Being lean is often considered to be healthy, but being underweight can be a matter of concern. You might be underweight because your body isn’t getting the proper nutrition or it can also be due to some medical issues. To gain healthy weight, you must follow a healthy approach, which means your meals should include dietary products that are full of nutrients and good calories.
How to know if you are underweight?
Checking the body mass index (BMI) is the direct indication that shows whether you are overweight, underweight or a person with an ideal weight. To calculate body mass index (BMI) you can use an online BMI calculator, just google it and you will find it. You can also calculate it all by yourself by simply dividing your body weight (in kilograms) by square of your height (in meters).
- Ideal body mass index 18.5 and 24.9.
- BMI less than 18.5 is considered to be underweight.
- BMI more than 24.9 is considered to be overweight.
You can also consult a doctor to know whether you are underweight or overweight and seek help accordingly.
What should be avoided in order to gain weight in a healthy way?
It is always recommended that one should have good amounts of protein, carbs, fats and fibers in order to stay healthy.
- In the process of gaining weight, one should never fill up their tummy with refined and processed foods like pastries, burgers, etc.
- Most of us have a bad habit of gulping down soda loaded with sugar and artificial colors in order to quench our thirst, which should strictly be avoided. Don’t fill up your tummy with coffee, tea and other drinks which contain just a few amounts of calories and very little nutritional value.
- Drinking lots of fluids before meals will reduce your appetite and this is very good for those who are trying to lose weight and extremely bad if you are trying to gain weight. In case of those trying to gain weight, it is recommended that they should sip higher calorie beverages along with their meals or while snacking.
What should be included in your daily diet?
Fat has always had a very bad reputation as it is considered to be the main element for being overweight. But do you know that all fat isn’t bad? Our body stores fat then breaks it down to use as energy and having the right kind of foods that are rich in good fats, can help you gain weight easily. Your food or dietary supplements like weight gainer, protein supplements, etc. should contain more protein and vitamins that will help to provide your body with all the nutrients that it needs to function properly.
For gaining muscle mass or weight, make sure you eat at frequent intervals and not overload yourself at a time. Instead of eating heavy meals thrice a day, you can try to split up your meals and eat 6 or 7 times a day.
Here are few things that will help you gain healthy weight in a short span of time:
- Kick start your daily routine with a healthy weight gainer shake loaded with some chopped fruits. To make one, you can use a good quality mass gainer and some fresh full cream milk. Some of the best weight gainer supplement in india are MuscleBlaze Weight Gainer with Added Digezyme, MuscleBlaze Super Gainer XXL, ON (Optimum Nutrition) Serious Mass, and MuscleBlaze Gold Gainer XXL. To make this healthy shake, you can use two scoops of mass gainer or weight gainer powder supplement, add them to a shaker along with 300 ml of full cream milk and one ripe banana, some dates. Blend properly and then have it. Try to drink healthy smoothies or shakes made with full cream milk and some fresh fruits. Try to add some ground flax seeds or chia seeds to them as well.
- After a workout session, try to have a healthy breakfast that is rich in protein and carbs. You can consider having two slices of brown or multigrain bread, two boiled eggs along with the yolk, and one ripe banana. If you love pancakes, then go for a good banana pancake made with some protein powder. You can consider using peanut butter or cheese as a spread for your breads, which not only makes it tasty but also adds nutritional value to your food.
- For lunch you can have baked fish, one cup of brown rice or 2 chapatis made from multigrain atta. Try to add lots of vegetables to your diet. You should also have a bowl full of cooked pulses. If you love to eat chicken, then try eating 250gms of chicken breast with brown rice along with salad. Also, add some yoghurt to your diet as it helps in digestion.
- For evening snacks, you can have a glass full of banana shake or mango shake. You can also have omelette with cheese in it. Along with all these try to include some nuts in your diet. You can also have a vegetable sandwich with cheese slices in it, some baked potatoes minted of boiled ones along with some fistfuls of roasted nuts.
- For dinner you can have brown rice, or chapati as you wish. Along with this try to have some grilled fish or grilled chicken breast, chickpeas and a bowl of salad. You can consume 1 tablespoon of ghee with your regular chapatis as ghee contains good fat that helps you to stay healthy, but do not have it in more quantity.
- Try to have a glass full of full fat milk along with mass gainer or weight gainer supplements, before going to bed
These are some healthy tips that you should be considering, if you want to gain weight in a healthy way. Also try to include weight training along with a good diet plan. Try to get adequate sleep, make yourself stress free and for that do some yoga or meditation. Stay healthy, eat the right food and meet your body goals in no time.
