When it seems like EVERYONE wants to lose weight and get skinny, a weight-gain, muscle-building program might seem a bit absurd. However, it’s a very real goal of many would-be bodybuilders. For those who simply don’t gain weight easily, they dream of adding pounds of lean muscle. Unfortunately, for those overly-thin souls, the products and programs offered for losing weight far outweigh those for gaining weight (yes, the pun was intended). So, where does one begin when he or she is pursuing a weight-gain, muscle-building lifestyle?
Perhaps the most obvious solution to weight gaining is eating more. Though this is not the ONLY element to weight-gain, muscle-building routines, it is likely the most important. Simply put, one must consume more calories than he or she expends in a day. People who struggle to gain weight are usually high calorie burners. Once an individual determines the average number of calories consumed to maintain his current weight, he should increase that intake by 300 to 500 calories to begin gaining weight.
Just like people who want to LOSE weight may believe they don’t eat very much, people trying to GAIN weight may truly feel they eat quite a bit. “Guesstimating” caloric intake is the best way to FAIL! It is imperative to track everything consumed, which means keeping a food journal. Oh, this seems like such a hassle, but it’s not! People who record their food consumed are 80{15aeb35eec840799df247626cfa6821cb9499241e90aba7a245c8546144fd8f4} more likely to achieve their diet goals! Once the habit is developed, it truly becomes second nature. Some food tracking tips…
1. Keep a pen and notebook in the kitchen, ideally by the refrigerator or on the table where food is often prepared.
2. Carry a pen and notepad in a purse or pocket to note food eaten away from home. Transfer any information recorded into the “master notebook” at the end of the day. This will make it easy to tally the totals.
3. For the first week of tracking, it is only necessary to track calories, since the tracker is only trying to determiner the average caloric intake. However, when following a weight-gain, muscle-building diet, it will be necessary to track more information. This journal should include calories, fat grams (saturated and unsaturated), carbohydrate grams (fiber, sugar, and other), and protein grams.
4. A weight-gain, muscle-building diet should follow this general rule of thumb: 30-50{15aeb35eec840799df247626cfa6821cb9499241e90aba7a245c8546144fd8f4} protein, 20-50{15aeb35eec840799df247626cfa6821cb9499241e90aba7a245c8546144fd8f4} carbohydrates, and 20-40{15aeb35eec840799df247626cfa6821cb9499241e90aba7a245c8546144fd8f4} fats (more unsaturated fats, less saturated).
