Are you struggling to gain weight but have been unsuccessful because of your super fast metabolism? This can be extremely frustrating when you have lofty performance goals or maybe need to improve your health by gaining weight, but it’s possible.

In this post, Abby Grimm, a board-certified functional dietitian and female health expert, will give you everything you need to know about how to gain weight with a fast metabolism.

What is Metabolism?

Metabolism is the process by which your body converts the components of different foods and beverages into energy.

It’s essentially your body’s system that regulates all the different chemical processes, such as walking, breathing, repairing bones and tissue after injury, using your brain to think and reason, regulating reproductive function, exercising, and so on.

Metabolism runs your body’s burning capacity!

Like a car burning fuel to move, your body “burns” food to power all its functions. It is also involved in building muscle, repairing tissues, and storing energy for later use.

Depending on how quickly or slowly you use up and store energy, one can measure one’s metabolism.

Slow metabolisms will store more energy for later use, and fast metabolisms will store less energy for later use.

If you have a fast metabolism, you burn energy quickly, making it harder to gain weight. Pair that with a person who struggles with wanting to eat enough or just having the ability to eat enough, gaining weight may be a challenge. Making food enjoyable and not a “chore” is key for helping these individuals.

Components of Metabolism?

People think metabolism is simply how fast you burn calories, but several aspects of metabolism impact how fast or slow it can be.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

BMR is the amount of energy or “calories” burned at complete rest. [1] So if you were to lay in a bed all day and not move a muscle, this amount of energy is what is burned to just keep your heart beating.

BMR accounts for a large majority of calories burned in one’s day. It typically accounts for between 60-75% of daily calorie expenditure. [2]

Many factors can impact BMR, including genetics, age, gender, body composition (how much muscle one has compared to body fat), hormonal regulation, and more. So, some people, simply due to their genetic makeup, may have a faster metabolism than somebody else.

There is even some emerging evidence that the gut microbiome, aka the trillions of microbiota (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that reside in the gastrointestinal tract, may impact metabolic rate. [3]

Eating a diet that supports good gut health and gut healing is something to consider when trying to optimize metabolism.

Physical Activity

Here’s where one can really make an impact on the speed of metabolism. Genetics matters, but how active you are will increase or decrease it.

Doing physical activities like lifting weights, running, walking, and even doing daily activities such as walking up the stairs, vacuuming the house, or making the bed can fall into the category of physical activity and will impact metabolism.

People that are active in their day to day life with their job AND doing physical training on top of that will usually have a faster metabolism and may have a harder time gaining weight if that is their goal.

Thermic Effect of Food

Did you know that eating impacts metabolism? Food has a thermic effect, meaning energy is needed to chew, digest, absorb, and process it! For individuals who are undereating and underfueling, their thermic effect of food is going to be lower.

This aspect of metabolism typically accounts for about 10% of daily calorie expenditure, but nonetheless it will impact one’s daily calorie expenditure and their metabolism. [4]

How Does Metabolism Impact Weight Gain

Hopefully you have a better understanding of the many aspects that impact metabolism. This rate of energy expenditure can really impact one’s ability to gain weight. If you burn more calories at rest and have a very active lifestyle, you have a high metabolism.

Many people want a fat metabolism, and for the general population, this makes sense because we are a society that is prone to obesity and metabolic health conditions as a result of our highly processed food system.

We eat foods that are high in energy and do often do not participate in a high enough level of activity it to use this energy efficiently. This makes it easy for people to store fat and have a slow metabolism.

But for some people who want to gain weight for health or performance reasons and naturally have a fast metabolism, this presents a challenge.

Say you’re very busy people and have a very high activity level, this can make it hard to gain weight.

Those people will need to make an extra effort in how they fuel throughout the day to ensure their calorie intake isn’t behind their energy expenditure.

Let’s dive deeper into how to gain weight with a fast metabolism.

How to Gain Weight With a Fast Metabolism

Learning how to gain weight with a fast metabolism can be a challenge, but it’s possible with a solid plan!

Here are some things to consider when trying to learn how to gain weight with a fast metabolism.

Set Intended Weight Gain Goal and Calorie Needs.

Pro tip: You need to have a calorie surplus.

A weight gain of about 1-2 pounds per week is appropriate and achievable for most people when a solid strategy and plan is in place. Some weeks may be more and some may be a little less, and that’s okay. An average of 1-2 pounds per week is a very realistic amount of weight gain.

Eat More Calories

To gain weight, you need to consume more calories than you burn, which means eating more nutrient-dense foods and eating them more often throughout the day. A calorie surplus of about 500-1000 above your total daily energy expenditure is a good goal.

Focus on Nutrient Dense Foods

Cauliflower and blueberries will not cut it when it comes to calorie needs if you are trying to gain weight with a fast metabolism. Eating some fruits and veggies is very important for overall health, immunity, and gut health, but these foods should not be the majority of your diet. The majority of the diet should come from nutrient dense foods.

Check out our article on 5 Best Foods to Boost Human Growth Hormone Naturally

Nutrient dense foods that are low in volume and high in calories should be the focus. Therefore, this can make hitting the calorie surplus goal possible without feeling stuffed all day.

Best Food Groups to Gain Weight With a Fast Metabolism

Protein – protein is fantastic for building muscle mass and can help make weight gain easier. When paired with a thought out weight training program, this combo can be key for gaining weight with a fast metabolism.
Full-fat organic dairy products like whole milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese
Moderate to high-fat animal meats like chicken thigh, eggs, grass-fed sirloin steak or ground beef, and fatty fish, such as wild-caught salmon, can be used to prepare food to add calories. Animal fat sources like beef tallow, butter (preferably grass-fed), and oil can also be used to prepare food for added calories.
Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, coconut milk/cream, salmon, nuts, and nut butter are all rich in sources of fat that will increase caloric intake. Fats contain 9 calories per gram, which is higher than both carbohydrates and protein.
Starchy carbohydrates: mashed potatoes with butter, dates or other dried or fresh fruit, bananas, oats, granola/cereal, and rice are all rich in carbohydrates.

These food groups are important and can be utilized at meal times as well as snacks.

Snacking every few hours throughout the day is key when learning how to gain weight with a fast metabolism. See below for more examples.

Examples of High-Calorie/Low-Volume Snacks

Trail mix or mixed nuts
Brown rice or almond flour crackers with organic cheese and turkey sliced on top
Dried fruit such as dried mango, dried cranberries, or dates (even better when you dip the dates in peanut butter!)
Smoothies topped with Lovebird cereal or Purely Elizabeth granola
Organic Greek yogurt topped with coconut flakes, granola, fruit, and your favorite nut butter
Smoothies with added protein powder, chocolate oat milk, and frozen avocado
RAWR bars
Go Macro bars
Banana topped with Oat Haus Granola Butter, or eat that stuff straight from the jar!

Swap out Common Low-Calorie Health Foods for the Higher-Calorie Versions.

For example:

→ swap cauliflower rice for white rice

→ swap lean beef or ground turkey with a higher fat beef

→ swap zucchini noodles for rice noodles

→ swap peanut butter powder for organic peanut butter

→ swap mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes (and add grass-fed butter to them for additional calories)

→ swap non-fat yogurt for organic full-fat Greek yogurt

→ swap egg whites for whole eggs

→ swap unsweetened almond milk for full-fat canned coconut milk or organic whole milk if you tolerate dairy well

Notice that all of these swaps are higher in calories but still based on REAL, whole foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals, low in inflammatory ingredients, and still delicious. Basically, weight gain can be done in an anti-inflammatory way with the right foods.

Eat More Frequently

Instead of 1-2 large meals per day that may leave you full and under your necessary calorie needs, aim to have 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day to ensure you have enough time to get the calories you need.

These meals can include quick and convenient snacks to eliminate time as a barrier to getting food in. These foods include:

Trail mix
Organic cheese and crackers
Weight gain shakes
Dried fruit and nuts
Nut butter packets
Grass-fed beef jerky
Choose from our list of clean protein bars

Drink Weight Gain Shakes

Drinking a weight gain shake is one of the most effective ways to gain weight because a lot of calories can be packed into a small space. The problem with many gainer shakes that are marketed to athletes is that they are full of junk and artificial ingredients that wreak havoc on the gut microbiome, drive leaky gut, increase inflammation, and weaken the immune system.

Increase Portion Sizes

Bigger meals mean more calories. Adding more chicken to your plate or eating an extra scoop of mashed potatoes (and don’t be afraid to top those with some butter) is key to giving the body more calories and helping to gain weight with a fast metabolism.

Focus on Resistance Training Over High Intensity or Cardio Based Training

When learning how to gain weight with a fast metabolism, it’s important to know that food comes first. However, training can help this process! Thus, focusing on strength training to build muscle and keep you in a calorie surplus is ideal.

While we still suggest walking to maintain good cardiovascular health, we recommend dialing back on high-intensity or long-endurance exercises. These exercises can burn calories and may not be the best form of exercise to support weight gain goals.

Summary

In summary, learning how to gain weight with a fast metabolism in a healthy and sustainable way can be challenging and may require some trial and error, but hopefully after reading today’s information you feel more confident in putting a plan together that will help you achieve this!

Patience is KEY and will help you avoid giving up when it gets tough! You can make this process easier on yourself by meeting with a functional dietitian specializing in healthy and sustainable weight gain in individuals with a fast metabolism.

References:

How To Gain Weight With A Fast Metabolism

What is Metabolism?