HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT SAFELY

Some individuals struggle to increase their body weight.  These people should be encouraged to try and accumulate fat-free mass rather than all-fat weight (e.g., gain lean muscle mass rather than increase body fat percentage). 

The following are some tips on how to safely gain weight:

• Increase caloric intake by 200-1000 kcal per day.  This can be done by increasing meal size, number of meals, or number of between-meal snacks.

• Increase the number of healthy snacks consumed.  Choose bread, fruit, granola, and other nutritious foods.

• The majority of additional calories consumed should be complex carbohydrates (e.g., pasta, bread, rice, potatoes).

• Add resistance training to the daily routine.  Weight training is an effective means for increasing the body's fat-free mass (lean body weight).

• Increase consumption of milk and fruit juices.  These excellent choices not only provide additional calories, but they also provide essential nutrients.

It is important to remember that when individuals continually lose weight or struggle to gain weight a physician should be consulted about the possibility of underlying conditions.