In some people reduction in weight occurs due to decrease of muscle mass, body fluids or fat. These people may want to increase their weight by gaining weight using various methods. Achieving some body weight is known as weight gain. Reduction in weight can occur due to improper diet and also can be due to an illness. The loss of weight along with some chronic illness is known as cachexia. If you find your weight being reduced unintentionally, it is ideal that you seek help from a medical professional.
Being underweight can be due to excessive physical activity, skipping meals, too much fasting, emotional stress, genetic factors, lack of sleep, a weak digestive system, and some diseases like cancer, tuberculosis, diabetes, hormonal imbalances, hyperthyroidism or anorexia.
If you feel that you are losing body weight unintentionally and if you do not have any medical conditions to explain the weight loss, then you can opt for the home remedies for weight gain to increase your body weight to the optimum level.
Home Remedies For Weight Gain
1. Healthy Diet
While trying to gain weight, the focus should be more on eating healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals. Healthy food includes meat, poultry, unsaturated plant fats, low-fat milk, healthy starch content, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Cashews, almonds, dates, walnuts, dry grapes, apricots, peaches are some of the dried fruits and nuts that can be added to breakfast, salads, cereal and desserts. Sesame seeds, ground nuts, and peanuts also contain fats in them and can help in adding that extra pounds you desire. Sometimes loss of appetite may also cause weight loss. Research suggests that umami flavour increases satiety and enhances appetite.
2. Increase Food Intake
Increasing the amount of food you eat is the most basic way for you to gain weight. It can either be an increase in the number of meals you eat each day or the quantity of food eaten in each meal. Gaining weight can be just as hard as losing it. It is a time-consuming process that requires devotion. Remember – Rome wasn’t built in a day.
3. Potatoes
Potatoes are a rich source of carbohydrates and complex sugars. So, including more potatoes in your diet will ensure weight gain. Eat one serving of grilled or baked potato daily for one or two months. You can also prepare potato chips at home in a healthy oil like olive oil and have them just twice a week for one or two months.
4. Bananas
At the same time as helping people lose weight, bananas can also be useful for weight gain. When consumed with milk, bananas help to increase a person’s weight rapidly. Milk provides the necessary proteins and bananas provide the sugars. Furthermore, since bananas are easily digested, a weak person can gulp 5-6 bananas in a day apart from the regular meals without giving them indigestion. This leads to an additional 500-600 calories which is quite necessary for weight gain. Since bananas have the ability to provide instant energy, sportsmen eat bananas during breaks during games for an extra surge of energy.
5. Mangoes
Mangoes are a delicious, juicy fruit that are rich in minerals and vitamins, and free of sodium, cholesterol and fat. The body stores the fructose from the mango as energy and fat, thus helping you put on weight. But eating mangoes alone will not aid weight gain. You need to eat them along with milk. Simply drink a mango milkshake twice daily for a month. Alternatively, eat one ripe mango followed by a glass of milk. Do this two or three times a day for a month.
6. Eggs
Eggs contain a good amount of calories, fat and protein and are a popular food among people who wish to increase their weight. The protein in eggs give the body building blocks for muscles, while the fat provides energy. For best results, eat more of the egg white than the egg yolk. Simply eat the white part of about three or four eggs daily. You can eat egg-white omelets or scrambled egg whites for breakfast daily for at least one month.
Note: Do not eat raw eggs, which can cause serious health problems.
7. Clarified Butter With Sugar
One of the easy ways to increase your body weight is to take clarified butter (ghee) with sugar. It has the necessary fat to help you with weight gain. But, make sure that you just take the limited amount of this mixture and do not over use it with an idea to gain weight quickly. Take 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix it with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Consume this mixture slowly on empty half an hour before lunch and dinner. Take this regularly for a month to see a visible weight gain.
8. Figs
Figs are mainly made of polyunsaturated fats, which add healthy calories to your diet. Also, figs contain a good amount of carbohydrates that will help you gain weight. Soak five to six dried figs in water overnight. The next day, eat them in two parts during the day. Do this daily for about a month. Alternatively, soak two dried figs overnight in milk and eat it before breakfast. Follow this routine for two months.
9. Noodles And Pasta
Noodles and pasta are modern day foods that can be easily cooked and saves a lot of your cooking time. Adding a whole lot of vegetables and lean chicken to the noodles and pasta will help you to prepare a high calorie and nutritious food. Noodles and paste are rich in calories as they are high in carbohydrates. Combining vegetables and lean chicken with the noodles will help in providing you the essential minerals, nutrients and proteins.
10. De-Stress
Stress is one of the main reasons for people losing weight. So if you are dealing with a stressful situation at work or home, take up yoga or master breathing techniques to help you de-stress your body. Once you learn to de-stress and relax, you will find it easy to put on weight.
11. Have Pleasant Meals
Meal time should be a pleasant time rather than a hurried affair. You should thoroughly enjoy every meal. Listening to soothing music while dining can be very helpful. Furthermore, research conducted by Professors Brian Wansink and Koert van Ittersum at Cornell University suggest that by eating in larger cups and bowls, one may increase the consumption of food compared to when eating in smaller cups and bowls.
12. Yoga And Exercise
Exercise should be performed on a regular basis, even by those who want to gain weight. It increases the appetite and improves overall health. Yoga asanas like surya namaskara (sun salutation), bhujang asana (snake posture), dhanurasana (bow posture) and chakrasana (wheel posture) can be practiced to gain weight. However, expert supervision is advised.
13. Quit Smoking
Smoking and the weight of a person have an inverse relationship with each other. Smokers will experience weight loss during the time they smoke and weight gain when they quit smoking. This is because tobacco is known to suppress a person’s appetite. Those who stop smoking can improve their appetite and thereby gain weight.