While realms of space has been dedicated solely to how you can knock off those unwanted pounds and lose those inches, there are also people that want to put on a little bit of weight, and have a tough time doing so. There's no reason to take supplements or weight gain pills to put on weight — a healthy diet and some positive attitude is all that you need. First of all you need to find out if you're suffering from a medical condition that is not allowing you to gain weight. Once you get the all clear from that, gear up to improve your diet.
- Since gaining weight is as tough as losing it, you need to be patient to get results. Make up a diet chart to ensure that you consume more calories than what you burn.
- The idea isn't to eat everything that comes your way, but to eat wisely. Consume healthy foods but frequently — say three small meals and three large ones. Make sure you keep a gap of at least three hours between each meal so you can digest them properly. Never keep a five hour gap between meals.
- If you think that to gain weight, you need to forget exercising, think again. Resistance training exercises not only help you gain muscle mass, they will also increase your metabolism. Ask a fitness trainer to give you some weight gaining exercises. Don't forget to protein rich foods after your workout.
- Foods that have great sources of protein include fish, low fat dairy products, milk, meats, almonds, sesame and sunflower seeds.
- Stay away from junk and fatty foods. Consult a dietician to know which high protein foods, high carbohydrate foods and healthy fats you can include in your diet. There is another misconception that beer helps you put on weight. Besides a beer belly you'll gain nothing else. Don't binge on it.
- Start your day with a healthy breakfast comprising a glass of milk and a banana or a banana milkshake, whole-grain toast, a fruit and some nuts. Stick to eating more fruit than having juices.
- Stick to wholegrain bread, green leafy vegetables, paneer, a chicken or fish dish, rice and dal for lunch. Eat dinner comprising of the same things albeit two hours before you hit the sack.
- Healthy snacks to eat in-between meals include fruits, cheese or chicken sandwiches, a bowl of plain or flavoured dahi or salads. Avoid fast foods like burgers, doughnuts and fried things.
