A doctor may suggest that you gain weight if you are considered underweight or you have lost weight quickly due to a medical condition, like cancer. Being underweight can lead to potential problems, like increased risk of infections and slower recovery from surgeries and illnesses. To gain more weight, you need to consume healthy foods that won’t compromise your health. While gaining weight, your doctor should monitor your progress to ensure that you stay in a healthy range.
Step 1
Eat five to six meals per day. Instead of three square meals daily, eat every three to four hours over the course of the day. To gain 1 lb., you need to eat an extra 3,500 calories. Adding an extra 500 calories per day can help you gain about 1 lb. per week.
Step 2
Choose healthy foods that are nutritionally sound and high in calories. Some examples are whole grain breads, whole grain cereals, potatoes, corn, squash, dried fruit, beans, lean cuts of beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, mackerel and herring.
Step 3
Add plenty of extras to food. You can increase portion sizes and calories by adding calorie--dense foods like cheeses, dried fruit, peanut butter, nuts, dried milk, olive oil, canola oil and avocado to meals.
Step 4
Drink beverages that can help you gain weight. Diet soda, coffee and teas may make you feel full without giving you the extra calories you need to pack on the pounds. Fruit juices, milk and shakes can pack in a lot of needed calories. You can even add more calories by blending in flaxseed or soy powder to the drink.
Step 5
Continue to exercise while gaining weight. Besides aerobics three to five days a week, include strength training into your workout routine. This can help build muscle mass and assist in weight gain from muscle instead of fat. Spend at least three days a week working the muscles in the upper and lower body using resistance exercise machines. Rest the muscles for a day between sessions.
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