Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Change Your Eating Habits
• Method 2 of 3: Choose the Right Food and Drink
• Method 3 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle

Some women find it just as difficult to gain weight as it is for most women to lose weight. However, there are many safe and effective ways to gain 0.5-1 kg per week. Larger servings and more nutritious meals are a quick way to add extra calories to your regular diet. Aim for high-calorie, nutrient-rich foods. Don't forget to make other lifestyle changes: add more exercise to help you gain mass faster.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Change Your Eating Habits

1. 1 Consume 500 more calories per day. As a rule, it is possible to gain 0.5-1 kg per week without difficulty and harm to health. To achieve this goal, add an additional 500 calories to your daily diet. The best way to do this is to eat more nutrient-rich foods.
   • To keep track of what you eat, download the MyFitnessPal app on your smartphone. Write down everything you eat and how much exercise you do. Measure your weight once a week.
   • Talk to your doctor or dietitian to determine the ideal weight for you. You can also calculate your ideal weight using the dedicated BMI (Body Mass Index) calculator. For most healthy people, it is around 18.5-24.9.
2. 2 Increase the serving size. Take a second serving, or just immediately lay yourself a little more than usual. If you find it difficult to eat more, try not eating before meals to "whet" your appetite.
   • If you find it difficult to eat double servings, try increasing servings gradually. Start with an extra spoonful of rice or add some more sweet potatoes to your plate. Serve larger and larger over time.
3. 3 If you don't like large portions, try smaller portions more often. For some people, large portions are generally unacceptable. Instead of increasing your serving size, try organizing 6 meals a day (with small portions).
   • Make it a rule to eat every 3-4 hours after waking up.
4. 4 Don't drink water 30 minutes before meals. Liquid fills your stomach, making it harder for you to handle a large serving. Eat first, then drink water.
5. 5 Treat yourself to a snack before bed. If you eat something small before bed, your body will not have time to burn these calories. In addition, the body can build muscle mass during sleep. By eating a snack before bed, you provide yourself with the nutrients you need to build muscle while you sleep.
   • If you have a sweet tooth, save it for dinner and eat it before bed. You can eat some fruit, a serving of ice cream, or a few chunks of chocolate.
   • If you are very fond of delicious, hearty food, eat a plate of macaroni and cheese or cheese crackers.
6. 6 Try to whet your appetite before eating. There are many ways to get hungry before you eat. These simple tricks will help you eat more. Here are some simple ways to boost your appetite:
   • Walk a little before eating. Exercise will keep you hungry.
   • Prepare a dish that you love very much. Make your favorite meal to eat whole.
   • Prepare a dish using a new recipe. Thus, you will be delighted to wait for the moment when you try it.
   • Eat in a relaxed, comfortable atmosphere. If you're constantly in a hurry or distracted, you won't be able to eat much.

Method 2 of 3: Choose the Right Food and Drink

1. 1 Choose foods that are high in calories and nutrients. Instant foods and other thermally processed foods are high in calories, but they are "empty" calories because these foods do not contain enough nutrients. Nutritious foods are high in calories as well as healthy fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
   • From grains, you can choose whole wheat products and brown bread. Bran, whole grain bread, and wheat germ are also great options.
   • When it comes to fruits, bananas, pineapples, raisins, dried fruits and avocados should be preferred. In general, you would prefer to choose fruits that are fortified with starch rather than those with a lot of water and liquid (such as oranges or watermelons), since starchy fruits contain more calories and nutrients.
   • For vegetables, try consuming more peas, corn, potatoes, and pumpkin. Like fruits, vegetables that are rich in starch are better than those that are high in liquid.
   • For dairy products, preference should be given to cheese, ice cream, frozen yogurt and whole milk.
2. 2 Target three main product groups. When you eat, you should not give preference to just one type of food. Include several different food groups in your diet (and at each meal). Thus, you will increase your calorie intake by eating more.
   • For example, don't just eat toast. Try spreading peanut butter and chopped bananas on top. Or cut and sprinkle the avocado on top and pour yourself a glass of kefir.
   • If you like eggs in the morning, try beating and frying them with pepper and sausage.
   • Instead of just eating a pack of yogurt, sprinkle it with berries and muesli.
3. 3 If you find it difficult to eat solid food, try drinking it. Sometimes it is difficult to force yourself to eat something extra. Try drinking high-calorie drinks between meals if you can't stand solid snacks. You can try the following:
   • whole fruit, vegetable and yogurt smoothies
   • freshly squeezed juice from real fruits is rich in vitamins and fiber;
   • milk, milkshakes, and protein shakes are great options too.
4. 4 Add a few additional ingredients to your food. You can grind high-calorie nutritious foods and add them to your favorite meals to consume more calories without feeling like you're overeating. Here are some great ways:
   • add powdered milk to drinks, soups, stews and sauce;
   • add some nuts or cereals to the salad;
   • add some ground flaxseeds to a salad, cereal, or smoothie;
   • sprinkle some cheese on a casserole, scrambled eggs, soup, salad or sandwich;
   • Spread some butter or peanut butter on toast, crackers, or roll (you can use cream cheese).
5. 5 Cook more dishes with butter and cheese. Food cooked in sunflower and butter enriches the body with additional calories without increasing the amount of food eaten. Healthy fats include:
   • olive oil, which contains 119 calories per 15 ml;
   • canola oil, which contains 120 calories per 15 ml;
   • Coconut oil, containing 117 calories per 15 ml;
   • butter containing 102 calories per 15 ml.
6. 6 If you want to build muscle, eat more protein foods. Muscle weighs more than fat, which means building muscle mass is a great way to gain weight (without excess fat). Protein is essential for the body to build muscle.
   • Lean meats and eggs are excellent sources of protein. Other sources of protein for vegetarians include peas, nuts, hummus, and beans.
   • Protein bars and protein shakes are great snacks. They are not only rich in protein, but also rich in nutrients.

Method 3 of 3: Change Your Lifestyle

1. 1 Try to eliminate the root cause. Certain drugs and medical conditions interfere with weight gain. If this is your case, the first step is to fix the underlying problem. Talk with your doctor to determine the best treatment option.
   • If you are losing weight quickly for no apparent reason, see your doctor to make sure that the cause is not a disease (for example, the cause may be a problem with the thyroid gland or with the digestive tract).
2. 2 Talk to a nutritionist. A trained dietitian can help you develop a meal plan to achieve your desired weight in a safe way. In addition, a dietitian may offer some tips on how to stimulate your appetite.
   • Ask your GP to write a referral to a dietitian.
3. 3 Quit smoking. Smoking suppresses appetite and can affect taste and smell. Talk with your doctor to discuss smoking cessation strategies. Your doctor can help you by prescribing certain medications.
   • If you cannot quit smoking, try not to smoke for at least one or two hours before eating.
4. 4 To build muscle, do strength training. While not the fastest option, strength training is a great idea, especially if you want to maintain that weight in the long run. Exercise is a good way to stimulate your appetite. Strength training is especially important because it allows you to gain weight from your muscles.
   • Strength training is a great start. You can also do other sports activities (such as yoga or Pilates). Avoid doing aerobics and cardio because they interfere with your weight gain.
   • Eating extra protein is especially important if you plan to build muscle through exercise.
   • Some good workout exercises include squats, deadlifts, overhead presses, bench presses, bent over presses, push-ups, bar presses, pull-ups, curls, biceps exercises, and leg presses and curls.