How Many Calories Do I Need To Gain Weight Healthily?
In previous times people were not very aware of the perfect weight or BMI. Skinny people were thought to be smart and beautiful. People especially girls used to do a lot of things to lose weight.
Some people used to do crash diets for losing weight. But with the passage of time people came to know about a healthy lifestyle. They came to know that having a strong and fit body is smart. Now as many people re struggling with weight loss in the same way some are also trying to gain it.
There can be different reasons for weight loss. People can lose weight due to diabetes, depression, after recovery from any disease, etc. But the main thing is to know how to gain weight. All people know that by increasing calories someone can gain weight. But here the question arises that how many calories do I need to gain weight.
The answer for the previous question is that males and females have different needs of calories. And if we talk about how many calories do I need to gain weight we must know this thing.
it totally depends upon how many calories we are burning a day. Depending upon this every underweight person needs a different number of calories for gaining weight which they have to calculate. This article will tell you briefly about how many calories do I need to gain weight.
How To Gain Weight
The general principle of weight gaining is that eat more calories than you consume in a whole day. Now it is upon to you that in which type you are taking your calories. You can gain your calories by eating a lot of junk food, fried items, and processed food.
From these things, you can gain weight rapidly and easily. But at the same time, such things cause a lot of health problems. So it is wise to know how to gain weight in a healthy way. The answer is simple. Just bring some simple changes in your diet and normal daily routine. Eat healthy food, drink a lot of water, and do dailEat healthy foody physical exercises.
Fat Vs. Muscle Weight
Fats and muscles both are part of our body and are equally essential. These both also take part in our weight gain. But the difference is that they both increase the weight in different ways. If we discuss fats vs muscle weight then we will come to know that muscles weigh more than that of fats. Muscles are made up of tendons that are compactly bound to each other forming a dense mass. Fats are made up of droplets of fats that are loosely connected.
They leave spaces between them so they are less dense. In this way, fats will cover more area than that of muscles. So if you are increasing weight in a healthy way actually you are increasing your muscle. When muscle weight increases it will not swell your body but the weight will increase. Fats along with gaining weight will swell the body too.
How Many Calories In One Pound Of Fat?
How Many Calories In One Pound Of Muscle?
Muscles require more energy and calories to build up. You have to take so many extra calories to build your muscles. One pound of muscle contains about 2500 to 2800 extra calories for building.
What Weighs More, Muscle Or Fat?
Muscles are dense substance so they occupy less space. The density of fats is very less so it occupies more space. One pound of muscle will be smaller in size as compared to 1 pound of fats.
Muscles take 18 percent less space than that of fats. So if we say what weighs more, muscle or fat then the answer will be muscle. If you are building your muscles actually you are increasing your weight. If you are eating too much to increase your fats then you are making your body swell.
Can You Build Muscle And Lose Fat At The Same Time?
It seems impossible to build muscles and lose fats at the same time. This is because for building muscles you need extra calories and for losing fats you have to decrease your caloric intake. But some trainers claim that it is possible. So the question arises how can you build muscle and lose fats at the same time?
For this, you have to low your calorie intake. Start consuming more proteins by doing a keto diet or in a normal diet. This protein will help in muscle building. And the body will take the required calories by burning the deposit of fats in the body.
Determining Your Weight Gain Calorie Needs
A normal man needs 2500 calories and female needs 2000 calories a day. If you are not taking these required calories automatically you will lose weight. Now the question arises here that how many calories do I need to gain weight. You can find your answer by determining your weight gain calorie needs.
Check out how many calories are you gaining a day. If they are less than required then add remaining calories in your diet. 2500 to 2800 calories are required to build one pound of muscle. So divide these calories and add them too in the diet. You can use online calculators to detect the exact amount of needed calories.
Step 1: Determine Your Maintenance Calories
If you are healthy and your weight is in the normal range then you don’t need to lose or gain weight. But maintenance of weight is very necessary. As you are concern about how many calories do I need to gain weight? In the same way knowledge about calories, maintenance is also very important. You can determine your maintenance calories by the following method.
- If you are a woman then multiply weight (in lbs.) with 10
- And if you are a man then multiply weight with 11
- Add the answer in the category of your physical activity.
- If you don’t do any physical activity, then add 1 in answer.
- You are doing 1 to 3 times a week? Then add 1.1.
- For people doing activity 2 or more days in a week add 1.2.
- Add 1.4 if doing exercise 3 or more days a day.
- And if you are doing proper workout 2 times a day then add 1.6 in your answer.
- The resultant answer will be your required calories.
Step 2: Add Your Calorie Surplus
For an underweight person, it is very important to know how many calories do I need to gain weight. If your calorie intake is low then add your calorie surplus. For a normal person who is struggling for weight gain, adding 500 calories a day is enough.
Or you can add 10 percent extra than the required calories. But this calculation will not be the same for everyone. As everybody has different health conditions and daily activities. For a beginner trainer, it is easy to gain muscle. And if you are very skinny you will need more calories to gain weight and build muscles. So the conclusion is that a lean person will require more calories than a comparatively trained and normal person.
Step 3: Calculate Your Macros
Macros are actually macronutrients including carbohydrates, proteins, and fats the body needs. So for know how many calories do I need to gain weight it is important to calculate your macros. If you know about your calorie need according to the body then it is easy to calculate macros. If you want to gain weight then you have to make a correct ratio of macros in the diet.
You have to add about 1 to 1.5 grams of protein for each pound of your body.
Fats contain the maximum amount of calories. The body takes about 30 percent of calories from the fats so adjust the fats level accordingly.
Now check how many calories are remaining from your need. Complete those from obtaining carbohydrates.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is The Relationship Between Calories And Physical Activities In Weight Gain?
When you are doing any physical activity it means you are burning your calories. For weight gaining, you will need extra calories. So physical activities can affect your weight gain process if you are not maintaining calorie intake. The only thing you have to do for weight gaining is to increase calorie intake with physical activity.
What Is The Best Way To Track Calories?
You can do it manually by noting your daily meal and everything you eat. Check the number of calories in that food. You can use any caloric chart available online or any authentic reference book. Add all the calories and check how many calories you are taking. Many calorie calculators are available online you can use them too.
How Many Serving Do I Need From Every Group Of The Food?
For this, you have to check the number of your macros as discussed in the article. Then you have to check your calorie need. All details about calories and food groups are present under the heading “calculate your macros” in this article.
Can I Use Supplements To Gain Weight?
You can use supplements to maintain your nutrients. But it is better to take care of your diet and eat healthy food. Food will give you all the required nutrients. But if are trying to build muscles you can take protein powder. Overall supplements are not bad.
I Am A Vegetarian. Can I Gain Weight Using Vegetables?
Yes, you can gain weight by being a vegetarian too. You can get many vegan diet plans online for gaining weight. Add avocados in diet and drink smoothies. Increase the number of green vegetables and eat many fruits.
Summary
For gaining weight it is important to keep a balance between consumed and burned calories. If we are taking fewer calories and do many activities to burn them it can be harmful. It will lead to different health conditions including nutrient deficiency, osteoporosis, lethargy, skin and hair issues, etc. It is not a healthy practice.
So if you are curious about how many calories do I need to gain weight then you are on the right point. Being curious about your health is a good thing. You can achieve your calorie target by eating any kind of food including junk food or processed foods. But it is very important to maintain your calorie level by consuming healthy food. In this article, we have discussed enough information that will solve your problem of how many calories do I need to gain weight.
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