Help gaining weight and still being healthy

In order to gain weight in a healthy way, you have to eat healthy foods that will prevent the weight from going to the wrong places as you say. Also, you still need to exercise, but instead of doing aerobic exercise like walking, running, bicycling, treadmill or stairclimber, you need to building body mass with healthy muscle. You can do this by beginning to slowly lift light weights and as you gain strength and muscle mass, you can gradually increase the weights. Also, here are some nutritional tips on how to gain weight in a healthy way. What to Eat to Gain Weight Increasing your intake of junk foods and greasy foods is not a good way to gain weight. Junk foods usually contain unhealthy trans fats or saturated fats. Even though you need to increase your calorie consumption to gain weight, those calories should come from foods that are good for you. Healthy fats include omega-3 essential fatty acids sources like tuna, salmon, flax, and walnuts. Good sources of protein include lean meats, fish, poultry, nuts, seeds and legumes. Healthy carbohydrate sources include fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It may be easier to eat five or six smaller balanced meals per day rather than eating three large meals, especially if you are not used to eating much at one sitting. Protein powders and nutritional supplement drinks such as Ensure can be added as in-between meal snacks if you still need more calories. Some protein powders are flavored and only need added water and some others can be blended with your choice of juice or milk to improve the taste. It would be a healthy idea to add a small amount of flax seed oil and some psyllium powder to add some omega-3 essential fatty acids and extra fiber. Dietary Supplements and Gaining Weight A good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement is a good idea to make sure you are getting all of the vitamins and minerals you need. Some people find that their muscle mass increases with protein supplements that contain certain blends of amino acids such as creatine and glutamine. Some people who are very ill may need liquid nutritional preparations that are available through their doctors. Resistive Exercise to Gain Weight Exercise is also important. Resistance training like lifting weights will help to increase muscle mass and may be a better choice rather than aerobic training, which is better suited to fat loss. Resistance training can be done at a health club, gym or at home with the proper equipment. Tools to Help You Gain Weight Use these tips and tools to help gain weight: Start with this Calorie and Nutrition Guide to find out how many calories you will need to reach the weight you desire. Use a food diary to track your calorie intake to be sure you are getting all of the calories and foods that you need. You can also use an online program such as Calorie-Count to track your calorie intake, your exercise and your changes in weight. Calorie-Count has a large data base of nutrition information for almost any food you like to eat. Add healthy calories to breakfast with an extra slice of whole-grain toast and peanut butter. Mid morning and afternoon snacks should be nutritious, not junk. Trail mixes contain healthy nuts, dried fruits and can add healthy calories to your diet. Don't add calories to your meals by choosing unhealthy fried foods such as french fries, chicken nuggets and fish sticks. Choose healthy foods such as baked potatoes, baked chicken and fish, just make your portions a bit bigger. Keep your meals balanced. One meal should have a healthy protein source such as fish, low fat meat, chicken or legumes plus two or three servings of vegetables. Green vegetables add lots of vitamins and phytonutrients while starchy potatoes and corn add extra calories. Drink healthy beverages such as milk and fruit juices to add calories. Don't choose sugary sodas, which only add calories and no nutrition. Choose a weekly weight lifting exercise program to gain muscle mass. Remember that it can take a while to gain the weight you need, but be patient and continue to choose healthy foods until you reach your goal weight.