Being underweight can be just as frustrating and intimidating as being fat or obese, most fitness information available out there are all geared towards losing weight, people who are generally underweight wants to be bigger, stronger and more physically imposing but this may come as a surprise especially to those trying to lose weight. Whether you’re trying to gain weight because you’re clinically underweight or because of some health issues, the principles are the same. We will discuss now how to gain weight.
Why would people want to gain weight?
There are several reasons as to why you might want to add a little pound of flesh, the most prevalent reason why people generally want to gain weight is being underweight. The most common health risks associated with being underweight are;
• Development issue
• Vitamin deficiency
• Kidney diseases
• Chronic diabetes condition
• Poor immune system
• Thinning hair
• Dry hazy skin
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How to gain weight
Gaining weight can be achieved majorly through diet, proper training, and being consistent with it. Here are some effective methods to gain healthy weight without ruining your health at the same time.
• Consume more Calories
The most important thing to ensure in your diet if you’re trying to gain weight is to eat more calories than you burn, it is the most fundamental principle of gaining weight. Aim for 300 – 600 calories each day for a steady weight gain and as high as 800 – 1000 calories. Any meal that is high in carbohydrates and/or fats is the biggest sources of calories.
• Eat more frequently
You should consider changing your menu plan from eating three large meals per day to eating as many six small meals which are high in calories, wake up early for breakfast, then and eat 4 or 5 subsequent meals during the day and eat one meal or snack just before bed.
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• Take high calorie beverages and milk
You should consider substituting water for beverages that are rich in calorie at meal, besides, liquid food digests way faster than solid ones. Consider some smoothies and shakes like mixing whey protein, banana, peanut butter and milk in your blender.
• Be consistent
When you’re trying to gain weight, you must eat more than you burn and must be consistent with your diet. There’s a body hormone called leptin which is responsible for body weight regulation, when you start eating unusually, the body tends to respond by reducing appetite for food and increases metabolism which makes it a little difficult to keep up with your target.
Other tips to help you gain weight:
- Eat lots of protein
- Don’t drink water before meal
- Eat energy dense food like nuts, high fat dairy and dried fruits
- Drink milk
- Take extras at meal
- Sleep well
- Stay off Alcohol and Tobacco
Things to Avoid
It is good to know how to gain weight but it is of tremendous importance to note that it is better to want to go from skinny or underweight to muscular, and not chubby or obese.
Avoid white refined sugar:
Eating a lot of white sugar doesn’t only bump up your blood sugar level, it also exposes you to the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorder, diabetes and weight gain.
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Hydrogenated Oil:
They basically contain trans-fat which interfere with normal cell function and it is associated with heart disease and hyperglycaemia.
Avoid processed carbohydrates:
Processed carbohydrates are refined carbohydrates that have been stripped off their nutrients, they basically enter straight into the blood stream and this triggers the release of insulin thereby converting the sugar into stored fat as opposed to providing energy.
