In a nutshell, gaining requires two key components: the first, obviously, is eating more calories than you expend; the second one, which is a bit trickier, is implementing lifestyle changes that will allow your body to store all these excess calories as fat.
Knowing how many calories you need on a daily basis is pretty simple, thanks to the many online calculators that can figure it out for you. This Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE) calculator should give you a good estimate, though the numbers will differ a bit from site to site depending on which formula they use to determine the result:
tdeecalculator.netFor every pound you want to gain per week, add 500 calories to your maintenance calories and you're on your way!
The second part is more difficult, as it might require you to change your daily habits in order to best facilitate your gain. There are many tips for doing this, so instead of summarizing them all I'll just share some helpful links that should get you on your way:
tdeecalculator.nettdeecalculator.nettdeecalculator.nettdeecalculator.netObviously, no one can incorporate ALL of these strategies into their daily routine, so the key is just to find the mix that gets you the results you want.
Finally, if you try all of this and your weight still refuses to go up, then you might have to break down and start counting calories just to remain mindful of your intake and to ensure you're getting what you need. I personally use the MyNetDiary app, which lets you set custom weight plans and calorie goals, but MyFitnessPal is another popular choice.
I know the struggle to start gaining, as it took me several years to get any kind of lasting results. Hopefully this can jumpstart the process and allow you to avoid some of the mistakes I made along the way. Happy gaining!
