How to Gain Weight for Skinny Guys

Your friends may consider you lucky, but you may not feel that way if you're super skinny. If you're hoping to put on a few pounds, simply eating more isn't all there is to it. For healthy weight gain, you need to eat the right foods and find time to work your muscles, too. If you'd like some personalized advice about gaining weight, consult your doctor or a dietitian for guidance.

Calories for Putting on Weight

You need to eat more when you're skinny and trying to gain weight. How much more depends on your metabolism, which may be fast because of your genetics, and how much exercise and other activity you get. Since 1 pound contains 3,500 calories, eating an extra 500 calories a day should help you gain 1 pound a week.

Adding a little more to each meal, such as an extra scoop of rice or a larger piece of chicken, plus a snack, may help you gain. If you're gaining less than a pound a week, you may need to add another snack.

Healthy Foods for Weight Gain

Bingeing on ice cream and chips is not the healthiest way to get the extra calories you need to put on weight. For healthy weight gain, it's wise to eat the same foods recommended for overall good health. That means eating more whole foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, dairy, proteins such as eggs, beef, poultry, fish and beans, nuts and seeds.

The other half of the equation is what not to eat: unhealthy fare such as processed food: cake, cookies, soda, fast food and frozen pizza. Even though these junk foods contain lots of calories, they usually come from fat and sugar, with very few vitamins and minerals.

To optimize your intake in a healthy way, include more high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods at mealtime. Some good examples are whole-grains, avocados, dried fruit, potatoes, corn, salmon, tofu, cheese, almonds and sunflower seeds. And so you don't feel too full, spread your food out between three meals and two to three snacks a day.

Super Skinny Calorie Boosters

You don't need to omit low-calorie vegetables to gain weight; instead, use calorie boosters to add a little extra punch to these nutrient-rich gems. Saute broccoli and carrots in olive oil or toss your salad greens with a balsamic vinaigrette and top with sliced olives, slivered almonds and dried cranberries. Add raisins and chopped walnuts to your hot cereal or yogurt, and blend a little peanut butter or almond butter into your fruit smoothie. A medium banana blended with a cup of strawberries, a cup of orange juice, a container of Greek yogurt and a tablespoon of peanut butter has almost 500 calories

Dried milk powder is another good way to add calories and mixes well with a variety of moist foods, such as milk, yogurt, pudding, soup, mashed potatoes, meatloaf and casseroles. Just 1/4 cup of dried whole milk powder has 160 calories and blends into these foods without adding a lot of bulk. With 100 calories per ounce, cheese also makes a delicious calorie booster and can be added to cooked veggies, salad greens and potatoes. Topping a medium baked potato with 1/2 cup of sauteed broccoli and 1 ounce of shredded cheddar cheese turns a 160-calorie plain potato into a 330-calorie nutrient-rich potato.

Work Those Muscles

You may think it's counterproductive to exercise when you're super skinny, but if you want to add more muscle, you need to work out. Aim for two or three strength-training workouts a week, hitting all the major muscle groups during each workout. Keep exercises short and intense, which translates to heavier weights with four to eight repetitions. Start with one set and work up to two or three sets before advancing to heavier weights. Consult a personal trainer to get a personalized strength training program based on your fitness level.

Make sure you get enough protein when you're working out so some of the weight you gain is muscle. You'll need 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight, or 60 to 96 grams for a 120-pound person.

To maximize muscle building and keep up energy levels, be sure to eat a snack consisting of carbs and protein immediately after your workout. Chocolate milk, Greek yogurt with sliced banana or a turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread make good choices.

(Source: livestrong.com)

Skinny guys often say they can eat anything they want without gaining weight. They think they’re blessed with a fast metabolism. They’ll say: “I make women jealous with my metabolism. I can eat junk food all day without gaining weight”. Truth is you can eat anything you want without gaining weight because you’re not eating a lot. I know you think you do, but you’re not. Otherwise you wouldn’t be skinny. Here’s how to gain weight for skinny guys. 1. Track Calories. Skinny guys often overestimate what they eat. Read the labels, use a food scale and track your daily caloric intake using FitDay.com. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 20kcal daily to gain weight. A rule of thumb is at least 1kg for each cm above 1m (use this converter). Anything less you’ll always look skinny. There’s no upper limit, if you want to weigh more go for it. Examples of minimum goal weights: 1m70/5’7″ at least 70kg/154lbs 1m75/5’9″ at least 75kg/165lbs 1m80/5’11” at least 80kg/176lbs 1m85/6’1″ at least 85kg/187lbs 1m90/6’3″ at least 90kg/200lbs 3. Eat Every 3 Hours. You need at least your body-weight in lbs x 20 kcal to gain weight. That’s 2700kcal/day if you’re 135lbs. If you have a physical job or move a lot, you’ll need even more. Eat every 3 hours. Breakfast. Get calories from the first hour. Read how to build the habit of eating breakfast and try these breakfast recipes. Lunch & Diner. Prepare double portions while making breakfast. 1 portion for work/school, 1 portion when you get back. Snacks. Mixed nuts, fruits, dried fruits, yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, sandwiches, milk, protein shakes, … Post Workout. Physical activities burn calories. Eat post workout to get that energy back. Check this post workout shake recipe. 4. Eat Calorie Dense Foods. 100g raw rice is 380kcals. 100g raw spinach is only 25kcals. Getting your daily calorie intake is easier if you eat foods high in calories. Your best options: Pasta. 100g pasta is 380kcal and easier to ingest than 100g rice. Whole grain pasta is healthier, but takes longer to digest. Eat white pasta. Whole Milk. If you don’t bother gaining some fat, drink 1 gallon whole milk per day on top of your current food intake. I’ve seen guys gaining 60lbs/year drinking 1 gallon per milk per day while Squatting 3x/week. Nuts. Mixed nuts & natural peanut butter have +500kcal/100g, about 50% healthy fats and 25% protein. Use mixed nuts as snack & throw peanut butter on sandwiches for work/school. Olive Oil. Protects against heart diseases & cancer. Sip it like vodka (it’s not that bad, really) or use it for tomato pasta sauce. 1tbsp is 100kcal. 5. Get Stronger. You want to go from skinny to muscular, not from skinny to chubby. Get into strength training. More strength is more muscle. If you don’t know where to start, check StrongLifts 5×5. Some tips. Free Weights. Force you to stabilize the weight and allow for natural motions. Start light, focus on technique and add weight progressively. Compound Exercises. Do exercises that work your whole body. Squats, Deadlifts, Overhead Press, Bench Press, Pull-ups, Dips, Barbell Row, … Squat. Leg exercise stressing your whole body. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for 1 rep, you’ll no longer be skinny. Squat often. Rest. Muscle grow when you rest, not when you workout. Don’t train daily. Sleep, drink 1 gallon water daily and eat fruits/veggies. 6. Plan. Failing to plan is planning to fail. You don’t have time to cook 3x/day, and the food at work/school is often low quality/more expensive. Prepare your food in advance and take it with you. Do The Grocery. Avoid skipped meals because you don’t have food available. List everything you need for 1 week and go buy it. Cook in Advance. Prepare all your meals once per day: while preparing breakfast or while preparing dinner. It takes about 40mins. Keep it Simple. Make double portions, take leftovers with you, use cans of tuna & mixed nuts, 1 gallon milk per day, … Take Food with You. Food containers for work/school, mixed nuts at the movies, eat before going to town, take protein shakes to the gym, … 7. Track Progress. Success breeds success. Knowing that you’re losing your skinny look will keep you motivated. Track everything. Track Calories. Continue tracking your daily caloric intake using FitDay so you get a confirmation of how many calories you’re eating. Weigh Yourself Weekly. Gaining weight? Don’t change anything. Not gaining weight? Increase your daily caloric intake by 500kcal. Take Pictures. The mirror is subjective. Pictures don’t lie. Shoot pictures bi-monthly so you have objective measurements of your progress. Track Strength Gains. When you can Squat 1.5x your body-weight for 1 rep, you’ll no more be skinny. Use the StrongLifts 5×5 spreadsheet. Weight Gain Diet. 3500+kcal example diet for a skinny guy who wants to weigh 180lbs/81kg. This can be too much at once if you’re only 135lbs/61kg or not enough if you’re very active. Individualize the diet based on your needs. Breakfast: 100g oats, 50g raisins, 1scoop whey Snack: 100g mixed nuts or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich Lunch: 200g white pasta, bolognese sause, parmesan cheese Snack: 100g mixed nuts or 1 liter milk or tuna sandwich Post workout shake: 1.5scoops whey, 60g oats, milk, banana Dinner: 200g white pasta, bolognese sause, parmesan cheese Pre bed: cottage cheese, berries, flax seed, fish oil