Content

• Steps

Many medications, health conditions or social situations can cause some people to become anorexic or lose weight. You will need to eat more to gain or maintain your current weight. Increasing the amount of food you consume will be harder than you think. This is especially true when you are struggling with anorexia. However, a few tips and tricks will help you increase your appetite and eat more.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Increase the amount of food you consume

1. 

   If necessary, seek inspiration from a food lover. They can be family or friends who love to cook, celebrity colleague with baking talent, nutritionist, and more.

2. 

   
   
   Consume more calories. If you want to gain weight, you need to consume more calories per day. Slow, gradual weight gain is the safest and healthiest method.
   • In general, health experts recommend that you include 250-500 extra calories per day to safely gain weight. As a result, you will increase by 200-450 grams per week.
   • The exact number of calories you need each day can vary depending on your degree of underweight, age, gender, and overall health. You should consult with your doctor or a registered dietitian to determine the exact number you need to reach.
   • Look for foods that are high in calories, rather than eating more low-calorie foods. For example, about 28 grams of peas will give you between 160 and 190 calories, while 28 grams of pretzel (pretzel) has only about 100 calories.

3. 

   
   
   Use healthy calories. Even if you need a lot of calories to gain weight, remember to make sure that the foods you eat contain nutrients that help your body function at its best.
   • High-calorie foods are good, but empty calories from foods that aren't high in nutrients are unhealthy if you eat them in excess. You should avoid eating in large portions or in large amounts of foods such as sweets or desserts, sugary drinks, fried foods, fast foods or processed meats.
   • Occasionally, eating greasy or high-sugar foods will help you gain weight, but you should only use them as a treat for yourself, not rely on them because their nutritional value is very small.

4. 

   
   
   Increase your intake of healthy fats. Fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates. Increasing the amount of healthy fats you consume throughout the day will help increase your overall calorie intake and help you gain weight.
   • Healthy fats are a great option for adding calories to your body. You can use beans, peas, avocados, olives, olive oil, and fatty fish.
   • In addition to helping increase the overall calorie content you consume, they have also been shown to keep the heart healthy.

5. 

   Use plenty of protein. Protein is an essential nutrient in any diet. However, if you need to gain weight or have trouble maintaining weight, adequate protein intake is important.
   • Protein helps support your metabolism and your muscle mass. When you are underweight or lose weight, your muscle mass will drop. Eating enough protein will help alleviate this condition.
   • Try to consume at least 85 - 113 grams of lean protein per day. This will help ensure that you get the recommended daily amount of protein.
   • Choose both lean protein and protein foods with a moderate amount of fat. For example, you can use whole milk products, eggs, fatty fish, or dark poultry.
   • Do not use fried meats, fatty meats or processed meats. They often carry many health risks and are not worthy of seeking more calories from them.
   • Protein increases feelings of fullness, or "gust". If your goal is to eat more, instead of just increasing calories, remember that adding more protein will make you less hungry.

6. 

   Eat whole grains. Although they don't contain many calories, they are still essential for a healthy diet.
   • Try to choose whole grains. They contain a lot of bran or the bark, germ and endosperm of the seed.
   • Whole grains provide extra calories and more fiber as well as other health benefits.
   • Try to use whole grains like barley, quinoa, brown rice, oats, 100% whole wheat bread and pasta.
   • Add a few more calorie-dense foods to whole grains to increase your calorie intake. For example, you can add extra olive oil to rice cooked from brown rice or add a dime-sized peanut butter to oats.

7. 

   Eat fruits and vegetables. Neither of these food groups provide you with many calories. However, they contain a lot of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are essential to your diet.
   • It is best to consume about 5 - 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. You may choose to eat less than this amount so that you can focus on other high-calorie foods.
   • A serving of vegetables is about 1-2 cups of green vegetables. Try to use about ½ cup chopped fruit or 1 small piece for each serving.
   • Again, you should try to increase the calories of these foods by adding certain foods with more calories to them. For example, sprinkle some olive oil on steamed vegetables or add a high-fat sauce to salads.

8. 

   Eat and drink regularly. Another way to eat more and gain weight is to eat regular snacks and meals regularly. In fact, this can help you feel more hungry.
   • This is especially helpful if you don't want to eat it, as it is easier for you to consume the food in small portions than large portions.
   • You should set a time for snacks about 2-3 times a day, in addition to the 3 main meals.
   • Your three to six main meals and snacks need to contain protein, carbohydrates, vegetables, and healthy fats to maximize the overall nutrients you need for the day.
   • Although the popular belief is that eating regularly will "boost" your metabolism, there aren't any studies to support this idea.

9. 

   Drink water when you can't eat. If you don't want to eat more, you can give your body more calories by consuming a calorie-rich beverage.
   • Similar to high-calorie foods, drinks with a high calorie and nutrient content are better than anything that contains only empty calories (like carbonated drinks or sugary mixed fruit juices).
   • Good drinks will be a fruit smoothie, plain yogurt, whole milk and peanut butter.
   • You can enrich smoothies by sprinkling a little wheat germ, flax or chia seeds.

10. 

    Stay away from foods that cause bloating. Many foods will cause bloating when consumed. This will make it harder for you to eat more.
    • Foods that cause bloating include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, prunes, and beans.
    • When you consume them you will feel full and full. And from there, reduce cravings or make you feel full.
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Part 2 of 3: Stimulating appetite

1. 

   Go for a walk before eating. If it is difficult for you to stimulate your appetite or want to eat, take a walk before a meal.
   • A little bit of physical activity will help you to have cravings and feel more hungry.
   • You do not need to walk too much or at high intensity. Walking for about 15 minutes at a moderate pace will help.

2. 

   Do not drink before or while eating. If you are anorexic, it is best not to drink anything about 30 minutes before a meal and not to drink water while eating.
   • When you drink water before eating, your stomach will fill with fluid and signal to your brain that you are not hungry, resulting in decreased cravings.
   • Eating and drinking at the same time will have a similar effect. You will get full quickly when the fluid is filling your stomach.

3. 

   Choose foods that help you feel better. If you don't want to eat, you can prepare or buy some of your favorite foods.
   • Usually, foods that make you feel better are usually high in fat and calories (although not as often). They will help you increase your caloric intake every day.
   • You can also try out new recipes. If you don't like regular meals and snacks, try a new recipe to evoke your cravings.
   • Look for the formula you always want to work on over a period of time. Even if it's not the healthiest option, it will increase your daily calorie intake.
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Part 3 of 3: Managing lifestyle behaviors

1. 

   Less exercise is more cardio. Cardio will help you burn more calories, and cause you to lose weight.
   • You can do light exercises to keep your heart healthy. Low-intensity activity will also provide some cardiovascular benefits, but won't burn a lot of calories.
   • You can walk, bike, swim or do yoga.
   • You do not need and should not completely eliminate exercise from your daily routine, as light aerobic exercise is better than too high intensity exercise.

2. 

   Control your stress. Usually, stress is linked to unhealthy weight gain.However, many people will experience anorexia if they are stressed.
   • If you are a group of people who tend not to eat under stress, try to manage your chronic stress and practice some techniques to deal with it.
   • You can relax by: listening to music, taking a walk, chatting with friends or writing a journal.
   • If stress is significantly affecting your appetite and weight, you should consider seeking the help of a behavioral specialist or therapist.

3. 

   Take a multivitamin. If you don't want to eat or eat less, you should consider taking a multivitamin. Starting with the basic vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats is essential when trying to achieve goals related to the body.
   • Although you should not take multivitamins in place of regular food, it will help provide you with the minimum amount of a variety of nutrients each day.
   • You should take a multivitamin that is appropriate for your age. Many are specially formulated for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly.
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