Weight Gain Calculator

Medically reviewed by Gabrielle Kane image Gabrielle Kane MS, RDN, CSP, LD facebook_icon Specialty: Nutrition Experience: 11 years

Gabby is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with 11 years of experience. She is also the founder of Peak Performance Nutrition LLC in Houston, Texas. She coaches both adults and children to their peak health using the power of sustainable lifestyle ... more

 , MS, RDN, CSP, LD Written by Sindhu Koganti image Sindhu Koganti BTech (Biotechnology), Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh linkedin_icon Specialty: Ingredients & Nutrition Experience: 6 years

Sindhu Koganti is a Certified Health and Nutrition Life Coach and has over 6 years of experience in writing on health and wellness topics. She has a bachelor’s degree in biotechnology from Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, and a... more

 , BTech (Biotechnology), Acharya Nagarjuna University, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh  • 

It is an effective tool to make you understand the relation between calorie intake per meal and gaining weight in a healthy way.

Eating random calories will not serve you to gain healthy weight. How much calories you need depend on your height, weight and BMR along with activity level.

In relation to your activity level calorie requirements also changes. If your calorie input is less than expenditure you need to work on more calorie intake.

If your calorie intake is more than expenditure then focus should be cut down more calories from your plates.

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How Many Calories Do You Need to Gain Weight?

It depends on your BMR and activity level. More you expend in exercise the more you need to consume. Adding 500 calories a day helps to gain 250-500 gm per week or 1lb, a standard way to gain weight. If you want fast weight gain then adding 700-1000 calories per day will help to increase 1kg per week if combined with exercise. Based on this set your expectations and goal.

Different Kind of Calories and Their Effects

There are a lot of ways to increase total calorie intake. Unhealthy sources and healthy sources.

Unhealthy sources are calorie dense and immediately increase your demand but they are rich in saturated and trans fat mainly which though increase your weight but the fat mass not the muscle mass. Some of them are:

  1. Refined carbohydrates Concentrated sources of calories as well as carbs. Taking more of these in forms of cakes, pastries, doughnuts will no way to lead you metabolic disorders. br> Better to replace these refined sources with whole grains to get plenty supply of fibre, resistant starch and well as fuel from carbs.
  2. Processed Foods They are loaded with trans fats, processed sugar which are not a healthy option to boost up calorie intake.
  3. Trans Fat They are very tasty as deeply fried in reused oil and easily can increase your calorie content of meal but if you want a healthy choices this is not a good option to include. You can swap your unhealthy french fries or pizza with some healthy varieties.

Healthy Sources are always better to opt for though it from complex carbs or protein or from healthy fats. They will greatly increase your muscle mass which is actually important to gain weight in a healthy way.

  1. Carbohydrates 1 gm of carbs on oxidation provides 4 kcal of energy. So try to get these calories from complex carbs like whole grains and cereals, replace normal potato with sweet potato, doughnut buns with whole grain buns to get not only energy but also fibre to make your body healthy.
  2. Protein Very important macros to build up mass. Muscles are made up of proteins for which we need high biological value protein. As per RDA healthy adult persons require 0.8 gm protein/kg body weight which is important to meet basic requirements (1). To build lean muscle mass you need to increase intake as 1.5-2.0 g/kg body weight or 35 % of total calories based on your activity level. Include lean meat, fish, eggs, pulses and legumes, nut protein in your plate (2).
  3. Healthy Fat Fat is not always bad what you need to choose healthy options and 1 gm of fat on oxidation gives 9 kcal of energy which is quite high. Include health oils like olive oil, flaxseed oil, healthy nuts or nut butter, lean meats, dairy products.

Macros Ratio to gain Weight

To build muscle and gain weight macronutrient distribution should be:

Protein : 30% of total Calorie

Fat: 30 % of total Calorie

Carbs: 40 % of total Calorie

General Health Tips To Gain Weight

Exercise

Exercise is one of the best methods to bulk up your muscles along with proper balanced diet. Do not try out strength training activity almost everyday but aim for 3 times in a week balanced with some cardio and warm up sessions.

Divide your activity regime part wise like keep a day for leg muscles, one day for chest and hand, other day for abs along with cardio.

Proper Sleep

This is an extremely important factor to recover your muscle wear and tear. Proper sleep for 7-8 hours boost up your metabolic rate, make you fresh for next activity as well as promotes muscle healing process.

The most common cause for being underweight

  1. Family History: Heredity plays a common role to determine your physique whether you are obese or underweight.
  2. Eating disorders : People with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa may have lower BMI.
  3. Stress: Often stress is related to undereating which could be one of the reasons to lower your BMI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fruits increase weight?

Avocado, coconut, banana, and mango can aid in healthy weight gain as these are high in calories.

What foods are best for weight gain?

Rice, milk, clarified butter, nuts, nut butter, oily fish, and homemade protein smoothies help in healthy weight gain.

Which juice is best for weight gain?

Avocado juice, banana juice with milk, and mango juice effectively aid in weight gain.

Do apples increase weight?

Yes, apples can accelerate weight gain if consumed in excess.

Do you lose weight when you sleep?

You may lose water weight while you sleep. Many health experts state that breathing and sweating during sleep can majorly contribute to this water weight loss.

Try Other Tools

Sources

  1. How much protein you need everyday? Harvard Health Publishing, Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-protein-do-you-need-every-day-201506188096
  2. Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes, Medicine and Science in Sports and exercise, U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927027/

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