How to Gain Weight

Whether it's for a sport or personal reasons, packing on extra pounds is not as easy as it seems. For many people, gaining weight can be just as difficult as losing weight. Often a change in diet can help a person add desired pounds. But to gain sustainable weight, follow these guidelines.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Eat nutritious foods that are high in calories. Examples are whole-grain breads, vegetables such as avocados and potatoes, kidney beans, lean red meat, poultry and fish.
2. Increase the caloric value of your meals. Add powdered milk to casseroles for added calories, add avocados and olives to sandwiches, add wheat germ to your cereal, add chopped meat to your pasta sauce, and so on.
3. Avoid skipping meals. Knowing how to gain weight involves consistent eating. Eat three meals a day and at least two snacks.
4. Increase your normal portion size. Take a second scoop of pasta, or add two bananas to your oatmeal.
5. Choose higher-calorie foods when given a choice. For example, corn is higher in calories than green beans.
6. Relax - excessive fidgeting and restlessness can burn up a lot of calories.
7. Add weight lifting to your exercise program. It helps build muscle mass.
8. Balance your caloric intake with the number of calories you're burning. You need to be taking in more than you use up, and you may need to ease up a little on your exercise program.

Tips & Warnings

• You should have a doctor rule out any physical problems, such as hormonal imbalances, if you cannot seem to put on any weight. A doctor might have other recommendations on how to gain weight, too.
• Although it seems like a logical way to bulk up, avoid adding excess fat and sweets to your diet. Eat fats and oils in moderation; they should account for no more than 30 percent of your total caloric intake.