Several helpful ways to gain weight

By Clare E. Urwin

SURABAYA (JP): Wanting to gain weight is a problem that receives little sympathy. "You should be so lucky" is the usual response from friends and colleagues. Yet, for those underweight people who are trying hard to increase their body mass, the battle to gain weight can be just as frustrating and difficult as the fight to lose it.

With the modern preoccupation about being "slim" and "taking weight off", it's easy to forget that there are a substantial number of men and women with the opposite dilemma. How to put it on!

Here is the good news. Gaining weight is certainly possible, even though achieving such a goal usually takes time and patience.

Three main factors are necessary for success. Firstly, a high calorie diet is involved. Most thin people will put on weight by eating approximately 500 extra calories per day, beyond their normal intake.

Secondly, weight training and strength exercises are essential to build up your body mass. For women, don't be alarmed. This does not mean "bulking-up" or developing big muscles.

Thirdly, pick your parents carefully! Seriously, genetics and hereditary factors are very significant. Some people come from families with a predisposition to burn off calories more quickly than average. Quite simply, they have thin body types and their venture to gain weight will take longer and require more effort.

Why do some adults have trouble maintaining their body weight? Although not a great deal of research has been carried out on underweight people, it appears that the main reason for being very thin is the most obvious one. They eat less than most of us!

In one recent study, some very slim types were fed a controlled high calorie diet, and much to their surprise, every one of them put on weight. Previously they just hadn't been eating as much as they thought.

Many low weight people tend to be more active and often have a high metabolism. They seem to constantly "fidget" and are never totally still. Equally, very thin people frequently sleep fewer hours, or have a natural inclination towards vigorous sports and hobbies.

Of course, almost anybody can become too thin through illness and this is where being underweight beforehand is dangerous. Although some new studies seem to show calorie restriction increases life-span, there is still a definite link between extreme thinness and ongoing poor health.

According to most research, the greater the degree of underweight, the bigger the risks of malnutrition, heart attacks, osteoporosis, sexual and reproductive problems and reduced life expectancy.

So, if you are underweight, and even though millions of would be slimmers are green with envy at your so-called problem, it would be wise to try new ways of eating and exercising, to put some on. Besides, apart from having the pleasure of filling out your clothes properly, you will feel strong and healthy too.

Taking in those daily extra 500 calories should be the start. It's a good idea to keep a food diary at the beginning, to find out how much you normally eat. From that, you can work out how to sneak in more, without having to force down dauntingly large calorie dense meals.

For many weight-watching dieters, the thought of being required to eat more food would be like a dream come true. Imagine devouring piles of hot buttered toast, mounds of steaming french fries and big bowls of double chocolate chip ice-cream. All because you had to! What a wonderful mouth-watering fantasy. However, it doesn't quite work like that.

Those extra calories must be added to your diet while keeping the balance of nutrients healthy. You want quality weight gain! Your body needs wholesome foods with additional protein for building strong muscles. Not junk and not bad fat!

Aim to eat three meals and three snacks a day. By having some food approximately every three hours, you will be able to take in those additional 500 calories without feeling too full and uncomfortable. Try energy rich fare. Nourishment that packs a lot of calories into small servings.

Healthy snack choices include fresh nuts, dried fruit and seeds, muesli with yogurt or soy milk, peanut butter on whole- wheat bread, avocados, bananas and dates. With your main meals, make sure you include quality sources of protein such as fish, soy, lean meats, eggs and legumes. For drinks, try milky malt ones, or real fruit juices.

Thin people with a poor appetite often have difficulty in managing enough high bulk foods, such as starchy carbohydrates, to eat sufficient extra calories. Therefore, it's reasonable to include a little more of the good fats than normal. So yes, you can be very generous with the olive oil dressings, taramasalata and sesame seed spreads.

Unfortunately, grazing on cookies, confectionery and chocolate bars with the hope of increasing weight, is a mistake. These contain "empty" calories, are nutritionally useless, and fill you up with excessive sugars, bad trans fats and harmful additives.

Why not nibble two fresh brazil nuts instead? Apart from some extra protein and significant amounts of iron, zinc and magnesium, these will supply your daily requirement of selenium, the antioxidant mineral which helps to protect against heart disease, cancer and aging. Much better for you than some junk candy bar!

Avoid skipping meals. People who have trouble gaining weight, often miss meals without realizing it. Sometimes being too busy is the excuse and on other occasions they literally just forget to eat! Remember, each missed meal can cost about 500 or more calories. This could have gone towards your goal of gaining weight.

With exercising, increase your strength training to three times every week and sacrifice some aerobic activity. Think about it. Most marathon runners are extremely lean for a very good reason. They run a lot!

What if you haven't done any weight training before and don't really know what's involved? A good idea is to visit a gym and enlist the help and advice of an experienced fitness supervisor. Weight training will generally pad up your body, (particularly arms and legs) and improve your overall strength and stamina.

For women, using light weights and high repetitions will keep you from building bulk. With men, heavier weights and fewer repeats will bring a "beefier" success. At home, exercises like squats and lunges will help fill out and firm your bottom.

By increasing your daily calories and being disciplined about strength training, you can easily put on about a kilo every month and feel terrific. Keep working at it and stay motivated. Gaining quality weight is worth it. Meanwhile, enjoy basking in the total envy of the rest of us! Good luck.

-- The writer is a nutritionist and health advisor based in Surabaya. Please feel free to ask questions to the writer through her e-mail address, clareu@attglobal.net.