While they may be the envy of their friends who are trying to lose weight, women who are too skinny struggle with health and body image issues too. Being too thin can put a woman at risk of irregular periods, anemia, fatigue, poor immunity and infertility. Skinny women may look gaunt and frail and find it hard to find clothing that fits their slight frames. Gorging on high-calorie junk food to gain weight does nothing to improve your health or appearance, however. Certain strategies can help you gain weight in a healthy manner.
Step 1
Eat about 500 calories more than you burn in a day to gain one pound per week. Replace calories spent during exercise immediately, especially if you are extremely active, such as an endurance athlete.
Step 2
Prepare healthy meals and serve yourself about 20 percent more. Make each meal include a lean protein and a high-quality carbohydrate. Choose foods like flank steak, pork tenderloin, fish, white-meat poultry and beans. Stick to whole grains, such as brown rice and starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes or corn. Enjoy a salad, but be careful not to fill up on watery vegetables low in calories. If you typically eat 500 calories at dinner, 20 percent more results in a 100 calorie boost.
Step 3
Add a serving of unsaturated fat to each of your daily three meals to eat 300 more calories per day, resulting in a little over a half pound of weight gain per week. Spread peanut butter on toast, sauté vegetables in olive oil, add nuts to whole grain pancakes and slice avocado on your sandwich. Stay away from saturated fats—found in fatty meats, full-fat dairy and palm oil—and trans fat—found in commercially processed and fried foods—because these contribute to health problems regardless of your weight. If you find you have a light appetite, adding fat helps bulk up the calorie content of your food without dramatically increasing portion size.
Step 4
Eat a meal or snack every two to three hours. Carry calorie dense snacks in your purse in case job, family or scheduling cause you to miss a meal. Choose healthy, calorically rich options like trail mix, granola and peanut butter on whole grain crackers. Keep your pantry stocked with low-fat yogurt, almonds and dried fruit so you always have a healthy option.
Step 5
Learn to identify healthy, calorie-dense foods when eating out or grocery shopping. Choose chowders and chilis over broth-based soup. Opt for dense, whole grain bread over nutritionally weak white bread. Look for cereals, like muesli or low-sugar granola, that contain around 200 calories per ½ cup.
Step 6
Drink low-fat milk instead of water during the day. Obtain essential calcium which helps bone health and about 100 calories for every 8 ounces. Avoid drinking milk with your meals, however, as it may fill you up too quickly and prevent you from taking in sufficient other calories.
Tips and Warnings
- Moderate exercise, such as a light walk, may help increase your appetite, says Joanne Larson, R.D. on the “Ask the Dietetian” website. If you cannot drink milk, try calcium-fortified orange juice or soy milk as an alternative.
Things You'll Need
- Lean proteins
- Starchy vegetables
- Whole grains
- Unsaturated fats
- Milk
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