Just like some people find it difficult to lose weight, some find it hard to put it on. Being too skinny can be just as harmful to your health as being overweight or obese. If you have a body mass index (BMI) below 18.5, it means you are underweight. What this essentially means is that your body mass is less than what it required to sustain optimal health. However, the BMI scale only takes your height and weight into account and does not look at your muscle mass. Since there are other indicators such as blood test, natural body types and lifestyle that are not taken into account by BMI, it’s reading are not suggestive of your overall health. However, some people can be dangerously underweight which can put them at a risk of infections, fertility problems, osteoporosis, and early death. In this article, we will talk about some tips on gaining weight naturally.
Sometimes medical conditions such as thyroid problems, celiac disease, eating disorders, infections, and cancer cause unhealthy weight loss. If you are too skinny, it is recommended that you see your doctor to rule out a medical condition.
If you are skinny and want to gain weight, the following tips can help you pack pounds naturally:
1- Eat More Calories than You Burn:
You need to track your calories to make sure your calorie intake is greater than your calorie expenditure. Otherwise, you will not be able to put on weight. You must achieve a calorie surplus to gain weight. You need to eat more food than you do normally. Take larger servings of food.
2- Increase Your Protein Intake:
Your muscle is made up of protein and hence it is the most important nutrient for gaining weight. If you do not consume enough protein, your extra calories may get converted to fat. However, avoid going overboard as this can lead to health problems. Cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs, whey protein, milk, ground beef, chicken breast, steak, tuna, salmon, sardine, mixed nuts, green peas, and peanut butter are some good sources of protein.
3- Eat At Least 3 Times A Day:
People who are trying to lose weight limit their intake of carbs and fat. So, if you want to gain weight, include more high fat and high carb foods in your diet. Ideally, all your meals should consist of carbs, fat, and protein.
4- Eat Energy-Dense Foods:
Energy-dense foods provide more calories per gram of food. Energy-dense foods have a high amount of calories per serving. Some examples of energy-dense foods are walnuts, almonds, peanuts, dates, raisins, and olive oil. Oats, brown rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, chicken, beef, and dark chocolate are also energy dense.
5- GOMAD:
GOMAD stands for Gallon Of Milk A Day. It is a weight gain strategy that encourages you to drink a gallon of milk every day on top of your food intake until you reach your goal weight. Since liquid calories are easier to consume, GOMAD is particularly used by body builders or hard gainers put on weight. This tip must only be followed if your body and metabolism has acclimatized to the nutrient-rich diet. Otherwise, too much dairy can make you feel full too soon and deprive your body of other nutrients.
6 – Drink high-calorie smoothies or shakes
A high calorie shake, or a smoothie might be more tempting than a large meal, for people who have a small appetite. The do not make a person feel overly full, as well as supplying them with nutrient-dense calories. Nut butter, fruits, milk, yogurt, nuts, seeds and greens, such as spinach are all great ingredients for a smoothie.
7 – Eat meals with fibrous carbohydrates and healthful fats
To boost the number of both calories and nutrients in the diet it is suggested to add foods in your diet that have a high content of fibrous carbohydrate and healthful fats.
These meals are essential because they are an excellent energy source for the maintenance of a regular exercise regime and to help in muscle growth. Rather than using refined and processed food sources, whole-food sources of carbohydrates, such as brown rice and beans, should be preferred instead.
It is essential to know the difference between healthful and unhealthful fats. Normally, monosaturated or polyunsaturated fats are healthful fats. These are found in nuts, avocados, vegetable oils, and fish.
On the other hand, saturated fats and trans fats are unhealthful fats. Added trans fats should be avoided and saturated fats should be limited in a healthful diet. Fried foods, baked foods, fatty meats such as beef, mutton, and lamb, all contain these fats.
You can consult a nutritionist to find out about foods that can help you gain weight. You can find and book an appointment with top Nutritionist in Karachi, Multan and Islamabad through oladoc.com. You can also call our helpline at 042-3890-0939 for assistance to find the RIGHT Doctor for your health concerns.