Most diet and health advice focuses primarily on losing fat, not increasing it. As a result, there isn't much information available on how to gain weight properly. Regardless of whether your desire to gain weight is motivated by health or professional issues (for example, you are an actor preparing for a film role), know that there is no need to eat junk food or avoid activity. physical, but there are safer and healthier ways to gain weight. By following a proper diet, you can gain weight and, at the same time, stay healthy.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Getting Ready to Get Fat
Step 1. Go to the doctor
Before making any changes in your diet or body, you must undergo a full visit to the doctor. If you have a medical condition such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, your doctor may advise against gaining weight. Always take her advice seriously before making any lifestyle changes.
- Some conditions involve the need to increase body weight. Thyroid problems, digestive disorders, diabetes and cancers can lead to considerable weight loss, compromising health. Health risks can arise if you are underweight, such as a weakened immune system, anemia, hair loss and reduced bone density.
- Too much physical activity can also cause an underweight situation. If you are an athlete it may be helpful to add some fat mass, as it can increase your energy level and allow you to train for longer periods.
Step 2. Set your goals
You need to have a clear plan for planning your weight gain. How much do you want to gain weight? When do you want to start? By answering these questions and setting a plan, you can achieve your goal more effectively.
- To get started, you need to know how much you want to gain weight. This could be your personal goal or even a commitment you have made to your doctor. In both cases, you must have a concrete and well-defined number if you want to start improving.
- Remember, the basic concept of gaining weight is to accumulate more calories than you burn. So when setting up your plan, you need to know how much you need to eat each day to exceed the calories you consume. There are several ways to proceed. This wikihow page can help you make a rough calculation of the calories you burn daily.
- Research online for more advice on how to stick to and stick to a plan for achieving goals.
Step 3. Start gradually
If you overdo it and overfill your body with hundreds of calories more than you consume, you put your heart, blood pressure, digestive system and other organs at risk. Set a schedule that includes a gradual increase in calories to allow your body to get used to the new situation. Start with 300 extra calories a day for a week or so, then increase to 600, and so on. In this way you avoid stressing the body at the beginning of the new diet.
- Divide the program into several phases. Determine how much you want to gain weight each week or month. By doing this, the body gets used to the weight gain better, rather than starting quickly.
- Just like with weight loss diets, it is also important in this case to proceed gradually. Gaining half a pound a week is a healthy way to gain weight.
Step 4. Make a meal plan
You will need to eat a lot more than usual to gain weight. Focus especially on calorie and high nutritional value foods, avoiding junk food. There are many foods that can help you in your goal and that contain all the nutrients you need to keep you healthy.
- Plan on eating more than three meals a day. Increase the number of meals to 5 or more, plus snacks throughout the day.
- Make sure that all meals are well balanced. Each of these should include carbohydrates, proteins and unsaturated fats. These are the three nutrients that offer the most help in gaining weight.
- By eating more often and more healthy foods, your financial commitment will be greater. It is worth making a new budget with this new type of diet in mind so that you can stick to it.
Step 5. Plan some strength training
In addition to the accumulation of fat mass, you can gain weight by developing muscles. By starting a strength training you allow the body to make the most of all the nutrients you have taken. Plus, by gaining muscle mass, you can be assured of maintaining strength and overall health while gaining weight.
Part 2 of 3: Eat the Right Foods
Step 1. Eat foods rich in unsaturated fats
Obviously you have to eat fat to gain weight, but not all fats are created equal. The saturated ones and the trans ones certainly help you gain weight, but they also increase your cholesterol and the risk of heart disease. The unsaturated ones, on the other hand, play the opposite role: they reduce the risk of heart disease and strengthen the immune system. Make sure you supplement each meal with these nutrients.
- To gain weight in a healthy way you need to focus on "good fats", to help strengthen the body's fat mass and at the same time to take in essential nutrients for the body.
- Nuts, peanut butter, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, avocado are all high in unsaturated fat and calories that provide essential nutrients. Include these foods in your meals or snacks throughout the day.
Step 2. Eat whole grains and carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are sugars that provide the body with energy. If you don't burn all the calories, you accumulate fat and can gain weight. After fats, this is the second most important food category for gaining weight, so you need to include plenty of it in your diet plan.
- You must especially choose products with whole carbohydrates rather than refined ones. The latter have undergone a processing and an industrial process that deprives them of most of the essential nutritional values. Whole grains, on the other hand, provide carbohydrates, more fiber, essential vitamins and minerals.
- Replace foods like refined bread, pasta, and rice with whole grain foods. Include carbohydrates in each meal to make it easier for you to reach your goal.
Step 3. Choose high-fat dairy products
Dairy products are also important to your diet because they contain calcium and vitamins. Most of these products are commercially offered in the low-fat version, but for your weight gain purposes you have to choose the ones that are quite high in calories. Eat cheeses and yoghurt made with whole milk and prefer the latter to skim milk.
- It also cooks with butter instead of oil, to get even more fat from your diet.
- Also try replacing some drinks with a glass of whole milk.
- Keep in mind, though, that these foods are high in saturated fat. However, there is some evidence that fatty dairy products actually reduce the risk of heart disease.
Step 4. Add meat carefully to your diet
Animal proteins and fats are important for gaining weight. You have to be careful with red meat though. Some studies have found that, in excessive quantities, this food can lead to cardiovascular disease and various types of cancers. Try not to exceed 3-5 servings of red meat per week to stay healthy. For other meat-based meals, choose poultry, which contains unsaturated proteins and fats.
Step 5. Enrich foods with calorie-rich ingredients
You can continue to eat most of the usual foods, but you can add some ingredients to gain weight. Here are some examples:
- Add hard-boiled eggs to salads;
- Add cheese to sandwiches, eggs and salads;
- Make meat ragu instead of simple vegetable sauces and enrich the gravy with whole pieces of meat.
Part 3 of 3: Using Techniques to Grease
Step 1. Avoid refined and industrially processed sugars
Just because you're trying to get fat doesn't mean you have to eat disproportionately every day or choose foods of dubious quality. You need to focus on foods high in calories and fat that are good for you. Sugary foods contain no nutritional value and can lead to diabetes, heart disease, dental caries, hormonal problems and other conditions.
- Try to avoid as much sugar as possible. Candies, sweets, cookies and other desserts are full of sugar.
- Cut back or avoid soft drinks as well. A can of soda contains more sugar than a regular dessert.
- There are also foods that are referred to as "healthy" but contain extra amounts of sugar. These include dried and canned fruit, yogurt with fruit, energy or protein bars, fruit juices and some breakfast cereals. Always read the label before shopping to make sure you don't inadvertently add sugar to your diet.
Step 2. Eat before bedtime
The body needs fewer calories during sleep. If you eat before bed, it is very likely that you will accumulate some fat. Take advantage of this phenomenon by having dinner late at night or taking a nap after lunch.
Step 3. Do not drink for 30 minutes before meals
Liquids fill your stomach and make you feel fuller ahead of time. To avoid this, do not drink anything half an hour before dining. This way you can be sure your stomach is empty and you can finish the meal.
Step 4. Get proper physical activity
Just because you're trying to get fat doesn't mean you need to avoid exercise. In fact, not exercising and becoming sedentary is very bad for your health.
- Weight lifting can negatively interfere with weight gain if done improperly for this purpose. Resistance exercises encourage metabolism, thus leading to burning more calories. After a training session, try to consume a lot of calories, in order to frustrate the function of the metabolism and continue with your project.
- Also do stretching exercises regularly. Lack of activity leads to muscle stiffening, with the risk of incurring limited motility. Make sure you stretch your legs, arms, hips, and back every day to keep your body moving.
Step 5. Drink protein shakes to gain weight
In addition to eating more, you also need to gain muscle mass with protein shakes and protein powders. There is a wide variety of products on the market that provide a protein intake, thus helping you to gain weight and muscle mass. Strictly follow the directions and dosage as indicated on the package.
- Whey protein powder is a popular supplement, and you can add it to a variety of drinks. You can make smoothies with fruit, yogurt, and a few spoonfuls of these proteins.
- You can find different types of protein drinks or bars available at sporting goods and food supplement stores. By snacking on these products throughout the day you can get a healthy dose of protein.
- Always read the label of every product you buy. Many contain added sugars which can be harmful; therefore always choose products that have a small quantity.
