Women who are underweight or have a body mass index (BMI), or body mass index, below 18.5 may consider increasing their weight to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Underweight can cause many health problems for women, such as a weakened immune system, reduced muscle mass, unhealthy hair, skin and nails, weakened bones, and the inability to menstruate. Gaining weight and maintaining a healthy lifestyle can lower the chances of these health problems. Women should look for healthy ways to gain weight, rather than gaining weight through extra fat in the body. Begin Step 1 below to find out some useful information about how to gain weight for women.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Increase Calorie Intake
Step 1. Consume an additional 500 calories daily
An additional 500 calories per day is enough to help you gain weight, but don't make you feel lazy, full, or nauseous.
- By simply adding an extra 500 calories per day (which is easy enough if you follow the instructions below), you can gain between 0.5 and 0.7 pounds per week.
- However, you need to know that this additional 500 calories must be obtained in a healthy way, by adding calorie-rich foods that still contain lots of vitamins and nutrients.
- Gaining weight by eating a low-nutrient diet is not a good idea. Such foods will actually make you feel unwell and drain your energy, and lead to more fatal health problems.
- You can also increase your calorie intake by adding protein powder to your diet. This powder is rich in low-fat protein and contains extra calories and can be mixed with juices, yogurt, breakfast cereals and other foods.
- You should always consult a doctor or nutritionist before starting any weight gain plan.
Step 2. Eat more healthy fats
Foods that contain healthy fats are rich in nutrients as well as calories, making them a good choice for weight gain.
- Foods containing plant fats should be the top choice-vegetable fats include nuts, seeds, peanut butter, avocados, and olive oil.
- Spread peanut butter (or almond butter) on toast, eat half an avocado with each meal, eat a handful of nuts or seeds as a snack and add olive oil to lettuce and vegetables.
- You can also add animal fat, but these foods also contain saturated fat (an unhealthy type of fat). So, don't overdo it.
- Foods that contain healthy animal fats include lean meats and high-fat dairy products-but, if you have high cholesterol, you should still choose foods that are low in fat.
Step 3. Eat more protein
High protein foods are your best friend when trying to gain weight the healthy way. Protein can build lean muscle, instead of adding too much fat to the body. Eating protein is very important especially if you plan to do weight training.
- Good sources of protein are lean meats, fish, and poultry, in addition to eggs, whole grains, dairy products, and nuts. You can also aim to eat about 5 ounces of protein per day from a combination of these food sources.
- You can also increase your protein intake by drinking protein powders, or adding protein supplements to juices and smoothies.
Step 4. Cook in oil or butter
One easy way to increase the calorie intake of each meal without having to eat more food is to cook with oil or butter.
- Try sautéing vegetables using block butter, or adding a little olive oil to salads and cooked vegetables. By adding a tablespoon of this fat to each dish, you can add 100 calories!
- However, don't use too much fat when cooking. Excess fat is very unhealthy. If possible, choose healthier fats like olive, canola, or safflower oil, and avoid using unhealthy oils like lard or margarine.
Step 5. Drink more calories
Another great trick to increase your calorie intake is to consume more calorie-laden drinks. This will help you gain weight without disturbing your appetite or making you feel full.
- Try drinking a large glass of orange juice in the morning (with your normal breakfast). Orange juice has a lot of calories and is delicious and refreshing!
- Consider drinking a glass or two of milk throughout the day-high-fat milk options are high in calories, protein, and calcium-which are ideal for thin people who are more prone to bone loss.
- Protein powders will help build muscle mass, especially if you're working out, while a delicious milkshake is a great snack to drink.
Part 2 of 3: Changing Eating Habits
Step 1. Increase the portion sizes of your meals
Try to eat a little more than usual each time you eat, even if you have to push yourself to get past your comfort zone.
- Over time, your stomach will adjust to the larger portions of food and you won't notice the changes.
- One great trick to help with this is to serve your food on a larger plate-this will make your brain think that you're eating less food than usual.
Step 2. Eat frequently
Try to eat more often than usual, and never skip meals. In fact, most experts agree that eating six small meals is better than eating three large meals.
- This can make you gain weight without feeling full after eating.
- Try to balance the levels of protein, starch, vegetables, and fat in each meal.
Step 3. Eat more snacks
Make an effort to add more snacks to your daily routine as snacks can be a great way to add calories without having to overeat.
Eat a handful of nuts while watching TV, eat a banana on the way to work, or spread hummus on whole grain crackers while waiting for dinner to finish cooking
Step 4. Improve the taste of your food
Underweight people always complain that food doesn't make them feel good.
- Therefore, it's best to make your food tastier by experimenting with spices and seasonings and cooking food you've never tried.
- You can also improve the taste of food by adding toppings-such as a little high-fat mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich, a sprinkling of cashews over a stir fry or salad, or a handful of cheese on a homemade taco or spaghetti bolognese sauce.
Step 5. Eat a little faster
People who are dieting are usually advised to eat a little longer. Eating more slowly makes the brain send signals that the stomach is full before the person overeats. The opposite method can be used for people who are trying to gain weight.
- Eating a little faster than usual can make you eat more food before you start feeling full, which can increase your calorie intake.
- However, don't eat too fast as you can feel full and nauseous.
Part 3 of 3: Making Lifestyle Changes
Step 1. Increase muscle mass
It's best to keep exercising while you're trying to gain weight in a healthy way. However, you may be better off not doing cardio (which will burn those hard-to-get extra calories) and focusing on strength training (which will build muscle mass and help you gain weight).
- Strength training is a sport that uses weights and exercises such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses, bicep curls, crunches, chin-ups, and leg curls.
- If you've never done strength training before, it's a good idea to enlist the help of a personal trainer who can show you how to do the exercises correctly and safely.
- Remember that the more you train, the more calories you will have to consume to replace the calories burned during exercise. This is when protein powders and snacks are really needed. Fortunately, exercise can also increase appetite.
Step 2. Quit smoking
Smoking is a bad idea for anyone trying to gain weight because smoking can reduce appetite.
- Although difficult, quitting smoking is also a good option-quitting smoking will not only increase your appetite, it will improve your overall appearance. Not only that, lung health will be maintained.
- If quitting smoking sounds too extreme, at least don't smoke for an hour or two before eating.
Step 3. Keep a food journal
Keeping a food journal will allow you to keep track of your weight gain and know what methods worked and didn't work for you.
- Keep a record of every calorie consumed that day and every calorie burned (to your knowledge). Write down your weight after your weekly weigh-in.
- Seeing clearly written numbers will help you know what you went wrong or what to improve.
- When you can see the progress, you will also be more motivated.
Step 4. Reduce stress
Stress can also contribute to your weight. When stressed, people tend to neglect basic things like eating and exercising regularly. Make an effort to relieve stress and make time each day to relax.
- You can try relaxation techniques, yoga, or meditation to help manage stress. You can also take special classes if that helps.
- Make time for activities you enjoy. Set aside time to read or watch a movie in the afternoon, or take a warm bath before bed.
Step 5. Stay committed
Gaining weight is not an easy process-in fact, gaining weight can be more difficult than losing it. However, staying committed and focused on the goal is very important.
- Set a small, achievable goal for yourself-like a goal to gain 2 pounds in a month. This will give you more tangible things to do.
- If you set goals that are too high, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and want to give up.
Step 6. Take care of your health
The most important of all the weight gain process is to maintain health by eating a balanced diet and continuing to exercise.
- Eating too much non-nutritive food may seem like a shortcut, but the risk is to your health and you won't be able to maintain your weight for long.
- Remember that you're not just trying to gain weight-you're also trying to change your view of food.
