Gaining a healthy amount of weight may be recommended to you by your doctor if you are considered underweight. Your doctor is not likely to tell you to load up on junk food and spend time sitting on the couch if you want to gain a healthy amount of weight. Instead, she'll likely recommend healthy foods that are high in heart-healthy fats.
Time Frame
If you need to gain weight, your doctor is likely to suggest that you aim for adding 1 to 2 lbs. per week. This is reasonable goal since it takes 3,500 extra calories to gain 1 lb. Adding 500 to 1,000 extra calories per day can help you reach this goal. While gaining weight, your doctor will monitor your progress to make sure you stay in a healthy range.
Foods
To gain a healthy amount of weight, you need to consume nutritious and calorie-dense foods. Healthy carbohydrates can help you put on weight. Some carb foods to add to your diet are dried fruits, honey, milk, whole grain breads, brown rice and whole grain cereals. Unsaturated fat sources can also assist in weight gain, including nuts, peanut butter, canola oil, olive oil and avocados.
Meals
Your eating habits need to change if you wish to gain a healthy amount of weight. Instead of three square meals, you should eat frequently throughout the day. Five to six small meals can help you pack on the calories. You can include extra portions at each meal of the healthy foods you'll be consuming to gain weight.
Exercise
Exercise when you are trying to gain weight. Weight training can help you build muscle and put on some extra pounds. You can use resistance exercise machines to work the upper and lower body muscle groups approximately three times a week with days of rest between sessions.
Considerations
You can try weight-gaining protein shakes to help you put on some extra pounds. Nutritional supply stores sell these products. You typically add milk to the concentrated powder and blend. The weight-gaining shakes may have as many as 2,000 calories per serving, and are usually low in fat.
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