While obesity or excess weight seems to be a major problem in the world; they are some individuals that are skinny and too thin. I know some personally and they look for ways to add some weight; being underweight has the same problem as being overweight, most of these people don’t have any underlying medical condition and they don’t add weight no matter how they eat.

An individual is said to be underweight when they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) below 18.5; this is not suitable for optimum health, but this does not rule out the fact that there are skinny people that are very healthy.

These types of people are known as “hard gainers”; they struggle to add weight without success, why this seems to be difficult or unsuccessful is because they are doing it in the wrong way. There are also some things they are doing wrong.

Even though obesity is more feared than this, there are lots of health problems associated with being underweight and some of them are: impaired immune functions, susceptibility to infections, fertility problems, osteoporosis, bone fractures and bone thinning, age-related muscle wasting (sarcopenia), dementia and early death.

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There are many causes for being underweight; genetics play a huge role in this, eating disorders, celiac disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, infections and cancer can make one underweight. If you are underweight; see a doctor, so that he/she can rule out any serious health problem. When this is done, you will know if you have a disease or not; if you don’t have, then these natural tips will work for you, but if you have an underlying medical problem, then you will have to start treatment immediately.

Effective Ways to add Weight Naturally

We will be looking at some of these things in this post; we will also be looking at ten effective ways to add weight naturally. This excludes the use of drugs or other harmful things people do to add weight like binging on soda and junk foods. Below are the ten most effective and proven ways to add weight naturally.

1. Eat More Calories than you Burn

Most thin people lose more calories than they take in; this leads to weight loss and an inability to add weight because you are spending more than you are receiving.

The most important step to take when you want to add weight is to eat more calories and make sure it is more than your body needs or more than what you burn. Surplus of calories is what makes one add weight.

To gain weight steadily but slowly; you need to consume 300 to 500 calories daily more than your body burns on a daily basis. If you want to gain weight in a fast way; then eat 700 to 1000 calories more than the actual needs of your body.

There are online applications and tools you can use to track your calorie intake.

2. Consume Lots of Proteins

Protein is the class of food that helps in bodybuilding, repair, and maintenance; it is the most important nutrient if you want to gain weight, even our muscles are made of protein.

When you overfeed on proteins; all the extra calories are turned into muscles, eats lots of proteins. A good way to start is to take 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight; you can take more if you want to but this is an effective way to add weight and build your muscles.

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3. Eating Many Times Daily
   

If your goal is to gain weight; increase your intake of carbohydrates and fats, make sure at each meal, you eat an adequate amount of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Try to eat many times daily, remember your calorie intake must be higher than that burned; and if you can’t eat much, try to eat three large meals daily.

Avoid processed and junk foods, they are not healthy; rather eat mostly whole foods and single ingredient foods. Eat a lot of energy-rich foods; they supply the body with plenty calories and this is perfect for weight gain.

Energy-rich foods are nuts and seeds, whole milk and high-fat dairy (organic), dried fruits, grains, fats and oils, tubers and organic and grass-fed meats.

4. Exercise

Regular exercise and increased physical activity help to convert these excess calories into muscles and not fat cells; weight lifting is recommended for this reason.

Try and go to the gym and at least three times a week and lift heavy weights; increase the weight and volume over time. Please consult with a doctor before doing this so that he can certify you fit.

5. Quit Smoking

If you smoke, quit it; it leads to weight loss. Smokers lose weight more than non-smokers and when they quit smoking, they gain weight. So if you want to gain weight and you are smoking, try and quit it and see how your body will revive.

If you don’t smoke; then try as much as possible to avoid second-hand smoke because it has the same effect as real smoking.

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6. Eat Well

Don’t drink water before meals; this will fill up your stomach and prevent you from eating much thereby affecting your calorie intake. Eat often; try and squeeze in energy-rich snacks in between meals.

Drink lots of weight gain shakes; you can get lots of recipes online; use a bigger plate to eat because you will eat less when you use a small plate. Eat protein-rich foods and calorie-dense foods first when eating; the vegetables should be eaten last.

7. Get Quality Sleep

Quality sleep helps one gain weight; it enhances muscle growth. As an adult; try and get at least 8 hours of nightly sleep and also have naps during the day.

8. Creatinine

This supplement helps in muscle building; creatinine monohydrate is used a lot by people who want to gain weight because of its effectiveness in muscle building and weight gain. Take it according to prescription and do not overdose on it or use it indiscriminately.

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9. Take Whole Fat Milk

Replace your regular conventional skimmed milk with whole fat milk; this will help you gain weight and give you 60 extra calories per glass of milk than the skimmed milk.

10. Eat Plenty of Fruits

Tropical fruits help one gain weight; this includes bananas, pineapples, mangoes, papayas, avocados and others. You can also take them as fruit juices and smoothies.