Asking for advice on how to gain weight seems absurd since everyone talks about weight loss. Some people may have lost weight after surgery, an illness or intense training (athletes). And how hard can it be anyway? Just gorge yourself on lots of junk food. But if you’re looking to gain weight the healthy way, this won’t work. After all, we are what we eat.
Combine Food Types
Aim to eat at least 3 food groups at each meal. This provides a wide range of nutrients for your body to work with throughout the day. For example, whole grain bread spread with almond butter and banana slices. Accompany this with some milk. This is healthier for weight gain as opposed to eating large amounts of one food.
Healthy Drinks
Choose liquids with high healthy nutrient levels. Unlike solid food, they don’t leave you feeling too full. Healthy drinks include homemade smoothies, 100% fruit juice and milk alternatives like organic soy.
Space Meals Closely
Don’t let more than four or five hours pass between one meal and the next. The body is constantly running its processes and needs a continuous supply of energy. Keeping to a closely spaced meal schedule prevents you from losing muscle mass. When the body is low on energy, muscle mass also declines.
Eat Close to Bedtime
When we go to bed our bodies don’t ‘rest’ completely. Muscle repair and regeneration happens at this time. Eating shortly before bed gives our cells all the vital nutrition for this.
Exercise
Strength training exercises help to build muscle. They also stimulate your appetite- great for when you’re trying to gain weight.
Healthy and Dense Food
Instead of eating large quantities of food at a go, choose foods that pack a lot of protein, carbohydrates or healthy fat in one serving. Examples include whole-grain pasta, bread and cereal, dairy products, lean protein sources and dried fruits with no added sugar or preservatives.
