Healthy Ways to Gain Weight

Posted on Balanced Body, Balanced Nutrition | May 27, 2009 | No Comments

Being too skinny sounds like a dream for millions of people out there who are fighting nasty pounds. I can say that sometimes even I envy some of those girls who eat whatever they like and still look as skinny as a straw. I never had a problem of not having enough weight but my husband did. When he was a teenager he was struggling trying to get at least a few extra pounds on because at his height of 6 feet his weight was 123 pounds. That was a real problem for him. Let me tell you now how he tried to change this situation.
The most obvious solution at first seemed to eat more and that’s why he started eating peanut butter, Haagen Dazs ice-cream and PizzaHut pizza all the time. After not gaining a pound Brian decided to change his plan and start weight-lifting and that’s when the situation changed. He gained his first 10 pounds after exercising for 2 months and after that he took control over his weight. Gradually he came to the weight of 170 that is ideal for him, gained muscles and got cut (that’s when I met him and fell in love with him:-)). I am saying all this just to say that the turning point for him was exercise. A lot of people no matter if they are men or women refuse to exercise just because of the stereotype that it will make them lose weight instead of gaining it. Exercise has a terrific quality to equalize any imbalance in your body and to bring your weight under control.
If I had to give just one advice for all those people who want to gain weight I would say “Exercise and eat a balanced diet.” If I had to give a few more tips then that’s what I would say:

Gain Weight the Healthy Way

• Exercise will help you grow muscle and get a balanced and proportioned body.
• Start a food diary. This will help you track your calories and control your meals.
• Eat 5-6 times a day. Every day you must eat 3 full meals and 2-3 snacks between them.
• Eat more servings from the Food Guide Pyramid. Each food group in the Food Guide Pyramid suggests a range of servings to choose from. Go for the higher end of each range: 6 – 11 servings each day of breads, cereals, rice and pasta; 3 – 5 servings of vegetables; 2 – 4 servings of fruits; 2 – 3 servings of milk, yogurt and cheese and 2 – 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs and nuts.
• Have balanced meals that include 60%-70% carbohydrates, 10%-15% protein and a small amount of fat.
• Choose foods that are high in nutrients, vitamins and calories as opposed to those high in sugars and fat. Here a few tips to get you started:

SNACKS

• Add powdered milk to smoothies or blender drinks.
• Snack on crackers, peanut butter and granola bars.
• Munch on trail mix (dry cereal, nuts, pretzels, dried fruit).
• Eat fresh vegetables with dip.
• Choose bananas, mangos, and avocados for snacks.
• Make pudding with whole milk.
• Snack on rolled up tortillas with melted cheese and beans.

MEALS

• Use milk when making hot cereals and soups.
• Add cheese or eggs to mashed potatoes.
• Use whole milk dairy products instead of low-fat ones.
• Add powdered milk to meatloaf.
• Add cheese to sandwiches and salads.
• Eat baked potatoes with sour cream, cottage cheese or grated cheese.
• Add beans to salads or pasta dishes.

Keep it balanced!