Healthy Weight Gain:
Not to gain weight: for some a blessing, for others a nightmare. Tackling the problem by eating fatty mayonnaise fries is not the solution. Here are five tips for healthy weight gain.
Reasons are very variable
When you think about weight issues, the first thought that usually comes to mind is: lose weight. However, for those who want to take it, things are not always easy. Almost 4% of the Swiss population struggles to gain weight and is underweight according to their BMI. Women are much more concerned. The reasons vary widely: eating habits, genetic factors, state of health, stress, or high-level sport, to name but a few examples. With age, it can get worse due to dental problems, taking medications, and reduced appetite.
Unhealthy high-calorie foods not only help you gain pounds but also increase unwanted fatty tissue. The risks of health problems such as type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease do not only affect overweight people. To reach your healthy weight, you must therefore focus on quality foods and have an active lifestyle.
Healthy weight gain: here’s how.
To gain weight, the rule of thumb is: eat 500 kcal more than the recommended energy requirement each day. You will be able to gain a kilo in two weeks.
1. Small meals, but many
When you don’t have an appetite, it may be a good idea to eat several small meals to increase calorie intake. It is thus possible to plan three meals a day, plus two to three snacks. Snacks allow you to gain extra calories, for example with dried fruits, nuts, fresh fruits with nut butter, or a slice of bread with avocado.
2. Low-Volume High-Calorie
Eat foods with a high energy content more often. Certain meals thus become “calorie bombs” without harming your health. At 9 kcal per gram, fat is the most caloric nutrient there is. Small amounts are sufficient to increase the calorie intake of a meal: an extra spoon of olive oil when cooking, an avocado in the salad, a slice of bread to accompany the midday meal, or crunchy nuts in the muesli or soup. Carbohydrates such as bread, oatmeal, pasta, rice, or dried fruit are rich in starch and therefore particularly suitable.
3. Proteins play a major role in muscles
The recommended daily requirements vary between 1 and 1.5 g of protein per kilogram weighed. We should not go further, because, in the long term, too much protein can be harmful to health. No need to take powders or special preparations to cover your daily needs. 100 g of fish already provide nearly 20 g of protein and 100 g of quark 10 g of protein. Not to mention that plants also contain a lot of protein: a portion of lentil curry accompanied by rice already contains 30 g.
4. Sport
Not only does physical activity (especially weight training) stimulate the appetite, it also helps build muscle mass and gain weight.
