Tips to Gain Weight

It is critical to athletes, especially those wanting to attain success at the next level, to reach or maintain a certain weight. Think about the importance of being a certain size on the football field, or a wrestler trying to stay in a certain weight class.

Many athletes we work with here have a common goal: they want to gain weight. This counteracts what most folks want to do when it comes to monitoring their diet---they want to LOSE weight. Dieters go after a specific plan (South Beach, etc.) and follow it. But unfortunately, athletes who need to gain weight usually just follow this plan: eat more.

While this will help some, it is never enough. Like anything else, if you don't know where you are going & how to get there, you will never get there. So I encourage athletes wanting to gain weight to get a plan.

Tips:
* Schedule a daily eating plan: Breakfast, snack, lunch, pre-workout, post-workout, dinner, snack.
* Monitor calories: look at the label & see where you are getting the extra calories from---it should be a nice balance from carbs, protein, & fat. Also count the calories to make sure you are getting enough during the day
* Work more, eat more: If you increase your exercise intensity, you have to increase your caloric intake
* No naked bread: spread something on rolls, toast, bagels, etc. This is an easy way to get more calories.

There are several other things to do, and we can discuss more in-depth, but the point is to HAVE A PLAN in order to gain weight. Don't just assume that an extra helpign at dinner will do it.


**Disclaimer: I am not a registered dietitian, so any nutritional advice offered here is from my own personal experience & certification. Tips gained from Scarlett Goad, RD & Kelli Kostelnik, RD