WeighT GaiN Tip$

Tips on Gaining Weight for Women

Women may need to gain weight if they have suffered an illness, are naturally thin or seek to bulk up for athletic competition. Underweight women can feel insecure about their "skinny" appearance. Others may suffer health consequences, such as brittle bones, anemia and irregular periods. Gain weight healthfully using smart dietary strategies.

Increase Calories

To gain weight, you need to increase your caloric intake. Adding at least 500 calories to your daily diet should help put on 1lb. of weight per week. Choosing foods with higher calorie density helps create the calorie surplus. High quality, whole foods like creamy soups and chilis, avocados, dried fruit, nuts and granola add calories and nutrition.

Small Meals

Some women have a weak appetite and have trouble consuming enough calories in a meal to gain weight. If this is the case, try eating several smaller meals throughout the day. Six or seven small meals, each containing about 400 calories, may help you get the food you need.

Portable Food

Don't skip meals if you're trying to gain weight. Carry food with you, so you never miss a meal. Energy bars, whole grain crackers and dry cereal do not need refrigeration and you can stash them in your purse or backpack for snacking.                     

Junk Food

When you're trying to gain weight, you may be tempted to load up on high-calorie fast food and processed snacks. Eating these foods may result in weight gain, but in the form of unhealthy fat. Too much saturated and trans fat correlate with many health problems, notes the American Heart Association. You may have room for more discretionary foods--like sweets and and french fries--but try to have the bulk of your calories come from nutritious lean proteins, dairy, produce, nuts and whole grains.

Exercise

Following American College of Sports Medicine guidelines to participate in cardiovascular exercise for at least 30 minutes, five days per week will help stimulate your appetite. Do at least two weekly strength-training sessions to build muscle, which weighs more than fat, and gives you a strong, toned appearance. 

If only I could gain some weight!" Make that statement in any social setting and you probably won't get much sympathy. It's true that far more Americans need to lighten up rather than put on pounds: Only about 1.8 percent of adults are underweight. If you're one of the thin ones, you know that changing your physique can be challenging. You may need a strategy to gain weight -- and to do so while filling up on healthy foods, not junk.

Rule Out Ailments

You might owe your skinny status to heredity. Slender frames and speedy metabolisms run in some families. Or, you might be underweight because of a growth spurt, recent injury or illness. But if you've lost weight without trying -- say, 10 lbs. in the last six to 12 months -- your doctor may want to rule out certain conditions. Among those that may cause unexplained weight loss are cancer, infections, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular disorders, lung and kidney disease and mental health problems, such as depression.

Choose Nutrient-Dense Foods

A body mass index chart can steer you toward your weight-gain goal. To put on healthy weight, try to focus on nutrient-dense foods, not things like candy and doughnuts. That means foods that not only pack calories, but those that are rich in nutrients. Examples include whole-grain breads, pastas and cereals; fruits and vegetables; lean protein sources, such as meat, fish and poultry; nut butters, dried fruits; avocados; nuts and seeds. Sweet treats should offer some nutrition as well -- including bran muffins, fresh and frozen yogurt, fruit pastries and granola bars.

Dieting in Reverse

Weight-loss strategies can help you add pounds -- when you follow them in reverse. For example, dieters must go easy on cheese, but you can add it to casseroles, pasta, soups, scrambled eggs and sandwiches. Dieters must beware of too-big portions, but you can, and should, try to eat more of everything. Dieters need to avoid "drinking calories," but you sip smoothies, milkshakes and fruit juices. Don't fill up on fluids within 30 minutes before a meal, however, or they may put a dent in your appetite.

Other Tips

Rather than limiting yourself to three meals a day, try for three meals plus three or four snacks -- or five or six smaller meals. Treat yourself to condiments, such as margarine on your toast, rice, pasta and vegetables. Try cooking foods such as potatoes or hot cereals in milk instead of water. Make an effort to exercise, which can help you bulk up by building muscle and may stimulate your appetite and help to alleviate stress.