What Does Being Underweight Mean?
The Centers for Disease Control recommends using BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine if you are overweight, underweight, or have a healthy weight. You can use this link to calculate your BMI. Women with a BMI less than 18.5 are considered underweight. There is an array of reasons you can be underweight, some of which are physical, while others are psychological. Let us look into the causes in detail.
Causes Of Being Underweight
High Metabolism– Some people are built to be lean. Their metabolism is so high that their tendency to put on weight is low even if they eat large, calorie-dense meals. Family History– Some people are born with the kind of genes that make them naturally thin and have a low BMI. High Physical Activity – People who perform high levels of physical activities regularly, like jogging, running, swimming, or playing any form of sports, tend to be underweight. This usually happens since their metabolism is always high, and they burn a lot of calories constantly through the day, even while they are resting. Health Conditions – If a person has one or more health conditions or diseases, they might experience a temporary weight loss. They can also experience a spike in their metabolism levels that may cause continuous weight loss. A few examples of such health conditions are hyperthyroidism, cancer, diabetes, and tuberculosis. Depression – People who have depression may experience a severe loss of appetite and lose a substantial amount of weight very quickly. Such people need medical help as soon as possible. Stress – A person living under constant stress is usually very occupied in their thoughts and worries that they may lose weight without intending to. Eating Disorders – People with ertain eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder, are underweight. Eating disorders are mainly related to the levels of brain messengers, where weight watchers overeat for short period, followed by purging or over exercising to compensate for extra calorie intake (2).
Gaining weight can be a time-consuming process. You need to aim at gaining weight in a healthy manner and not just gorge on junk. Here’s what you need to do.
How To Gain Weight The Healthy Way
1. Healthy Carbs and Fats
Following a diet that is high in carbohydrates and fats is one of the best ways to gain weight healthily. While carbs provide energy, healthy fats are calorie dense. Together, they gradually increase weight. Some healthy sources of carbs and fats are:
Rice Whole grains Full-fat yogurt Oats Cheese Avocado Coconut oil Whole eggs Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
2. Eat More Calories
Theoretically, eating an additional 500 calories every day increases your weight by a pound in one week. So, eat more calorie- and nutrient-dense foods through the day in the form of heavy meals and snacks. You can either increase the portion sizes or eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day. Avoid eating empty calories that do not provide any nourishment. You can increase your calorie intake by adding nuts, seeds, or cheese as toppings in your meal. Below are some more snack options to increase your calorie count:
Hummus with whole grain crackers Avocado on toast Protein smoothie Bread with your choice of nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew or walnut butter) Yogurt parfait Cereal bars Muesli with fruits Oatmeal with mixed nuts Boiled eggs with toast
3. Eat Plenty Of Protein
This is the most important nutrient required for weight gain. Your muscle is mainly made up of protein, so eating enough protein helps you gain healthy muscle weight instead of fat. The ideal protein intake for an underweight person should be between 1.5 grams to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight. A study shows that when you follow a high-protein diet, most of the excess calories get stored in your muscle (3). Some protein-rich foods include:
Fatty fish Red meat Whole eggs Whole grains Nuts and seeds Pulses and legumes Dairy products Whey protein powder (should be mainly used if you perform high-intensity workouts)
4. Improve Physical Strength
It is important to ensure that you lift weights at the gym or play a sport to improve your physical strength and avoid letting the excess calories in your body turn into fat. Head to the gym at least 4 to 5 times a week to increase your muscle mass. Focus mainly on strength training instead of spending a lot of time doing cardio. Cardio is great for a healthy heart, but it also burns a lot of calories and doesn’t work much in your favor if you are underweight.
5. Keep Yourself Hydrated
Drinking water has been synonymous with weight loss since it helps to reduce the amount of food being consumed. Hence, do not drink water before meals or with meals as it makes you feel full. Drinking water does not help you to gain weight but prevents dehydration and flushes out toxins from the body. You can include protein smoothies in your diet to stay hydrated as well as gain healthy weight. But some doctors claim that drinking excess water can also lead to weight gain. They believe that the body can only flush out a limited amount of water. If you drink more water than the body can handle, it gets stored in the body and causes weight gain in the form of water weight.
6. Home Remedies
1. Potatoes
This is one of the easiest and most pocket-friendly ways to add calories and starch to your diet. Consumption of excess potatoes has been associated with long-term weight gain (4). As potatoes have a high glycemic index and may spike your blood sugar levels if consumed on a daily basis, you can sometimes substitute potato with sweet potato. Though sweet potatoes are high in fiber and resistant starch, which aid weight loss, proper cooking and preparation can help you put on a few pounds. Prepare sweet potato mash with butter or cheese and add some meat to make a well balanced carb-protein snack. You can add mashed potatoes as a side dish to your meal or eat a baked potato as a snack. Here’s a delicious baked potato recipe that you can have for dinner (increase portion size as needed).
1 large potato (washed clean) ½ cup paneer (cottage cheese) 2 tablespoons shredded cheese 2 tablespoons bell pepper (red, yellow or green) 1 twig of spring onion Salt and pepper to taste A few pieces of cooked chicken or red meat (optional)
You can eat potato every day if you want. Try to have it in different forms each time. This recipe can be followed 2 to 3 times a week for weight gain.
2. Dry Fruits
Consuming dry fruits, nuts, and seeds is an excellent way to gain weight gradually. One study suggests that nuts, nut butters, and dried fruits (like dates, apricots, prunes) are good sources of protein, vitamin E, and monounsaturated fats and should be added to meals and snacks for a boost in nutrient and calorie intake (5). You can add chopped dry fruits as toppings in several dishes or make nut butter to spread over bread. Below is a fool-proof and easy way to create nut butter with any dry fruit you like.
3 cups raw almonds, walnuts, or cashew nuts ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder (optional) Honey to taste (optional) An oven A baking tray A baking sheet A food processor
Home-made nut butters can stay in the refrigerator for up to one month. You can consume this with whole grain bread or toast every day.
3. Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha works better than a few weight gain supplements since it is Ayurvedic and does not cause any harm to the body. Studies also state that it works by significantly increasing muscle mass and strength (6). Even after discontinuing or decreasing the use of this powder, your body will retain its muscle mass for a long time. Note: Make sure you consult your doctor before using ashwagandha.
100 g ashwagandha 100 g dry ginger powder 100 g sugar ½ glass water 1 glass milk A vessel (for boiling) 1 airtight bottle
You must consume ashwagandha powder with milk 1-2 times a day for about a month to notice visible changes in your body.
4. Ginger
Ginger is known to stimulate your appetite. Eating ginger before a meal gets the digestive juices flowing. This can help you eat larger portions and aids better digestion and absorption of nutrients (7).
½ inch of fresh ginger 1-2 glasses of water A vessel (to boil) A strainer
You can consume a small piece of ginger 1-2 times every day.
5. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is known to have appetite stimulating properties. It is also known to calm and relax your nerves. These facts do not have scientific backing yet, but this remedy has been used by people for years and has proved to be quite beneficial.
1 chamomile tea bag or a few chamomile flowers 1 cup water A vessel (to boil)
You can drink chamomile tea 1-2 times daily, an hour before meals, or just before bedtime.
6. Drink Milk
Milk has been traditionally used as a method to gain weight and muscle for years. It is not only calorie dense, but it also has a good amount of protein, good fats, calcium, vitamins, and minerals. It has a combination of both casein and whey proteins that help to build muscle. Studies have shown that muscle mass increases when you combine drinking milk and weightlifting exercises (7), (8). 1-2 glasses of warm milk You can drink about one to two glasses of milk per day. Try not to consume more than two glasses every day. Try any or a combination of the above methods to gain weight. Below are a few tips that can help you.
Tips To Gain Weight
Don’t drink water before or during meals. This might make you eat lesser. Don’t opt for a “lite” or “skim” version of foods. For example, if you are drinking milk or eating yogurt, go for the full-fat version. Have larger portion sizes. You can use bigger plates to ensure a bigger portion size. Eat frequently throughout the day. Make sure that your midmeal snacks are calorie- and nutrient-dense. Do weight training 3 to 4 days a week. Use natural or herbal products as mass gainers instead of artificial supplements. That way, when you need to stop, you will not start losing the built-up muscle easily. Get a good night’s sleep. Resting well allows for proper muscle growth.
Here are a few precautions you need to keep in mind.
Precautions To Follow
Don’t overdo cardio activities as you will burn more calories than you need to. However, it is also important not to neglect cardio altogether. You can do it once or twice a week and focus on weight training on the other days. In a rush to gain weight quickly, a lot of people tend to binge on unhealthy junk food. Avoid doing this. Don’t give up too quickly. It takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work to gain weight in a healthy manner. Just keep going.
How long does it take to notice weight gain? This differs from person to person. It can usually take a few days or up to a week or two to see any visible results. Why overeating doesn’t make you fat? It is not overeating that makes you fat, but it is eating the wrong or bad kind of calories that become toxic and lead to weight gain. Is it bad to lose weight too quickly? Yes, it is. Losing weight too quickly promotes a lot of health risks since crash diets are low in nutrients. Also, when you stop the crash diet, you put on more weight than you had before. Which ashwagandha is best for weight gain? Ashwagandha Ghrita is considered the best ashwagandha for weight gain due to Its high fat (9). Consult a nutritionist about the correct dosage of ashwagandha you should take to help you gain weight healthily. How much weight is healthy to gain in a month? Anecdotal evidence suggests that gaining 2-4 pounds in a month is a safe way to gain weight. Is it possible to gain 10 pounds of muscle in a month? Yes, anecdotal evidence suggests that it is possible to gain 10 pounds of muscle in a month by increasing your calorie and protein intake. However, consult a nutritionist before making extreme dietary changes.
