Trying to Gain Weight? Try these 5 tips and tricks

We all must have heard many times that someone is struggling to lose weight despite trying various diets and exercise patterns but it is even harder to gain weight when your BMI is less than 18.5.

So, what are you going to do, if you are underweight? Being underweight can be just as unhealthy for your body as being obese if not more. People who are underweight are at high risk of osteoporosis, infections, fertility problems, and early death.

We have listed below 5 tips and tricks to gain weight in a healthy way:

• Increase your protein intake: The best way to gain healthy weight is by eating plenty of protein-rich diets. Protein forms the building blocks of muscles and without it most of those extra calories may end up as body fat. According to studies, consuming a high-protein diet causes many of the extra calories to be turned into muscle. However, it’s highly filling which can reduce your appetite, so aim for 1.5–2.2 grams of protein per kilogram. Protein-rich foods include meats, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts, and many dairy products like milk, paneer among others.
• Consume more calories than your body burns: You need to eat more calories than your body burns to gain weight. Aim for 300–500 calories per day above your maintenance level for slow weight gain or 700–1,000 calories if you want to gain weight fast but consult your dietician before starting this tip.
  Stock up your pantry with healthy weight-gaining foods: You can eat extra meals or increase the size of the meals you usually eat. You can also increase calories and healthy fats by adding fats to cooking like avocado, nuts, seeds, plant based oils. If you don’t have much of an appetite, you will probably get benefit from nibbling on small calorie-dense snacks throughout the day.
• Add larger portions of starchy vegetables like potatoes: Potatoes often get a bad reputation because they are high in carbohydrates but your body uses carbs for energy and potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fibre. Potatoes are on the starchy side, so they are also higher in calories than green veggies. Sweet potatoes or sweet corns are also good options for starchy food options.
• Go for weight training: It is very important to do weight training while one is gaining weight to ensure that excess calories only go to the muscles and not to the fat cells of the body. Try to increase the weights and volume with time. This will also help to improve your strength. Hire a personal trainer or consult a doctor first if you are having any medical issues.

Over to you:

Gaining weight can be time-consuming and requires a lot of patience to get the desired results. Increase your protein and calories intake, consume more nutrient-dense foods and healthy fats. Also, do not forget to follow your workout routine by lifting weights to improve your muscle mass and overall bone health.