In essence, gaining weight, or losing weight, for that matter is simple. Eat more calories than you burn if you want to bulk up, and eat fewer calories than you burn if you want to lose weight.

Still, clean bulking is superior to dirty bulking, no matter how attractive that option might seem. That’s because eating clean foods is healthier, and you won’t become fat in the process if you don’t overdo it.

• Track your calorie intake and output

  This is an important tip to gain weight in a healthy, controlled manner. Simply put, count your calorie intake and your calorie output during the day.

  When done in this manner, you know if you need to up your calorie intake or if you need to lower your calorie intake to not get fat in the process.

• Eat more

  

  If you want to gain weight, all you need to do is eat a calorie surplus.

  This means you consume more calories than your body is burning.

  If you want to gain weight in a slow, moderated manner, you should aim to eat around 300 more calories than your maintenance weight. Your maintenance weight is when your calorie intake and output are the same, making you remain at the same weight due to reaching an equilibrium.

  If you want or need to gain weight quickly, for example after a serious disease, you should aim for around 700 or more calories than your maintenance weight.

  Normally, I would recommend gaining weight slowly, as this is healthier and less taxing on the body. It permits you to gain muscle mass without gaining too much fat.

  However, there are those rare instances like being severely underweight, and your doctor recommending you to gain weight at a rapid rate. If that’s the case, then it might be more beneficial for your overall health to do so the fast way, which means ingesting even more calories daily.

  Try to eat more calorie-dense foods for rapid weight gain.

• Eat more often

  

  One of the best things to do to pack on the pounds is to eat more frequently. It’s very hard to gain weight if you’re only eating 2–3 times a day. Unless you’re eating very large portions, that is.

  Because once you’re full, you can’t eat anymore. Meaning, it’s very hard to eat all those calories in so few meals. That’s why I recommend eating smaller portions spread out throughout the day.

  Don’t cut out the carbohydrates and fat. As you need both to gain weight. I would recommend ingesting plenty of protein as well, as this is the most important building block for building muscle mass.

  If you’re having a hard time ingesting enough protein throughout a day to bulk up, you can consume a protein shake daily to up your consumption. It’s a very convenient and cheap method to increase your protein intake.

• Eat calorie-dense foods

  

  Not only is eating more and more regularly critical to gaining weight, but it’s also essential to eat calorie-dense foods for rapid weight gain.

  Examples of high-calorie foods are: 

  – Red meats
  – Whole milk
  – Beans
  – Avocado
  – Butter
  – Nuts
  – Brown rice
  – Potatoes

  These are just a few of the many examples to get you started on your weight gain journey.

• Gain muscle and strength

  

  Don’t let all those excess calories you consume to gain weight go to waste. That’s where training comes into play.

  If you don’t work out, those excess calories will turn into fat, while working out will turn those calories (mostly) into lean muscle mass.

  However, unless you eat at a slight calorie surplus, it’s almost impossible to gain some fat while bulking up. Especially for advanced lifters.

  Working out is essential to shape your body. Remember that gaining muscle mass is also a form of gaining weight. Not only is it good for gaining muscle and strength, but it’s also proven to have multiple health benefits. This is why I advocate that everyone should work out, young and older folks alike.

  Compound exercises are superior to isolation exercises to gain muscles. That’s because they work more, and larger muscle groups at the same time.

• Drink water after finishing your meal

  

  Water will fill your stomach. Nevertheless, there are no calories in water, which means you will not gain permanent weight with this strategy.

  That’s why it’s better to fill your stomach with as much food as possible before drinking water if gaining weight is your main goal.

  Make sure to drink enough water during the day though, as water is vital for regulating the functions of our body since we are made out of about 60-70% of water!

• Drink milk

  Milk contains a lot of calories and protein, which will help you gain weight.

  Also, helpful if you are looking to build muscle and strength since you need ample protein and calories to do so.

• Liquid instead of solid food

  Liquid or blended food is easier to ingest than solid food. It also doesn’t lead to feeling bloated as much as solid food does.

  This means you can consume more calories if you go for liquid and blended food.

  This means weight gainers and protein shakes are your friends. It’s also possible to make a protein shake/weight gainer at home by yourself if you mix milk, a banana, oats, and peanut butter in a blender for instance.

• Get enough sleep

  

  A good and long night’s rest is important for every single person alive.

  Without getting enough sleep, you can’t operate properly. If you are looking to gain weight and build muscle mass, then having enough sleep is paramount. That’s because being sleep-deprived will lower testosterone levels drastically. Furthermore, growth hormone is being released when sleeping, which is necessary for muscle growth.

  How much sleep you need is dependent on your age. Younger people require more sleep than older gents. It is recommended to get at least between 7–9 hours of sleep every day.

• Eat before going to bed

  

  Eat before going to bed if you don’t want to burn those hard-earned calories.

  Even while sleeping, you’re burning calories, although at a slow pace. This means it’s beneficial to eat a small meal before going to bed to gain weight.

  Make sure to eat 30–60 minutes instead of right before going to bed, though, as eating right before going to bed could lead to not being able to fall asleep.

• Be and remain consistent in your routine

  Make sure to be and remain consistent in your routine to gain weight.

  This is hard for most people because they start with good intentions, but start slacking on their diet once their motivation starts to dwindle.

  Like most good things, it takes a lot of work, a steady workout routine, and a good diet that will eventually get you to your goal. Gaining or losing weight for that matter is no different concerning consistency and persistence.

  Know what your goal is and work diligently at it. It’s really that simple!