Kick-Starting Your Keto Weight Gain Journey

The keto diet is often associated with weight loss, but it can also be used to gain weight healthily. This involves a strategic approach to eating more calories while adhering to the ketogenic diet's low-carb framework. Here's how to start:

- Consume more calories: Aim for a modest caloric surplus of 200-500 extra calories per day, focusing on high-calorie, nutrient-dense foods.

- Focus on protein and healthy fats: Prioritise protein intake of about 1 gram per pound of body weight, and incorporate healthy fats like avocados, olive oils, dairy, fatty meats, and fatty fish.

- Exercise regularly: Incorporate resistance and strength training exercises to build muscle mass, which weighs more than fat due to its increased density.

- Eat more frequently: Instead of intermittent fasting, eat three to six meals a day with snacks in between.

- Plan and prepare: Learning how to gain weight on keto requires planning and preparation to ensure a healthy intake of nutrients while adding calories.

Eat more calories

To gain weight on a keto diet, you need to eat more calories than you burn. This is known as a caloric surplus.

Most people will want to add about 300 to 500 extra calories to their diet for modest weight gain. These extra calories should be above and beyond what you burn via regular exercise.

If you want to gain weight quickly, you can eat 500 calories more than you burn and should gain roughly one pound each week with no other changes.

• Eat more often throughout the day. If you get too full eating a lot at once, try eating small, fatty snacks all day long to help increase your overall intake. You can also get some of your calories from liquids, which may help you feel less full.
• Increase your fat intake. If you're not getting enough fat in your diet to meet your calorie needs, try to increase your intake throughout the day to help you put on pounds. Aim for high-quality fats, such as those in fatty fish like salmon or sardines, olives, avocados, coconut oil, and eggs.
• Eat more protein. Aim for 0.8 grams to 1 gram of protein per 1 pound (0.45 kg) of body weight. Try proteins like poultry, pork, beef, eggs, and fish.

Eat more protein

Eating more protein is essential on the keto diet, and there are several reasons why. Firstly, protein is a building block for life and is necessary for several bodily functions, including muscle growth and repair, supporting healthy skin, bone and nail health, and maintaining the body's pH levels.

On the keto diet, it is recommended to consume between 20-30% of your calories from protein. This usually equates to around 1.2-2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, depending on your lifestyle. For example, an active male who lifts weights often will require more protein than a smaller, inactive female.

It is a common misconception that eating too much protein will kick you out of ketosis. This is because people believe that excess protein turns into sugar in the bloodstream through a process called gluconeogenesis, which knocks down ketone levels. However, this is a myth. Gluconeogenesis is an essential process that occurs in the body, and it does not harm ketosis. In fact, it is necessary for survival, as it is how the body creates glucose from non-carbohydrate sources, such as amino acids.

• A piece of meat the size of a deck of cards contains roughly 20 grams of protein. Most people need at least 60 grams of protein per day, so aim to include at least this amount in each meal.
• Spread your protein intake evenly throughout the day. This is the easiest way to meet your goals, as protein is very filling, and it can be challenging to eat large amounts in one sitting.
• Nuts, seeds and cheese are good ways to boost your protein intake. However, if you are trying to lose weight, be mindful that these foods are calorie-dense and may slow down weight loss.
• Meat and protein powder are simple ways to increase your protein intake.
• If you want to track your protein intake accurately, consider investing in a food scale.

In summary, eating more protein is crucial on the keto diet to support several bodily functions and to ensure you are consuming enough calories. By following the tips outlined above, you can ensure you are getting enough protein while still maintaining ketosis.

Eat healthy fats

Eating healthy fats is a cornerstone of the keto diet. This is because the keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. Typically, it is made up of about 60% fat, 30% protein, and 10% carbohydrates.

When eating keto, it's important to eat a variety of healthy fats, including monounsaturated and omega-3 polyunsaturated fats, while avoiding inflammatory seed oils and refined carbohydrates.

• Oils: Olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, and palm oil.
• Nuts and seeds: Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, chia seeds, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds.
• Fatty fish: Tuna, mackerel, sardines, and salmon. These fish are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Dairy: Full-fat dairy products such as Greek yogurt, cheese, butter, and heavy cream.
• Avocados: Avocados are rich in healthy monounsaturated fatty acids and are a great source of calories for weight gain.
• Meat: Fatty cuts of beef, chicken, and pork.

In addition to these healthy fats, it's important to include a variety of low-carb vegetables, such as broccoli, spinach, and zucchini, as well as moderate amounts of protein.

Eat more often

Eating more often is a great way to gain weight on a keto diet. Here are some tips to help you eat more frequently:

• Eat smaller meals: If you feel too full after eating large meals, try spreading your food intake throughout the day by having smaller meals. This will help you increase your overall calorie intake without feeling too full.
• Include fatty snacks: Add some fatty snacks to your daily routine. For example, a handful of olives, a sliced avocado, or a couple of boiled eggs can provide you with healthy fats and increase your calorie intake.
• Liquid calories: Consider getting some of your calories from liquids. For instance, you could make a milkshake with sugar-free ice cream or add heavy cream to your coffee.
• Combine with solid foods: You can also combine liquids with solid foods. Try dipping raw mushrooms or kale chips in cream cheese or guacamole.
• Choose calorie-dense beverages: When it comes to beverages, opt for those that are calorie-dense and nutritious. For example, full-fat coconut milk in smoothies, bulletproof coffee with butter and MCT oil, or unsweetened nut milk enriched with keto-friendly protein powders.
• Increase meal frequency: Try eating three to six meals a day with snacks in between. This will help you increase your calorie intake and support weight gain.
• Focus on high-fat, nutrient-dense foods: When eating more frequently, make sure to choose healthy, high-fat, and nutrient-dense foods. This will ensure that you're getting the right balance of nutrients while increasing your calorie intake.

Do strength training

Resistance training is a crucial component of building muscle on a keto diet. While nutrition is important, resistance training is equally key to gaining muscle.

• Incorporate resistance training at least twice a week. According to a review of 10 studies, resistance training twice a week was more effective at promoting muscle growth than training once per week.
• Focus on compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups, such as squats, bench presses, pull-ups, and push-ups.
• If you have access to a gym or home exercise equipment, consider exercises such as bench presses, deadlifts, and squats. These compound exercises stimulate more muscle fibres than isolated exercises.
• If heavy lifting doesn't work for your body, you can still build muscle with bodyweight exercises. It may just take a little longer.
• Aim for a low-rep, high-weight program. For muscle maintenance and endurance, opt for high-rep, low-weight regimens.
• Remember that you don't need to spend hours at the gym every day to gain muscle. An intense training session two or three times a week is enough to stimulate muscle growth.
• Give your muscles time to recover between sessions.
• If you're looking to gain muscle, bump up your fat and protein calories. Adding 10% more calories to your daily total is a good starting point.

Frequently asked questions