Weight Gain
Discussions around being overweight and obese far outweigh conversations about being underweight, yet both yield health dangers. Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is one indicator on where you fall on the spectrum. By using your height and weight you can take the guesswork out. A BMI of 18.5 or under defines being underweight, above 25 is overweight and over 30 is obese. Being underweight as a male increases your risk for an early death and 100% for women. Your immune function becomes compromised and may lead to a higher risk of infections, brittle bones leading to more fractures and, in women, an increase in infertility.
I often talk about sarcopenia, or muscle wasting, caused by not eating enough protein. This is mostly a disease of the elderly, however, underweight folks increase their likelihood of getting this disease early on in life.
Early dementia is another concern when underweight. When we are not eating enough, compromising the integrity of our gut health, we also compromise the health of our brain. Our brain is another indicator of our health. When we fuel our brain with enough protein and healthy fats we are more likely to enjoy mental clarity and focus, less headaches and migraines, better sleep, increased energy and memory.
Other reasons that may prevent weight gain are Celiac Disease, thyroid issues, diabetes, eating disorders, chronic stress and drug/alcohol abuse. Before starting on your weight gain journey, consult with your primary physician to rule out any physical or mental issues.
Healthy Weight Gain Tips:
Know your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR is another equation to use to see what your baseline is for eating daily calories, based on your weight, height, body fat %, BMI and exercise output. Once you have this number you should add 700-1000 calories per day, however, start slow by adding 250 extra calories per day per week until you hit your caloric intake goal.
Eat your protein macronutrient goals daily. Protein is made up of amino acids and those are the building blocks of muscle. This is your most important macronutrient and should be fulfilled daily. The standard equation to figure out how much protein to eat is .8-1.2 grams of protein per pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 120 pounds, you should aim for 96-144 grams of protein per day. However, if you’re an athlete or workout a lot then you can increase that up to 2.2 grams per pound of body weight.
Eat calorie dense, high carbohydrate foods. Yes, underweight folks get to eat as many carbohydrates as possible and more. However, this is not a free pass for candy, ice-cream, processed junk foods and soda. This is a free pass on nutrient dense, high carbohydrate foods such as grains, beans, root vegetables and more.
Eat healthy fats! Healthy fats have a ton of calories and are a great addition to everyone’s daily nutrition but for those looking to gain weight, more is better. The only downfall with eating more healthy fats is that they satiate you quickly making it more challenging to eat everything else. My sauces and dips are a delicious way to add in healthy fats.
Do not intermittent fast. Fasting is a great tool for those battling obesity. Many people who have stable weight and live an active life also enjoy fasting to boost cellular autophagy – the cleaning up of cell parts, boost metabolism or use a tool to maintain their healthy weight. However, for people looking to gain muscle and weight, fasting is not optimal.
Eat often, at least 3 meals per day with healthy, calorie dense snacks. Eating three meals per day may be hard for you to get in the abundance of calories you need to gain weight. Most people have a hard time eating breakfast so be mindful of making up for lost calories during certain meal times.
Lift heavy weights. Weight-lifting training is crucial for longevity and for gaining weight. Our muscles are our longevity organ and without them we would waste away (sarcopenia). Aim for 3 days of strength training with the goal of increasing the weight and volume over a safe amount of time. Hiring a personal trainer is a smart idea so you can be held accountable and lift weights safely and effectively.
Have a body composition scan done at the start of your weight gain journey, such as the Inbody scan. A great way to measure success is to see where you started from and where you’re headed. A body scan will give you relevant information that you can then use to help you and your health coach determine a safe, healthy nutrition and exercise plan to reach your goals.
My 5 favorite healthy, high carbohydrate foods:
Sweet potatoes and squash (such as this recipe)
Bananas
Gluten-free oats
Kidney beans and garbanzo beans
Rice and quinoa (50/50 mix)
My top 3 healthy, high carbohydrate breakfast recipes:
1-2 cups of plain gluten-free oatmeal with 4-6 scrambled whole eggs, sauteed in grass-fed butter or ghee with a healthy dose of sea salt.
1-2 cups 50/50 mix of rice and quinoa, 30-40 grams of grass-fed steak, dark meat chicken or wild caught salmon, half to a whole avocado, sea salt.
1 large steamed sweet potato filled with ½ pound to 1 pound of ground grass-fed beef, bison or lamb topped with goat or sheep feta cheese and arugula.
Checkout my two-part podcast series on fitness nutrition here for more bulking suggestions.
This blog is not to be used as medical advice or for making any lifestyle changes to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.