With so many people trying to slim down, those trying to gain weight can seem a forgotten minority. But, gaining weight can be as big a challenge as weight loss.

Adding pounds: a weightier problem

With so many overweight people trying to slim down, those who are trying to gain a few pounds can seem a forgotten minority. Contrary to popular thought, however, adding pounds (and keeping them there once they are added) can be even more challenging than shedding them.

Many factors, including depression, medications, and physical ailments such as a thyroid disorder, can lead to weight loss. An important first step is to speak with your doctor if you are losing weight and don't know why. If an underlying problem is causing your weight loss, treating it may help you regain weight. If it turns out that you need to eat more, there are healthful ways to accomplish this goal.

The weighting game

To gain weight you need to take in more calories than your body uses. Adding 500 calories to your daily intake, for example, can result in a gain of one pound a week. Additional calories can come from eating more food and by substituting calorie-rich foods for lower-calorie choices. Bear in mind, however, that if you're not used to eating much, or your appetite isn't what it used to be, it may take time to reach this goal. Try gradually increasing the frequency and size of your meals and snacks, giving your body time to adjust.

Increasing intake

To increase the amount of food you eat, try some of these suggestions.

• Aim for three moderately sized meals and two to three snacks each day spaced well between meals. Include a bedtime snack.
• If you typically forget to eat a meal or snack, use an alarm clock to remind you of the next one.
• Keep snacks in visible, accessible places. For example, stash juice boxes and granola bars or trail mix next to the chair you sit in to read.
• Eat larger meals at the times when your appetite is the heartiest.
• Choose meals based on your preferences, not convention. If eating pasta for breakfast or cereal and milk for dinner sounds appealing, go for it!
• Choose snacks that need little or no preparation, such as muffins or bagels with jam, crackers with cheese or peanut butter, fruit slices dipped into whipped flavored cream cheese, pudding, toaster waffles with margarine and syrup, or a mug of cream soup or cocoa.

Higher calorie food choices

It is important to include a variety of foods, but at the same time, it is helpful to choose higher calorie foods whenever possible. For example, opt for starchy vegetables such as corn (67 calories per half-cup) rather than green beans (18 calories for half a cup). When shopping, use food labels to identify higher-calorie choices. A cup of cranberry juice, for example, contains 147 calories, while the same amount of orange juice provides 112 calories. Individually, the differences aren't great but over the course of a day, they add up.

You can also add calories to a dish by adding small amounts of high-calories "extras." For example, at breakfast top a slice of toast with both margarine and jam, add dried fruit to cereal, or mix granola into flavored yogurt.

Here are some other calorie boosters

• Use milk in place of water in hot cereals, soups, or instant cocoa.
• Add grated cheese to vegetables, pasta, rice, and casseroles.
• Eat nuts for a snack or chop them and add them to salads or desserts.
• Add diced olives, cheese, and sliced avocado to salads and sandwiches.
• Drizzle olive oil on cooked vegetables or add a little margarine, sour cream, or salad dressing. Fat is a concentrated source of calories and adding fat is an efficient way to increase your caloric intake.
• Drink juice or milk instead of coffee, tea, or other low-calorie beverages. Add chocolate or strawberry flavoring or a package of "instant breakfast" to milk.
• Unless you have other medically necessary dietary restrictions, buy "regular" convenience foods and frozen meals rather than "light" varieties.

Source

The American Dietetic Association's Complete Food & Nutrition Guide RL. Duyff, Minneapolis: Chronimed Publishing, 1998

Links

• To quickly access additional accurate information on this and other nutrition-related topics, visit Tufts University's Nutrition Navigator