Sign up for a Pilates class. Take a class or watch an exercise video before embarking on a new form of exercise. Remember, stop if you are in pain. If something hurts, you are at risk of injury. Get aerobic exercise.

Regular aerobic activity won't pack on the muscle as quickly as strength-training, but it will help you balance your workout routine.

Cardiovascular exercises strengthen your heart, improve or manage some chronic health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes, and give you more stamina throughout the day. If you're performing aerobic exercises and are having trouble maintaining your weight, you may need to decrease the intensity, frequency, or duration of your aerobic exercises.

Eat before and after your workout. Carbohydrates will help your stamina before you work out, while carbohydrates and protein together will help your muscles heal after you work out.

If you have eaten a large meal, wait three to four hours before you exercise. Good post-exercise snacks might include peanut butter sandwiches, yogurt, and fruit, chocolate milk and crackers, or a smoothie with milk, yogurt, or whey protein.

See a personal trainer. If you're having trouble finding a workout routine that works for you, a personal trainer can get you on track. They'll be able to guide you through specific exercises or routines that can help you add weight.

Check at a local gym for a trainer. Many times you can see a trainer there and they may even offer a discounted consult for your first visit.

Talk to your trainer about your weight and goals. Tell them you're interested in healthy weight gain. Part 3. Gain weight slowly. Quick weight gain is neither healthy nor practical. If you are eating so much you feel uncomfortable, you might be doing other harm to your body.

Avoid binging: stop eating when you feel full. If you're worried you didn't eat enough, make it up with a small snack later. You can realistically gain 1 to 2 pounds 0.

You may gain more per month, but it will be a mix of muscle and fat. Healthy weight gain is about 1 to 2 pounds per week. Skip junk food. While increasing your calorie intake would be a lot easier if you just ate fast food every meal, your health would suffer in every other way.

Instead, focus on preparing your own food if you have the time. If you hate cooking or are too busy, find healthy ways to eat out. Stores that list all the ingredients of your meal, like sandwich shops and smoothie shops, are a good bet. If you would like to make your own food but are always busy during the week, try to make a lot of food over the weekend.

You can freeze half of what you make if you're worried about it going bad. As a rule, avoid fried food, sugary snacks, soda, and candy.

Talk to a doctor or dietitian. If you are having unintended weight loss, talk to your doctor. It's possible that there's an underlying problem causing you to lose weight.

Your doctor can check your thyroid and see if you have a hormonal imbalance. If your doctor can't help you, visit a dietitian for advice.

Sample List of Food and Drinks to Eat to Gain Weight. Drinking calories is often easier to tolerate than eating additional food.

Smoothies, shakes, or cream-based soups may be helpful if you are trying to gain weight. We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full price—wine, food delivery, clothing and more.

Claim Your Gift If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Support wikiHow Yes No. Not Helpful 33 Helpful There are no vitamins that will make you gain weight. Vitamins do not contain any calories.

Not Helpful 28 Helpful Eating an extra calories per day will help you to gain 1 pound in 1 week. Not Helpful 36 Helpful Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

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More References 7. About This Article. Co-authored by:. Co-authors: Updated: December 4, Categories: Gaining Weight. In other languages Français: prendre du poids. Italiano: Aumentare di Peso. Español: engordar. Deutsch: Zunehmen. Português: Ganhar Peso. Русский: набрать вес.

中文: 增加体重. Čeština: Jak přibrat. Bahasa Indonesia: Menambah Berat Badan. 日本語: 体重を増やす. ไทย: เพิ่มน้ำหนัก. العربية: اكتساب الوزن. हिन्दी: वजन बढ़ायें. Tiếng Việt: Tăng Cân. Nederlands: Lichaamsgewicht aankomen. 한국어: 체중 늘리는 방법.

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Reader Success Stories. Gwen N. Aug 27, I have high burn rate. I am now stabilized, but want to not be skinny. Older citizens seem to rather gain, I do not. I went from size 14 to size 6 in 12 months.

More reader stories Hide reader stories. Did this article help you? Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. David Silbert Jul 13, I thought it wasn't normal to be looking for a weight gaining diet, but I guess it happens.

I'm just a 15 year old skinny guy who needs to build up some body mass. Blessing Namane Oct 17, I thought gaining weight could be extremely difficult, but it just needs someone who is focused and sticks to the routine. I trust the tips because I know they are from experts.

Marla K. Jun 6, The tips were helpful and the information about how it takes dedication and discipline helps me as well.

Miosotis Reyes Jun 28, I am now fully knowledgeable about everything. It was very helpful. Answered all of my questions without me having to skip to another page. Thank you so much.

Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories. Many people don't eat enough fruits and vegetables, and although they're lower in calories, you don't want to give them up since they're also an important part of a balanced diet.

Boost your snack-time calorie intake by slathering some almond, peanut, or cashew butter on apple slices. You'll get plenty of nutrients along with your calories to help you gain weight. Enhance your Greek yogurt with a generous portion of walnuts , almonds or pecans, plus oats or granola and your favorite dried fruit.

Top it off with a spoonful of honey , and you'll have a delicious and healthful snack or dessert. Yogurt has friendly bacteria that help keep your gut healthy, and nuts have beneficial fats and add the calories you need for a weight-gaining diet. Trail mix is a mixture of nuts, seeds, cereal, and dried fruit.

You can buy trail mix in grocery stores or make your own. In fact, you can tack on a few more calories by adding chocolate chips. Keep your trail mix in a plastic bag or container and carry it with you on the go, so you have something to nibble on throughout the day while on your weight-gaining diet.

Protein bars are similar to trail mix, ingredient-wise. You can make your protein bars or purchase any number of bars in any grocery or convenience store. Check out the Nutrition Facts label to see how many calories you're getting per serving and if it meets the requirements for your weight-gaining diet.

Be on the lookout for hidden added sugars , too. Sour cream adds some calcium along with the extra calories needed for healthy weight gain. You can also add calories with cheese, gravy, full-fat Greek yogurt, or grass-fed butter. Potatoes often get a bad rap because they're high in carbohydrates—but your body uses carbs for energy and potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals , and fiber.

Amp up the calories by adding sour cream or yogurt—and bonus points for cooking with healthy fats like olive oil. Potatoes are on the starchy side, so they're also higher in calories than green veggies.

While you don't want to give up on Brussels sprouts , broccoli, and kale , you should feel free to load up on potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash , winter squash, and even sweet corn.

Creamed soups are higher in calories than clear broth-based soups. A big bowl of creamed soup and crusty warm bread can make an excellent energy-dense meal on a weight-gaining diet.

Boost the nutrition of your creamed soups by including veggies. Do this by choosing cream of broccoli , cream of mushroom, or similar types of cream-based soup. Green and colorful vegetables like broccoli are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

But, they're also low in calories. Up your energy intake by adding cheese or cheese sauce to your favorite green veggies. If you don't like cheese sauce, consider roasting your vegetables in olive oil, then tossing them with some seeds for added crunch, fiber, protein, and fat. While fattier cuts of meat are higher in calories, they're also associated with an increased risk for heart disease when consumed in excess.

If you choose to incorporate fatty cuts of red meat into your weight-gaining diet, be sure to do so in moderation.

Lean cuts of steak , lean ground beef, or bison are great options that still contain plenty of nutrition for optimal body function. If you don't eat red meat, you can also get your protein from chicken, pork, fish , and even plant sources like meat substitutes and legumes.

Whether you choose lean animal protein or plant-based sources, there are plenty of possibilities to ensure you're getting enough protein while you're on a weight-gaining diet. Doctors may prescribe medications to help improve appetite for those who need to gain weight, especially those who have a health condition that affects their hunger.

These can include some anti-depressants, steroid medications, and cannabis. Another commonly prescribed appetite stimulant is oxandrolone, which is often given to cancer patients to stimulate hunger.

There are also some natural products that claim to be appetite stimulants. A study published in Appetite found that fish oil supplements successfully increased appetite in healthy adults. Additionally, some research shows that zinc supplementation can help regulate appetite in those with zinc deficiencies.

Similarly, a thiamine deficiency can be supplemented with vitamin B-1 to help increase appetite. Medications and other natural products may help facilitate healthy weight gain, but it's best to consult with a health care provider to figure out the best treatment for you.

The best way to healthily gain weight is to consume more calories than you're burning by eating a variety of nutrient-dense healthy foods. Even though processed foods are high in calories, they don't have the health benefits and nutritional value compared to real, whole foods. Remember, there is no one-size-fits-all definition of a healthy lifestyle, and it's all about what works best for you.

If you're concerned that you may be underweight, be sure to consult a healthcare provider. Fryar CD, Ogden CL. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics.

Prevalence of Underweight Among Adults Aged 20 Years and Over: United States, — Through — Boutari C, Pappas PD, Mintziori G, et al. The effect of underweight on female and male reproduction. Kossioni AE. The association of poor oral health parameters with malnutrition in older adults: A review considering the potential implications for cognitive impairment.

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About Adult BMI. Shmerling RH. Harvard Health Publishing. How useful is the body mass index BMI? Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Ninth Edition.

The New Nutrition Facts Label. Food and Drug Administration. Gupta L, Khandelwal D, Dutta D, Kalra S, Lal PR, Gupta Y. The twin white herrings: Salt and sugar. Indian J Endocrinol Metab.

Limdi JK. Dietary practices and inflammatory bowel disease. Indian J Gastroenterol. Manzel A, Muller DN, Hafler DA, Erdman SE, Linker RA, Kleinewietfeld M. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. Fiolet T, Srour B, Sellem L, et al.

Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: Results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. Firth J, Marx W, Dash S, et al. The effects of dietary improvement on symptoms of depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trial s. Psychosom Med. FoodData Central.

Peanut butter. Cleveland Clinic. Your Guide to the Best Nut Butters and Other Creamy Spreads. Rippe JM, Angelopoulos TJ. Relationship between added sugars consumption and chronic disease risk factors: current understanding. National Institutes of Health. Eating red meat daily triples heart disease-related chemical.

Important roles of dietary taurine, creatine, carnosine, anserine and 4-hydroxyproline in human nutrition and health. Amino Acids. Avena-Woods C, Hilas O. Antidepressant use in underweight older adults. Consult Pharm. Childs DS, Jatoi A. A hunger for hunger: a review of palliative therapies for cancer-associated anorexia.

Ann Palliat Med. Wang J, Wang Y, Tong M, Pan H, Li D. New prospect for cancer cachexia: medical cannabinoid. J Cancer. Osmolak AM, Klatt-Cromwell CN, Price AM, Sanclement JA, Krempl GA. Does perioperative oxandrolone improve nutritional status in patients with cachexia related to head and neck carcinoma?

Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. Damsbo-Svendsen S, Rønsholdt MD, Lauritzen L. Fish oil-supplementation increases appetite in healthy adults. A randomized controlled cross-over trial. Baltaci AK, Mogulkoc R. Leptin and zinc relation: In regulation of food intake and immunity.

Liu M, Alimov AP, Wang H, et al. Thiamine deficiency induces anorexia by inhibiting hypothalamic AMPK. Pisano M, Hilas O. Zinc and taste disturbances in older adults: A review of the literature.

Being too thin comes with its own set of health risks, especially when it is the result of undereating. Underweight people may have: weaker immune systems, which make them more prone to illness; lower muscle mass and strength; hormonal disruptions which affect menstrual cycles and bone health; and a greater likelihood of nutrient deficiencies like anemia.

To gain one pound of weight, you need to eat calories more than your body burns. In other words, to gain a pound per week, you would need to eat an extra calories a day.

Here are some suggestions:. A person may lose his or her appetite for many reasons, including illness, stress and fatigue. If this happens to you, you may be less likely to feel or recognize hunger. Include five or six small meals per day, at three hour intervals, using colourful and appealing foods.

Avoid filling up on beverages with meals; instead include them a half hour before or after you eat. A short walk can also help to stimulate your appetite. Be sure to see your doctor if you experience unexplained weight loss or your appetite remains poor for more than a week or two.

There is a lot of misinformation around this topic; however the only proven and safe way to build muscles is to exercise them. Commercial protein supplements will not help you gain weight, are expensive and may add too much protein to your diet.

This is especially helpful if you have early satiety and your stomach has shrunk. Top your pasta, soups, and eggs with cheese, mix butter and sour cream into potatoes, and dip vegetables into a higher-calorie dip such as hummus or guacamole.

Some people find that drinking water before or during meals fills them up too much and doesn't leave enough room for food. Additionally, caffeine is known to decrease appetite and slow gastric emptying. Be mindful of how fluids affect your appetite and your ability to consume enough food.

you may want to try drinking after a meal rather than during or sipping on high-calorie beverages along with a meal. Include dessert on a regular basis. Desserts can be a simple and delicious way to add more calories to your diet.

Try regular whole milk ice cream, coconut ice cream bars, chocolate chip muffins, or a couple of peanut butter cookies. While too much exercise may have the effect of weight loss, some exercise, especially strength training, may promote weight gain by building muscle.

Note that this study was done on elite athletes, however, this research suggests that strength training may increase lean body mass and build muscle. Exercise can also help to stimulate your appetite, making increasing calories easier. Always check with your healthcare provider to make sure you are safe to exercise.

There may be a number of reasons why an individual may want to or need to gain weight. These include health concerns such as an eating disorder, pregnancy, or conditions such as cancer or gastrointestinal disease. Others without a medical condition may want to gain weight as well.

It is important to do it in a slow and sustainable way by eating more frequently throughout the day, adding high-calorie foods to your meals, and supplementing with smoothies and shakes. It is important to consult with your healthcare provider and a registered dietitian to receive individualized goals and recommendations for your health concerns and nutrition needs.

Healthy and sustainable weight gain is about pounds per week. This can be done by increasing calorie intake as well as building muscle mass.

Someone may need to gain weight if they lost weight unintentionally due to a medical condition, have an eating disorder, are below a healthy weight, or want to build muscle mass. United States Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women's Health. Howell S, Kones R.

Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. Dashti HS, Mogensen KM. Recommending Small, Frequent Meals in the Clinical Care of Adults: A Review of the Evidence and Important Considerations.

Nutr Clin Pract. Nutritional Supplementation for Patients with Cancer: A Review of the Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines. Ottawa ON : Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; February 12, Schubert MM, Irwin C, Seay RF, Clarke HE, Allegro D, Desbrow B.

Caffeine, coffee, and appetite control: a review. Int J Food Sci Nutr. Garthe I, Raastad T, Refsnes PE, Sundgot-Borgen J. Effect of nutritional intervention on body composition and performance in elite athletes.

Eur J Sport Sci. Healthy weight gain. Gaining weight can be difficult for some people. With a few changes, you can gradually reach a healthy weight. This could lead to health problems such as a weak immune system and bone fractures.

Body mass index BMI is a measurement that can show you if you're a healthy weight. Use the BMI healthy weight calculator. gain weight gradually by adding healthy calories — adults could try adding around to extra calories a day.

have a balanced diet — choose from a variety of food groups, such as fruit and vegetables, starchy carbohydrates and dairy and alternatives.

build muscle with strength training or yoga — exercise can also improve your appetite.