorie wise - a pack of fruit snacks is not going to make much of a difference, neither is just a granola bar or just a piece of fruit. However if you do those items in addition to nuts, cottage cheese, yogurt, leftovers, nut butters, etc it can make it a more balanced snack nutrient wise and more calorically dense.
3. Keep food around. If you are someone who thinks that you don’t have time to eat meals and snacks, it comes down to a lack of preparation. There are so many foods that are portable and do not require refrigeration that you can keep in a backpack or in a car to help you reach your weight gain goals. This is also part of making a plan - but more so looking at daily plans and figuring out how to fit in your planned amount of meals with your daily activities. Planning a day to prep fresh stuff can also help set yourself up for success, keeping the fruit/vegetables/lean proteins ready and available for busy days will help meet your goals.
4. Know your calories. Reading your food labels is a great start to understanding your calorie balance and how to be in a surplus regularly. For weight gain you must be in a caloric surplus, simply meaning you have to be eating more than you are using. Knowing how many calories are in certain foods (the caloric density of food) can help you form balanced meals and ensure that you are getting adequate calories in each of your meals and snacks to support your weight gain goals. If you are wanting to be more systematic about it, there are plenty of resources out there for calorie tracking. While this is not a good fit for all athletes nor recommended for all athletes, tracking your food intake is a resource available to help ensure you are getting started on the right track increasing your calories.
5. Weigh yourself regularly. While there are many different changes that you can
track, weight is one of the most easily accessible and objective measurements that you can track to ensure that you are making progress toward your goal. It is not expected that you have linear weight gain - your body is a dynamic being and there are many factors that influence your weight such as hydration levels, workout cycles, sodium intake, time of day etc. Pay more attention to what is trending in the week to week rather than comparing today versus yesterday.
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