How do I eat to gain muscle?

Gaining muscle through lifting weights, bodyweight exercises, or even intense aerobics requires a proper diet in order to gain the results you want.

Steps   ​

1. 1. Make sure you're getting at least /between 1 and 1.5 times your body weight (if you are overweight, then substitute your target body weight) in grams of protein. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should be eating between 150 and 225 grams of protein per day if you want to consistently gain muscle. Full time bodybuilders can eat sometimes two to three times their bodyweight in grams of protein, and sometimes more, but for most of us that would be overkill.

2. Choose your protein source. The most common source is meat, but there are alternatives. Fish, nuts, rice and beans, cottage cheese, and soy are all high in protein.

3. Consider supplements. These are an easy way to gain more protein without having to actually eat it. The best kind is Whey Protein. Some doctors say that Whey Protein is difficult to digest, and can strain your liver or kidneys. A high protein diet in general can be straining on the kidneys. 

The solution is to drink a lot of water. This will flush out your system and negate the negative effects of eating a high protein diet.

4. Balance your workouts. If you are doing a highly aerobic activity of any kind and don't eat a high protein diet you will consistently lose strength and muscle mass.

5. Include carbs in your diet. If you are planning on lifting weights but also aiming to lower your body fat, you should know that it is impossible to get enough energy without carbohydrates in your system.

Tips   
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- Rather than eating all of your protein or carbohydrates in one meal, it is ideal to try to spread it out over the course of the day. Five or more small meals are best. This is because if you eat all your protein at one time, your body won't be able to use all of it. It's about maintaining a high blood protein level so that your muscles can slowly regenerate throughout the day and while you are sleeping.

- Vary your sources of protein. If the only way you're getting it is, say a Whey Protein supplement, you won't be absorbing all of it because your body is taking too much from one source. There are different kinds of protein, and they all affect your body differently.

​- Creatine supplements are often used by bodybuilders. Creatine is a natural substance that helps increase pure muscle mass. However, it is merely a supplement, and is not necessary to gain muscle mass.

Warnings   ​

- Make sure you drink a lot of water. A gallon a day would not be too much. This will prevent your diet from harming your organs and will actually help you lose weight if that is also your goal.

- If you're trying to gain muscle in order to lose weight, know that the only real way to lose weight is with a low-calorie diet. It's extremely difficult to gain muscle mass with a low-calorie diet, so decide which of the two is more important to you and pursue it first.