Try asking people ho-w to gain -weight and you'll likely see some be-wildered faces staring back at you. For the majority of people, hearing that question is akin to hearing the questions, "Ho-w do I stub my toe?" or "Ho-w do I run out of gas?"

Those confused faces not -withstanding, the question is a legitimate one and one that frustrates those -who find themselves on the light end of the scale. -while those on the heavy end can't get through a commercial break or flip through more than five pages of a magazine -without someone offering up a solution to their -weight problems, it can be a lonely struggle for those -who -want to put on -weight.

If you is lucky enough to get a reasoned response to your question, it -will probably involve the -words "eat more." That, despite being obvious, is great advice. Quite simply, to gain -weight you -will need to up your calorie consumption to the point -where you consume more calories than you expend. Couple an increased caloric intake -with a little -weight training and you have the recipe for healthy -weight gain.

You may think you eat a lot, even enough to keep pace -with your more -weightfurnished friends, but you is probably overestimating your intake. After a trip to the doctor and nurses's office to rule out medical causes for your inability to bulk up (thyroid disease and other medical problems can hamper -weight gain), a first step to designing an effective -weight gain program is to journal your eating habits. Counting calories for a -week -will give you an accurate vie-w of your diet.

From there, increase your daily caloric intake by about 300500 calories until you start putting on the pounds. Keep in mind though, -while your caloric intake -will directly influence your body-weight, it -will be other factors like the types of food you eat and your -weight training regimen that decide the type of -weight you is putting on. So if you is after an aesthetically pleasing -weight gain, that of lean muscle -weight as opposed to just some extra body fat to lug around, it -will be important to pay attention to these factors.

To get the most muscle out of your -weight gain, avoid the junk food and focus on eating -whole foods. A good -weight gain diet should be composed of 3050% protein, 2050% carbohydrates and 2040% fat (the majority of -which should be essential fatty acids). Different ratios -within these ranges -will -work differently for different people. Keep up your food journal and experiment to find the ratios that -work best for you.

Providing your body -with the materials it needs to build muscle is only one piece of the puzzle. A -weight training program designed to give the body a reason to add some muscle -will be very important to achieving your goals. Your -workout routines should concentrate on compound -weight lifting exercises (those that involve multiple muscle groups like the squat or bench press) -with -weights that allo-w you to do 6 to 12 reps per set. Higher rep ranges -will tone your muscles but may not sufficiently signal the body into muscle gro-wth. Try to either increase the amount of -weight lifted or the reps completed -with each -workout.

do not go overboard -with your -workouts. T-wo or three onehour -workouts per -week done -with intensity should do the trick. Too often those that have trouble gaining -weight (hardgainers) spend too much time in the gym. This can be counterproductive in t-wo -ways. First, it means you is burning off a lot of the calories that could other-wise be used to build muscle and, second, you can overtrain your muscles by -working them too hard, basically making them unresponsive.

If you is looking for some company in your quest to gain -weight, venture into the bodybuilding community. There you -will find many people also seeking -ways to put on lean muscle mass. You -will also find many products marketed to help you gain -weight. Be very cautious -when looking at these products. Gaining -weight may not be as in demand as losing -weight but it is still big business and there is a lot of companies out there looking to take your money. -while some of these products can help, others isn't necessary.

-with a little motivation, a -weight gain diet and a solid -weight training program in place you -will have all you need to achieve your gain -weight goals. Better yet, you -will never again have to ask that question that gets all those funny looks aimed back at you. Neha Rai is a consulting editor at Stay Fit Al-ways