Being called 'malnourished' or 'skinny' can be exhausting and annoying sometimes. However, no matter how hard you try, maintaining adequate weight has always been a task for you which you couldn't complete? Our health experts suggest that the weight gaining procedure is the same as maintaining the same weight - eat right and eat enough. It's time to leave all those weight gain remedies and concentrate your energy on eating habit improvement and smart eating.
Not all skinny people are underweight. This can be a sign of hope for you. As being obese or underweight is commonly related to chronic conditions and poor health results, being underweight can lead to malnutrition, bad bone health, and fertility problems.
Foremost of all, you need to identify whether your body weight is normal according to your age and height by checking your BMI (body mass index). A BMI below the standard criteria can be underweight and signifies the need for doctor and dietitian consultation.
Weight Category |
BMI |
Underweight |
<18.50 |
Healthy Weight |
18.50- 24.9 |
Overweight |
25-29.9 |
Obese |
30< |
One of the most convenient ways to increase your weight is to eat more often and more calories at each meal. Whether it means having multiple snacks or multiple meals, you need to support your weight gain process. Eat until you're full while eating, and make a schedule to remind yourself to eat.
The foods that contain more calories in small portion sizes are called low volume foods. It can offer you more energy without having to eat more. You can also consume healthy foods (junk foods) to support your cravings, but don’t overdo it. Extracting different elements from foods such as proteins, oils, sugar, etc., can provide you vital sources of calories too.
Well, with the amount of food and calories, protein intake is vital for your health. Protein is essential for building muscle and lean mass and supports minimal fat gain when trying to gain healthy weight. This also helps tone your body while gaining your overall weight.
Cooking with fat is one of the easiest techniques to add more calories to your diet. Use plant-based cooking oils, olive, flaxseed, or avocado oil during the cooking procedure to help gain fat while preventing cholesterol problems at the same time.
Just like butter and oil, the use of healthy toppings over your food can help you achieve your weight gain goals. You can add seeds, cheeses, avocado, nuts, cream-based sauces, honey, maple syrup, etc., to increase the calories intake.
Last but not least, growth or change can not be achieved without consistency. You can not gain weight over a night or a week, you need to be consistent with your meals and strict with your diet plan to meet the goal you aimed for. We know it can be hard but not impossible.
Build the foundation right and train your body hard enough to get the muscles and shape you're aiming for. Remember, hard work pays off. Consult with our expert dietitian to curate a personalized meal plan for your weight gain goals. If you're underweight and suffering chronic health issues, consult with doctors virtually on The Wellness Corner before going ahead with the gaining process.