A girl's first menstrual period marks the time in which she becomes a woman---physically and often emotionally as well. Girls usually first start getting their monthly menstrual periods between 9 and 15 years old. This occurrence is natural and healthy, yet it can be confusing for some young women. To complicate matters, the Center for Young Women's Health states that girls often go through growth spurts during that age group, where they grow so rapidly and burn up so many calories that they tend to lose weight. If you've recently had your first period and need to gain weight, changing a few lifestyle habits can help to improve your energy levels and your body weight.
Step 1
Eat high-calorie foods such as nuts, avocados, olive oil, peanut butter and dried fruit. Switching to full-fat dairy products like whole milk and regular cheese instead of low-fat products can also help increase your calories. UCLA's Student Nutrition Awareness Campaign states that it takes an extra 500 calories every day to gain one pound in a week. Therefore, eating foods higher in calories every day will help you gain weight over time. You can also try drinking smoothies and milkshakes to add calories to your diet. It's a better idea to eat calorie- and nutrient-dense foods instead of high-calorie junk foods such as chips and fries.
Step 2
Snack more often so that it's easier to consume more calories without feeling too full. If you eat three large meals a day, you might feel bloated or full after each meal, but if you snack every three hours, you can eat more calories without feeling bad. ULCA's Student Nutrition Awareness Campaign recommends eating three meals and two to three snacks every day. It is important to eat often enough because taking in too few calories could cause you to miss your period, according to the Center for Young Women's Health.
Step 3
Add extra toppings to foods to increase the calories after your first period. If you are going to eat a sandwich, add cheese and mayonnaise. Likewise, you can add seeds and nuts to salads, sauce to pasta, and chili and cheese to baked potatoes. These toppings add fat and calories, which will help facilitate weight gain.
Step 4
Try doing strength training exercises several days a week so that you gain muscle and not only fat when you get your first period. You might be able to do strength training exercises during your physical education course in school. Otherwise, using free weights or resistance bands to do exercises such as biceps curls and triceps extensions can strengthen your muscles while adding healthy weight to your frame.
Things You'll Need
- Resistance bands or free weights
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