Gaining weight is not always easy. Whether you are naturally thin, need to add weight for sports, have unintentionally lost weight due to an illness or need to gain weight on your doctor's advice, gaining weight takes planning and discipline. Plan your meals each day, counting your caloric intake as you eat to ensure you meet your daily goals. Weigh yourself several times a week to chart your progress.
Eat More Calories
Just as a reduction in caloric intake results in weight loss, an increase in caloric intake results in weight gain. In general, you must eat about 3,500 calories more to gain a single pound. To gain 1/2 lb. a week, increase your calories by about 250 per day, and to gain 1 lb. per week, increase calories by 500 per day. Focus on gaining weight through healthy calorie choices from cereals, pastas, lean proteins, oils found in nut butters and olives as well as eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid adding your extra calories with a fast food meal, slices of cake or candy bars.
Eat Frequently
Frequent eating makes it easier to consume an adequate number of calories. Divide your calories among meals and snacks. Eat breakfast when you wake up. Instead of 1/2 cup cereal, have 1 cup. Add extra fruit and a piece of bread to your breakfast. Eat a snack of low-fat cheese or peanut butter and crackers for snack. Have 5 oz. of protein for lunch rather than 3 oz., and add pasta or dense breads. After a filling afternoon snack and dinner, have a milkshake or yogurt smoothie before bedtime.
High Calorie Foods
Foods that are higher in calories but with the same density make it possible to eat more calories without feeling uncomfortably full. Three small handfuls, or about 48 almonds has 328 calories, contains omega-3 fatty acids and are heart healthy. To eat 300 calories of salad without dressing, you would have to consume more than 4 1/2 cups of plain salad. Add olive or canola oil based dressings to salads, cheese on lean, grilled turkey or veggie burgers, low-fat fruit yogurt as dips for fruits, brush olive oil on vegetables before grilling and choose higher calorie whole-grain cereals. Spread 2 tbsp. of peanut butter on apple slices or bananas to add almost 200 calories to the fruit. (See Reference 4)
Considerations
Whether you are gaining weight on your doctor's recommendation or for improved sports performance, exercise regularly with weights. Exercise will help increase your lean muscle mass and help you avoid just adding fat to your frame by eating more food. If your doctor agrees, make your own weight-gain supplement from 2 percent milk, powdered milk and powdered breakfast mix to give you additional calories on the days when you do not meet your caloric goals. If you gain more than 2 lbs. per week, reduce your calorie intake slightly until you gain between 1 to 2 lbs. each week.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Underweight? See How to Add Pounds Healthfully
- University of California: Calories (PDF)
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Nancy Clark; September/October 2005 (PDF)
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 17: Energy (PDF)
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Gaining Weight the Healthy Way
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