How to Gain Weight in Healthier Way
Finding articles on weight loss is easy, but guidance on healthy weight gain is far less common. While being underweight may not seem concerning to some, it can lead to its own health challenges—especially for those who struggle to add weight despite consistent effort.
If you’re trying to gain weight in a balanced and nutritious way (without depending on unhealthy high-calorie junk foods), this guide explains what current research suggests and how you can build muscle mass while keeping fat gain to a minimum.
What Are the Risks of Being Underweight?
There’s a common belief that being thin automatically means being healthy, but that’s not always true. In fact, research from 2018 found that being underweight may pose a higher risk of mortality than being overweight.
Health issues related to being significantly underweight often have underlying causes, such as illness, malnutrition, stress, eating disorders, depression, or genetic factors.
For women, a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5 is classified as underweight. While slightly below a healthy weight may not seem alarming, falling far below this threshold can lead to serious health problems. Potential consequences include slower development, weakened immune function, hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies, anemia, digestive issues, and increased risk of chronic diseases.
It’s ironic that many of us strive to be thin, yet extreme thinness can actually harm our bodies. Providing your body with proper nutrients to support energy production and muscle growth is essential to counteract the negative effects of being underweight.
How to Gain Weight in a Healthy Way
Gaining weight might seem simple—just eat more and skip workouts, right? While this approach might increase the number on the scale, it usually leads to fat gain rather than muscle growth and can harm your overall health. Instead, healthy weight gain focuses on nourishing your body, building lean muscle, and maintaining energy levels.
Healthy weight gain involves three key strategies:
- Eating nutrient-dense foods
- Increasing calorie intake strategically
- Exercising in a way that promotes muscle growth
The goal is to gain weight safely, improving both scale numbers and lean muscle mass without compromising health. Here’s how to do it step by step:
Step 1: Increase Calorie Intake Wisely
To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than your body burns. Calories from nutrient-rich foods provide the energy your body can use to build muscle, while empty calories from processed foods tend to be stored as fat.
Track Your Intake: Keeping a food log can help you understand your current calorie intake. If you’re not gaining weight, gradually add 150–250 calories per day. Adjust the increase based on whether you want slow or faster weight gain.
Step 2: Eat More Often in Smaller Portions
Instead of large meals, try eating smaller meals or snacks every 3–4 hours. This approach helps increase overall calorie intake and ensures your body digests and absorbs nutrients efficiently. Four small meals per day or frequent healthy snacks can make a big difference in supporting muscle growth.
Step 3: Focus on Nutrient Quality and Quantity
Eating the right foods is crucial for healthy weight gain. Nutrient-rich options support muscle building and overall health.
Protein Sources:
Protein is essential for muscle development. Include high-quality proteins like grass-fed meats, wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, collagen, and lean meats. For plant-based options, try beans, hemp seeds, nuts, seeds, unsweetened yogurt, or protein powders. A general guideline is about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, or at least 100 grams daily.
Healthy Fats:
Prioritize omega-3 and omega-9 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation and support muscle repair. Foods rich in omega-3 include salmon, sardines, chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and hemp seeds. Omega-9 sources include olive oil, avocado, nuts, and salmon. Other good fats are coconut milk, ghee, cacao, and high-fat cuts of responsibly raised meats. Limit omega-6 fats, such as those in corn, soy, and conventionally raised animal products, as excessive intake can be inflammatory.
Carbohydrates:
Complex carbs provide energy and help build muscle without spiking blood sugar. Include sweet potatoes, plantains, taro, quinoa, yuca, squash, fruit, and rice. Cooking these with healthy fats like olive oil or butter boosts calories and supports muscle growth. Liquid calories from nutrient-dense smoothies can also help increase intake without feeling overly full.
Step 4: Exercise for Muscle Growth
Exercise is essential for healthy weight gain. Strength training, heavy lifting, CrossFit, HIIT, and yoga help build muscle while minimizing fat gain. Limit long-duration cardio sessions, as excessive cardio can burn calories that could otherwise be used for muscle growth. Aim for 4–5 days of exercise per week.
Step 5: Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is vital for recovery and muscle repair. During deep sleep, your body rebuilds muscle tissue and restores energy. Aim for 7–8 hours of high-quality sleep each night to maximize healthy weight gain.
Conclusion
Healthy weight gain is not simply a matter of eating more food or skipping workouts. True, effective weight gain requires a thoughtful and balanced approach that prioritizes both nutrition and physical activity. By focusing on nutrient-dense foods, you provide your body with the essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients needed to build lean muscle rather than store excess fat. Increasing your calorie intake strategically ensures that your body has the energy it needs to fuel workouts, repair tissues, and support daily activities, all while gradually adding weight in a controlled and healthy manner.
Incorporating strength-focused exercises, such as weightlifting, resistance training, and high-intensity interval training, allows you to convert those extra calories into muscle mass, rather than letting them turn into unwanted fat. Exercise also boosts metabolism, improves circulation, and enhances overall physical strength and endurance.
Equally important is getting adequate rest and sleep. During deep sleep, the body releases growth hormones that repair and build muscle tissue, reduce inflammation, and rejuvenate energy levels. Without sufficient rest, your efforts to gain weight and build muscle can be significantly slowed, and recovery from workouts can be compromised.
Avoid relying on quick fixes, processed foods, or junk food strategies. While these may help increase your weight temporarily, they rarely contribute to long-term health or improved body composition. Consistently following a well-rounded approach that combines proper nutrition, effective exercise, and sufficient rest ensures that your weight gain is healthy, sustainable, and beneficial to your overall wellness.
By committing to this balanced method, you not only gain weight but also enhance your energy, strengthen your immune system, and support optimal bodily function. Ultimately, healthy weight gain is about improving your body’s composition, performance, and well-being—not just the number on the scale.
