If you’re looking to gain weight and muscle, meal planning is an essential part of your journey. Here are some tips and tricks that can help you succeed in creating the best weight gain meal plan:
Determine Your Caloric Needs
Knowing your daily calorie needs is the first step in meal planning for weight gain. Depending on your age, level of physical activity, and gender, your daily caloric needs can vary from others.
Eat More Calories Than You Burn
Once you know the daily amount of calories your body needs to maintain your current weight, just add a few more calories to your daily goal to gain weight.300-500 daily calorie surplus is ideal for gaining weight healthily instead of just packing on pounds of fat. For example, if your daily caloric need is 1,500, your daily caloric goal can be 2,000. According to a study, 3,500 calories are about equivalent to 1 pound (0.45 kilogram) of fat. But this might not be true for everyone since every body is unique.
You must eat more calories than usual and more than you expend in order to put on weight. But this is not an invitation for you to feast on fast food. You should eat calorie-dense, nutritious foods that will promote healthy weight gain.
Eating frequently and never skipping a meal throughout the day can help you eat more calories, thus, helping you gain weight. Make it a target to eat 5 to 6 smaller meals throughout the day instead of only eating 3 large meals.
Plan Your Meals in Advance
Making a meal prep for weight gain in advance can assist you in maintaining a healthy diet while sticking to your weight goals. Spend some time each week organizing your snacks and meals. Include a variety of satisfying and nourishing foods in your diet to help you reach your calorie requirements.
If you’re wondering if it’s possible to gain muscle in 7 days, the answer is yes!
When you start lifting weights, your target muscles undergo stress. However, the size and strength of muscle cells can increase one to seven days later. This time is crucial for you to let your muscles rest. While you let your muscles rest, work on a different muscle group in order to stay consistent with your schedule.
If you also want to gain muscles while gaining weight, here are some foods to include in your Muscle Gain Diet Plan 7 days:
Lean meat.
Animal products, in general, especially lean meats like beef and chicken, are excellent sources of protein. Protein supports muscle growth and recovery, which makes them a must in your muscle gain meal plan.
Fatty fish.
Essential fatty acids and proteins are most commonly consumed through eating fatty fish like tuna and salmon. They help to enhance your immune system and to help you gain weight.
Beans and legumes.
When coupled with grains like rice, they are both great and tasty meat replacements that are also high in protein.
Eggs.
A single egg contains about 6g of protein, making them an amazing source of protein. The nine essential amino acids are abundant in this type of food, which also has vitamins B2 and D.
Whole grains.
Maintaining energy levels throughout the day requires eating whole grains (like brown rice and bread), which are great sources of fiber and carbohydrates. Amino acids included in whole grains can influence how quickly muscles grow.
High-calorie fruits and veggies.
A muscle gain meal plan isn’t complete without nutritious and satisfying fruits and veggies. Include high-calorie fruits and vegetables in your diet, such as dried fruit, avocados, coconut, mangoes, and bananas.
Dairy products.
Full-fat dairy, including yogurt, milk, and cheese, is also a good source of protein, needs no cooking, and provides calcium.
Stay Hydrated
Water consumption is crucial for overall health, but it can also lead to weight gain. Make drinking water an everyday habit – hit at least 8 glasses and think about adding calorie-dense drinks like milk or smoothies to your weight gain meal plan.
With these tips and tricks, you can create a 7 day weight gain diet meal plan that will help you achieve your weight gain goals healthily and sustainably.
