People who are under their healthy weight and some athletes may need or want to gain weight. Some people may fall into the habit of eating unhealthy foods to gain weight, but this is unwise and can lead to unhealthy weight gain. An alternative is to gain weight through a healthy diet and exercise program.
Step 1
Evaluate your diet. In order to gain the most weight possible, the calories you take in must be nutrient-dense calories. Remove any foods in your diet that contain empty calories, such as snack cakes. Foods that offer you calories but little nutritional value are considered to have empty calories.
Step 2
Write down all the foods you eat and activities you do each day in a journal. Transfer these to the LiveSTRONG Daily Plate to determine your daily calorie intake and output. In order to gain weight at a safe rate of 1/2 to 1 pound per week, you must take in 250 to 500 calories more per day than you use, according to the University of California, Los Angeles.
Step 3
Add nutrient-rich, higher-calorie foods in your diet. Starchy vegetables, such as corn or peas; dense fruits, such as dried fruits or bananas; lean red meats, such as sirloin steaks or ground round; and heavy grains, such as pumpernickel bread are all food items that will give you good calories and nutrients.
Step 4
Add healthy condiments and fat sources to your diet. Trans-fat-free butter or margarine, healthy oils like canola or olive oil, honey, low-fat cheese, peanut butter and nuts, yogurt and non-fat milk powder are ways to get more calories and nutrients to help you gain weight.
Step 5
Exercise daily. When you are trying to gain weight, you should focus on strength training exercises like lifting weights to help you gain lean muscle mass. Aerobic exercises like walking or swimming can also help you gain weight, but your main focus should be on strength training.
Step 6
Drink plenty of healthy fluids such as water, yogurt- or milk-based shakes and fruit juice to minimize the risk of dehydration. Soft drinks, sugary drinks, tea and coffee all contain empty calories or very few calories and won't help you gain weight.
Tips and Warnings
- In order to help you eat as much as possible, minimize the amount you drink in the 30 minutes prior to eating a meal, suggests the Mayo Clinic. Drink after you eat. Eat smaller meals more often if you find it difficult to eat all of the foods you need to eat on a daily basis.
- If you have any medical conditions, contact your physician prior to starting any diet or exercise program.
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