High Protein Diets & Weight Gain

Gaining healthy weight and muscle is very difficult without adhering to a proper diet that consists of high amounts of protein. A protein diet is not simply a recipe for weight gain. By learning what protein does to your body and how much of it to consume, you can weight in the form of muscle.

Protein Basics

Protein is in every cell, organ and tissue in our body. These proteins constantly are being broken down and cycled through your system. The proteins that are consumed during the day are digested into amino acids that end up replacing the broken down proteins in the body.

Benefits of Protein

Protein is the primary nutrient utilized when trying to repair and rebuild your muscles. Over the course of a normal workout, you break down muscle protein, which means your body then searches for a source to rebuild those areas. Without the proper amount of protein, you will have a difficult time building muscle. After the completion of a workout, you should consume protein within 90 minutes.

How Much Protein to Consume

The average person consumes about 1/2 gram per pound of body weight daily. However, with a weight-training regimen, you should consume 1 gram per pound of body weight. If you weigh 175 pounds, you need to consume 175 grams of protein in a given day. If you are struggling to gain weight, evaluate your current protein intake. You probably need to add more daily lean protein to your diet.

Foods To Eat

It might be difficult to eat this amount of protein daily. Protein supplements can help. In most protein shakes or protein bars, you will consume 30 grams per serving. Other high protein foods are chicken, lean beef, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and milk. Supplements are helpful because it is difficult to make enough meals throughout a given day consisting of high-protein foods. The top weight-gain proteins are those coming from an animal source like beef. This type of protein brings with it all the essential amino acids. However, these foods also can be high in fat, so use a variety of different protein sources.

Eating Schedule

Always start with breakfast. This can be steak and eggs or eggs and fruit. For lunch, eat fish, chicken or beef. Use lean meats to minimize fat intake. For dinner, follow the same eating pattern as lunch. Along with lunch and dinner, consume vegetables with each meal. To make sure you are consuming enough protein, eat between-meal snacks--one in the middle of the morning and one in the middle of the afternoon. Consume a protein shake or bar for these snacks or peanut butter, nuts or additional chicken and vegetables.