eat more! that’s what nearly all weight gain strategies come down to although it’s not always quite that simple. people with certain health conditions are at risk for poor nutrition: celiac disease inflammatory bowel disease cystic fibrosis cancer chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (copd) human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) infection many others. people who are losing weight with these conditions should ask their doctor for a referral to a nutritionist. a low appetite is often part of the illness and eating higher-calorie foods is advised. some of these illnesses can also cause poor absorption of nutrients and testing and treatment can address this. in any medical condition if muscle mass has been lost it’s important to include protein in the diet to help rebuild muscles. healthy young men and teenage boys often want to gain weight usually in the form of muscle. their challenge is usually eating enough to keep up with the calories they’re burning in their active lifestyles. to gain weight by building muscle it’s necessary to eat a lot of protein. weight-training athletes may require 75 to 100 grams of protein or more daily. healthy lean protein sources include chicken eggs fish and beans. whey protein supplements can be mixed in with drinks soups or sauces. soy protein supplements are not advised except in small amounts because some of the soy may be converted to estrogen in the body. it’s best to talk to your doctor or a nutritionist before starting a high protein diet if you have any health conditions especially liver or kidney disease. gaining weight can be just as difficult as losing weight for some people. an essential component of weight gain is eating enough calories each day. a registered dietitian will be able to calculate and estimate your calorie needs using the harris-benedict equation or there are also websites available to help you do this on your own. in order to gain weight theoretically you need to eat more calories than what would normally be necessary for you to maintain your current weight. keep in mind it’s still important to eat healthy and make the right food choices. don’t use this as an excuse to eat whatever you want because you’ll end up gaining fat that way. you’ll need to exercise too especially by incorporating strength-building exercise which will help to build muscle mass to add to your weight. the surgeon general recommends at least two days per week of strength training exercising each major muscle group. of course the more exercise that you do the greater the benefits you should notice. keep in mind however that you do need rest to allow your muscles to recover. make sure that you’re getting enough protein in your diet as well. only protein has the essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth and development. a registered dietitian can also help you to determine your protein requirements. ask your doctor before taking protein supplements or beginning a high protein diet. i’ve recommended a good article for more information: <link>
how can i gain weight?