Weight gain

Most people diet to lose weight, but there are some who do it in order to gain weight. Contrary to popular belief, there is such a thing as being too thin. Those with a BMI of 19 or lower have a higher risk for anemia, bone loss, nutrient deficiency, heart irregularities, amenorrhoea (loss of periods in women) and osteoporosis.

If you are underweight, you need to a see doctor who can put you on a healthy diet program. Binging on strawberry milkshakes and pizzas won’t solve the problem; even if you do gain a few pounds, the nutrients will be coming from empty calories. So in the end, you will still be undernourished.

If your goal is to gain weight, your diet should feature a sensible, nutritious, and balanced blend of complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats. Many nutritionists will recommend eating several small meals a day, rather than three large meals. You will also be asked to exercise, so you’re your body can use the calories to build muscles. 

Most doctors will recommend that you start consuming 500 additional calories a day, the ideal number for controlled, sustainable weight gain. If eating an extra 500 calories a day doesn't seem to be doing the trick after a couple of weeks, you can experiment with 700 additional calories.

Those calories should be coming from calorie-dense but nutritious food. A sample breakfast menu would be granola, chopped nuts, a banana, milk and juice. lunch would involve half an avocado, a can of tuna in oil, whole grain crackers, and a salad (ideally consisting of 2 sliced tomatoes, a handful of olives, mixed salad leaves, 2 tsp of olive oil, and a tablespoon of sesame seeds). You can take snacks between meals, and need to eat dinner. 

Some programs will recommend taking expensive weight gain powders or vitamins. These may not be necessary if you are eating a well-balanced diet.