What to eat to gain weight: calories and menu for weight gain

A muscular, pumped-up body cannot be achieved without gaining muscle mass. You can build muscle if you have a well-chosen, correct menu. Training will not be important if there is no special material to work with.

For beginners, you need to prepare a daily menu that matches your goals. By building the basics of proper nutrition and creating an optimal diet, you can achieve quick results.

What a diet plan should include and what you need to gain weight will be discussed below in the article.

Basic diet rules for gaining muscle mass

During intense training and physical activity, a significant portion of energy is consumed. Costs are covered with food. By limiting your diet, a person will not receive enough substances necessary for weight gain.

The weight gain diet is based on one principle: you need to get more calories from food than you burn. Only by following this rule can you really achieve positive results.

You should also take into account the following several equally important menu rules for weight gain:

Eat small meals. You need to eat 5-6 times a day. Portions are small. When eating a significant amount of food at one time, the body will not be able to digest all the nutrients. Some vitamins and minerals will be lost, and the muscles will not receive the required amount of energy on time. The rest of the nutrients will be stored in fat deposits.
There are high-calorie foods. You should eat frequently, high-calorie foods - 70% of the daily diet. If you eat low-calorie foods, your body will not have enough energy. You will have to increase the number of meals, and the digestive organs will be overloaded.
Limit the consumption of fast carbohydrates and fats. Consumption of such foods leads to an increase in body fat. Fast carbohydrates are flour products, sweets, baked goods, and candies. The calorie content of the food is high and is absorbed instantly. The body does not have time to quickly waste the energy received. Humans need animal fats in limited quantities. Lard and sausages consumed in excess contribute to an increase in fat deposits.
Consume 2.5-3 liters of water per day. Rapid weight gain is stressful for the body. Accelerated metabolism and increased metabolism require large amounts of fluid. Lack of water will cause disruption of the digestive tract and worsen overall health. Also, with dehydration, muscles will stop growing.
Receive 70% of calories before 16:00. Afterwards, eat proteins - cottage cheese, eggs, fish. Fast carbohydrates and fats are eaten before 12:00 and are acceptable before training.
Diet of athletes. Professional athletes eat 2 hours before exercise and 1 hour after. You should eat as well. Constant training and an enhanced diet will accelerate the process of muscle growth.
Compliance with the principle of the “food pyramid”: 60% - carbohydrates, proteins - 30%, fats - 10%. Most of the carbohydrates consumed are cereals, potatoes, and fruits. Proteins can be obtained from sports nutrition containing protein in the required quantities. Fats – vegetable, animal – in minimal quantities.

For different ages

As a person ages, he spends less energy and consumes fewer calories. And young people, especially in adolescence, need more of them.

For men at the age of 3 years, the norm corresponds to 1300 kcal and grows to 3000 kcal by the age of 18.
For ages 65 and older, the rate decreases to 1900.
For women, the maximum amount of calories needed is at age 18 (2500 kcal) and decreases to 1700 kcal at age 65 and older.

Daily value of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates

Muscle growth will occur with regular training and sufficient energy. Sports supplements will not provide the optimal amount of calories. To restore the body's strength and increase muscle mass, you need to consume a significant amount of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

It is convenient to calculate your daily calorie intake using the Lyle MacDonald formula. To do this, you need to multiply your own weight by 35.

For example, for a guy weighing 70 kg: 70 x 35 = 2450 kcal. The data is based on a thin man with a fast metabolism. By adding 10-20% to the resulting value, you get the caloric intake for weight gain: 2450 x 1.2 = 2940 kcal.

By consuming 2940 kcal per day, the expended energy will be restored, and muscles will gradually increase.

For men

Protein is the basis for muscle growth. With constant strength training, the daily protein intake will be 1.5-2.5 grams per 1 kg of body weight. Minimum – 150 grams per day. For a guy weighing 70 kg, 175 grams is enough. protein to speed up weight gain. Start with a smaller amount and gradually increase the dose. A sudden introduction of a large amount of protein into the diet will stress the body. Choose animal sources of protein with low fat content: chicken fillet, low-fat fish, low-fat cottage cheese, eggs. Vegetable proteins contained in beans, lentils, sesame are absorbed in full when consumed together with animals. After sports activities, you can drink a protein shake.
Carbohydrates are a source of vitality; a deficiency leads to depression, apathy, and weakness. When eating to gain muscle, you need 5-6 grams per 1 kg of weight. For a thin man - 420 grams per day. Two hours before training, consume slow carbohydrates (buckwheat, oatmeal, rice), an hour before, an hour after - fast ones.
Fats are 1-2 grams per 1 kg of weight. Fat intake also depends on age category. Maximum daily dose: up to 28 years – 160 g;
29–39 years old – 150 g;
category 40+ – 70 g.

For women

With intense training, the body requires more protein. Insufficient protein will affect the condition of the skin, hair, and nails. The minimum daily intake is 1.5 grams per 1 kg of weight: 50 kg – 75 g.
55 kg – 83 g.
60 kg – 90 g.

The maximum daily fat intake is proportional to the girl’s age:

up to 27 years – 118 g.

28-39 years old – 110 g.

category 40+ – 70 g.

The majority of carbohydrates for muscle building should be slow carbohydrates at a rate of 400 grams per day.

AT THE START

Age 35 years, height 170 cm, weight 67 kg.

5.2% and 94.8% – fat to muscle ratio. Wittrock took measurements using a BOD POD, the most accurate device available to date for determining the ratio of fat to muscle in the body. A person sits inside a special container and after a few minutes receives the parameters of his body.

Before the experiment, Jason's average daily calorie intake was 2,000 calories.

His BPJU for 4000 calories for 21 days looked like this:

75-80% – fats (300-350 grams),
15-20% – proteins (150-200 grams),
5% – no carbohydrates (50-70 grams)

The diet consisted of: eggs, avocados, fatty meats, low-carb nuts (macadamia, almonds, pecans), red fish, cheeses, green vegetables (spinach, celery, various types of greens), fatty sauces, “bulletproof” coffee (a mixture of coffee with heavy cream, butter and coconut oil) and, of course, oils - butter, coconut, macadamia, avocado.

Jason continued to train at his usual rhythm: 5 strength exercises per week, interval training according to the Tabata protocol, and abdominal exercises.

The Best Foods for Gaining Muscle

An increase in muscle mass is associated with the frequency of meals, caloric content and quality of foods consumed. You cannot save money; an unbalanced diet will have a detrimental effect on the condition of the body as a whole.

Recommended to use:

Beef is rich in iron, keratin, and protein. Ideal – 200 grams per day, 2 times 100 g.
Chicken fillet, breast. 300 grams contain 69 g of protein, i.e. half the daily requirement. Use 2-3 times a day in portions.
Salmon contains protein and amino acids. Promotes recovery after training, reduces muscle inflammation, helps monitor testosterone levels.
Eggs . When gaining weight, they are second only to a protein shake. Protein is instantly absorbed, breaking down into amino acids. To create a balance between proteins and fats, you need to remove 4 yolks from 6 eggs. This omelet will give the body up to 30 grams of protein.
Nuts . Mono fats increase the performance of the heart, internal organs, and ligaments. You need to eat about 55-60 grams of various nuts per day: almonds;
walnuts;
peanut;
hazelnut;
cashew nuts.

Milk has an analgesic effect and prevents the breakdown of muscle fibers. A 3% product will do. 500 ml contains 16-18 grams of protein.

Cottage cheese is an ideal addition to a weight gain diet. Contains casein - a long-lasting protein, rich in calcium, necessary for joints during intense training. You need to keep an eye on 9% cottage cheese. Can be used in a protein shake.

Sprouted wheat will increase strength, increase endurance, reduce stress on the nervous system. It contains:

potassium;

calcium;

zinc;

iron;

B vitamins;

amino acids.

Rice. You need to choose brown rice. It is absorbed slowly, providing enough energy for sports. Also contains an amino acid that increases growth hormone levels by 4 times. Before cooking, soak in hot water for 60-120 minutes.

Fruits quickly restore muscle fibers and have a high energy reserve. The fruits are also rich in vitamins and boost the immune system. It is advisable to drink half a liter of juice 60 minutes before training.

Bread. Whole grain bread contains amino acids necessary for muscle growth. White pastries can be eaten after a workout to replenish your reserves.

Garlic reduces muscle fiber tears and helps testosterone production.

How to eat on 2000 calories

The Food and Drug Administration considers the daily value of calories to be 2,000, which is the amount of nutrients most people need. So what does a 2,000 calorie diet look like?

Fruits and vegetables

If you're aiming to eat 2,000 calories a day, you'll need: 2 cups fruit, 2 1/2 cups vegetables.