As adults, what we eat affects our health and has an impact on how we lose or gain weight. We typically hear about eating certain foods and dieting to reach our weight goals when dropping a few pounds, but we fail to consider what foods help us build muscle to gain weight. Building muscle mass is the best way to add healthy pounds for people who want to increase their body weight.
Some people are involved in fitness routines to build muscle for weight gain, and others may want to build back muscle mass lost through the aging process or due to inactivity. Either way, muscles can not be gained and strengthened without the energy provided by certain foods. Just increasing the amount of food you eat in general will not get you to your goal weight.
Adapting Your Eating To Target Muscle Gain
You must adopt a diet consisting of consuming specific types of foods at certain times during your day to gain healthy muscle mass. To achieve a healthy weight, you must eat more isn’t a license to go overboard just any food; you have to consume high protein, high quality, nutrient-rich meals at least six times a day.
Protein Packs A Punch
When eating to gain muscle, high-quality protein should be the center of all of your meals. Protein is essential to supporting muscle repair after intense exercise, decreasing recovery time, and increasing muscle growth. You should also consume the appropriate amount of protein for your training activities, such as weight training requires 1.5 grams of protein per pound of your body weight be consumed to increase muscle mass.
Consume 6 High-Protein Meals Daily
People who have a more challenging time gaining weight often burn off muscle quickly if they are not following a specific diet. Since you don’t want to lose muscle mass, you need to eat at least 6 (or more) high-quality protein meals every day to support muscle growth. You should also space these meals out every 2 or 3 hours if you have a speedy metabolism.
High-Quality Proteins
While you do not have to have fats and carbs with every meal, you must have protein. High-quality protein derived from animal sources is required to build bigger and stronger muscles. Such proteins are found in eggs, beef, fish, poultry, cottage cheese, and whey. Focus your meals around these protein sources and continue eating fresh vegetables to fuel your body for weight gain and muscle building fully.
Consult A Nutritionist
If you are working on building muscle mass and gaining weight safely, you can consult a nutritionist to devise a personalized plan for your specific goals. Having a nutritionist work with you will provide the support needed for your success.
