How to gain weight with a fast metabolism?

Are you underweight and struggling to gain weight? Learn how to gain weight with a fast metabolism by following these simple healthy tips.

Having a fast metabolism can make it challenging for some individuals to gain weight. In this article, we will explore strategies and tips on how to gain weight in a healthy manner while accommodating a fast metabolism. We will also discuss the importance of gaining weight healthily, provide diet tips, exercise tips, and lifestyle tips to support your weight gain goals.

Explaining Fast Metabolism and Its Impact on Weight Gain

Metabolism refers to the processes in our body that convert food into energy. A fast metabolism means that your body burns calories at a quicker rate than average. While having a fast metabolism can have its advantages, such as maintaining a lean physique, it can pose challenges when trying to gain weight.

People may want or need to gain weight for various reasons. It could be due to being underweight, building muscle mass, enhancing athletic performance, recovering from an illness or surgery, or simply wanting to improve overall health and well-being.

It’s important to emphasize that gaining weight healthily is crucial. Instead of focusing on unhealthy fat gain, we aim for gradual and sustainable weight gain through increased muscle mass and proper nutrition.

Preview of Main Sections

In this article, we will cover three main sections: diet tips, exercise tips, and lifestyle tips. These sections will provide you with actionable steps and recommendations on how to approach gaining weight with a fast metabolism effectively.

What is fast metabolism?

Your metabolism is how your body converts what you eat and drink into energy. During this complex biochemical process, calories in food and beverages are combined with oxygen to release the energy your body needs to function.

A fast metabolism is defined as a person’s body constantly burning calories and using them as energy. If you have high activity levels or exercise often, your metabolism will be very fast. This also means that if you don’t do anything often, your metabolism will be slow.

The benefits of having a fast metabolism

If you have a fast metabolism, you can often burn more calories in an hour than someone with a slower metabolic rate. However, this can also be the opposite for some people. This means that the person with a fast metabolism will likely gain weight faster because they burn more calories than the other person trying to lose weight. But this doesn’t mean it’s impossible to gain weight and build muscle mass without gaining too much fat!

As mentioned before, slowing down your metabolic rate is one way to gain weight in a healthy way. Another challenge is gaining weight and building muscle mass while keeping your body fat percentage at 25%. If you set your mind on achieving this goal, then read on!

Diet Tips: How to Eat More Calories and Energy Dense Foods

Increase Your Daily Caloric Intake by 300-500 Calories

To gain weight, it’s essential to consume more calories than your body uses. A calorie surplus is necessary for weight gain as it provides the extra energy needed for your body’s growth and repair processes.

Estimating your daily calorie needs can help you determine how much you should increase your intake. Use the following formula or calculator:

[Calorie needs = Basal metabolic rate (BMR) + Physical activity level (PAL) + Thermic effect of food (TEF)]

Suggested Guidelines for Moderate Weight Gain:

• Add 300-500 calories per day to your maintenance level
• Aim for a weight gain goal of 0.5-1 pound per week

Eat More Energy Dense Foods that are High in Protein, Fat, and Carbs

Energy dense foods provide a higher number of calories per serving. Incorporating these foods into your diet can help increase your caloric intake without needing to consume large volumes of food.

Here is a list of healthy energy dense foods from various food groups:

Food Group	Energy-Dense Foods
Nuts and Seeds	Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds
Dried Fruits	Dates, raisins, prunes, dried apricots
Dairy	Cheese, full-fat yogurt
Eggs	Whole eggs
Meat and Fish	Chicken thighs, salmon
Grains	Quinoa, whole grain bread

Tips on incorporating energy dense foods into your diet:

• Add nuts or cheese to salads
• Use nut butter or avocado on toast
• Make smoothies or shakes with milk and fruit

Eat More Food.

If you have a fast metabolism and are struggling to gain weight, one of the most important steps is to eat more calories than your body burns. What does that mean?

Here’s an example: If you’re eating 3,000 calories per day but burning 4,000 calories per day (including exercise), then it would be nearly impossible for you to gain weight unless you increase your calorie intake.

To figure out how many calories you burn in a day, use this equation:

(Your total daily energy expenditure) = (your BMR x 1.3) + (your activity level x 7-10). For example, if your BMR is 2200 and you do 30 minutes of cardio 5 days per week and lift weights 2 times per week, then calculate as follows: (2200 x 1.3) + 70 = 2970 + 70 = 3040 total daily energy expenditure

Eating More Calories

When you eat, your body uses the calories from the food to fuel its activities. Calories are a measurement of energy in food and drink. The number of calories in a food is usually shown on its packaging or menu description.

Calories can be measured in joules, kilojoules (kJ), kilocalories (kcal), or calories. 1 calorie = 4.184 kJ = 1 kcal

Choose good calories.

If you want to gain weight, you need to eat more calories than your body burns. So, if you have a fast metabolism and are trying to gain weight, it’s important that you choose foods that will stick with you.

Some of the best foods for this include:

• High-Protein Foods: Choose foods high in protein since they are more filling than others; nuts and seeds are also good choices if you don’t like meat.
• High-Fat Foods: Fats will help make your food more satisfying and give it flavor and texture! They also take longer to digest, so they can keep you feeling full longer than low-fat options like fruits or veggies would be able to do on their own without any added fat content whatsoever (which means other nutrients aren’t available when those types of foods metabolize faster than usual either).
• If possible, add some avocado slices or guacamole, too—these make great snacks between meals because they offer fiber and healthy fats! Plus, avocados contain monounsaturated fats that help improve heart health even further by lowering cholesterol levels while maintaining good blood sugar control at the same time, so this makes them perfect candidates for any weight loss plan, whether it’s just starting out or already established with exercise routines already established over time.

Stay Active

Engage in High-Volume Resistance Training

High-volume resistance training is an effective way to stimulate muscle growth and increase overall body mass. By challenging your muscles with resistance exercises, you can promote muscle hypertrophy and enhance weight gain.

Here are some examples of high-volume resistance training exercises for different muscle groups:

• Squats: targets the lower body muscles
• Lunges: activates leg muscles including quads and glutes
• Deadlifts: engages multiple muscles including hamstrings and back
• Bench press: focuses on the chest and triceps
• Rows: targets the back muscles
• Pull-ups: engages the upper body muscles including back and biceps

To perform high-volume resistance training safely and effectively:

• Use proper form to prevent injuries
• Choose an appropriate weight that challenges your muscles but allows for proper execution
• Rest between sets to allow adequate recovery

Eat Smaller Meals Throughout the Day

Eating smaller, frequent meals throughout the day can be beneficial for weight gain. This approach helps prevent feelings of fullness and encourages a steady intake of calories throughout the day.

Benefits of eating smaller meals throughout the day:

• Increases appetite by avoiding excessive fullness
• Improves digestion as smaller portions are easier to process
• Stabilizes blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes

Tips for incorporating smaller meals into your daily routine:

• Plan ahead by preparing portioned snacks in advance
• Pack snacks to have readily available when hunger strikes
• Set reminders or alarms to ensure you don’t skip meals

Exercise Tips: How to Build Muscle Mass and Strength

Focus on Compound Exercises that Work Multiple Muscle Groups

Compound exercises target multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them highly efficient for muscle building. By engaging multiple muscles at once, you can maximize your workout’s effectiveness.

Here is a list of compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups:

Exercise	Targeted Muscles
Squats	Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes
Lunges	Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes
Deadlifts	Hamstrings, lower back, glutes
Bench Press	Chest, triceps
Rows	Back (upper and lower)
Pull-ups	Back (especially lats), biceps

Tips for performing compound exercises safely and effectively:

• Prioritize proper form over heavier weights
• Choose an appropriate weight that allows for correct execution
• Take adequate rest between sets to recover fully

Increase the Intensity and Volume of Your Workouts Gradually

To promote muscle growth, it’s essential to gradually increase the intensity and volume of your workouts over time. Intensity refers to how challenging an exercise is, while volume represents the total workload performed during a session.

Here are examples of how you can progressively increase intensity and volume:

• Add weight to exercises as you become stronger
• Increase the number of repetitions or sets
• Reduce rest time between sets for a more intense workout

Tips for increasing intensity and volume safely and effectively:

• Listen to your body’s signals of fatigue or injury
• Track your progress to ensure gradual improvement
• Vary your routine by incorporating different exercises or training methods

Consume Enough Protein Before and After Your Workouts

Protein plays a crucial role in muscle growth and recovery. Consuming enough protein before and after your workouts provides your muscles with the necessary building blocks for repair and growth.

Guidelines for protein consumption before and after workouts:

• Aim for 0.25-0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight
• Choose protein-rich foods such as whey protein, eggs, chicken, fish, etc.
• Consider using supplements like whey protein or casein protein if needed

Lifestyle Tips: How to Support Your Weight Gain Goals

In addition to diet and exercise, certain lifestyle habits can help support your weight gain goals. These tips focus on making meals enjoyable, increasing liquid calories, meal frequency, and reducing non-lifting caloric expenditure.

Make Your Meals More Enjoyable and Appetizing

Making meals more enjoyable can enhance appetite and make it easier to consume larger portions. Try incorporating spices, herbs, sauces, dressings, or experimenting with new recipes to add flavor and variety to your meals.

Examples of enjoyable and appetizing meals:

• Pizza with cheese, pepperoni, and veggies
• Salad with chicken, avocado, nuts, and a flavorful dressing

Increase Your Liquid Calories by Drinking Smoothies, Shakes, Juices, etc.

Liquid calories are an efficient way to increase your caloric intake without feeling overly full. Drinks like smoothies, shakes, juices, or milk can provide extra nutrients and be consumed alongside regular meals.

Examples of liquid calories to include:

• Fruit smoothies with added protein powder
• Nutrient-dense shakes with healthy fats like avocado or nut butter
• Freshly squeezed fruit juices

Increase Your Meal Frequency by Eating Every 2-3 Hours

Increasing meal frequency throughout the day can help maintain a consistent calorie intake. Eating every 2 to 3 hours prevents long gaps between meals and supports a more sustained energy level.

Tips for increasing meal frequency:

• Plan ahead by preparing snacks in advance
• Pack portable snacks for on-the-go eating
• Set reminders or alarms as prompts to eat regularly

Decrease Your Non-Lifting Caloric Expenditure by Reducing Cardio and Other Activities

To support weight gain goals, it may be necessary to reduce non-lifting activities that burn calories. This doesn’t mean completely eliminating them but rather finding a balance that allows you to meet your weight gain objectives.

Examples of reducing non-lifting caloric expenditure:

• Limiting cardio exercises to low-to-moderate intensity sessions
• Minimizing excessive physical activity outside of structured workouts

FAQs about how to gain weight with a fast metabolism

Conclusion

Gaining weight with a fast metabolism requires strategic approaches in diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits. By implementing the tips provided in this article – increasing daily caloric intake through energy dense foods, engaging in high-volume resistance training exercises, and adopting supportive lifestyle habits – you can achieve your weight gain goals healthily and effectively.

Remember, always prioritize your overall well-being and consult with a healthcare professional or registered dietitian before making any significant changes to your diet or exercise routine.

References

1. How to Gain Weight With a Fast Metabolism: Do These 10 Things – Dakota Dietitians

10 proven strategies to gain weight with a fast metabolism · 1. Drink your calories · 2. Fill up on fats · 3. Eat smaller, more frequent 

2. How To Gain Weight With High Metabolism? – MaNaDr Medical Notes

How To Gain Weight With High Metabolism? 1. Increase caloric intake. To gain weight, you must consume more calories than you burn. … 2. Eat more frequently. … 3. Focus on protein. … 4. Incorporate healthy fats. … 5. Choose nutrient-dense foods. … 6. Lift weights. … 7. Get enough sleep. … 8. Limit cardio.

3. How to Gain Weight with a Fast Metabolism: Strategies that Work – Transparent Labs

5 Tips for Gaining Weight with a Fast Metabolism · 1. Increase your daily caloric intake · 2. Eat more ‘energy dense’ foods · 3. Engage in high-volume resistance …

4. How to Gain Weight With A Fast Metabolism – Outlift

Your trouble gaining weight probably has less to do with having a “fast” metabolism and more to do with having an “adaptive” metabolism.

5. Strategies For Gaining Weight With A Fast Metabolism – Blog – HealthifyMe

Simple Strategies to Gain Weight with a Fast Metabolism · Calculate Your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) · Create Calorie Surplus · Eat More Often.

6. How To Gain Weight With A Fast Metabolism: Tricks To Finally Make That Number On The Scale Go Up – BetterMe

Create A Calorie Surplus · Put Emphasis On Calorie-Dense Foods · Increase Protein-Rich Foods · Don’t Forget Carbohydrates And Fats · Increasing Meal Frequency