I’ve done my research, and I have to say, that I think I have a plan. A plan to get bigger.
Taking what I’ve heard from many people, people who have been quite successful increasing their weight, and adding to that my own bit of thought, here it is.
I don’t mean to say that this is the ultimate and final way. If you find something else, then more power to you!
- Have a goal. The all-important step to achieving a goal is to have one in the first place. If you are a gainer at all, you can find people of all bodyweights and sizes, and see where you’d like to be. Decide on a weight you want to be at. Once you have that done,
- MATH TIME! With that weight goal in mind, you can now go online to a calorie calculator, I like this one :http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/calorie-calculator/NU00598, and put in all of your current information, but put your goal weight in instead. This will give you the calorie goal you need to meet each day. BE HONEST about your activity level, or you won’t get enough calories to hit your weight.
Ex. 250 lbs = 2900 cals/day
Then, divide your daily caloric needs by three, or for how many meals you generally eat. Right now, let’s say breakfast, lunch, dinner.
2900/3= 967 cals/meal
- EATING! 967! That’s a lot of food to eat at once, especially if you are thin and not used to it. If you can’t make it to your goal at the start, that’s okay. You need to work to eat more at each meal. Here’s how to maximize each meal, to increase your appetite, to hit your goal.
- When you sit down to eat, EAT. Make time for it. Eating is important.
- Do not put down your fork. It should not remain still for long, anyway.
- Keep your mouth full and moving, chew, swallow, more food, chew, swallow, more food…until it is all gone, or you completely full. Don’t inhale your food, but keep things moving smoothly.
- NO DRINKING. Sips of your drink of choice at most to cleanse your pallet, or to add moisture. Drinking during the meal takes up space that could be occupied by food. Eat first, then drink at the end of the meal to fill up completely.
- You should only stop when:
i. You hit your calorie goal
ii. You fill completely. You need to eat this far, and perhaps push yourself farther, because that is the only way to increase your appetite and hit your goal.
- What to eat? I have had problems with this myself. How to get a variety of food in front of me, high in calories, that give you enough flavors that you don’t get bored. If you eat too much of one item, I’ve found, you get sick of it eventually. Mix it up! Here’s how:
- Break each meal in to three categories: Main course, side, and desert.
i. Main Course: This is where a bulk of your calories come from. Make no mistake, however, this plate includes multiple food items. For example, I’m eating lunch at a fast food place where my meal includes burger, fries, and drink. Your main course, then, should be the meal itself.
ii. Side: This is here to serve as extra food and also will keep your taste palette varied. At a restaurant, this would be an appetizer. In this example, it could be a second sandwich, or another food item from the menu that is different from what else is there. Like deep-fried cheese sticks, etc.
iii. Desert: Ah, desert. This one doesn’t really need explaining, but remember taste, if you had something overly salty for your meal, maybe ice cream, or something sweet.
- Each meal needs one of each of these. As you begin to eat more, you can always increase the portion sizes until you meet or exceed your goal.
- The idea here is getting your calorie requirement for the day. I encourage you to eat as healthy as you can. There is a wonderful satisfaction that comes from sitting down to a meal you prepared yourself. Enjoy!
- LIFESTYLE If you were honest about your activity level when you did your calculations, you shouldn’t have to do anything different; other than eat more, but I believe the tips below will help you become a more efficient gainer.
- SLOWLY become less and less active. It will help you burn fewer calories. Begin to sit more throughout the day, perhaps take a nap in the afternoon, if you can. Ultimately, you should be thinking, Relax…
- But, get some form of exercise. You want to get bigger, but don’t throw your health away entirely. You won’t last to enjoy your gains. I walk quite a bit, and have an active job, but I’m still getting bigger. You simply need to be realistic about how many calories you need when you calculate them out.
- Sleep Less. Scientists have discovered a correlation between obsesity and sleep. I, at one point, used to sleep for about 9 to 10 hours a night. I woke up, groggy, and not hungry at all. Not good for gaining. I’m now sleeping about 5 hrs a night. I fall asleep right as I get comfortable in bed (no tossing and turning), and I wake up hungry the next morning.
i. SLEEP TIP: Want to stop struggling to wake up in the morning? Remember, your body’s sleep pattern runs in 90 minute cycles. Figure out when you need to wake up, and count back in 90 minute chunks of time to find a decent bed time.
1. Ex. For a wake up at 6 a.m. count back from 6:00, I go to sleep at around 1:15 – 1:30.
- Take care of your teeth! You will be eating more, and perhaps more often. You need to take care to brush and floss daily to keep your mouth in perfect eating condition J
So there it is! I do hope you find success in this post. Happy eating and happy holidays everyone!
~ Fatnhappy