How Many Calories Should a Skinny Male Eat to Gain Weight?

January 6, 2026 •

4 min read

Research shows that a consistent calorie surplus is key for weight gain. To figure out how many calories a skinny male should eat to gain weight, you need to find your daily maintenance needs and add a strategic surplus to promote steady progress. This approach helps prevent excessive fat gain and promotes lean muscle mass.

Quick Summary

Skinny males should consume more calories than they burn to gain weight. Calculating the individual calorie maintenance level is essential, then add a daily excess of 300-500 calories for muscle gain, or more for faster weight gain. Regular monitoring and adjustments are essential for progress.

Key Points

Calculate Your TDEE: Determine your Total Daily Energy Expenditure by calculating your BMR and multiplying it by an activity factor to find your maintenance calories.
Create a Calorie Surplus: Add 300-500 extra calories per day to your TDEE for slow, steady weight gain, or 700-1000 for faster results with a higher potential for fat gain.
Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Foods: Focus on a balanced diet of high-quality proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats instead of empty calories from junk food.
Incorporate Strength Training: Engage in resistance training 3-5 times per week, focusing on compound lifts to build muscle mass rather than just adding fat.
Break Plateaus with Adjustments: If weight gain stalls, increase your daily calorie surplus by another 200-300 calories and increase your training volume to force continued progress.
Stay Consistent and Patient: Healthy weight gain takes time. Consistency with your diet, training, and sleep is more important than quick fixes.

Understanding Your Calorie Needs for Weight Gain

For a skinny male looking to gain weight, understanding a calorie surplus is important. The body needs a certain number of calories each day to maintain its current weight. This is the Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE). Adding extra calories will trigger weight gain. Without this surplus, the body won't have the reserves needed to build new tissue, whether it's muscle or fat.

How to Calculate Your Daily Calorie Target

To find your optimal calorie target, a two-part process is needed. First, estimate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is the number of calories the body burns at rest. The Mifflin-St Jeor equation is a commonly used formula:

Men: BMR = (10 x weight in kg) + (6.25 x height in cm) - (5 x age in years) + 5

Next, multiply your BMR by an activity factor to account for your daily movement. This gives you your TDEE.

Sedentary (little to no exercise): BMR x 1.2
Lightly Active (exercise 1-3 days/week): BMR x 1.375
Moderately Active (exercise 3-5 days/week): BMR x 1.55
Very Active (intense exercise 6-7 days/week): BMR x 1.725

Add a calorie surplus to your TDEE to begin gaining weight. For slow, steady, and predominantly lean muscle gain, an increase of 300-500 calories per day is often recommended. For faster weight gain, a surplus of 700-1000 calories can be used, but this is likely to result in a higher proportion of fat gain.

The Importance of a Balanced Diet

It's crucial to get calories from nutrient-dense, high-quality sources, not just junk food. A balanced diet should emphasize the three macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. A good macro ratio for muscle gain might look like 45-55% carbohydrates, 25-35% protein, and 15-25% healthy fats.

Protein: Essential for muscle repair and growth. Aim for 1.6-1.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. Good sources include chicken, fish, eggs, lean meat, and legumes.
Carbohydrates: Your body's primary energy source, necessary to fuel workouts and support muscle recovery. Include complex carbs like brown rice, oats, whole wheat bread, and sweet potatoes.
Fats: Important for hormone production and energy. Include healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, and olive oil.

Sample Meal Plan for a Skinny Male (Approx. 3,000-3,500 Calories)

This sample plan is based on a moderately active 75kg male with a TDEE of roughly 2500-2800 calories, aiming for a ~500 calorie surplus. Amounts may need adjustment based on individual needs.


Meal	Description	Key Ingredients
Breakfast	Oatmeal with protein powder and fruit	1 cup oats, 1 scoop whey protein, 1 banana, 1 tbsp peanut butter
Mid-Morning Snack	Greek yogurt with nuts	1 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup almonds, 1 tbsp honey
Lunch	Chicken and rice bowl	150g grilled chicken, 1 cup cooked brown rice, 1/2 avocado, mixed vegetables
Pre-Workout	High-carb snack for energy	1 whole wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced banana
Post-Workout	Protein shake with carbs	1 scoop whey protein, 1 cup milk, 1 cup berries
Dinner	Salmon with roasted sweet potatoes	150g baked salmon, 1 large sweet potato, side salad with olive oil dressing
Evening Snack	Cottage cheese with dried fruit	1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup raisins

Overcoming a Weight Gain Plateau

If weight gain stalls, it's a sign that the body has adapted to your current calorie intake and activity level. This is a normal part of the process. To bust through a plateau, you'll need to increase your calorie intake further or adjust your training. Track progress weekly by weighing yourself and monitoring your strength gains. If there is no weight gain for 1-2 weeks, increase the daily calorie surplus by another 200-300 calories and add more volume to the strength training routine.

The Role of Strength Training

Simply eating more without resistance training will lead to unwanted fat gain. For skinny males, strength training is the crucial component for ensuring that the extra calories are used to build muscle mass. Incorporate compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses, which stimulate multiple large muscle groups simultaneously and trigger significant hormonal responses that support muscle growth. Aim for 3-5 strength training sessions per week, focusing on progressive overload—gradually increasing the weight, reps, or sets over time.

Conclusion

Consuming a consistent and healthy calorie surplus is crucial for a skinny male to gain weight. Calculate your TDEE and add 300-500 extra calories per day, focusing on a balanced intake of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Incorporate a structured strength training program to ensure the weight gained is primarily muscle. Monitor your progress closely to overcome any plateaus by making adjustments to your diet or workout. Consistency and patience are key for achieving goals in a healthy and sustainable way.

Visit Healthline for more on healthy weight gain strategies

Frequently Asked Questions

To calculate TDEE, first find your BMR using the Mifflin-St Jeor formula (for men: (10 x kg) + (6.25 x cm) - (5 x years) + 5). Then, multiply your BMR by an activity factor based on your exercise level (e.g., 1.55 for moderately active).

A healthy and sustainable rate of weight gain is about 0.5 to 1 pound (0.25 to 0.5 kg) per week for most individuals. This is best achieved with a moderate calorie surplus of 300-500 calories per day, combined with regular resistance training.

To gain muscle mass, a skinny male should prioritize strength or resistance training over excessive cardio. While some cardio is healthy, too much can burn excess calories, working against your weight gain goal.

Focus on nutrient-dense foods like nuts, seeds, nut butters, avocados, fatty fish, olive oil, dried fruits, and high-protein dairy like cottage cheese. These items add significant calories without requiring large quantities.

A good target for muscle gain is to consume 1.6 to 1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight per day. Spreading this intake throughout the day can also optimize muscle protein synthesis.

Common reasons include underestimating your calorie burn (especially if you have a fast metabolism), not eating a large enough calorie surplus, or hitting a plateau. Increase your calorie intake further and ensure your strength training is progressive to continue seeing results.

Eating more frequent, smaller meals and snacks throughout the day can be more manageable and effective for increasing overall calorie intake for those with a low appetite. This helps avoid feeling overly full and ensures a steady supply of nutrients for muscle growth.