Gaining weight is no easy task. Sure it looks good on paper, more food = happiness, right?

YES! For a few weeks at least.

But by week 8? That can be an entirely different story.

While gaining weight is certainly a challenge and a commitment, it does not have to be daunting. Here are 4 strategies to help you reach those increasing macro targets during your weight gain goal!

Bye-bye rice cakes, hello real cakes! As you look to stretch your macro targets, you may have no choice but to include more calorie-dense foods.

Should your diet consist solely of highly processed foods? Absolutely Not.

But when you are on your last meal and still have 1000 calories to eat, you may have to consider some alternate food choices to meet your macro targets.

When you have high macro targets, your daily fiber intake can add up quickly. If you are not strategic with your food choices, you may end up in a case where you are 3-4x the recommended amount, which will cause you to feel miserable.

Be conscious of your fiber and still aim to hit close to our recommendation of 14g of fiber per 1000 calories consumed.

Including milk, juices, and sports drinks to meet your calorie targets in a surplus can go a long way to help you get more calories and not get too full. Liquid calories can also help with digestion, clearing the GI tract faster than whole foods with similar macros.

Fitting your calories into 3-4 meals can become difficult as they increase. Adding an extra meal to your day can go a long way to making the process easier. Keep these strategies in mind as you progress in your weight gain goal.

Now go out there with all your extra calories and tell everyone that the second donut you're eating is in the name of weight gain!