A Fast Metabolism Can Not Make Weight Gain Completely Impossible!

I'm sure you've heard this many times, but let me repeat it again: the secret to gaining weight when you have a fast metabolism is simply to eat more calories than you expend during exercise and daily living.

Reduce your calorie expenditure

Picture an athlete training for a marathon. He's running 10 or more miles per day, and burning a ton of calories. No matter how much he eats, he's going to have a hard time packing on the pounds.

Although you're probably not preparing for a marathon, you're in a similar situation.

To gain weight, cut out any unnecessary activity. Make sure to sleep at least 8 hours a night, and feel free to take a nap during the day. Remember: sleep time is when you grow and gain weight.

You probably want to lift weights as you gain, but reduce or eliminate any cardio or endurance training. Let those calories go towards building muscle tissue, not exercise.

Increase and optimize your food intake

Obviously, if you don't eat enough, you won't gain weight.

But it's not just the quantity of food that's important, it's also the quality. Make sure your meals are balanced and well-rounded. Unless you get all three macronutrients -- protein, fat, and carbohydrates -- you'll be malnourished and your weight won't increase.

And be sure not to fool yourself: if you think you can't possibly eat any more than you already are, odds are you're wrong. If you gradually increase the quantity of your food intake, you'll stretch your stomach. It will become easier and easier to eat heavily. And remember: a healthful snack between meals never hurts either.

Calorie dense foods

Think of all those bizarre foods that dieters eat when they want to lose weight: egg-white omelets, rice cakes, unbuttered popcorn, etc.

Those sorts of things are exactly what you don't want to eat. You want foods that are calorie dense: foods heavy on the oil (hopefully healthy oil like olive oil or fish oil) and dense in carbohydrates (like fresh, yummy pasta).

And as for the protein: yes, it's important -- especially if you're also into weight lifting -- but it's an expensive and inefficient source of calories. To gain, you're better off getting calorie dense foods rather than protein-rich foods. Odds are, you get enough protein in your daily diet no matter how much exercise or strength training you engage in, so don't get sidetracked.