How to Gain Weight Healthily

Planning for Healthy Weight Gain

Talk to your doctor. Speak to your doctor prior to gaining any weight. It's important to get your doctor's perspective on how much weight-gain is appropriate for you. In addition, they may be able to refer you to a registered dietitian for additional one-on-one counseling. Talk to your doctor about why you want to gain weight, how much weight you want to gain, and how you think it will improve your health. Visit the EatRight website and click on the orange "Find an Expert" button on the top right to search for a dietitian in your area.

Calculate how much weight you want to gain. Before starting a new diet to help you gain weight, find out how much weight you want or need to gain. This information will help determine your eating pattern and give you a timeline to track your progress. One way to determine how much weight you should gain is to calculate your BMI. You can use a formula like this one or use an online calculator. If your BMI is less than 18, this signifies that you are underweight and may need to gain weight. Then calculate how much you would need to weigh to have your BMI fall between 19-24.9 (healthy/normal range). The difference between these two values can give you some insight into an appropriate amount of weight gain. You can also calculate your body fat percentage or have your doctor, dietitian, or even a trainer at your local gym calculate this for you. For an average woman, body fat percentage should fall between 25%–31%. For an average man, body fat percentage should fall between 18%–25%. If you exercise regularly or you are an athlete, your body fat percentage might be lower. In general, women's body fat percentage should never fall below 14% and men's shouldn't fall below 6%. If your body fat percentage is low (especially if you're not an athlete), this may also indicate the need for weight gain. Ask your doctor what is an appropriate weight range for your gender, age, and height. When aiming to gain weight, your focus should be gaining lean muscle mass and minimize gains in body fat. Large increases in body fat is not recommended.

Count calories. Monitoring and counting calories is not just for weight loss. To gain weight you'll need to know how much you're currently eating and how many calories you need to add to your diet each day to result in weight gain. It is important that your weight gain comes from healthy food sources, rather than junk food, so make sure your weight gain isn't coming from just donuts and ice cream. Safe weight gain is about 0.5–1 pound per week. This equates to consuming about 500 additional calories daily. Also count the calories that you may burn while exercising. For example, if you burned 350 calories going for a jog, you'll need to consume those 350 calories with your meals and snacks. Not eating those may cause weight loss or inability to gain weight. Monitoring calories and how many you've added to result in weight gain is also important when you're tracking your progress. If you haven't gained enough or have gained too much, you'll need to know how many calories have caused that particular result.

Purchase a food journal. Food journals are very helpful for those who are interested in gaining weight. You can track your current diet, where you can add additional calories or meals, and how that has affected your weight over time. Prior to starting a weight gain eating plan, track a few days of eating. Review your notes and see if there are any obvious improvements you can make. For example, do you skip meals? Do you typically eat only low-fat low-calorie foods?

Eating for Healthy Weight Gain

Eat more meals and snacks. Many people eat 3 meals a day plus a snack or two. If you're trying to gain weight, it is important to eat more food, more frequently. Aim for 5–6 meals daily or 3–4 meals with 2 snacks. Each meal doesn't need to be large. With more frequent meals you may feel more full throughout the day. Snack-sized meals are appropriate (like a small pack of peanut butter crackers or two hard boiled eggs). You may need to rethink or plan out your day so you have enough time to consume 5–6 meals daily. For example, you may need to eat right when you wake up so you're not too full before your next meal.

Eat healthy foods that are calorie-dense. When you're trying to gain weight it's important to maximize the amount of calories you can consume with each meal and snack. Calorie-dense foods are items that are high in calories per serving. Consume these foods with each meal and snack. Calorie dense foods to incorporate into your diet include: nuts and nut butters, avocados, full-fat dairy products (cheese, yogurt and milk), butter and oil, and eggs. Also use full-fat condiments like regular mayonnaise, full-fat cream cheese or full-fat salad dressings. Not all high-fat foods are healthy or appropriate to eat more frequently or in larger quantities. Minimize these foods: fast food, deep fried foods, candy, and high-fat processed meats (bologna or hot dogs). If you're eating multiple times throughout the day, you may feel more full. This may lead to smaller meals instead of several large meals. Even when meals/snacks are small, if they are calorie dense, they can help induce weight gain.

Add extra calories to meals and recipes. In addition to eating more calorie dense foods, you can also increase calories in your favorite meals and recipes. Adding extra foods or using higher calorie ingredients in your recipes is an easy way to bulk up your total calories. The more of a caloric punch you can add to meals, the more calories you'll consume over a given day and week. In recipes, use full-fat dairy products or dried milk in soups, stews or casseroles calling for water. Drizzle extra olive oil or add an extra pat of butter to salads, steamed vegetables, soups and casseroles. Top lower calorie foods with high-calorie toppings. For example, top whole milk yogurt with nuts and granola or top your salad with full-fat shredded cheese and sunflower seeds.

Drink your calories. Drinking extra calories is another great way to slowly gain weight. Many times fluids are not as filling as a meal, allowing you to consume more calories overall. Smoothies are great as a meal or quick snack. They're a great vehicle for adding a lot of nutritious foods and high calorie foods. You can also sip on your smoothie as you eat a meal or snack to increase calories. Try making smoothies with: whole milk/yogurt, nut butters, avocados, chia or flax seeds, and frozen fruit. Drinking 100% juice is another moderately healthy way to increase calories. 100% juice contains vitamins and minerals along with a higher calorie level. Meal replacements are drinks that have vitamins, minerals, protein and contain anywhere from 100 calories to more than 350 calories. Don't choose a low-calorie drink. If choosing a powdered drink mix, add to whole milk for a higher calorie beverage. Do not use sodas, milkshakes, high sugar coffee drinks, or sweetened teas as a source of liquid calories. These beverages, although high in calories, are low in nutrients and high in refined sugar.

Eat your favorite foods. It may be hard to gain weight, especially if you don't have an appetite or are recovering from an eating disorder. Choosing higher calorie favorite foods might help tempt your appetite. If you're not interested in eating, think about one of your favorite meals. Maybe you love mac and cheese or spicy Mexican food. Choose those items when foods are not appealing. Also try eating and preparing foods with more seasonings, like herbs and spices. More flavorful foods help stimulate your appetite. Go for a quick walk prior to a meal time. Even moderate amounts of exercise can help stimulate your appetite.

Avoid unhealthy sources of fat. When you're trying to gain weight it might be tempting to think unhealthy high fat foods are an appropriate addition to your diet. However, many high fat foods are also highly processed and contain large amounts of saturated or even trans fats. These foods are not healthy and can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Foods high in unhealthy fats that should be minimized in your diet include: processed meats (bologna, hotdogs or sausage), pastries, candy, cakes/pies, fast foods or fried foods. As with any diet, it's appropriate to eat these foods occasionally in moderation. They do not need to be avoided, but shouldn't be a staple in your weight-gain plan.

Exercising for Healthy Weight Gain

Include regular aerobic exercises. Even when you're trying to gain weight, including regular aerobic activity is healthy and beneficial to your lifestyle. Cardiovascular exercises strengthen your heart, improve or manage some chronic health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, and give you more stamina throughout the day. Cardio exercises can include: jogging or walking, biking, swimming or hiking. Always monitor approximately how many calories you're burning through exercise. You'll need to calculate this into your total goal. If you're performing aerobic exercises and are having trouble maintaining your weight or you're continuing to lose weight, you may need to decrease the intensity, frequency, or duration of your aerobic exercises.

Perform strength training activities. Strength training can aid in your weight gain. As you build lean muscle mass, you may notice your weight increases. This is highly important when attempting to gain weight. Many people do not realize that exercise is crucial to weight gain, just as it is to weight loss. Strength training activities include: weight lifting, isometric exercises (push-ups or crunches) and Pilates. Strength training does burn calories, just not as many as aerobic activities. However, it's still important to be aware of how the calories burned during these exercises affects your weight.

See a personal trainer. Seeing a personal trainer may help you find the appropriate workout schedule for you. A personal trainer will be able to guide you through specific exercises or routines that can help keep you fit and maintain or add weight. Check at a local gym for a trainer. Many times you can see a trainer there and they may even offer a discounted consult for your first visit. Talk to your trainer about your weight and goals. Make sure they understand you're interested in healthy weight gain.

Monitoring Your Progress

Weigh yourself weekly. Weighing yourself regularly is important when you're trying to gain weight. Note your starting weight and how much you're gaining per week. This information can help see how much progress you've made or signal that you need to reevaluate your plan. Weigh yourself at the same time of day, in the same clothes or no clothes each week. This will help cut down on any inaccuracies (like clothing or food you've consumed throughout the day).

Reevaluate monthly. Each month, check in with your weight and food journal. Assess how well you're doing and if you'll be able to or have reached your weight goal. If you've been gaining weight steadily, you'll most likely reach your weight goal. Or if you've reached your weight goal, monitor how well your current calorie level helps you maintain your weight. If you've stopped gaining weight or hit a plateau, it's time to reevaluate your diet and lifestyle. Count your total calories again and review your food journal. If you've been consistent with your diet, you may need to increase your calories. Make the required changes and check back in another month to reassess your progress.

Build a support group. A support group is helpful for any change or goal you have. But when you're trying to gain weight (especially after an illness), a support group can help keep you motivated and encourage you as you progress towards your goal. Talk to your family and friends about your situation and your goal. Share with them what you're doing, why and how they can help keep you on track.