If overweight is undesirable, so is underweight. A considerable percentage of population is underweight or skinny due to illness, bad eating habits, hormonal imbalance or inadequate food intake.
A thin and lanky body is not only unappealing, but also quite unhealthy. There are certain easy tips that can help boost up the weight gaining process.
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A body mass ratio, determined by the weight, height, gender and age, gives a clear idea as to how much weight you actually need to gain. The first step towards weight gain is to increase your daily calorie count.
According to College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, NCSU, one should increase the food intake with an addition of 500 calories a day, which gives around 0.5 kg increase in a week. The total calorie consumed needs to be higher than the calorie spent.
Your main aim should be to increase your body weight in a healthy way. A heavy intake of fatty and junk foods will lead to health complications later as they are very low in nutrition content, and add no value to your diet. Moreover, junk food intake will affect your energy levels too.
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So, opt for a balanced diet, which includes four parts of carbohydrate, four parts of protein and two parts of fat in your daily diet. This combination helps to stimulate the weight gain process faster.
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Apart from the standard breakfast, lunch and dinner, include small meals or snacks in between. It helps you stock more calories and gives positive results.
Since you need to boost your calorie intake, opt for foods that are rich in calories. Slight variations in your food habits can create huge difference. A broth-based soup has more calories than a clear soup, nuts are denser in calories than popcorn, and raisins are a wiser option than grapes owing to their rich nutrient content.
Must-Try: Some of the foods that can boost your calorie intake are bananas, pineapple, jam, peanut butter, potato, frozen yogurt, oatmeal raisin cookies, cheese, ice cream, etc.
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Fat is highly responsible for weight gain. However, you must understand the difference between harmful fats like trans-fat and healthy fats like monounsaturated fats. While the former poses risk to your heart, the latter is good for body. Fat present in fish, olive oil and almonds (READ Benefits Of Almonds) are healthy for your body.
Drinks like milk and smoothies are high in calories, and can be replaced in place of water. This way, your calorie count will rise and so will your weight. Do avoid soda-based drinks as the sugar content is high with very little nutrition.
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A regular physical exercise not only helps to achieve a toned body, but also gives adequate flexibility to your skinny frame.
According to McKinley Health Center, strength training helps gain weight faster. Heavy weight lifts and stressful training helps to add lean muscle tissue to your frame.The muscular exercises also enhance the hormonal secretions and boost the body metabolism.
When you are underweight, you tend to feel fuller faster. Mayo Clinic nutritionist suggests adding calorie-dense snacks in between meals to help gain weight faster. Also avoid drinking water immediately before your meals and also during food intake. This hampers the digestive process and you end up eating less.
Weight gain does not happen in a week, especially, if you have a naturally thin body. However, by following a regular exercise and diet regime, your muscle mass develops and you put on weight.
So, be consistent in your efforts. Give it a month or two. You are sure to experience some healthy weight gain in the right places. Most importantly, appreciate your body to feel happy and confident always.
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