How to Gain Weight

To gain one pound a week…you have to add an extra 3,500 calories to your diet over the course of that week…without burning those calories off in exercise.

General Tips

• Eat a high calorie breakfast of whole grain carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat and dairy
• Eat every 2-3 hours…do not skip breakfast or snacks
• Bring snack to class or work and eat between all meals
• When you sleep in on the weekends, drink an extra protein shake or two or eat an extra meal to make up for the calories you slept through
• Pre-workout grab an energy bar, granola bar, peanut butter crackers or trail mix to fuel your body to perform; especially if you are working out in the morning
• During workout take calories in via sports drink, ready-to-drink shake or bar
• Post-workout eat a carbohydrate-protein rich snack within 30-45 minutes after workout
• Eat sandwiches and toast on bagels instead of breads
• Drink milk or 100% juice with meals
• Add 2 spoons of peanut butter to a bagel, toast, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, etc.
• Eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as “in-between” meal snacks or desserts after a meal
• Add granola to a bowl of cereal, oatmeal, or mix into a nut/dried fruit trail mix
• Add avocado to sandwiches, burgers, wraps, fajitas, etc.
• Eat high-calorie meal right before going to bed (protein shake, high-calorie protein bar and milk, PBJ sandwich and milk, yogurt and granola, high calorie cereal and milk )
• Use high calorie protein powder in oatmeal & in shakes made with 2% milk
1. Good shake brands: Myoplex Deluxe, Muscle Milk, Muscle Milk Collegiate, Met-Rx Collegiate, CytoSport, Rockin Refuel
• Eat nuts as a snack
1. Mix w/high calorie cereal and dried fruit as trail mix
• Choose higher calorie cereals, yogurts, granola bars, energy bars
1. Cereals: Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Quaker Mini Wheats, Kellogg’s Cracklin’ Oat Bran, Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch, Kellogg’s Smart Start, Low-fat Granola, Total Oatmeal Crisp, Fiber One Honey Clusters, Post Grape Nuts Trail Mix Crunch, Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Nature Valley Cereal
2. Yogurts: Yoplait Original, Yoplait Thick & Creamy Custard Style (mix w/granola)
3. Energy bars: Myoplex Deluxe, Detour, Kashi Go Lean Chewy Bar, Power Bar
Performance, Power Bar Pure Protein, Power Bar Triple Threat, Detour, Oh Yea, Honey Stinger, Clif Bar, Clif Builder Bar, etc.
-Amy Goodson

amy-goodson-quarterback-ranchAmy Goodson, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a registered dietitian for Ben Hogan Sports Medicine and serves as the sports dietitian for the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, FC Soccer Dallas, Jim McClean Golf School, Texas Christian University Athletics, and University of Texas at Arlington Athletics. In addition, she is an adjunct professor and dietetic intern preceptor for Texas Woman’s University, Texas Christian University and the University of Texas at Arlington and is a state media representative for the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. . She received her Bachelor of Science degree in speech communications from Texas Christian University and Masters in Exercise and Sports Nutrition from Texas Woman’s University.