If you’re trying to gain weight and it isn’t working, it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because eating enough—consistently—is actually very difficult. Especially if you’re busy, not super confident in the kitchen, and generally not thinking about food until you’re already hungry.

What usually happens is this: you forget to eat, or you eat just enough to take the edge off. You stop when you feel “fine,” not when you’re actually full. You figure you’ll eat more later, but later comes and goes. Over time, that adds up to not enough fuel. And if you’re training, under stress, or even just moving around a lot during the day, you may be burning far more than you realize. That’s where the gap happens.

The habit I recommend is simple, but powerful: eat until you’re 100% full—every meal. Not “kinda full.” Not “this is probably enough.” Not “I’ll just have a snack later.” Full. As in: “I don’t want another bite.”

You know this feeling. Think, “Thanksgiving.”

Also, it really helps to eat AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

This one habit does a few important things. First, it forces you to tune into your internal cues and learn what fullness actually feels like—not just comfort or satiety, but true completion. Second, it helps you build a reliable calorie surplus without needing to track or count. And third, it brings intention to your eating habits. You stop letting meals be an afterthought.

At first, this might feel strange. If you’ve had a small appetite or been stuck in a pattern of under-eating, eating to full can feel like a lot. That’s okay. The body will adapt. You’re training it, just like anything else.

Make your meals simple and repeatable. You don’t need to be a chef. Find three or four meals you like, and make them over and over. Meals that are warm, dense, and easy to prep—things like pasta and ground beef, rice and eggs, oats with peanut butter. Add things like olive oil, cheese, nuts, or avocado if you need more density. And don’t be afraid of liquid calories—milk, smoothies, even meal replacement shakes can help you stay on track when time is tight.

This isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about repetition. You don’t need to track, count, or stress. Just show up to the plate three times a day, eat until you’re 100% full, knowing that this one thing will — along with consistent resistance training — will bring you closer to your goal of a bigger, more muscular body in due time.