# Whats the best food for gaining weight?



## Fraudley (Feb 17, 2006)

I want to bulk up fast.


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## Andy M. (Feb 17, 2006)

Assuming you also want reasonably tasty food, eat a mix of proteins, fats and carbs.  Fats have about 2.5 times the calories per ounce as proteins or carbs but I wouldn't recommend your eating all fats.

The key is to eat more calories than your body comsumes all day long to support your activites and infrastructure.

If you compliment the calories with exercise, you'll build muscle as well.  Muscle weighs more than fat.


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## kimbaby (Feb 17, 2006)

pasta and more pasta and more pasta...oh and potatoes are good weight gainers too


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## pdswife (Feb 17, 2006)

I agree... pasta and potatoes with lots of butter.   I wish I had to gain instead of lose.. it'd be so much more fun...


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## sarah (Feb 17, 2006)

pasta,rice,potatoes and lots of desserts.......u r lucky...can eat all the good stuff...


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## ironchef (Feb 17, 2006)

Do you want to just put on weight or do you want to put on lean muscle mass? What kinds of excercises will you be doing to convert the food into energy/muscle or in other words, how active will you be? Whatever you eat, your diet will need to consist of 25-35% protein. Turkey, chicken, lean red meat, fish, and protein shakes are best because you can get enough protein but limit your fat intake. If you're going to eat pasta, cut back on refined white or semolina flour pastas and eat only whole wheat versions. If you're going to take weight gain or muscle building supplements, get a physical and consult your doctor first.


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## BigDog (Feb 17, 2006)

ironchef said:
			
		

> Do you want to just put on weight or do you want to put on lean muscle mass? What kinds of excercises will you be doing to convert the food into energy/muscle or in other words, how active will you be? Whatever you eat, your diet will need to consist of 25-35% protein. Turkey, chicken, lean red meat, fish, and protein shakes are best because you can get enough protein but limit your fat intake. If you're going to eat pasta, cut back on refined white or semolina flour pastas and eat only whole wheat versions. If you're going to take weight gain or muscle building supplements, get a physical and consult your doctor first.


 
Ah, a mind of reason.

This is exactly what I would ask. Assuming you're looking for lean muscle mass, all of the quoted message is good. For any intentional weight gain, the final sentence, particularly the latter part, should be followed. Often times weight gain or loss is part of a more significant problem, or rapid gain/loss can lead to problems. I'd certainly involve at least your family practitioner prior to commencing said increase. 

Bulking up fast, as I understand it, can be dangerous. Your body has to adjust to maintain the nutritional requirements of the more mass. Caution at least should be practiced!


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## Sandyj (Feb 17, 2006)

A 12 year old boy once came camping with my sister and I - he was her son's friend. We each have 3 kids, mine were really little at the time. We all squashed into one caravan, couldn't put the tent up because 1) didn't know what we were doing 2) the wind was blowing so hard, the pieces of the tent that we were trying to pin down kept flying up....... Said boy had brought (literally) a huge bunch of bananas.....maybe 20 or more. He told me in serious tones that he had read that eating 12 bananas a day was like taking a steroid - it would "bulk" him up (personally, I was thinking, yeah, - but probably not quite where he meant)..... kid"...... Fun week-end. Fun kid.


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## grumblebee (Feb 17, 2006)

BigDog said:
			
		

> Bulking up fast, as I understand it, can be dangerous. Your body has to adjust to maintain the nutritional requirements of the more mass. Caution at least should be practiced!


 
THis is true. Just like it is unsafe to lose weight too rapidly, gaining too rapidly can be just as (if not moreso) harmful! I knew someone who was medically quite underweight and had to put on weight... their doctor recommended no more than 0.5kg gain/week. (roughly 2kg/month) Any more than that and you will be great strain on your heart and body. 

Here are some good articles on how to gain lean body mass:
http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/lean.html (part one)
http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/lean2.html (part two)
http://www.femalemuscle.com/nutrition/lean3.html (part three)


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## Constance (Feb 17, 2006)

Your should eat a balanced diet, with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grain carbs, dairy (eggs, cheese milk) and good lean protein...not just steak, but turkey, fish, and pork loin. 
I've seen specials on Food TV about what they feed the football players in training camp. I couldn't find it right off hand, but they got just about everything they wanted except a lot of sweets. There are all the natural sugars your body needs for energy in the fruit and vegetables you eat.


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## BigDog (Feb 17, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> I've seen specials on Food TV about what they feed the football players in training camp. I couldn't find it right off hand, but they got just about everything they wanted except a lot of sweets. There are all the natural sugars your body needs for energy in the fruit and vegetables you eat.


 
The most recent rendition of "The Longest Yard" has commentary about what they fed the athletes involved in the movie. Needless to say many a cow and chicken went to the cause.

I recall a Sport illustrated magazine I saw while growing up. It was an article about the eating style of some football player. Linebacker I think. Anyways, they had pictures of him grocery shopping and he was pushing one cart and pulling another behind. The key for him was fresh and natural. If I recall correctly, he was knocking out a dozen eggs just for breakfast, let alone the steak, chops, or whatever else went with it. 

One must remember, of course, to burn those quantities of calories takes a whole heap of physical activity! Rapid weight gain is dangerous. These menus mentioned for the athletes are for people already at peak physical fitness and are insanely active. From the movie, just look at Bill Goldberg, Bill Romanowski, or really any of the guys involved in the game (both sides of the ball). Adam Sandler, while in good shape, was a midget to those guys! Ditto for Nicholas Turturro (sp?). The one guy that doesn't count is the fat mobster guy, I can't recall his name. If you've seen the movie, you know who I mean.


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## thumpershere2 (Feb 18, 2006)

Potatoes and gravey. Fried chicken and mashed potatoes and milk gravey. Or Meatballs, mashed potatoes and gravey. Will bulk up fast in a week.


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## buckytom (Feb 18, 2006)

most body builders and serious weight lifters i have worked out with ate a lot of very simple but healthy food, to build muscle while losing body fat to show off the rip and cut in the muscles. 
the key was to eat 6 or 7 healthy, simple, and easy to digest meals a day, and they worked out twice a day, moring and night. and they drank a ton of water, all day long (being careful not to overdo it, even measuring "output" to be sure). cells contain a lot of water, so to help create more muscle, you need water. plus, it flushes your liver and kidneys which helps keep your blood clean, also helping build muscle.
breakfast would be 4 or 5 egg whites, fruit, oatmeal, and whole wheat toast.
next, after a moring workout of both lifting and cardio, they'd have a "meal" of a protein shake.
lunch was a pint or so of steamed brown rice, 2 cans of tuna in water (drained, plian, no mayo or oil), fruit, and lots of raw veggies like broccoli and carrots.
another couple of small meals of shakes, yogurt, and protein bars, and then they'd have a relatively small meal for dinner (by normal american standards), of just a little pasta with butter or plain tomato sauce, a few slices of plain turkey breast or roast beef cold cuts, and milk.
then came the evening workout of heavy lifting, max-ing out with short sets, but moving from station to sation quickly to keep the heart rate up, alternating upper and lower body workouts each day. it is key to let the muscle groups rest every other day, and take 2 days off together once a week. 
sleep is also very important. your body does it's best work repairing and rebuilding itself while you rest.

hope this helps.


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## Caine (Feb 19, 2006)

Okay, are you ready for a professional opinion? I am a personal trainer, a sports nutritionist, and a senior fitness instructor, certified by the International Fitness Association.

To put on weight, you must consume more calories than you expend every day. You can calculate your daily calorie requirements using the calculator found at CALORIE NEEDS FOR MEN. Adding 500 calories a day over what the calculator says you require will result in a gain of 1 pound a week. I do not recommend adding more than 1000 calories a day, which would result in a 2 pound a week gain.

To put on healthy weight, which means lean muscle mass, you must consume the right calories. You must also exercise your muscles to increase their size, which will result in a weight gain. Of course, every added pound of muscle will consume an additional 300 calories a day, so as you build muscle, you must continue to increase your calorie consumption. Oh, and muscle does not weigh more than fat. That's like saying a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of feathers. Muscle is, however, denser than fat, so as a person loses fat and gains muscle, they may look thinner, but could possibly weigh the same, or even more.

Unless you are a marathoner or tri-athelete, I recommend a balance of 40% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 30% fat. For runners, they can increase their carbohydrate intake to as much as 60%, reducing the percentage of protein and fat in the process. 

I recommend lean protein such as the lean beef and pork, turkey, chicken, and fish; low fat or no fat dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt; and low cholesterol egg products such as Egg Beaters or Better 'n Eggs. You can also make high protein drinks with whey protein powder, yogurt, and egg substitute, along with various fruits and/or fruit juices.

I recommend complex carbohydrates from whole grains; high fiber cereals, especially those with soluable fiber such as oatmeal; brown rice; and sweet potatoes. If you MUST eat white potatoes, include the skin, which has most of the vitamins and all of the fiber. Oh, and contrary to what most people believe, corn and peas are not vegetables. They are simple carbohydrates. Avoid them.

I recommend the majority of your fat intake be monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, limiting your saturated fat intake to less than 10%, preferably 5%, and eliminating transfats altogether.

So, increase your calorie intake, excercise, and eat the right foods. Oh, one more thing. Do not try to consume those calories in three meals a day. You should be eating at least 6 meals a day, and the first one should be breakfast, within 30 minutes of rising. If you aren't a "breakfast person," you will have to teach yourself to be. Start with something simple, like, say a protein drink or an instant breakfast you mix with milk. Personally, I prefer a large glass of Ovaltine. 

The above recommendations will allow you to consume all the extra calories you need and keep your metabolism even throughout the day. Good luck, and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask.


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## Claire (Mar 30, 2006)

For very fast weight gain (temporary, usually, for a specific purpose weight gain) military recruiters would recommend bananas.  We would often have underprivledged, malnourished young people wanting to enlist.  The recruiters would hand them a couple of bucks and tell them to buy a bunch of bananas and eat them before weigh-in day.  Good for you, and it actually worked.  Once in the service and being served 3 full meals a day, they always put the weight they needed on.  

I once had a freind whose doctor prescribed drinking an instant breakfast drink (the kind you mix with milk) with every meal because she had a super-high metabolism (I used to envy her).  Nutritious addition to an already balanced diet.  Ensure does much the same thing for people who simply cannot keep their weight up because of illness.


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## tommyboy (Mar 31, 2006)

Peanut Butter also has a lot of protein in it.  And tuna as well...


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Mar 31, 2006)

kimbaby said:
			
		

> pasta and more pasta and more pasta...oh and potatoes are good weight gainers too


 
This is true.  But it is my experience that if you load up on the carbs, you will significantly increase your odds of becoming diabetic.  It happened to me.  I was a skinny runt while growing up, and always in a hurry to gain weight.  I never could though as I was just too active.  That changed when I hit 22.  I gained 15 pounds in 2 weeks, and I had not changed my eating habits at all.  Changing hormones did it to me.  But I was working out at the time and didn't mind the extra muscle mass at all.

What I didn't know was that I was stressing my pancreas with fatty/starchy french-fries, potato recipes of all kinds, white bread, white pasta, starchy veggies like corn, and a host of other high-carbohydrate foods.  

When I hit forty, it all caught up to me.  And I know it's diet related because more and more people are developing type-2 diabetes, and at an earlier age.

Eat a ballanced meal of whole grains, nutritious colorful veggies, a wide variety of fruits, nuts, and meats, in that order.  Eat reasonable amounts for your activity level.  Your body will develop, with exercise, it's own optimal weight, allowing you to perfome at the highest level.

Unless you are a body-builder, who competes to show the largest muscle mass, there is no reason to bulk up.  I know it's hard to believe when you are young, but at middle age, that bulk really slows you down, and stresses your body.

I hate to rain on your parade, but I speak from experience, and not only my own.  I have a best freind, and a brother-in-law who have experienced life threatening complications from thier inability to control what they ate and drank.

Be smart.  Don't try to make yourself into something that will in the long run hurt you.  If you aren't doing that, then I applaude you.  If you are, then head my warning.  You only get one body.  Take care of it.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


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## Claire (Apr 1, 2006)

Goodweed says it best.


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## Michael in FtW (Apr 1, 2006)

Caine said:
			
		

> Oh, and muscle does not weigh more than fat. That's like saying a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of feathers. Muscle is, however, denser than fat, so as a person loses fat and gains muscle, they may look thinner, but could possibly weigh the same, or even more.


 
Huh? 

While it is true that a pound of feathers will have the same weight as a pound of lead - unless they are equal when you divide their mass by their volume (basic formula for density p=m/V) they will not weigh the same.


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## Barbara L (Apr 1, 2006)

Fraudley said:
			
		

> *Whats the best food for gaining weight?*


Apparently everything that I eat! Seriously, there is some good advice here. You just want to make sure you do it the healthiest way possible.

 Barbara


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## Michael in FtW (Apr 1, 2006)

Fraudley said:
			
		

> I want to bulk up fast.


 
There are several reasons and ways to bulk up ... baseball, football, boxing, wrestling, body-building, martial arts ... etc. And, there are different diets.

What are your "bulk-up" goals?


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