Diet advice needed!!!

Question
hello jackie
   well,Iam a 21 year old guy who just cant seem to gain weight.
   Iam very thin and need a proper diet which would help me put on some calories.
   However i eat,it doesnt seem to help!what should i eat and how
   frequently?Can i exercise for mass gain.you gotta help me on this
   maam coz its really bugging my life and affecting my health.thanking
ya in advance.Appreciate if u could put some light on the issue.
                                                    Skinnydips

Answer
HI Tim


Don't despair. It is possible for most people to gain weight. We're looking for a healthy weight gain, not just adding body fat. That means, instead of loading up on junk foods and high-fat nutritional nightmares like cookies and candies, treating yourself to nourishing foods that will help you add muscle and body mass.

Eat three meals every day. Yes, this means you need to get up in time for breakfast, that you can't skip lunch, and that dinner actually needs to be prepared and eaten.

Eat three snacks every day. That's right: midmorning, midafternoon and evening. In order to gain weight, you need to fuel your body at regular times. The easiest way is to set up a schedule of three meals and three snacks.

Stop drinking non-caloric beverages. That includes diet soda, and plain coffee or tea. You're looking for calories, right? Choose skim or 1 percent milk (we want healthy calories, not fat, so avoid milk with higher fat contents), 100 percent fruit juice or sports drinks.

Choose calorie-dense foods. That means eating potatoes, corn or peas instead of celery and carrot sticks. Or choosing a banana or cranberry juice instead of an apple or orange juice. Granola cereal is more calorie-dense than puffed rice. Read food labels for the serving size and the calories, and make it a habit to routinely choose foods that are higher in calories.

Expand your meals. Each meal should include some type of starchy food (potato, rice, pasta, bread, cereal), fruits and vegetables, and a protein source (chicken, red meat, fish, tofu, peanut butter, legumes, eggs, cheese). Use two or three teaspoons of margarine or salad dressing with each meal to add moderate amounts of fat without going overboard.

Exercise. Regular exercise and activity will help your body gain muscle and not unwanted fat. Thirty minutes of daily activity is plenty to get your system moving yet not so much that you're burning up tons of calories. If you are more active, you'll need to increase your calorie intake.

To gain weight, increase your food intake by 3,500 calories for each pound you want to add. To gain weight, you have to take in more calories than your body burns. You do this by eating more food. But even then, gaining weight may not be easy for some athletes. If you're training hard, you may burn everything you eat and then some.

The following diet for gaining weight can supply those extra calories. Eat at least these recommended servings every day.

Milk Group
(milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage
cheese, ice cream) 4 or more servings

Meat Group
(meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dried
beans and peas, nuts) 3 or more servings

Vegetable Group
(fresh, frozen, canned, juiced
vegetables) 6 or more servings

Fruit Group
(fresh, frozen, canned, dried, juiced
fruits) 4 or more servings

Grain Group
(cereals, breads, rolls, pasta,
muffins, pancakes, grits, rice) 12 to 16 serving

There are several ways to increase the number of calories you eat. You can:

Eat larger portions at meals.
Eat more meals each day.
Have snacks between meals.

You can also increase your calories by substituting high-calorie foods for lower-calorie ones. Be aware, however, that only some high-calorie foods are nutrient-rich. Others, unfortunately are low in nutrients. It's important to supply your body with all the nutrients if needs. The following foods are rich in both calories and nutrients:

Nuts
Dried fruits
Shakes and malts
Cheese
Sandwiches
Pizza

Foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients also can play a role in a weight-grain diet. But you should eat these foods in addition to, not instead of, adequate amounts of nutrient-rich foods. Some high-calorie, low-nutrient foods are:

Soft drinks
Salty snack foods, like chips
Cakes, pies, cookies
Doughnuts, sweet rolls
Jams, jellies, syrups

Last but not least try one of the Weight Gainer products such as Weiders Weight Gainer.  This is a powder that you can use to make shakes.  Each shake adds approximately 400 to 600 calories to your diet.  A couple of shakes each day makes a big difference.

If you need added information--let me know.

Take Care
Jackie  

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