Gaining weight the healthy way
BY JULIE SEAMERTHURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2007
Waist lines are expanding like never before, yet 1 in 20 Australians are underweight. Being skinny can lead to its own set of health problems such as osteoporosis, lowered immunity and therefore greater susceptibility to illness.
Why get heavier?
- due to elite level sports which break down body fat from high-intensity energy-burning
- body building or 'bulking up'
- balancing a genetically high metabolism
- recovering from chronic illness or major surgery
Your Body Mass Index will help you find out if you're underweight. The World Health Organisation classifies that a healthy BMI for an adult is between 18.5 and 25. Anything outside this range and your risks for ill health are increased. That is, a BMI of 25-30 is overweight and over 30 is considered obese. If you're BMI is less than 18.5, you're underweight.
Bulking up, sensibly:
Exercise
Obviously, if you're a body builder, the right training program combined with diet will help you gain weight without just getting fat. If you've lost weight from sickness, exercise is also a key factor in strengthening your body, particularly muscles, and improving hormone production and therefore energy levels. If you're unsure what type of exercise and how much is right for you, seek the advice of a personal trainer or exercise physiologist. This is important because the wrong exercise program will sabotage your goals, burning up valuable kilojoules that could be going towards weight gain.
Nutrition
It's necessary to eat more kilojoules than your body needs, in order to gain weight. While it is important to ensure you eat the right kind of foods to sustain your body functions, generally an extra 2000 kilojoules daily will contribute to around half a kilogram of weight per week. The healthiest way to increase these kilojoules is by eating foods higher in fat, carbohydrate and protein content than you normally would. Opt for healthy fats because excess intake of saturated fats will increase your risk of heart disease and other undesirable conditions. Instead, choose nuts and nut pastes, avocadoes, olives and olive oil, margarine, nuts and seed oils and plenty of oily fish.
If you get full easily snacks can be your ally. Whip up a high protein smoothie (an easy to digest liquid meal!) using Aussie Bodies Mega Weight Gainer powder (high calorie without any artificial sweeteners). This product alone is perfect as a bulking up agent however any good quality protein powder will help, but you may have to add some high carbohydrate fruit (such as a banana), an egg, yoghurt and flaxseed oil. A liquid meal such as this will help you gain weight providing you don't burn off this energy with aerobic exercise. Again, your fitness program must be tailored to your diet. Finally, remember that fats provide double the amount of energy that protein or carbohydrates do, making them the most efficient means for increasing weight.
Fit not Fat
If you're not underweight but still keen to bulk up, certain supplements can play a key part in helping you attain your goals – the healthy way. Amino acids derived from quality protein powders and drinks will provide your body with all the factors it needs for muscle growth and assist in recover/repair after your work-outs. Other 'bulking up' formulas may be helpful, providing they deliver high energy from a healthy mix of protein, fat and carbohydrates, with a good selection of vitamins and minerals. Some health supplements which are incredibly rich in nutrients can be used for either weight loss or weight gain, depending on if you use them as a meal replacement, or snack in between high-kilojoule meals. Spirulina is one such example. This micro-algae provides a rich dose of protein, antioxidants, iron, vitamins and minerals, and would be particularly helpful if your energy levels (from lack of good health) are low.
Although eating pancakes, fries and hamburgers everyday might seem like an easier option to getting bigger, if you gain weight sensibly, you will be healthier, stronger, and more toned than by just getting chubby. And it will be easier to lose a little, if you go too far and gain more than you expected, because you'll feel fitting fit! Good luck on the journey and remember, there's loads of truly overweight people out there who probably envy your goal!
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