Being underweight can contribute to a variety of health problems including infertility and osteoporosis. If you are trying to gain weight there are several healthy ways to go about it that do not include eating high calorie and high fat foods, report Wener W. K. Hoeger and Sharon A. Hoeger, authors of "Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized Program." Increasing your caloric intake with nutritious foods will help you put on a few pounds without compromising your health.
Add Protein to Your Diet
Protein is an essential nutrient for building and maintaining your muscle mass, say Melinda S. Sothern, T. Kristian Von Almen and Heidi Schumacher, authors of "Trim Kids: The Proven 12-Week Plan That Has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight." Adding protein to each of your meals throughout the day will help your body begin to gain pounds by building your muscles. Add peanut butter to your morning toast or sliced chicken breast to a salad at lunch. Fish is another good source of protein that can be eaten for lunch or dinner. Protein can also be incorporated into snacks by adding string cheese or nuts to a piece of fruit.
Increase Your Caloric Intake
Eating more calories will help you put on the number of pounds you need to reach a healthy weight, say Hoeger and Hoeger. Adding a few nutritious foods to your daily diet will help you eat the additional calories you need to gain weight. Add a glass of skim milk to each meal as one way to add around 300 calories each day without increasing your fat intake. Lean meats will supply extra calories without increasing your fat intake too much either. Skinless chicken or turkey and lean beef can be added to soups and salads or eaten with vegetables. Whole wheat pasta and rice can be eaten as side dishes to pack a few extra calories into each meal. Adding one or two snacks each day can also boost your caloric intake. Choose fruit, nuts, cheese or a bowl of cereal as a nutritious snack.
Reduce Your Acitivty Level
It is essential that you get about 30 minutes of physical activity each day to maintain good health, report Hoeger and Hoeger. If you exercise significantly more than that, you may be burning more calories than you take in, making it difficult to gain weight. Cutting back on exercise will prevent you from burning so many calories so you are able to reach a healthy weight. Choosing exercise that burns fewer calories is still a good way to stay healthy while you put on a few pounds. Low impact exercise, such as swimming or walking, will allow you to maintain your health, but burn fewer calories than jogging, running or kickboxing.
References
- "Lifetime Physical Fitness and Wellness: A Personalized Program"; Wener W. K. Hoeger and Sharon A. Hoeger; 2008
- "Trim Kids: The Proven 12-Week Plan That Has Helped Thousands of Children Achieve a Healthier Weight"; Melinda S. Sothern, T. Kristian Von Almen and Heidi Schumacher; 2003
Member Comments