HEALTHY WEIGHT GAIN
lifestyle blogger!@lifestyleblogger8832
3 years ago
Everything in life is moderation. Not too much, not too little at the same time; just appropriate. We see the focus on weight loss here, weight loss there, just the way it’s unhealthy being overweight, it’s equally unsafe to be underweight.
There are some people who are underweight and need to gain the right weight for their body. Being underweight can really be threatening to your health. It can be more of a concern especially due to poor nutrition or other health conditions. Such a state of health can result to a weak immune system and fragile bone, which could result in unnecessary fatigue. Weight can be calculated using a Body Mass Index calculator (BMI). A BMI below 18.5 is too low and such a person is said to be underweight. A healthy person should have a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
There could be other reasons someone might want to gain some weight asides being underweight. For instance, you want to look in shape and add some flesh so you could slay in that dress for an important event like your BIG day or for a project like a movie role.
According to National Health Service UK, persistent unintentional loss of more than 5% of your weight over 6-12 months is unusual and should be a concern. Regular body weight fluctuation is normal but when this occurs more often than normal, it could be a sign of malnutrition.
Not gaining the right weight can lead to more serious health conditions such as Anemia (lack of blood), Osteoporosis (weak bones), premature births, Irregular menstrual periods, Infertility, Delay in body development and high risk complications during surgery.
Source: National Health Service UK
Some reasons for underweight are:
Eating disorders: Having difficulty with eating regularly can lead to being underweight. There are two common eating disorders; Anorexia, this is a type of eating disorder which is due to reduced appetite or total aversion of food. This is a psychological disorder which is beyond normal dieting. It mostly occurs for females because of the need to lose weight. Bulimia, according to dictionary.com is an emotional disorder characterized by a distorted body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which there is an intense activity of extreme overeating are followed by fasting or self-induced vomiting or purging.
The difference between both is; the latter reduces food intake severely so as not to gain weight while the latter eats excessively but intentionally purge or vomit to prevent weight gain. It’s close to call it Weight loss obsession.
Loss of appetite: There are times when you just do not feel like eating, maybe because of your state of health. If you are currently ill or just recovering from a sickness, it’s only normal that you’ll experience loss of appetite. This is why weight loss is common for a recovering patient. It is important that you gain the right weight. You can’t afford to visit the hospital again simply because you refuse to eat.
Trying to lose weight: With the aim of trying to lose some weight, there is tendency that you overdid it and lost way too much that what your body needs.
Medical issues: There are some medical conditions people experience which causes them to be underweight. Overactive thyroid is one of them. It is also called hyperthyroidism. It occurs when the thyroid gland produces excess thyroxin hormone. This hormone when produced regulates the body's metabolic rate as well as heart and digestive function, muscle control, brain development, Mood and bone maintenance. It needs a good supply of iodine component in food to function well. Unnecessary weight loss is the result of hyperthyroidism, even if you eat much, you’ll still be underweight.
National Health Service UK identified some healthy ways to gain weight
1. Change to a healthy balanced diet if poor diet is the reason for your weight loss. This diet should include the right proportion of food components and most importantly; calories and fat, ideal for your age and height.
2. Make it an aim to gain healthy weight. Being intentional about it.
3. Don't rely on foods with high sugar such as chocolate, cakes, or sugary drinks for weight gain. Such foods can increase cholesterol levels and do more harm than good. Focus more on:
Eating at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables in a day.
Base your meals on potatoes, bread, rice, spaghetti and starchy carbohydrates.
Add whole grains such as brown rice, wheat, wheat bread, crackers and oatmeal if possible, include it with the carbohydrates when eating.
Take dairy beverages such as soya milk and yoghurts (unsweetened). You can also have full fat milk, but stop when you begin to gain weight.
Have protein foods such as fish, beans, meat & eggs.
Stay hydrated always. The recommended water intake is 6-8 cups a day (it’s not harmful to take more than that; after all water no get enemy).
It's good to take meals that are high in energy. Especially fruits like Bananas, Avocados, Oranges. Other energy giving foods are; beef liver, leafy vegetables (water leaf, scent leaf, Efo tete e.t.c), groundnuts, walnuts (asala), date nuts (dabino), beans, yam and potatoes.
According to Katherine Zeratsky, a nutrition and diet expert at Mayo Clinic Minnesota also pointed out some healthy ways to gain weight.
1. Eat more often: This is an obvious step. People who are underweight tend to feel full faster so rather than 3 meals a day, 5-6 meals a day is better.
2. Nutrient-rich foods: Take whole grain bread (also known as wheat bread), spaghetti (pasta) and cereals; fruits and vegetables; dairy products; lean protein sources (fish, chicken & egg); and nuts and seeds such as almond (ofio), walnuts, and groundnuts.
3. Smoothies and shakes: Don't focus on diet soda (low sugar drinks), coffee and other drinks with few calories that have little nutritional value. It's good to have smoothies and shakes in place of unhealthy drinks because they contain milk and fruits. Be sure to include high energy giving fruits listed earlier when making the smoothie. Examples of these smoothies are: Mango Banana smoothie, Banana Peanut butter smoothie, Avocado smoothie and Orange smoothie. Feel free and get creative by making other smoothies with fruits you would prefer.
4. Take high calorie beverages with a meal. Like the smoothies and other energy boosting beverages listed earlier could be best taken with the meals.
5. Feel free to give yourself a treat once in awhile but me mindful of excess sugar and fat. Take healthy snacks.
6. Exercise, you may have not been expecting this on the list but channel your exercises to gain strength and muscles. This can also help your appetite.
According to Medindia, recommended weight gain should include 50% calories from carbohydrates, 25-30% calories from protein and 20-25% calories from fats. They enlisted some foods for healthy weight gain.
Starchy foods, such as potatoes (sweet & Irish), corn, whole grain bread, and oatmeal. These are high carbohydrate foods which also contains vitamins, minerals, fiber & antioxidants. Carbohydrates along with proteins are good for muscle building. Carbohydrates stimulate the insulin enzyme which enhances muscle repairs. A piece of boiled corn cob provides 143 calories, 31 grams of carbohydrates and 4 grams of fiber.
Peanut butter is filled with healthy fats, fiber, protein and vitamin E. Peanut butter is a source of monounsaturated fats and oleic acid which boosts high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol levels and lowers LDL low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol levels. A tablespoon includes 94 calories, 8 grams of fat and 4 grams of protein.
Nuts, foods that belong to this category are walnuts, almonds, and groundnuts. Nuts provide B complex vitamins, vitamin E, healthy fats and antioxidants. They are also high in protein and fiber. They are also healthy snacks. 30 grams of nuts has 160-190 calories.
Dark chocolate. By dark chocolate, we mean chocolates that contain 70% cocoa or higher. It improves blood flow, prevents blood clots formation and improves cardiovascular health. 100grams of it contains 546 calories and 31 grams of fat. This makes it a healthy snack once in a while.
Breakfast cereals. Since breakfast is the most important mean of the day. The best way to start a day is with breakfast cereals, a combination of high fiber cereal and milk or yoghurt. Cereals with nuts are the best.
Eggs. This contains protein, zinc, vitamins A, D, B 12, folate and phosphorus. One egg contains 90 calories, 6.7 grams of fat, 6.1 grams of protein.
In the process of getting fat, try to avoid meals that contain too much fat. A Healthy food plan could look like this for better results.
Breakfast: Wheat bread and fried egg with ganishes/ peanut butter/ mayonnaise.
Mid morning: A glass of yoghurt or fruit smoothie or fruit salad
Snacks: Popcorn, Groundnut, Walnut
Lunch: Jollof Rice/fried rice and salad, Ofada Rice and Stew with Beef liver or Rice and Beans.
Late Evening snack: Potatoe porridge or Beans porridge
Dinner: Pounded yam and vegetable soup.
