Not everybody wants to be rail thin. Some people actually try to put on pounds. Whether you’ve lost weight involuntary due to illness, depression, stress, a traumatic event, or surgery, or you just want to wear bigger sizes of clothes, we have some suggestions for you.
The human body needs fat to cushion and protect vital organs, keep the neurons in your noggin working properly, maintain healthy hair and skin, to regulate cholesterol levels, promote a feeling of fullness after eating, regulate digestion, provide insulation against heat and cold, supply muscles with a source of energy and to keep sex hormones in balance.
Just like losing weight, gaining weight can be hard work. If you have a tiny appetite, it can be hard to eat more food than you usually do. And if you’ve been ill or undergone chemotherapy, appetite can be non-existent. “Make sure everything you eat really counts. It has to be dense in calories and nutrients, not just full of sugar and fat,” says our in-house registered dietitian Heather Simmons-McKinnon.
So we’re not talking 16-ounce steaks and cheesecakes. To take in the 2500 to 3000 calories you need everyday to gain weight within 45 days, you’ll need to eat high-calorie foods in small amounts and snack often on soft cheeses, trail mix and fruit shakes. You can also add extra calories by sprinkling your favorite foods with nuts, seeds, cheese and boosting your whole milk intake. If you’re allergic to milk, popcorn with healthy doses of butter and caramel also works.
You need to stick with a routine because putting your body through periods of binge-like eating will help you gain weight, but it’ll be harder on your organs and physiology. If you don’t feel like eating, try these ideas:
Stay out of the kitchen if the aroma of food as it cooks turn your stomach, and eat raw and cold foods instead.
If the aroma of food perks up your appetite, stick around in the kitchen and use plenty of fragrant spices, and stimulating smells of caramel, butter, cinammon and wine.
Taking a 50-miligram supplement of Vitamin B complex will stimulate your hunger and help your digestion, or eat more vitamin B-rich whole grains like millet, brown rice, spelt and oatmeal.
A small cup of hot apple cider with cinnamon before dinner may stimulate the appetite, but stay away from too much water or soup which suppresses the digestive juices.
Moderate exercise also increases the appetite, but don’t go for the burn with high impact exercises. Try walking, swimming, sweating it out at the spa, gently lifting weights or doing Pilates while watching tv or talking on the phone.
Gaining weight is helped when you stay outdoors.
Try these calorie-heavy foods during your meals to fatten up:
-1 cup fruit shake with whole milk, frozen yogurt, berries and other high-sugar fruits, and flavored yogurt (500 calories)
-1 medium-size avocado to fit neatly in your palm in guacamole, chopped roughly for salad (306 calories for avocado alone)
-Use whole milk, whole milk cottage cheese and yogurt and soft cheeses to maximize fat intake along with your nutrients
-1 baked sweet potato (118 calories); as a baked flan with whipped topping (1500 calories); as part of casserole (800 calories); as part of salad with whole milk yogurt-tofu-herb dressing (200 calories)
-1 cup winter squash seasoned with dried herbs or salad (80 calories)
-1/2 cup dry-roasted unsalted peanuts (428 calories)
-1/2 cup raisins added to salad or rice or bulghur pilaf (250 calories)
-Salt added to food increases appetite, as does moderate amounts of hot chili
If you are not gaining weight after illness or surgery, simply due to sheer desire to do so, eating larger servings than usual with higher carbohydrate content will help you gain weight quickly. Instead of drinking water when thirsty, try honeyed water. Pasta and salads with creamy sauces, baked potatoes with cream are just a few suggestions, but also remember to increase your vegetable and fruit intake proportionally.
Tags: gaining weight, suggestions