Healthy ways to gain weight

Healthy Ways to Gain Weight
Do you think that you are underweight? Though you eat all the fatty and oily stuff and eat lots of sweets and diary products and drink gallons of whole milk and cream, then also nothing seems to be working for you. You still remain as thin as a hockey stick. Well don’t despair, it is not impossible to put on weight. But remember that you should aim for a healthy weight gain and not just adding body fat. To do so you should know a few things about your body.
YourGenes
Genetics play an important role in shaping your body. And this is hereditary, which means that if your parents are thin then there are chances that you will have a similar body type and you can work out how your body might change with age. Secondly your lifestyle also plays an important role in your shape. If your life steams along at a frenetic pace, you don't eat regular meals, you're unlikely to put on weight easily. If you are a fidgeter and it is impossible for you to relax, then you will face this problem. People who fidget constantly can burn up to 700 calories a day - that's about two whole chocolate bars!
Your Diet
The main thing about putting on weight is that you do it sensibly and that you put on the 'right kind' of weight: muscle rather than fat. Thus if you want to put on weight you need to you need to take in more calories than you burn up. The best source of calories is from carbohydrates - you should try to get at least 70% of your calorie intake from carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice and pasta. Up to 15% of calories should come from protein and the rest from fat.
Guidelines
• Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks to learn more about your eating habits.
• Rather than struggle to eat really big meals plan 3 regular meals plus 2 to 3 snacks.
• Make meals a little larger or more calorific, for example, an extra slice of toast at breakfast; drink grape juice rather than orange juice; make coffee with milk; serve an extra spoon of mash, rice or pasta; be more generous with healthier unsaturated oils, salad dressing and spreads; always have a dessert.
• Have snacks to hand so you never go short. For example, nuts, seeds and raisins; pots of rice pudding, custard or yoghurt; cereal or cereal bars; milk or yoghurt, wheatmeal biscuits; cheese and crackers; fruit plus small chocolate bar.
• Stop drinking non-caloric beverages. That includes diet soda, and plain coffee or tea. Choose skim or 1 percent milk (we want healthy calories, not fat, so avoid milk with higher fat contents), 100 percent fruit juice or sports drinks.
• Make it a habit to routinely choose foods that are higher in calories. Each meal should include some type of starchy food (potato, rice, pasta, bread, cereal), fruits and vegetables, and a protein source (chicken, red meat, fish, peanut butter, legumes, eggs, cheese).
Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise and activity will help your body gain muscle and not unwanted fat. To gain weight in a healthy way, keep bones strong and your body toned. Ensure regular physical activity for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. You can go in for brisk walking, swimming, cycling or join a gym. Take care not to be too active. If you are someone who is always on their feet, make time each day to relax. Remember that you need to consume more calories than you can burn up. As always, check with your GP first if you haven't exercised for a long time.
NOTE: This information is designed to help people who are otherwise healthy, and would like to put on a little weight. If you have recently lost weight for no apparent reason you should always see your GP for advice, as this could signal an underlying medical condition. If you have to follow a special diet to help treat an existing condition, then this information is not for you.