Most people complain of being overweight and yearn to loose weight. However, some other people yearn to gain weight too. Such people complain of being too skinny . It is however important to know that being underweight can be very dangerous to ones health. Whether you are clinically underweight or struggling to gain some weight, the main principles still stand the same.
Being underweight is referred to as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 18.5 and having a BMI over 25 is termed as overweight. Note that the BMI scale does not take muscles into account hence associated with a lot of problems.
Here are some few tips to know and do if order to gain a healthy weight.
Eat More Calories Than Your Body Burns.
The important thing to do to gain weight is to eat more calories than your body burns. If you used to eat a quarter plate of rice, you can switch to a half or full plate. If you want to gain weight slowly and steadily, aim at 300-500 calories more than you burn each day. Your needs may vary by several hundred calories per day. Eating more calories than your body burns will help you gain some healthy weight . Gaining weight doesn’t mean you have to eat any food that comes your way, there’s a great need to eat healthy too.
Eat Plenty Of Protein.
Eating more protein can make you gain the weight you seek for. Studies show that during periods of over feeding ,a diet with high protein causes many of the extra calories to turn into muscles . Note that protein foods can satisfy very easily which may make you end up not feeling for food, thereby reducing your hunger level. To gain weight, eat protein foods like meat, eggs, legumes, fish, nuts and others.
Eat Energy Dense Foods And Use Sauces, Condiments And Spices.
The problem with energy dense foods is that they tend to be more filing as compared to junk foods making it harder to gain enough calories . Using plenty of spices can also help. This is because the tastier the food, the more you take in which increases your calorie intake and makes you gain weight. Also, try eating more energy dense foods like dried fruits, nuts, fats and oils, high fat diary, grains.
Do Some Weight Training.
Weight training at least five times a week is very vital to gain some weight . This helps in gaining and maintaining lean muscle mass. Compound movements is also another way through which one can gain weight and build some muscles. These include weight lifts that involves exercises like squats, dear lifts, bench presses and others.
Individuals who work out regularly must also pay rapt attention to their calorie intake to ensure enough fueling of the body .
Remember, gaining weight doesn’t mean you should eat any food at all that you find but rather eat more healthy foods and increase your calorie intake in order to gain some more muscles and serve some body goals.