To gain weight requires as much work as losing weight.
While some people are overweight and obese and can’t wait to lose some weight, some, on the other hand, are underweight and would equally can’t wait to gain weight.
As in the case of losing weight, gaining weight is also completely based on your diet (what goes into your mouth, all the way down to your stomach).
First, it’s important to understand that for both weight gain and weight loss, the body deals with calorie intake. So, the amount of calorie a person takes in conjunction with your calorie conjunction level goes a long way to determine weight gain, weight loss or weight maintenance.
You need to understand that everything you eat contains calories. Likewise, everything you do (including just breathing, sleeping, digesting and a whole lot) involves burning calories.
You’re probably wondering, if you take in calories (via what you eat) and burn these calories as well (via simple everyday activities), how then can I gain weight?
When it comes to eating and gaining weight or losing weight,
i. You can consume the same amount of calorie your body utilizes to function which results in weight balance (no gain, no loss).
ii. You can consume more calories than your body requires. This will make you gain weight.
iii. You can consume fewer calories than your body requires which will result in weight loss.
So, to gain weight healthily, here are some things you should know.
ALSO READ: HEALTHY HABITS THAT MAKE YOU GAIN WEIGHT
1. Add more calories
To gain weight, aim for 300-500 calories per day above your calorie maintenance level, or 700-1000 calories if you want to gain weight fast.
To know your calorie maintenance level, you can calculate it here.
Once you know that, add an extra 300-500 calories of food per day for you to effectively gain weight.
2. Choose calorie-dense food (high calorie, low volume food)
Eating foods which are high in calorie, but low in volume will help you gain weight.
Since these foods are low in volume, it will disallow you get full in time, yet supply your body with enough calorie that can make you gain weight in time.
Examples of these foods are fresh coconut, coconut oil fried plantain chips, avocado, banana chips, low sugar granola bars and a whole lot more.
3. Eat often
In addition to knowing the kind of food to eat, you need to eat often.
Note that your healthy calorie food should be from protein and carbohydrate and healthy fats, not sugar and unhealthy fats.
Taking sugar and unhealthy fats will lead to abdominal fat which can pose serious health risk over time.
Now that you know all of these, what’s next?
Implement and watch the gradual changes your body experiences as a result.
If you found these tips useful, don’t forget to share with your friends, loved ones, and family. You could also share your thoughts and experience in the comment box below.