Food Tips for Weight Gaining

Some illnesses such as cancer, bulimia and anorexia require weight gain that can only come from diet. Whether this is your plight or you simply can't gain weight due to a metabolism that rapidly uses energy, you can pack on some extra pounds in your diet by eating the right foods. When you consume the correct foods, it gives you the advantage of healthy weight gain that benefits you.

Understanding What to Eat

• Knowing what foods do for your body will help you decide what type of weight you would like to gain and at what rate. Simple carbohydrates such as sugar-packed candies, drinks, fruits and pastries provide your body with easily digestible energy. Fast energy provided by simple carbs that aren't burned at an almost immediate pace by the metabolism through exercise are quickly stored by the body as fats. Since simple carbs are easily broken down and readily used by the body, these will cause rapid weight gain that can be unhealthy for you if eaten in excess. Aerobic exercise also depletes carbohydrates first before burning fat for energy. Mixing simple carbohydrates with complex carbohydrates from healthy sources such as whole oats, grains and wheat allows for healthier weight gain.

  You also need to understand that eating higher calorie-dense food sources will help to seamlessly add more calories to your diet. A cup of raisins provides more than 400 calories, while a cup of cucumbers doesn't even add up to an eighth of that amount. When you eat foods that are calorie-dense and healthy, you will gain weight from sources that will not adversely affect your health at as high of a rate. Protein sources should come from milk, nuts, beans and lean meats. Fish and chicken are some of the most protein-rich sources of food you can eat that is perfect for muscle growth, repair and maintenance. Fats in your diet to gain weight should come from monounsaturated sources like olive oil, corn oil, canola oil and other vegetable based oils. You can get the same effect from eating seeds and nuts and consuming dairy products.

Practices

• While it may be obvious that you have to eat more to gain weight, you should incorporate practices that will help to make the transition easier. Eating five or six meals on a daily basis will provide your body with a constant flow of calories to store and still keep your metabolism at a healthy rate. Make sure that you eat a source of protein, carbohydrate and fat in every miniature meal. This will make sure that your body is getting the nutrients it needs in larger amounts to stimulate weight gain. A ratio of what you should raise daily calories to for weight gain is 20 multiplied by your body weight in pounds. This will give you an approximate amount of recommended calories you should eat to gain weight on a daily basis.

  If you find it hard to reach this number of calories in the beginning, start by increasing your caloric intake by 100 calories a day progressively until you reach your daily goal. A single tablespoon of ranch dressing provides you with 100 calories needed to make the increase. Until you start to see the gains you desire, don't skimp on extras in your meal. Having a calorie-packed drink such as tea, juice, milk or a shake instead of water, can help you sneak in more calories.

Helpful Tips

• Although food consumption is the fastest way to weight gain, you should also know that exercise can be an important tool in weight gain and to avoid weight loss. While you still want to stick with the heart healthy recommendation by the American Heart Association of two to four days of aerobic exercise a week spanning 20 to 30 minutes, avoid extra aerobic exercising. These types of exercises on cause weight loss due to the depletion of carbohydrates. Weight gain can be experienced through adding lean muscle to your body by lifting weights. Muscle is heavier than fat and is and strengthening your muscles is a great way to stay healthy and gain weight.