Gain Weight: Balancing Nutrient Ratio

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Gain Weight: Balancing Nutrient Ratio


In order for your weight gain pan to be successful you need to determine how much you need to eat and what you need to eat.  There are certain percentage ranges that you should follow when it comes to the proteins, carbohydrates, and fats that you consume.  The percentage range for protein is 20% to 50%, or 1 to 2 grams per pound of your bodyweight.  For carbohydrates 30% to 60%.  And for fat 20% to 30%.  Before you start planning a diet for gaining weight and muscle you need to determine what your nutrient ratio is.  For people who have a lot of weight to gain a good ratio is 40-40-20.  If you only want to gain a few pounds a good nutrient ratio for you would be 40-30-30.  These ratios are based on the three nutrients that make up the calories in your diet: proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.  Nutrient ratio will vary from one person to another however you will be able to gain weight if your nutrient ratio falls within those two ranges.

If you’ve tried to gain or lose weight in the past you most likely have a good idea of how your body works.  Before you choose a good diet nutrient ratio for you there are some things that you should take into consideration.  If you lead an active lifestyle that includes exercise you might want to plan your diet to gain weight based on carbohydrates so that your energy needs are met.  A good ratio for this type of diet plan would be 25-55-20.  For people who are very skinny, and find it difficult to gain weight no matter how much they eat, a diet higher in proteins and fats than carbohydrates is recommended.  The correct ratio for this type of diet plan would be 40-30-30.  If you want to gain weight but have a high percentage of body fat you’ll want a diet plan with a nutrient ratio of 40% or 50% of protein.  This type of diet plan is good for men you have more than 15% body fat and women whose body fat is more than 25%.

The above nutrient ratios are simply guidelines for you to get started when it comes to gaining weight.  If you are unsure of your body percentage talk to your doctor.  Your doctor will also be able to help you plan a healthy and balanced diet to ensure that you get all the nutrients that your body needs.  Don’t be intimidated by all the numbers when it comes to planning nutrient ratio.  After a week or two you’ll fall into the habit of naturally knowing what works for you and what doesn’t.  If after four weeks you have not noticed any significant weight gain you may need to alter you nutrient ratio.