Hey there, it’s Coach Kasey here to talk to you about gaining weight.

Why would anyone want to do that?

All we hear, all of the time, is about LOSING weight, getting smaller, and taking up less space. 

Recently, I gained 10 pounds...on purpose. I did this purposely because I wanted to build some more muscle.

Does this mean that you need to gain weight?

No.

Just like you don’t have to lose weight or diet or do anything. It’s your body and your choice...

But maybe you’ll want to

Let’s assume you’re in a season of your life where you want to change your physique, or you want to get stronger or build muscle (for any variety of reasons).

Then you might have to gain weight. In fact, I’d argue that most people do, when they want to build muscle.

But note, I’m saying WEIGHT GAIN, not necessarily FAT GAIN.

To put it in the simplest terms, building muscle requires energy (calories). If you’re chronically dieting or not taking a proper amount of time to provide fuel for this process, then your body never gets a good chance to make muscle building a priority.

Sure, you can build some muscle at your maintenance caloric intake and people just starting off with strength training have the perk of “newbie gains,”(you can read more about these concepts in this post)...

but if you REALLY want to focus on building muscle AND be time-efficient with it, then girl, ya need ta eaaaaat.

Specifically, you’ll need to increase your protein intake because protein builds muscle. But carbs and fats are important too! As you’re building muscle, you’ll want to increase your daily protein intake to about 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. 

The extra protein is essential because it provides your body with amino acids (the building blocks of protein) to help repair and maintain muscle tissue. 

The breakdown

Keep in mind that weight gain during this time will be some water retention and glycogen storage (your body will store carbs as glycogen which binds with water), some food volume (food weighs something! If you’re eating more food, you will see that show up on the scale), some muscle gain, and, yes, likely a bit of fat.

But with solid training and recovery in place, you can minimize that fat gain part.

(P.S. we can help you do this, the right way)

Coaching clients through this process for the first time isn’t easy. It definitely requires clients to have a mindset shift.

Ask yourself: Are you happy with what you have been doing? The progress you’ve been making?

If the answer is no, then what do you have to lose?

Besides, once you start eating more, you’ll have more energy, and you’ll probably start hitting some PRs at the gym. 

There’s nothing to fear!

Does gaining weight seem scary?

Why? Where does this stem from?

If you’re equating success with weighing less, you need to shift your mindset. We’re long past the idea that women need to be small and frail and weigh a certain amount. 

You should embrace being strong and growing your muscles! As for the number on the scale, forget about it! That number is so arbitrary and often misleading. I’ve had clients who are at their heaviest, and they’re also at their healthiest!

BUT REMEMBER - heavier can mean more muscle and less fat!

These are individuals who have stopped undereating, started fueling their bodies properly, and built muscle. Of course, the more muscle you build, the heavier you’ll get. That’s why above I said you might have to gain weight, not gain fat.

It’s not a permanent process

If you’re nervous about increasing food and gaining weight for the purposes of building muscle, REMEMBER this is just a season. It’s temporary (unless you’re on that permabulk plan). 

You’re not tied to anything. You can move out of this and into a diet phase, a maintenance phase...or not think about any of this whatsoever.

You’re allowed to do whatever YOU want. What serves YOUR GOALS and YOUR HAPPINESS.

If you’re thinking about building muscle but are nervous about gaining weight, check out our Reverse Dieting Coaches Chat or apply for coaching to work with one of our incredible coaches. They can guide you through this phase and help you achieve your goals in the most sustainable and efficient way possible.

Connect with us!

Email: [email protected]

IG: @coachkaseyjo @kjocoaching