3 Carbohydrate Secrets for Fast Weight Gain

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These foods, which represent the various aspects of the food pyramid, serve as examples of the numerous options available as a good fuel source for the body.
These foods, which represent the various aspects of the food pyramid, serve as examples of the numerous options available as a good fuel source for the body. (Cpl. Kenneth Trotter Jr./U.S. Marine Corps photo)

If you are looking for fast weight gain, then you probably will find that the dieter's worst enemy -- the evil carbohydrate -- actually can be the skinny person's best friend. In fact, people looking for ways to gain weight fast can finally find victory by taking another look at how they consume carbohydrates and add them to their mass-building diet. 

For the average person, carbohydrates help to prevent muscle from becoming broken down and robbed of its energy resources. This is an even bigger concern for those with a skinny ectomorph body style. There is a lot of hard work that goes into gaining weight. Therefore, the last thing that you want to do is to see the muscle mass that you have built being drastically affected due to an inappropriate level of carbohydrates.   

The primary key to achieving fast weight gain using carbohydrates is to understand the different types of carbohydrates and the best time to consume them. When you focus on low-​​glycemic carbohydrates, commonly referred to as complex carbohydrates, such as sweet potato, brown rice and whole grain breads, they digest slower in the body and therefore provide you with energy during the day. 

However, there are other types of carbohydrates that often are seen as harmful, but these can be very useful for people that are looking to gain weight fast. These carbohydrates are commonly referred to as simple, or high-glycemic carbs, and are found in foods such as white potatoes, white breads, white sugar and also white rice.

These carbohydrates tend to break down rather quickly within the body, and they tend to cause a rapid release of sugar into the blood. This rapid release of sugar into the blood then triggers a rise in the level of the hormone known as insulin. This has a dramatic effect on weight gain. 

Insulin normally would cause you to gain weight in the form of fat if you consume the high-glycemic products at the wrong times. It is very important to consume high-glycemic foods at the correct times, as this will prevent you gaining the wrong type of weight and it actually will help you to gain lean muscle tissue. There are some tips that are good to consider when aiming for fast weight gain.

Carb Tip #1: Go 'Simple' After Your Workouts.

The first tip to consider is to consume high-glycemic meals straight after a workout. When you are training intensely, you tend to use up stored sugar in your muscles, and if you want to gain weight fast, you will have to restore it fairly quickly. If the sugar is not replaced quickly, muscle tissue will be used for fuel rather than seeing it built up as a result of your training.

Carb Tip #2: Consume High-Glycemic Carbs Again an Hour Past Your Workouts.  

This is a very powerful tip, especially for skinny people who are looking to gain weight. These people can afford a bigger increase in their insulin level, as this will help with weight gain. Consuming high-glycemic foods will help to overcome their naturally high metabolism and keep their anabolic hormones at a high level at the time when it can work best to build lean muscle mass.

Carb Tip #3: Take Advantage of Carbs During Your Workout.

Another great tip to consider when gaining weight fast is to consume a drink that has a high sugar level during your workout. Because your workouts will drain your muscles of stored sugar for fuel, carb intake during your workout will block this muscle-​​wasting process and jump-start recovery. This will help you to build more lean muscle and accomplish your goal of fast weight gain.

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