According to the University of Michigan Health System, family history is a big factor in an individual's build due to genes. There may be other reasons, however, why a person is underweight. There may have been an illness that resulted in weight loss. For a person who has a slight build due to genetic factors, there are limits to the effects of gaining weight. For example, a person who has the build of a marathon runner will not be able to transform that body into a football lineman's body. There are, however, ways to gain weight if you are underweight.
Step 1
Increase the number of calories in your daily diet. You can start with an extra 500 calories per day, although some people may need to double that to an extra 1,000 calories per day to gain weight.
Step 2
Eat snacks more often during the day. Try to make the snacks as high as possible in calories.
Step 3
Try to increase the portion sizes of dishes consumed during meals. This may not always be possible for people with low appetites. For people who cannot increase the amount of food consumed during a meal, try increasing the number of meals consumed during the day.
Step 4
Consume more healthy fats. Fats contain high amounts of protein. Healthy fats include plant oils such as canola and olive oil. Soft margarines that have no trans fats also are high in calories. Peanut butter is one food that can help to increase the number of calories consumed without drastically increasing the amount of food.
Step 5
Keep your diet healthy by consuming fruits and nuts, vegetables and lean protein foods. Lean protein foods include skim milk, poultry without the skin, egg whites, fish and beans.
Tips and Warnings
- Taking advantage of desserts after dinner can help you to gain weight. Add powdered milk and margarine to mashed potatoes to increase the caloric intake. Take snacks with you when you leave the house so you can consume more calories throughout the day.
- Taking protein supplements to assist with weight gain may result in diets that are too high in protein.
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