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Tips on How to Increase Body Weight

Some medical conditions or diseases may lead to weight loss, and being underweight can affect the body's important functions and health. If a doctor recommends weight gain, you can achieve it by increasing your food intake and building muscle mass. It is important to eat healthy, unprocessed foods instead of junk foods if you want to gain weight safely.

  1. Increase Calories

    • To lose weight, doctors often recommend decreasing your daily calories by 500. Likewise, increasing by 500 calories can help the body to begin holding onto fat instead of burning it off. If an increase of 500 calories doesn't lead to weight gain, an additional 500 will often be helpful. Once you determine an ideal caloric intake for weight gain, you can maintain that level until you reach your ideal weight.

    Increase Fats and Carbs

    • Extra carbohydrates and fat will help the body to hold onto fat instead of burning it, while extra protein helps the body to build muscle. You can increase fat levels for weight gain by eating lots of healthy, high fat options such as avocados, olive oil, flax oil and fish. Choosing healthy fats and whole grains helps to prevent negative heart problems while still supplying the body with the fat needed for weight gain.

    Strength Training

    • Strength training can help to quickly add weight to the body, as muscle is heavy. In order to put on muscle mass, you should lift heavy weights at least three days each week to the point of muscle fatigue. The body grows accustomed to exercise after four to six weeks, so it is important to increase the weights you're lifting after this period of time.

    Fat Supplements

    • Supplements may be necessary to help you put on weight as quickly as possible. Fatty oils such as fish oil and flax oil added to drinks throughout the day can boost your dietary fats. Many grocery stores or health food stores sell high calorie, high fat drinks that you can consume with each meal to aid the body in putting on weight quickly. These drinks are often packed with added vitamins and minerals to support additional strength training and help the body to metabolise the added nutrition from an increased diet.

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