If your body mass index is under 18.5, your weight may be too low for someone of your height. Being underweight can increase your risk of negative health issues such as pregnancy complications and slow recovery from illnesses. However, you aren't at liberty to nix diet and exercise if your doctor recommends that you try to gain some weight. On the contrary, eating well and exercising regularly is the most efficient way to gain healthy weight.
Muscle Gain
You should never try to gain weight by increasing your body fat. Lean muscle is healthier because it keeps you stronger, supports a stable metabolism and helps protect your bones and joints from injury. If you're under 65 years old, aim to include at least eight to 10 strength-training activities in your workout twice weekly and repeat each exercise eight to 12 times, recommends the American College of Sports Medicine. If you're older, set a goal to do the same number of strengthening exercises two to three times per week and include 10 to 15 repetitions of each exercise. Include exercises for your arms, chest, abs, back, hips and legs to get a well-balanced workout. Examples of strength-training exercises are crunches, bicep curls and push-ups.
Strength-Supporting Diet
You may not need to plan out a higher-calorie diet if you exercise on a regular basis because your appetite will naturally adapt to fuel your muscle development, according to University of Iowa Health Care. Typically, your body only needs about 15 extra g of protein, which is about what you would get in 1 cup of kidney beans, to support muscle growth of 1 lb. per week. If your doctor does recommend that you add extra calories to your diet to boost your weight loss, he will likely suggest adding about 250 to 500 calories per day, or about 1/2 to 1 lb. per week. To achieve that goal you should include high-quality sources of calories such as nut butters, thick breads such as whole wheat, vegetables such as squash and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt.
What to Avoid
Don't chug liquids. Soda, tea and other beverages can fill you up without adding many nutritious calories to your diet, warns MayoClinic.com. Limit drinks to 30 minutes prior to or after each meal to ensure that you get enough calories from your food. Also, although you shouldn't actively try to pack on the calories you shouldn't try to eat diet foods in an attempt to eat healthier. Frozen diet meals and other meal choices labeled "low-calorie" often compensate for flavor with less healthy add-ins such as salt and sugar.
Considerations
Talk to your doctor if you have recently lost weight due to an illness. You may gain it back naturally without needing to take any drastic measures. Also talk to your doctor if you have recently lost weight for any unexplainable reason, recommends the University of Iowa Health Care website. Your doctor should be the one to assess your health and suggest the proper course of action.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Weight: Caloric Balance
- University of Iowa Health Care: Healthy Weight Gain
- MayoClinic.com; Adding Pounds Healthfully; Katherine Zeratsky
- American College of Sports Medicine: Exercise Guidelines for Adults
- Health Services at Columbia University; I Want More Curves; February 2011
- McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois: Gaining Weight the Healthy Way
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