How to gain weight in a healthy way

2023-10-31 20:39:00, Shëndeti Ilir Allkja

Illustrative photo

Today, as a result of lifestyle, nutrition, physical activity, stress, hormonal imbalance, the biggest problem I hear is how to lose weight.

But although I have rarely encountered the opposite request:

- How to gain weight?

When dieting to gain weight, the behavioral algorithms are opposite to those of losing weight; you need to consume more calories than you burn.

You should also eat every 3 hours and avoid skipping meals, and add high-calorie foods to your meals that are healthy and nutritious (such as olive oil, fruit smoothies, oatmeal, avocados, and nuts).

It is important to remember that even weight gain diets do not include the consumption of processed foods or foods that are high in fat or high in sugar: baklava, chicken wings, hamburgers, chips, pizza, or sugary sodas, etc. .

Remember: These foods are high in sugar and saturated fat, which will lead to fat gain and increase your risk for metabolic, cardiovascular and neurological diseases (due to increased cholesterol and triglycerides).

It is important to calculate your ideal weight as well as the kilos you want to gain.

Below I have adapted 6 tips to gain weight in a healthy way, without risking your health:

1. Eat every 3 hours.

Eating every 3 hours is important to ensure you are increasing your caloric intake throughout the day, which will lead to weight gain. You need to consume more calories than you burn. In addition, the structure of your calories should be balanced in amounts between carbohydrates, proteins and fats, all of which contribute to muscle growth.

2. Get plenty of protein at all meals.

Including protein in all meals ensures that amino acid levels in your blood are constant throughout the day, which will promote good muscle recovery after exercise.

Protein is present in foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese and yogurt. I recommend at least 3 eggs a day.

3. Consume good fats.

Foods that are rich in good fats (such as nuts, chestnuts, peanuts, olive oil, etc.) are great ways to increase calories in the diet with small volumes of food. In addition, these fats help increase muscle mass and do not stimulate the increase of fat in the body.

Other ways to use these types of foods in your meals include adding peanut butter to bread, (if you have a blender at home, I advise you to make this butter yourself), eating some chestnuts, nuts with snacks, adding 2 spoons of natural sour cream in meals.

4. Eat at least 3 fruits a day.

Eating at least 3 fruits a day (I actually eat over 1 kg of fruit, and this is the main reason I don't lose weight). Eating a fruit salad sweetened with honey for lunch or dinner can help increase the amount of vitamins and minerals in your diet. This is essential for optimal functioning of your metabolism and for increasing muscle mass.

5. Drink more than 3 liters of water per day.

Drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated is important for increasing muscle mass. Hypertrophy, which is the growth of muscle cells, will only occur if there is enough water to increase the cell volume.

6. Increasing physical activity.

To ensure that your extra calories are being transformed into muscle and not fat, it is important to increase physical activity.

You need a balance between walking, running in nature and exercising in the gym.