Weight Gain
No Weight Gain Without Pain
Please, Sir, May I Have Some More?
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist asked for more food. Sustenance rather than weight gain was the object of his plea. Leaving aside the starving masses for the purposes of this article, there are numbers of people in the Western world, not all of whom are Sumo wrestlers, who wish to put on weight for a variety of reasons.
Perhaps those most overtly seeking weight gain are body builders, sportsmen and women. They are, by most standards, fit, which highlights those who are not – particularly those painfully underweight, mostly young, people afflicted by eating disorders. There are also the chronically ill and those recovering invalids whose medical condition has caused them to waste. Moreover, the elderly who may gradually lose their senses of taste and/or smell, or become unable to adequately feed themselves for a number of reasons, are another group potentially in need of weight gain.
While weight gain is obviously an increase in body weight, it is important to know whether any increase is composed of muscle, fat, or water. Medical science can probably devise a dietary regime to fit any weight gain requirement. To put on weight healthily, the requirement is to ingest more calories obtained from the ‘right’ foods while exercising appropriately.
The Right Stuff
The ‘right’ foods does not include your favorite deep-fried chocolate bar and more fast or junk food. You may well gain weight but your body may not love you for it. You should be avoiding, as should we all, over-consumption of saturated and trans fats. Better for you by far are the ‘right’ oily foods like walnuts, flax seed (oil or capsules), and fish like tuna and salmon, fresh or canned, containing omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs). You can also get free range eggs from chickens which have been fed on a diet rich in omega-3. You can build muscle from protein in ‘right’ foods like fish, poultry, lean meats, legumes, seeds and nuts. Whole grains, vegetables and fruits get the ‘right’ food tick in the carbohydrate department.
The Right Amount
Eating enough of the right stuff may be easier said than done. As with high-protein reducing diets it may be easier/better/more effective to eat six smaller meals a day (three meals and three snacks), rather than the traditional three square meals. You can supplement and substitute with protein powders and bars. If you understand how these powders are used by body builders in conjunction with weight training and resistance exercise, you will see how they might be used to help someone needing more weight for medical reasons.
The Right Weights
Exercise is critical for healthy weight increase. Resistance training and weight training will build muscle. Running, power-walking, cycling and aerobic gym classes may hinder rather than promote weight gain. You can train at home, at a spa or gym. Gaining weight may prove as hard or easy as weight loss, and require just as much dedication and persistance.
Just like weight loss dieters, you would be well advised to seek medical supervision. Depending on your condition and needs, a doctor may specify particular liquid or powdered nutritional supplements. Also just like dieters you might take a good multivitamin/mineral supplement to ensure your body has what it needs despite your modified dietary regime.
Like weight loss dieters a food diary will be useful to plot weight increase against calorie intake. Like weight loss dieters, avoid sugary sodas. Unlike dieters drink milk and fruit juice to obtain extra calories. Unlike dieters, portions can be up-sized – still healthy, just bigger, i.e., more baked chicken, baked potato, baked fish. Like dieters avoid fried potatoes, french fries, fried chicken. The best approach is to delete ‘fried’ from your dietary dictionary. Keep up with the vegetables and the fruit. Drink the ‘right’ amount of water every day. Get an expert-designed weight training program and stick to it. Weight gain will happen.
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