How Long Does It Take To Gain Weight (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 6 months

 Some people gain weight in just one month while others take up to 6 months. There are many factors that would affect the weight gain time for people. The body weight, body mass index, metabolic rate, and eating habits. Many experts advise some specific diets for all people to gain weight.

People can also include some weight-gaining exercise to support the diet. People can either gain fats percentage or muscles percentage. The thumb rule to gain weight in less time is to eat calories. The amount of calorie intake should be higher than the calorie someone burns in daily life.

Genetics is a huge factor that would affect the weight gaining process. Everyone should start with calorie intake for gaining weight. People who eat very few calories would not gain weight at all. The weight gain process can be of two types in general.

People can gain muscles if they increase the number of calories but would do certain exercises simultaneously.

How Long Does It Take To Gain Weight

How Long Does It Take To Gain Weight?

Gain WeightTime
In months6 months
In weeks24 weeks

If people have no specific preference if they want to gain muscles or fat, then they can just make it by diets. People need to follow a specific diet for gaining weight. Everyone would have to increase the calorie content in their diet which would help in gaining weight rapidly.

If someone is extremely thin, then weight gain may take more than 6 months. Any person who is healthy and wants to gain more weight, then it may not take more than 3 to 6 months. Everyone should start with the calculation of calories requirement. People can use calorie calculators to know how many calories are required for them.

Most of the time, people would not be able to gain muscles without proper guidance. This is the reason why many people gain fats rather than gaining muscles. The point is to increase the calorie content, but not to increase excessively. If someone increases the calorie content excessively, then it would help in gaining fat.

It’s important that people need to gain weight by continuously following a specific diet. If someone stops following the calorie-rich diet for weight gain, then they will not be able to see constant change. A dietician may help in weight gain by giving food diet charts that the person needs to follow.

Weight training can be a great workout for gaining lean muscles. With calories, people also may have to increase the protein content. The purpose for which someone is trying to gain weight would vary. If someone is gaining weight for athletic performance, then they may have to continue with many exercises or training programs.

People who are trying to gain weight for looking healthy may have to continue the diet for around 6 months.

Why Does It Take This Long To Gain Weight?

To gain weight faster, people should concentrate on food that would boost their energy. Foods such as nuts, avocados, bananas, and dark chocolate are great for healthy weight gain. People should use healthy oils such as olive oils to make food for weight gain.

Smoothies and shakes with a lot of dried fruits and protein would help in faster weight gain. People who have high metabolic rates may take more time to gain weight. Nobody should overload their bodies with protein but can add a good amount of fiber with it. Sometimes, excess protein can cause digestion issues.

Therefore adding fiber would be a safety precaution. When someone is following the weight gain journey, the person needs to be active. People should follow all the suggestions given by the dietician or doctor. People with different health issues such as overactive thyroid may see face issues with gaining weight in a short time period.

Conclusion

The weight gain process would vary for everyone with different BMI, height, genetic factor, and lifestyle. People can change their diets and workouts routine for gaining weight within a few months. Everyone needs to be careful about what kind of food they are going to have.

There are many diet plans that would help in weight gain, but people should take suggestions from the dietician before starting any diet plan. As not all diets would be suitable for the person according to their health condition. Some diets may bring huge repercussions in deteriorating the health of the person.

References

  1. https://www.psychiatrist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/18681_weight-gain-antidepressants.pdf
  2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0002937886905910

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AboutNidhi

Hi! I'm Nidhi.

Here at the EHL, it's all about delicious, easy recipes for casual entertaining. So come and join me at the beach, relax and enjoy the food.

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