Effective Ways to Gain Weight

A number of causes can result in an inability to gain weight, including genetic disposition, chronic diseases or eating disorders. Being skinny makes you the envy of most people around you, especially since you can eat whatever you want without worrying about weight gain. In fact, weight gain may seem as unachievable to you as losing weight appears to an overweight person. However, by consuming healthy food and liquids, increasing the frequency of your meals, getting exercise and the appropriate nutritional supplements, you can increase your weight.

Healthy Food

• Eat nutritious meals that combine proteins, carbohydrates and good fats. On the Medicine Net website, Dan Heinemann, M.D., recommends that meals include 60 to 70 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 15 percent protein and a small percentage of fat. Consume high-calorie, vitamin- and mineral-rich foods as opposed to foods that are high in fat and sugar.

  Add grated boiled eggs to mashed potato recipes, fresh chicken paste to soups and gravies, grate cheese over casseroles, eggs and soups, and bulk up soups, shakes, milk and mashed potatoes with nonfat dried milk. Examples of good unsaturated and monounsaturated fats include fatty fish like salmon and mackerel, oils like olive and canola, and nuts like pistachios, almonds and walnuts.

Liquids

• Drink at least half a gallon of water daily, as water helps deliver the desired energy required to gain weight, according to the Gaining Weight website.

  Increase your caloric intake by drinking mixed juice beverages such as apple-berries, peach-orange-banana, as opposed to consuming a single juice. However, avoid drinking liquids half an hour before and after meals or during meals, in order to aid the proper assimilation of food. Stimulate your appetite by drinking a little wine before a large meal.

Frequent Meals

• Eat six healthy meals, three large and three small, during the course of the day. The Chet Day website recommends spacing out the meals by consuming one meal every three hours.

  Snack in between large meals on small healthy foods like nuts, dried fruits and yogurt. If you feel full immediately, consume slices of high-calorie foods, instead of the whole food. For instance, snack on a slice of mango or a slice of any large fruit over the whole fruit, eat raisins instead of grapes, or choose granola over corn flakes.

Exercise

• Work out three to four times a week to gain weight and build muscle. Do free weight exercises, which exert the body's large muscles and are ideal for gaining weight. Include compound free weight exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, pull ups and bar dips into your workout schedule. These exercises will convert the extra calories that you gained through a healthy diet, into muscle and increased weight.

Supplements

• The right nutritional supplements can help you gain weight quickly. While there are several supplements available, whey protein works well for many people, in addition to maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen. Alternately, you can substitute egg whites for whey protein.