How to put on weight and gain muscle mass after losing
¿How to put on weight and gain muscle mass after losing? For many men, gaining muscle mass is of the utmost importance because it can generate a sense of security and well-being. Men who have considerable muscle mass feel much more invigorated. It gives them confidence. How can you put on weight and gain muscle mass after losing it? Well, after so many years of training, I have a simple answer:
A study concluded that you need to increase your net muscle protein balance (NBAL). In particular, you need to accumulate myofibrillar proteins. Muscle mass increases with the combination of a hypocaloric diet and resistance exercise that provokes an anabolic stimulus.
We often see men who think weight training alone is enough to get the body they want. They are making a grave mistake. To gain muscle mass, they also need to adopt a quality diet.
Exercise is not everything. You can undo all the training you did during the week if you do not eat properly.
How to gain weight and gain muscle mass
A good, protein-rich diet and nutritious foods are what will help your muscle mass increase in a big way.
These tips will boost your musculature and make it easier for you to maintain good health. Having a high percentage of muscle mass means a lower amount of fat in your body. This muscle causes your body to eliminate a lot of bad fats coming from you usually eat.
Eat five or six protein-rich meals a day
The main thing to keep in mind is that gaining muscle and weight means you should eat more than three meals a day and that these meals should have certain foods in them.
The reality is that muscle gain doesn't ultimately depend on how many times a day you train, nor how much weight you lift. It doesn't matter. You should always eat five or six meals a day. This is the key to gaining muscle mass.
Getting into a caloric surplus
This general point is related to the first, and perhaps the most important of all I'm going to give you. If you do not consume more calories than you burn, it will be impossible to gain weight.
I recommend that you seek caloric surplus from healthy and fat-free foods; remember, the goal is to gain muscle mass. If you get your caloric increase from pizzas, burgers, and fast food, you will only get fat.
To keep track of the calories you consume, I recommend an app like MyFitnessPal. You can enter the foods you eat and count the number of calories.
Finally, you should know the exact number of calories you need per day in order to gain weight. The Harris-Benedict formula is a very accurate calculator, perhaps the most precise we have today.
Eat breakfast like a champion
To gain muscle mass, you need a good breakfast.
To have the body you want, a solid breakfast, it's essential. Scientists have proven that it is the most important meal of the day.
But the appropriate breakfast to grow your muscles is not just any meal. You should eat foods like:
- Eggs: This is the essential food to gain muscle mass due to its many beneficial properties. It has all the amino acids and an incredible amount of protein, the key ingredient to make our muscles grow.
- Skimmed or semi-skimmed milk: It is one of the best choices in the morning. Dairy is essential if you are looking to gain muscle mass.
- Whole grain cereals: These are the most common ingredients in our breakfasts. Whole grains are rich in fiber and help with your bowel regularity while also providing slow absorption of carbohydrates. These grains provide us with a host of fuel to gain muscle mass, such as amino acids and proteins.
- Oatmeal: I discuss this whole-grain cereal on its own because it is the most recommended to increase muscle mass. It is the most used by bodybuilders and fitness lovers; believe me, you must eat it. Oatmeal has benefits for your body that you have to take advantage of when working to gain muscle mass.
- Natural juices and coffee: Juice and coffee have significant benefits for our body. Coffee energizes you, and provides you with Vitamin B2 and magnesium. In the case of natural juice, its combination of vitamins and antioxidants is excellent. I recommend you drink coffee only when you wake up, and then take a juice with you when you leave your house.
- Whole fruit: Fruit gives you lots of vitamins and energy to conquer your day. They provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are useful when it comes to building muscle mass.
Have a mid-morning snack
If you are looking to gain muscle mass, you go without eating for three or four hours after a good breakfast. Not long after breakfast, you need to have another meal, even if you are not hungry.
This snack is essential because too many valuable hours can pass between meals. Those hours between meals do not help at all with gaining the desired muscle mass. In your snack, you can include these foods:
- Whole wheat bread: It cannot be in large quantities, though; this is only a snack. A single slice of whole wheat bread is enough.
- Chicken breast: A little chicken will give you a lot of strength in the morning. Do not eat a whole chicken, though. My recommendation is to eat between 100-150 grams.
- Lean meat ham: You can have cured ham; roasted, boiled, or cooked. The ham must not be fatty. Remember, fat does not help to gain muscle mass. Our goal is to get muscular, not fat.
- Fat-free cheese: It is the same case as with ham; cheese should not contain fat. And, of course, do not overdo it in your snack. Eat just a few slices, roughly 100 grams.
- Tomato: Tomato is very beneficial for your body, as it is a source of lycopene and other vitamins and antioxidants. You can eat it in your snack with foods that do not contain fat.
- Nuts: Nuts are delicious, nutritious and help build muscle mass due to their high protein content. Be mindful; you should take a handful at most because they are very rich in fat.
- Piece of fruit: Fruit has many benefits, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals; it always goes down well. Don't overeat them, though, because they have a lot of fructose.
Have a hearty lunch
To gain muscle mass, you need a good meal at lunchtime. Lunch is where everyone tends to consume the most food of the day. However, my recommendation is that you eat every meal with more or less the same amount.
For this meal, you have a wide variety of muscle-building foods to choose from. Below, I recommend a few that I include in my own lunches:
- Pasta or brown rice: They are a great source of carbohydrates and fiber. They are also incredibly filling. You should eat foods that fill you up nicely.
- Lean meat: You can include turkey, chicken, or beef. These are a must-have in your lunch because of their high protein and Vitamin B12 content. You can combine these meats with rice, or with a good salad, and your lunch will be perfect.
- Green leafy vegetables: These vegetables are beneficial if you are looking to gain muscle mass. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They also help us to oxygenate the muscles and satiate us.
- Fish: You can eat fish like tuna, hake, or salmon for lunch. They are incredibly beneficial for your body, as they provide necessary vitamins, calcium, and iron.
- Vegetables: You can complement your lunch with vegetables. Try eggplant, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, or artichokes. With these vegetables, you can make a fantastic salad or lightly sauté them to add to meat or fish.
- Olive oil: When you are going to prepare your food, it is best to use olive oil. It is the healthiest oil to cook with, and will not harm your heart because it is a healthy fat source that's essential for muscle hypertrophy.
- Piece of fruit: You can either juice the fruit, or eat it whole. It does not contain fat and is healthy and wholesome.
- Whole wheat toast: These are a good lunch option due to their fiber and carbohydrate content. One slice is enough.
Mid-afternoon snack
To gain muscle mass, you need another snack after lunch. The important thing is that you do not go more than 3-4 hours without eating, ever.
This way, your body will have the ability to gain the desired muscle and weight you want gradually. This snack should include:
- Skimmed liquid yogurt: Nonfat dairy is very good for your health, and for gaining weight. Opt for all-natural and organic options if possible.
- A large glass of natural juice: This is a glass of the right liquid vitamins for your body. They will give you strength, and take away the feeling of hunger. If you are not hungry, juice will refresh you and provide you with nutrients.
- Two pieces of fruit: Fruit can be present in any meal; it is delicious. This snack can be 2 pieces of fruit, because in the afternoon is when we expend more energy.
- Two rice pancakes: These pancakes are very common among bodybuilders and fitness people, and they are both delicious and healthy. If you are looking to gain weight, these should be included in your snacks at least once a week.
- Sliced whole wheat bread with ham, cheese, or turkey: If you are hungry, this can be a substantial snack to satisfy you. Without a doubt, it is healthy and delicious.
Have a healthy and satiating dinner
To gain muscle mass, you need a good dinner. Some people rarely consider dinner as an important meal, and that is a severe mistake. Dinner is a must if you are looking to gain muscle mass, so never overlook it. You can choose foods like these for dinner:
- Boiled potato: It is delicious and gives your body energy via its carbohydrate content. Also, it is not too heavy for bedtime.
- Lean meats: In your dinner, you can include lean meats such as chicken, veal, rabbit, turkey, or beef. These are very good choices because of their high protein, mineral, and vitamin content. As long as you do not eat them in excessive amounts, it is okay. Remember that you are looking to gain weight, and thus gain muscle mass. It is not harmful to include them at dinner time.
- Fish: In your dinner, you can include fish like sole, hake, salmon, or prawns. Fish have a lot of protein just like meat but are much easier to digest. It is a little lighter than meat, and so it provides fewer calories.
- Salad: Salad is a perfect dinner companion. Undoubtedly, a tasty salad is always the perfect side dish. You can include it with some meat, chicken or fish. You can use a variety of vegetables when preparing it. Remember to be careful with the dressing, fats, and sugars hide in many dressings.
- Two slices of whole wheat bread: Whole wheat bread is a tasty side dish, but I do not advise you to add it if you ate red meat at dinner. This combination can have too many calories. This can be a side dish with a salad, or if you are going to eat chicken.
Never pass up dinner. After dinner, if you get hungry, you can have another snack, but this should be the smallest. It is best if it is a small piece of fruit.
Important tip: You should eat so many meals because you need to consume every three to four hours. Do not let more pastime than this between meals and snacks.
Foods to include to add fat and gain muscle mass
If you are looking to add fat to gain muscle mass, you should not stop eating certain fats.
Some foods are a must to help you gain muscle mass, let alone get fats. You should add them to your diet whenever possible.
Spinach
Spinach is one of the best vegetables you can eat if you are looking to gain muscle mass. Among its benefits is an incredible amount of glutamine. Glutamine is essential for building muscle mass. It also greatly aids your body's endurance.
The best tip: Spinach can be prepared raw in a nice salad. By adding more vegetables like carrots, you will have the perfect salad. It will be an excellent, light dish with lots of protein.
Eggs
People make a huge mistake by avoiding this food altogether, and by not considering it useful. All experts believe eggs are among the most complete foods that exist. They contain so many nutrients and proteins that are essential for gaining muscle mass.
Important tip: Do not separate the yolks. You can find the highest amount of protein in eggs in the whites. Since you are looking to gain weight, you can also eat the yolk, where the fat is concentrated, but healthy.
Lean red meat
Lean red meat is an incredible protein source, along with Omega-3, niacin, iron, Vitamin B12, and zinc. Several studies have found that lean red meat, accompanied by a diet low in saturated fat, has no health risks.
The calories and protein coming from this meat will make us put on weight and gain muscle mass healthily.
Poultry
Several scientific studies have concluded that poultry consumption, if accompanied by a balanced diet, is positive for our body. With this dietary pattern, the risk of cardiovascular affections, insulin resistance, cancer, and obesity is reduced.
This meat is the most recommended for gaining lean muscle mass, due to its low caloric intake.
Banana
The banana is a food that you should eat daily, if possible. Besides containing an abundance of carbohydrates, it is essential to active muscle training. It contains nutrients that are necessary for your muscles.
Things you should know about bananas if you want to gain muscle mass:
- Bananas are the richest fruit in potassium. It also provides your body with an incredible dose of magnesium and calcium.
You should also know that eating a banana when you do some exercise helps prevent muscle spasms.
Avocado
Avocado should always be a companion in your meal plan because of its endless benefits. It would be best if you kept in mind that a single avocado provides your body with 1000 milligrams of potassium.
Conclusion
In summary, gaining weight and muscle mass is simple, but you must have a disciplined meal regimen. You can't let more than three hours pass between each meal.
In total, you must have five to six meals a day, and go into a caloric surplus. Finally, add foods that build muscle mass and provide the energy your body needs after exercise.