Find out ‘What Are The 5 Healthy Ways To Gain Weight If You Are Underweight?’ Gaining weight can be as challenging for some people as losing weight is for those who are trying to do so. You may wish to put on weight for a variety of reasons, such as to increase your muscle mass during strength training or because you feel underweight.
According to Mike Bohl, MD, MPH, ALM, the Director of Medical Content & Education at Ro, a certified nutrition coach, certified personal trainer, and a member of our Medical Expert Board, you are deemed underweight if your BMI is less than 18.5 kg/m2. He cautions that it’s imperative to gain weight in a healthy, safe way if this applies to you, stating, “By consuming a lot of extra food that is rich in calories but poor in nutrients—like junk food, drink, and candy—it can be rather simple for the majority of people to gain extra weight. But if you do this, you will almost certainly increase your fat mass, which can be detrimental to your general health.”
Dr. Bohl emphasizes the significance of maintaining a healthy body composition while gaining weight and building lean muscular mass.i Even though the procedure can take some time, the effort you put in will have a huge payoff.
Dr. Bohl offers us some healthy strategies to gain weight if you’re underweight to make the process simpler. The best advice from Dr. Bohl on how to put on weight if you’re underweight is provided here. You can quickly gain some healthy weight with consistency.
Pinpoint The Reason Behind Being Underweight
If you are underweight and are having trouble putting on weight, your first course of action should be to try to identify the cause. Dr. Bohl advises, “If you haven’t already, you should talk to your healthcare practitioner about this,” adding that “some diseases, like hyperthyroidism and some gastrointestinal diseases, can cause weight loss,” so it’s crucial that you’re evaluated for these in case you need to be treated.
Being underweight alone does not always indicate that there is an underlying issue. However, finding out whether there might be a problem is crucial so you can identify it and take immediate action to fix it.
Eat Nutrient-Dense Foods
Maintaining the proper diet for you when planning each meal is crucial. “It’s simple to consume “empty calories,” and certainly, doing so will make you gain weight. But you need to put a focus on nutrient-rich foods if you want to gain weight in the healthiest way possible and ensure that you’re also adding lean muscle mass “Dr. Bohl explains.
Make sure to get high-quality proteins, whole-grain carbs, and healthy fats when you shop. Dr. Bohl explains that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as those in fish, avocados, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils, are healthy fats.
You need to consume more calories each day than you burn off in order to gain the weight you want, in addition to using smart buying techniques. You can achieve this, according to Dr. Bohl, “by eating greater portions at each meal, eating more meals throughout the day, or by combining the two.”
Consider Taking Weight-Gaining Supplements If Putting On Extra Pounds Is Still Challenging
If you’re following the appropriate food guidelines but still finding it difficult to gain weight, you might want to think about taking weight-gaining supplements, like a protein powder for mass gain. These powders can be added to smoothies and, according to Dr. Bohl, are calorie-dense because of their high levels of protein and carbohydrates.
Focus On Resistance Training In Your Workouts
As you gain weight, it’s crucial to “stimulate your body” in order to increase your lean muscle mass. Exercise is the simplest way to do this. The emphasis should be on resistance exercise. Dr. Bohl advises using resistance bands, selectorized equipment, free weights, or bodyweight exercises when working out at the gym at least a couple times each week.
While exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy body composition, Dr. Bohl warns, “Remember that working out burns calories, so make sure you consider this in when you’re determining how many more calories you need to eat each day.”
Set Realistic Goals
Last but not least, make sure your objectives are doable. If you have a history of being underweight, gaining weight might be a difficult task. But keep in mind that gaining weight quickly could be a sign of growing fat mass, therefore it’s not a smart idea.
According to Dr. Bohl, the average amount of weight a person can gain when exercising with the goal of gaining lean muscle is between 0.5 and 2 pounds every month. According to him, a rough estimate of projected weight increase in persons aiming to gain overall weight that includes both muscle mass and fat mass is 0.5 to 2 pounds per week.
It’s always a good idea to speak with a healthcare provider if you have any worries about how quickly you are gaining weight.
