Gaining Weight On Keto: Strategies For Success

Gaining weight on a keto diet can be tricky, but it's not impossible. Here's a guide on how to do it healthily.

First, it's important to understand that gaining weight is about eating a caloric surplus. This means eating more calories than you burn. To do this healthily, aim for a modest surplus of 200-300 extra calories per day. Track your calories and adjust your intake accordingly.

On a keto diet, focus on consuming healthy fats and moderate protein while keeping carbohydrates minimal. Aim for about 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. Good sources of protein include poultry, pork, beef, eggs, and fish. For healthy fats, opt for fatty fish like salmon or sardines, avocados, olive oil, nuts, and dairy products like butter and cream.

In addition to diet, strength training and resistance exercises can help build muscle mass and contribute to weight gain. Aim for consistent training throughout the week, including both heavy and light sessions.

Finally, make sure to get adequate sleep, manage stress, and avoid excessive caffeine and nicotine, as these can impact weight gain.

Consume more calories

Consuming more calories is a fundamental principle of gaining weight on a keto diet. This involves eating more calories than your body burns, resulting in probable weight gain. Here are some detailed instructions and tips to help you consume more calories while following a keto diet:

Calculate Your Caloric Needs

Determine your daily caloric intake by using a calorie calculator, which takes into account factors such as your height, weight, age, gender, and activity level. This will give you an estimate of how many calories you need to consume to maintain your current weight. To gain weight, aim to consume more calories than this calculated amount. For instance, if your estimated maintenance calories are 2000, you may aim for 2200 or more calories per day to gain weight.

Determine Your Protein Needs

Protein is essential for muscle growth and repair. Aim for 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, consume between 120 to 150 grams of protein per day. Include protein-rich foods such as poultry, pork, beef, eggs, and fish in your diet.

Keep Net Carbohydrates in Check

To stay in ketosis, keep your net carbohydrate intake under 50 grams per day. Read labels carefully and be mindful of hidden carbohydrates in vegetables, sauces, and condiments. Opt for low-carb vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, and broccoli.

Increase Your Fat Intake

Since keto is a high-fat diet, increasing your fat intake is a crucial part of consuming more calories. Determine how many calories you need from fat by subtracting the calories from protein and carbohydrates from your total daily caloric intake. Aim for high-quality fats found in foods like fatty fish (salmon, sardines), olives, avocados, coconut oil, eggs, and olive oil.

Eat More Frequently

Instead of consuming large meals, try eating smaller meals and snacks throughout the day. This can help you increase your overall calorie intake without feeling too full. Include calorie-dense snacks like boiled eggs, avocado slices, cream cheese with low-carb vegetables, or a milkshake made with sugar-free ice cream.

Be Mindful of Your Food Choices

While increasing your calorie intake, choose healthy and nutritious foods. Opt for whole, unprocessed foods whenever possible. Include a variety of cuts of meat, fatty fish, high-fat dairy products, eggs, low-carb vegetables, and healthy plant and animal fats.

Remember, gaining weight on keto is about finding the right balance between consuming more calories and keeping your carbohydrate intake low enough to maintain ketosis. Track your food intake and make adjustments as needed to ensure you're on the right path to achieving your weight gain goals.

Eat more protein

Eating more protein is a great way to gain weight on a keto diet. Here are some tips to help you do that:

Calculate Your Protein Needs

First, determine how much protein you need per day. A common recommendation is to consume 0.8 grams to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would aim for 120-150 grams of protein daily. This amount will ensure you're getting sufficient protein without overeating, as excess protein can be oxidised by the body.

Choose High-Protein Foods

Include a variety of high-protein foods in your diet. Some excellent options are poultry, pork, beef, eggs, and fish. The almighty egg, in particular, is perfect for the keto diet as it's high in fat, moderate in protein, and low in carbs. Other complete protein sources include whey protein and meat, which provide all the essential amino acids needed for muscle growth.

Track Your Protein Intake

Use a food-tracking app or journal to monitor your protein intake. This will help you ensure you're meeting your daily protein goals without exceeding them. Many people underestimate their food intake, so it's important to measure your portions accurately.

Combine with Strength Training

While increasing your protein intake, incorporate strength training into your routine. This will help you build muscle mass and gain weight in a healthy way. Aim for 3-5 training sessions per week, including both heavy training and lighter days. Work each muscle group at least twice a week to promote equal muscle growth. Some effective strength training exercises include bench presses, pushups, dips, sit-ups, squats, and weightlifting.

Be Mindful of Other Macronutrients

As you focus on increasing your protein intake, be mindful of your carbohydrate and fat intake to stay within the parameters of the keto diet. Keep your net carbohydrates under 50 grams per day to maintain ketosis. Choose low-carb vegetables like cabbage, mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado, and broccoli. When it comes to fat, increase your intake as needed to meet your calorie goals. Prioritise high-quality fats like those found in fatty fish (salmon, sardines), olives, avocados, coconut oil, and eggs.

Eat more healthy fats

Eating more healthy fats is an important part of gaining weight on a keto diet. Fats are an essential part of the keto diet, making up around 60% of your daily calorie intake.

The following are some examples of healthy fats that you can include in your diet:

• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Coconut oil
• Butter
• Cream
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Fatty fish, such as salmon or sardines
• Eggs

When trying to gain weight, it is important to consume more calories than you burn. Therefore, you should aim to eat more high-calorie healthy fats. For example, adding an extra pat of butter to your cooking or pouring extra olive oil on your salad can help you increase your fat intake. You can also eat calorie-dense natural fats and oils, such as avocado oil or MCT oil, by themselves if you are pressed for time.

In addition to increasing your fat intake, it is also important to track your overall calorie and macronutrient intake. This will help ensure that you are consuming enough calories and getting the right balance of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates.

While increasing your fat intake is important, it is also crucial to choose healthy fats as much as possible. Highly processed foods, such as cheese, butter, and bacon, can be part of a keto diet, but they should be consumed in moderation. Instead, focus on unprocessed, whole foods that are rich in healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish.

Incorporate strength training

Incorporating strength training into your routine is an effective way to gain weight on a keto diet. While the keto diet is often associated with weight loss, it can also be used to gain weight healthily. Strength training helps build muscle mass, which is denser than fat, leading to weight gain.

• Start with lighter training: When beginning the keto diet, go easy on your training for the first week or two. This is because your body is adjusting to using fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. Slowing down will ensure you don't overtax your system.
• Maintain electrolyte balance: Keep an eye on your electrolytes, especially sodium, magnesium, and potassium. Many people struggle to maintain adequate electrolyte levels when starting the keto diet. Ensure you're getting enough of these minerals through your diet or supplements.
• Create a consistent training routine: Aim for three days of heavy training sessions and two lighter days each week. Within these sessions, work on different muscle groups to ensure balanced development. For example, you can include bench presses, pushups, dips, sit-ups, squats, lunges, and weightlifting in your routine.
• Gradually increase weights: Start with lighter weights to prevent injury and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger. Increasing the weight will help you continue building muscle mass and bulk up over time.
• Combine with a healthy diet: Combine strength training with a well-planned keto diet. Ensure you're consuming adequate calories, especially from healthy fats and protein sources. This will provide your body with the fuel it needs to build muscle and gain weight.

Eat more frequently

Eating more frequently is a great way to gain weight on a keto diet. While intermittent fasting is a popular weight-loss strategy, the opposite approach can be taken if you're trying to gain weight. Eating more meals and snacks throughout the day will help you increase your overall calorie intake, which is necessary for weight gain.

Try eating three to six meals a day, with some snacks in between. This strategy is especially effective when you eat high-fat, nutrient-dense foods. It can also make it easier to increase your daily calorie intake, allowing you to stack weight gain strategies.

• Eat small, fatty snacks throughout the day. For example, try boiled eggs, avocado slices, or a handful of nuts.
• Get some of your calories from liquids. For instance, drink a milkshake made with sugar-free ice cream.
• Add olive oil, avocados, and olives to your salads.
• Drink your coffee with cream or milk to increase the calorie count.
• Eat more meals with healthy fats, such as avocados, olive oil, fatty fish like salmon or sardines, and eggs.
• If you're still not seeing weight gain, consider adding in some highly processed foods, like cheese, butter, and bacon, but in moderation.

Remember, it's important to keep track of your calorie intake and macros to ensure you're getting enough calories and staying within your desired carb range.

Frequently asked questions