Healthy ways to GAIN weight

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aahluwalia
aahluwalia Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hey, I've struggled with disordered eating for the past 6 years but I'm really determined to put that behind me. To get to a healthy weight however, I need to gain at least 7 pounds but I don't want to do it by pigging out on junk. I want to nourish my body with proper wholesome and unprocessed foods. I would really appreciate any tips and ideas :)

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  • shaycat
    shaycat Posts: 980
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    Do you have your goals set to gain? Try to stay within your sugar and fats and not go over.
    I would say eat good fruits like bananas. Nuts and peanut butter. Whole milk.
    I'm not much help. I wanted to ut on some weight and did it my baking a lot of cookies. That wasnt one of my best ideas :)
  • spngebobmyhero
    spngebobmyhero Posts: 823 Member
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    Try healthy fats and proteins with lots of veggies. A breakfast I enjoy is a three or four egg omelet with salsa and cheese. Eggs are very, very good for you. Eating a breakfast like this will make you feel great.

    Another lunch that I love is an avocado with a can of olive oil packed tuna mixed together. I eat this with a big *kitten* salad with some olive oil and vinegar with some olives and feta cheese. These are all pretty clean foods and fairly unprocessed. Fats like these are very good for you.

    Also, try cooking your veggies in butter or coconut oil. These fats are great for you and I think they will make you feel really good. Plus you will love the way everything tastes. I hope some of this helps!!!

    ps: I'm trying to lose weight, but I imagine eating these foods and reaching the calorie goal that mfp sets for you to gain weight would be a very healthy and safe way to reach your goals and create healthy habits. Best of luck!
  • castaliavt
    castaliavt Posts: 84 Member
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    Maybe try to increase your calories by 10% every couple of weeks. If you normally have 1 cup of pasta, have 1 1/4 cups. Or top a taco with a few slices of avocado in addition to what you normally have. Every couple of weeks, add in another 10% until you start gaining slowly.

    Good luck!
  • erinmart
    erinmart Posts: 1
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    WORK OUT. I know this seems counterintuitive, but I was in the same position that you are (needed to gain ten pounds to get back to healthy weight, twenty to get to where I'd like to be) and that's what worked for me. Working out, and working HARD, really stimulated my appetite so that I didn't have to force myself to eat. Also, it changes your goals: you start eating the things you need to maximize your progress at the gym, and you really focus on getting healthy and fueling your activities instead of being obsessed with the number on the scale.

    My advice would be to find some activity that you love or always wanted to try. For me it was kung fu: I signed up for four classes a week, and I've gained 8 of the 10 pounds I need to be back at a healthy weight. I'm eating more and eating better just so I'll feel well during class, and be able to keep up with everyone else. The activity could be anything: weight lifting, dance, rock climbing, gymnastics, you name it. Just get into it and commit, and soon you'll be eating better so that you can perform better.

    As for food, I ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, especially ones like bananas, avocados, and olives that have a lot of healthy calories. Nuts are great, too, and putting peanut butter on apples, carrots, and celery can add even more healthy calories and protein. I also cooked more: you tend to eat what you cook, so dig up some recipes that look good and have fun with them. I'd add a scoop of protein powder (with spirulina, for extra vitamins and whatnot) to things like spice cake or homemade muffins for a special treat.

    Short list of healthy, high calorie foods: bananas, avocados, peanut butter (or almond butter), nuts, cheese, olives, salmon, whole grains, granola, and creamed soups (may not be as healthy, so read labels).

    Good luck!
  • EllenSlater
    EllenSlater Posts: 1 Member
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    Hey, I'm struggling with this A LOT, so I'd take advice too :)

    I've never had an eating disorder, just super tiny.

    But I eat nuts and nut butters, and I've been trying to drink some calories, too, since your brain/stomach receives drinks differently than solids/foods. Smoothies are tasty (I like Naked Juice smoothies, because they're made with simple, whole ingredients, for the most part, but if you like juice (I don't...) that's good, too.
    Flax, chia, and healthy oils are also easy, low-volume additions to your diet! Make sure you still eat fruits & veggies, because they're great for you, but don't eat them alone, if that makes sense, because they tend to be low in calories.
    Protein is also important for muscle, so try Greek yogurt or meats. You can also sneak protein powders into drinks and oatmeal.
    And eat frequent, smaller, balanced meals/snacks, because it usually makes taking in more calories is easier than if you try to cram it all in your stomach at once.
    Also, yes, eat healthy for the most part, but "treats" are more than okay sometimes, because a.) they have calories/fat/etc. and b.) they're freakin' delicious! ;)

    And don't feel bad if you have a little bit of an "off" day! They happen, and some days trying to shove a bunch of calories in your diet just feels like too much work. Just like if you were trying to *lose* weight, just get back on the wagon the next day.

    Maybe some of that will help you?
  • Sublog
    Sublog Posts: 1,296 Member
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    Hey, I've struggled with disordered eating for the past 6 years but I'm really determined to put that behind me. To get to a healthy weight however, I need to gain at least 7 pounds but I don't want to do it by pigging out on junk. I want to nourish my body with proper wholesome and unpressed foods. I would really appreciate any tips and ideas :)
    Eat and lift weights. You want the weight to be in mostly muscle mass for optimal aesthetic reasons.

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