weight gaining

Question
my name is Claire i am 22 years old and live a active life. i do a lot of walking and thinking everyday. i am desperate to add some more weight in order to feel healthier i am only 7 stone 3 and want to gain at least a stone to feel healthier.what can i do?

Answer
Dear Claire,

Well, the simple answer, of course, is to eat more :)

First, though, you want to be sure you are healthy and that the reason you are underweight is just because you are burning off more calories than you are eating. There are metabolic and digestive disorders that keep people from using all the calories they eat, or make their body burn too many calories.  Most of these can be easily treated, so visit your physician to rule this out.

If the case is that you are just very active and you don't take in enough calories, you'll need to take a close look at your diet to find out how to do that... do you eat three meals a day? Do you take in enough protein, fat and carbohydrates to give your body energy for all the activities?
Some people believe they are eating extremely healthy by having only fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. These are healthy foods, but they are just one part of a healthy diet. Be sure you are getting the necessary fats and oils, in moderation, as well.
Then consider where you can take in extra calories for the weight gain. Can you have a mid-morning snack, an afternoon snack or an evening snack? Something like cheese and crackers or a bowl of cereal or a granola bar will be a healthy addition of a few hundred calories. There are also supplement drinks like Carnation Instant Breakfast.

For people who want to gain weight it's important to start including a few hundred additional calories every day in order to see results like 1/2 pound weight gain each week. Keeping a food diary will help remind you to eat more often than you are right now.

1. Prev:Hit a plateau...
2. Next:Weight loss and different kinds of calories