Weight loss diets are becoming more and more popular in the media. However, little information can be found on diets that allow you to gain weight. This type of diet is needed for patients who have lost a lot of weight, patients with eating disorders who will lead to significant weight loss or simply people who Body Mass Index – Body mass index is too low. Also, athletes, especially men, who want to increase the strength and volume of their muscles should first go on a body-building diet.
Increasing calorie intake
The easiest way to gain weight is to eat more calories so that you gain weight gradually.
For example, a woman in her 30s, weighing 50 kg and 175 cm tall, practicing light physical activity, needs about 1 kcal a day to maintain her weight. So it’s not hard to guess that according to this formula, this woman should consume more calories to gain weight. Some slimming diets also work in this way – to lose weight you should consume fewer calories per day than you need.
To gain a pound a week, this woman needs to consume about 2 calories a day. However, these calories should be properly distributed among carbohydrates, fats and proteins. And so you should consume, for example, 350 kcal of carbohydrates, 1 kcal of proteins and 300 kcal of fats.
How to eat to gain weight?
Larger meals should be divided into several smaller ones. You should eat about 5-6 meals a day. To stimulate the appetite, you can additionally drink herbs or juices. It is also important not to forget about eating fruits that will provide the right amount of vitamins and micro- and macroelements.
It is also better to eat steamed foods and less fried foods. They are much better digestible, and at the same time do not cause digestive problems.
What to eat to gain weight?
- It is best to choose foods rich in carbohydrates: pasta, noodles or white bread, thanks to which it is easy to gain weight
- It is also worth drinking fat milk, or preparing milk flakes or sweet muesli
- Salty foods will make us thirstier. One glass of a colorful carbonated drink is very caloric, but one glass a day will not hurt, and it will fill the necessary limit of calories consumed
- The dishes can be used to prepare hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, breaded chicken, pork chops, potatoes (they are caloric, have a positive effect on weight gain)
- Always add fresh salads and healthy salads to dinners
- You must not limit the consumption of fruits and vegetables; it’s better to choose a fresh apple instead of a candy bar
- It is also worth eating all kinds of yoghurts, natural cheeses, cottage cheese
- Fish is very good for gaining weight in a healthy way. They contain a lot of unsaturated fatty acids and a lot of healthy protein
- When it comes to fruits, it is worth choosing, for example, dried fruits, avocados or bananas. They are high in calories (e.g. one banana has approx. 70 kcal), and at the same time they are fully healthy and rich in vitamins