If you are extremely skinny, this can cause self-esteem issues in similar fashion to being overweight. Although excessive fat gain is unhealthy, gaining a few pounds of fat can actually give you more confidence and give your body a better shape. Doing this in a healthy way takes discipline and sacrifices, just like losing weight. In both cases, dietary choices are at the foundation of the game plan.
Step 1
Increase your intake of food. Track all of your calories for a full week, add the numbers together and divide by seven to get an average. Do not neglect your liquid calories when you are tracking. Increase this amount by 500 to 1,000 calories to come up with a new total and this many calories a day. Utilize an online service like The Daily Plate for help with tracking.
Step 2
Choose healthy food options. Avoid foods that are high in saturated fat, sodium and simple sugars like pizza, wings, ribs, ice cream sundaes, cookies and cupcakes. Although they might be high in calories, they are also unhealthy. Eat foods such as lean meats, low-fat dairy products, fruits, dried fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans and fish instead.
Step 3
Increase your meal intake to fit your extra calories into your day. Eat every two to three hours during the day and create meals that are balanced with protein and complex carbs. Start first thing in the morning. An egg white omelet with chopped vegetables and a whole grain bagel is a breakfast example. Spread peanut butter over the bagel to increase the calories. Baked haddock with steamed broccoli and brown rice is an evening meal example.
Step 4
Drink calorie-rich beverages between your meals. Avoid empty calorie beverages such as soda, sweetened teas, dessert coffees, processed fruit drinks and alcohol. Drink low-fat milk, soy milk, natural fruit juices and fruit nectars.
Step 5
Consume healthy high-calorie sweets for dessert. Be sure to select sweets that also provide nutrients, such as bran muffins, yogurt, fruit pies and granola bars, according to mayoclinic.com.
Step 6
Restrict the amount of cardiovascular exercise you do. If you currently do high amounts of cardio, you will compromise your fat gaining goal. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30 minutes of cardio to promote health and reduce the chances of chronic disease. Perform no more than this amount two to three days a week and keep your intensity to moderate or lower.
Step 7
Lift weights two to three days a week. Although weight lifting builds muscle, which increases your resting metabolic rate, it also makes you hungry. Perform just enough weight lifting to get your appetite worked up, but do not go overboard.
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