Thursday, October 19, 2006

6 Weight Gain Tips Without Getting Fat


6 Weight Gain Tips Without Getting Fat
==============================
After you read this short article, you will have leaned
some quick tips to start gaining healthy weight.

Here's 6 simple ways on how to gain weight without getting
fat:

Tip 1: Eating Enough Quality Calories

Have you ever asked somebody who's trying to gain weight
what they eat?

I did. And the response I received was shocking.

"I just eat."

That's what he said. I just eat.

You MUST know how many calories a day you need for your
weight gain goal.

This person desperately wanted to gain weight and every
time I saw him the gym he had some excuse as to why it
wasn't going his way. And it was usually related to his
metabolism.

Let me tell you...

If you want to gain quality weight, you have to eat high
quality dense foods and ENOUGH of them. Furthermore... if
you want to gain weight without getting fat, then you bulk
with the same principles as if you were on a cutting diet.
Choose higher-calorie foods when given a choice.

In my years of experience, when I bulked up and gained
weight and fat, the biggest mistake I made was not tracking
what I ate. I always tracked my diet when I was on a
calorie restricted phase (that was a given) but when I
wanted to gain weight I just ate everything I could.

Have you ever felt that way?

In order to gain weight, you need to eat more than your
usual maintenance calorie intake but not so much as to just
store the excess calories and get fat. And you need to eat
consistently.

That should have been your "ah -ha" moment.

Gaining weight isn't your cue to eat everything under the
sun. In order to gain weight, lean mass and not get fat,
you need to eat just over what you body needs to maintain.
In this manner, you'll provide your body with all the
calories it needs to build muscle but you won't give it so
much as it stores the excess as fat.

[ Remember that anything in excess, even protein, can be
stored as fat. ]

The key is to gain healthy weight and minimize the fat
gains.

Tip 2: Grocery Shopping 101

If you are looking to gain weight, then don't have bare
cupboards. Go to your kitchen right now after reading this
section and take a look at what you've got in stock.

Make sure your kitchen is fully stocked with the foods you
need to eat. Dense foods work wonders for putting on the
weight.

Examples are whole-grain breads, vegetables such as
avocados and potatoes, kidney beans, lean red meat, poultry
and fish.

Bare cupboards = no weight gain!

Bodybuilding doesn't have to break the bank. Many times
you can get bulk items for much cheaper than you think.
Packages of tuna, turkey, chicken legs, pasta all are great
bulking items that don't cost a ton of money.

Perishable items like fruits and sugary laden items and
condiments are usually things that cost the most.

Tip 3: Meal Planning for Dummies

Part of performance nutrition is eating 5-6 times a day.
Every 2-3 hours you should be consuming a meal consisting
of a lean protein, fibrous/starchy carb and potentially a
healthy fat.

If you really want to gain weight, you need to eat 5-6
times a day! And it needs to be consistent. This means no
skipping meals.

Eating 3 times a day full of bacon and eggs might have
worked for some of the past legends but it probably won't
do you any good.

Keeping your metabolism high and your system flushed with
nitrogen (protein) will ensure you keep all the muscle you
are working to build and that you are consuming slight
excess calories for weight gain.

If you eat a big dinner but skip snacks and have light
breakfasts, that is part of the problem. Healthy weight
gain only comes from people who are consistent in their
eating and don't skip meals.

Failure to plan your meals ultimately means you won't be
eating enough to gain weight.

Tip 4: Nutrient Variety is Key

It happens to the best of us... We get used to eating
certain foods and we don't budge. For a bulking diet, this
can be a killer as it drastically limits the number of
calories you can eat. Plus, you will limit the nutrients
and vitamins you will be able to intake. Both are
essential to maximum healthy weight gain.

Did anybody ever tell you that nutrients are essential for
growth?

Tip 5: Essential Meal Timing

While it might be socially acceptable to eat just 3 times a
day, that is not acceptable for those who are serious about
putting on lean muscle mass without putting on fat.

You've heard all the benefits of performance nutrition and
eating 5-6 times a day but re-read this...

Quality muscle gain without putting on fat requires a high
metabolism AND an excess number of calories.

In order to do just that, you need to eat frequently.

That means 5-6 times a day (or more).

Tip 6: Eat, Eat and Eat [ did I mention eat ]

Don't feel hungry?

Eat. Now in most cases, that is against the current
movement but in reality, if you want to put on quality mass
you have to eat regardless of your hunger levels. Eating
based on your mood is not the path to healthy weight gain.

Countless people tell me they cannot eat like a 200 lb
bodybuilder.

That's because they are not a 200 lb bodybuilder.

Once they eat more, gain muscle mass, they will be and it
will seem like nothing to eat like a 200 lb bodybuilder.

This doesn't mean stuffing yourself, gorging on food or
getting sick. It means eating more and more gradually over
time in order to prime your body for more frequent meal
times. Slowly start adding more food to your portions
until you've nailed your perfect weight gain calorie needs.

As you eat more and small but frequent meals, you won't
feel stuff and your body will become more efficient at
digesting and breaking down foods.

All this means to you is...

A higher metabolic rate and more calories!

The two essential keys to putting on weight without the fat.

:: Additional Tips ::

* Drink plenty of water. With your additional meals and
workouts, you'll want to ensure you are properly hydrated.

* Engage in a weight training program. Building muscle is
a priority during your bulking phase. Since you will have
plenty of energy from your carb sources, you should be
fueled and primed to get some of the best and most intense
workouts of your life. Now is an opportune time to build
muscle.

* Limit your cardio workouts. Cardio workouts are a tool.
Use it sparingly depending on your metabolism. If you
feel like you aren't putting on weight, reduce the amount
of cardio you are doing. If you feel like you are putting
on a bit too much fat, increase the cardio.

* Take weekly weight and body fat measurements. By taking
a weekly measurement, you can see if the weight you are
putting on is fat or muscle.

----------------------------------------------------
Marc David is a bodybuilder and author of the, Beginner's
Guide to Fitness and Bodybuilding. You can get info on
Marc's e-book at: http://www.Beginning-Bodybuilding.com .
To get Marc's free e-zine, visit http://www.JustAskMarc.com

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