How to Gain Weight Safely

If you are underweight it is important to gain weight. There are many people who are underweight. In fact, being underweight can damage your health. Moreover, it can be as bad as being obese. So you should check your Body mass index (BMI). The BMI measures how your weight relates to your height. If your BMI is below the normal range, then you are underweight. The normal BMI is 18.5 to 25. So if your BMI is below 18.5 you are underweight and you should gain weight.

1. The Dangers of Being Underweight

There are many people who are underweight. Being underweight can weaken your immune system and cause your bones to be fragile. It also makes you feel tired. In fact, being underweight has many health risks.

Depressed immunity

Being underweight lowers your immune function. This is because vitamin A and C are important to a healthy immunity. When you are under weight, your reserves of these important vitamins are low. So this lowers your immune function and it cannot prevent disease. Moreover, a depressed immune system is not effective in fighting off bacteria and viruses. So this can lead to diseases and sickness.

Difficulties in regulating body temperature

Being underweight may make it difficult to stay warm. So having a healthy weight is important to staying warm. This is because your body is insulated with a layer of body fat. Hence, maintaining normal weight is important for regulating body temperatures. It helps maintain normal body temperatures.

Lack of energy

If you are underweight your body will lack enough fat and nutrients. So you will feel weak. Besides, this weakness can make it difficult for you to perform your daily functions. Besides, this weakens is caused by lack of iron. Iron helps to prevent anemia. Moreover, anemia saps your energy. Hence, increasing your food intake may help normalize your iron levels. As a result, your energy levels will rise.

Nutritional deficiency

You are more likely to suffer nutritional deficiencies if you are underweight. This is because your body does not have enough reserves of essential nutrients. So you are likely to suffer from calcium deficiency. This mineral is important for strong bones and good health. You are also likely to suffer from potassium deficiency. Potassium is essential for maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. Besides, nutrient deficiencies will also interfere with digestion, mental health, lung function and joints.

Infertility

Being under weight may cause infertility, especially in women. This is because it may interfere with ovulation. So the reproductive system of women who are underweight may not be well regulated. Moreover, they have irregular menstruation. In fact, this skewed ovulation may make it difficult to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Underweight men may also suffer infertility because of nutritional deficiencies.

2. The Benefits of Appropriate Weight Gain

If you are under weight you should gain weight. Moreover, gaining weight may help you become healthier. Yet, it is advisable to consult your doctor before you gain weight. Appropriate weight gain has many benefits.

Improved quality of life

If you gain weight your reserves of essential nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants will increase. First of all, this will help to boost your immune function. So this will make you less prone to diseases. Your body and bones will also become stronger and healthier. Besides, you will be able to maintain normal body temperatures. In fact, if you gain weight with a balanced diet, your body will have all the nutrients it needs. This will help you to become healthier and improve the quality of your life.

Increased energy levels

Gain weight and become more energetic. When you are underweight your body does not have enough calories. So it conserves energy for the operation of vital functions. These include blood flow and actions of internal organs. So you feel tired and listless. If you gain weight you will boost your energy levels. This is because your body will have the nutrients and fuel it needs to operate well. So if you gain weight you will have more physical and mental energy.

Better physique

To improve the composition of your body you need to gain weight. This is because you need enough energy to exercise. Exercise will help you gain a strong, fit and muscular physique. So to have a quality workout you must have enough energy. Moreover, to have more energy you must gain weight. In fact, being underweight makes you body burn lean muscle for fuel. It also increases body fat because it senses starvation. So if you are underweight it is difficult to develop muscle. Hence, to be fit and strong, you need to gain weight.

Improved sport performance

Gain weight and improve your sport performance. Being underweight makes you lack the muscle mass and energy to perform well in sports. Weight gain is beneficial for athletes who need more power and strength. More so, it is important for players in sports such as football and hockey. If you gain weight through a health diet, you will have more energy. You will also have enough protein and vitamins. These are important for building muscle mass and a strong body. So if you gain weight you will have more energy and stronger body. Hence, it will improve your sports performance.

Fertility benefits

If you gain weight you may restore your normal hormonal function. In fact, women who are underweight may have difficulty getting pregnant. This is because it signals the body that it is not a good time to reproduce. Furthermore, the system senses that the body is not strong enough to support another life. It could also be sending signals that you are experiencing a famine. So the body will not produce enough estrogen. In fact, this is an important hormone for bone and sexual health in women.

So being under weight may lead to irregular or no menstruation. If you gain weight you may restore the normal production of the estrogen hormone. Hence, your periods will return to normal and increase your chances of becoming pregnant.

3. How to Gain Weight Safely

It is important to gain weight the right way. More so, it is important to gain weight with a healthy diet. This is because some foods may help you gain weight and destroy your health at the same time. In fact, there are many people of normal weight who suffer from chronic diseases. These include heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and other health problems that affect obese people. Therefore, if you want to gain weight, it is essential that you eat healthy foods. Also, you must live a healthy lifestyle. There several ways you can gain weight in a healthy manner.

Consume more calories than your body burns

To gain weight it is important to eat more calories than your body needs. So there must be extra calories or you wouldn’t gain weight. Moreover, to gain weight in a safe and steady manner, eat 300 to 500 calories more than you use per day. So use a calorie calculator to determine your calorie needs. Furthermore, if you want to gain weight faster, consume 700 to 100 calories more than you need per day. Yet, you need to remember that the calorie calculator only gives estimates. So your needs may vary by several hundred calories daily.

Eat more protein

Protein is the single most important nutrient for gaining weight. This is because the muscles are made of protein. Proteins make the building blocks of our muscles. So without it the extra calories you are taking may become body fat. In fact, studies show that during periods of extra eating, a high protein diet makes a lot of the extra calories to turn into muscle. Yet, keep in mind that protein can cut both ways. This is because protein also makes you feel full for longer. So this reduces your appetite and your hunger pangs. Hence, it may make it harder for you to eat the extra calories you need to gain weight.

So, eating enough proteins is necessary to gain muscle weight. The healthy foods rich in protein include meat, eggs, fish and nuts. Others are legumes, and many dairy products.

Eat at least 3 times daily

To gain weight you must eat a lot of carbohydrates and high fat foods. So eat a lot of protein, carbohydrates and fat in each meal. It is also good to avoid intermittent fasting. This is because it can make it harder to eat the extra calories you need to gain weight. So make sure you eat at least 3 meals daily. Also, try to add healthy snacks whenever possible.

Eat plenty of energy rich foods

It is important to make sure that you eat whole, single ingredient foods. Yet, these foods tend to make you feel full for longer. So this may make it harder to eat the extra calories you need to achieve your weight gain goals. In fact, using a lot of spices, condiments and sauces may help with this. This is because they make the food tastier. So it becomes easier to eat more.
Also, whenever possible, eat energy rich foods as much as possible.

Moreover, these have more calories relative to their weight. Energy dense foods include:

• Meat: Chicken, fish, pork, lamb, beef.
• Grains: brown rice, oats and other whole grains
• Fats and oils: Avocado oil and extra virgin olive oil
• Nuts: peanuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, almonds, etc
• Dried fruit: Dates, prunes, raisins, etc
• High fat dairy: Cheese, whole milk, full fat yogurt
• Dark chocolate, peanut butter, coconut milk, granola
• Tubers: Yams, sweet potatoes, and potatoes.

Improve your strength and lift weights

Weight training will make sure that the extra calories you eat become muscle and not body fat. So it is a good idea to visit the gym at least 3 times a week. Lift some heavy weight and also try to increase the weights over time. Moreover, if you are new to weight training or are out of shape it advisable to get some expert help. So consider hiring a qualified personal trainer to guide you.

Besides, if you want to gain weight should focus more on the weight training. So do cardio to improve your fitness and well being. Yet, don’t do a lot of the cardio. This is because you will end up burning up the extra calories you are eating. It is also important to consult a doctor. This is most important if you any health issues. These include skeletal problems and any sort of medical issues.

Other considerations

• Eat more often. Try to add a meal or healthy snack whenever you can.
• Avoid drinking water before meals. This is because it makes you full and you eat less. So it is harder to meet your calorie intake goals.
• Try weight gain shakes: In fact, these are loaded with protein, carbohydrates and calories.
• Use larger plates: This is because bigger plates will cause you to eat more.
• Drink whole milk: This is a simple way to quench thirst and get more high quality protein.
• Eat your protein first: Try to eat your protein rich and energy loaded foods first. Always eat you vegetables last.
• Get enough sleep: Quality sleep is important for muscle development.
• Add cream to your coffee: This helps you add in more calories.
• Quit smoking. In fact, people who stop smoking tend to gain weight.

In conclusion, it can be difficult for some people to gain weight. This is because the body has a certain weight where it feels comfortable. This is a set point of weight. So when you try to go under it as in weight loss or over it by gaining weight, the body resists. It resists by regulating your metabolic rate and hunger levels. So when you eat more calories to gain weight, your body may resist by reducing your appetite. It may also boost your metabolism. This will cause it to burn the extra calories you eat. Moreover, this is done by the brain and leptin. This is a weight regulating hormone. So to gain weight may be a marathon. In fact, it may take long. So you must be consistent if you want to succeed.