Healthy weight gain: Finally back to feeling good about your body

Being slim is a dream for many. That's why underweight people or those who would like to gain some weight often encounter a lack of understanding. Our society is fixated on losing weight! Better advice than "Just eat more!" is therefore rare. People who simply can't gain weight suffer similarly to overweight individuals: they don't feel as capable, resilient, or attractive.

First of all, health reasons for the low weight should be ruled out. Possible causes could be an overactive thyroid, gastrointestinal issues, or intolerances.

If you are physically healthy, there is nothing wrong with building a healthy weight. These tips can help you with that.

1. Always prepared when hunger strikes

If you are one of those people who would like to gain weight but can't seem to, you probably know the situation: you are on the go and your stomach is growling. However, the next meal is still one or two hours away. So you simply endure the feeling of hunger. This is not particularly difficult for you. But here you should rethink: If your body demands calories in the form of a meal and you ignore the feeling of hunger, it will start using its reserves and you will lose weight. The reason for this could be, for example, a very fast metabolism that quickly triggers the body's own fat burning process.

To prevent unwanted weight loss, you should always have healthy snacks or a small meal with you. Low-sugar nut bars, a handful of nuts, or dried fruits are suitable for this purpose. They are particularly healthy and calorie-dense. Additionally, you can easily carry them around with you for a few days or weeks.

2. Never overeat: Anti-diets do not work

Whether you want to gain or lose weight: Having to constantly think about nutrition is not pleasant - counting calories even less so. It is even more burdensome to force yourself to eat more than your body actually wants. This quickly leads to a loss of enjoyment and fun in eating. Feelings of fullness, nausea, and discomfort are often the result. At the same time, stress levels increase, which can also prevent weight gain.

Therefore, say goodbye to the idea of ​​having to eat particularly large amounts at once. Instead, focus on practical ways to enhance your meals with additional calories - as described in the following point.

3. Enhance your meals - with healthy calories!

If you want to gain weight in a healthy way, you should consume on average 500 calories more than necessary. Depending on the food, these are quite large quantities: more than 300 g of cooked pasta or 500 g of pork fillet - in addition to your regular meals. Therefore, opt for calorie-dense foods that you can easily consume in addition. A good example is high-quality, plant-based oils, such as cold-pressed olive oil. Simply drizzle some extra oil over each dish. For example, 3 tablespoons of olive oil already provide around 300 calories. The oil also enhances the flavor - a pleasant side effect.

4. Six small instead of three large: Plan for snacks!

While it is recommended for individuals of normal weight as well as overweight individuals to consume only three meals a day, you are allowed to eat more frequently. In order not to overload the digestive system, for example, you can consume your increased calorie intake spread out over 5-6 smaller meals. These can consist of breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and possibly a small meal later in the evening. Find out here which foods are also suitable for consumption in the evening: Eat right, sleep better

5. Calorie-rich and healthy: You are welcome to indulge in this more often

Some foods are both healthy and relatively high in calories. These are usually very oily fruits or nuts. They should be included regularly in your diet. These include:

• Avocados:
  Diced avocados go particularly well with salad. Sliced and seasoned with salt and pepper, they make a healthy bread topping. But also, in the classic form of guacamole, avocados pair well with bread or potatoes. A medium-sized avocado provides around 500 calories. These come from the many unsaturated fatty acids in the avocado. In addition, avocados are rich in vitamin E and B vitamins.

• Walnuts, peanuts, cashews, almonds, and hazelnuts:
  Nuts are particularly suitable as a snack, but also as a crunchy topping for salads or as an addition to soups. At the same time, nut butter is becoming increasingly popular (e.g. almond butter). It can be stirred into soups, sauces, or smoothies very well. Nuts (and nut-like foods) also contain many healthy fatty acids. They provide between 500 and 600 calories per 100 grams.

• Olives and Antipasti:
  Olives and vegetables marinated in high-quality oil not only taste delicious but are also relatively high in calories. So go ahead and treat yourself to this Mediterranean appetizer more often.

6. Light products: Leave them on the shelf without hesitation.

The supermarket shelves are full of them, but they are only conditionally recommended: light products. The aim of these products is to provide a reduced-fat version of the normal food. However, this does not automatically make the product healthier - on the contrary. Light products usually contain less fat, which often affects the taste and consistency. Manufacturers compensate for this by adding sugar, sweeteners, flavors, or other additives. So stick to the original and enjoy the unadulterated taste!

7. Strengthening the immune system: Illness helps shed pounds

Very slim or underweight people often struggle with infections and a weakened immune system. This is not only annoying but also counterproductive for healthy weight gain. When we are sick, we often lose weight because we cannot or do not want to eat much and also cannot tolerate everything. This in turn weakens our organism and so on. Therefore, take care of your immune system!

8. Always under pressure: Stress prevents you from gaining weight in a healthy way

Chronic stress has unfortunately become almost a daily occurrence today. In comparison to short-term stress, it always has a negative impact on our health. However, people react differently to long-term stress: While a majority tends to eat more and higher-calorie foods when stressed, people who tend to be underweight eat even less. At the same time, stress hormones reduce digestion and enzyme production, meaning that the food consumed is even less effectively utilized.

Make sure to leave enough space for relaxation in your everyday life. You can find tips on how to combat stress here: 10 tips on how to better deal with stress

9. Gaining weight despite exercising?

Exercise helps with weight loss! This confuses many who want to gain weight healthily, as it is the opposite of their desire. However, contrary to what most people assume, moderate exercise does not prevent weight gain. On the contrary: Exercise stimulates your appetite, reduces stress, and improves digestion. Additionally, most people do not want to gain weight in an unshapely manner, but rather look good even with a few extra kilos. Exercise helps not only in burning fat but also in building muscles. By the way, the calorie-burning effect of exercise is often overestimated. If you have a small meal after exercising, you can easily compensate for the calories burned and still benefit from the positive effects.

10. Bitter makes you hungry: It stimulates your appetite

If you often suffer from loss of appetite (e.g. triggered by stress), bitter foods can help you. Bitter substances stimulate digestion and enzyme production, thereby promoting appetite (which is why aperitif drinks are usually bitter).

Rich in bitter substances are, for example, fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, or basil. But also salads like chicory or arugula are suitable as appetizers. For those who prefer something fruity, they can enjoy a grapefruit before the main meal. The appetite-stimulating effect of the bitter substances usually takes effect after about half an hour.

When it comes to healthy weight gain, the same principles apply as with weight loss: Please do not put yourself under pressure and avoid crash (anti-) diets. Long-term success will only be achieved through gentle but steady adjustments to your lifestyle and diet.