High-calorie diet to gain weight

Weight loss is a significant weight loss that can lead to weight loss. Weight loss can be voluntary or involuntary. We talk about weight loss when the body mass index (BMI) is less than 18. The high-calorie diet allows you to gain weight to regain a healthy weight. Its goal is to stimulate appetite, integrate high-calorie foods and avoid foods with low energy density.

The essential points of the high-calorie diet to gain weight:

Consume foods with high energy density Stimulate appetite Make snacks Avoid products with low energy density and light Engage in moderate intensity physical activity Benefits of high calorie diet The high-calorie diet is a high-calorie diet that must provide, on average, 500 calories more than the conventional diet.

The high-calorie diet allows you to:

Stimulate appetite Consume foods with high energy density Limit foods with very low energy density Increase calorie intake without increasing the volume of meals Integrate snacks Do moderate physical activity Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is a real problem for many people. While losing weight can be difficult, gaining a few pounds is just as difficult. While it may sound strange to most, it is a reality.

A fast metabolic problem? Some people burn calories consumed faster than others. We are talking about individuals with a rapid metabolism. In these people it is difficult to achieve and maintain a stable healthy weight. The speed of metabolism is linked to the genetic heritage but can also be accelerated by various factors such as stress, temperature variations, nicotine, caffeine and muscle density. It is important to note that certain life situations such as illness can cause the body trying to defend itself to consume more calories. These special cases can cause weight loss, sometimes very significant: this is the case with cancer, hyperthyroidism, severe burns, etc.

Finally, involuntary weight loss may be due to the malabsorption of nutrients caused by certain pathologies such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease or celiac disease.

A high calorie diet is recommended for people who need to gain weight, regardless of the reason for the difficulty gaining weight. The goal is to increase caloric intake by 500 calories per day, to achieve weight gain of 500g per week. Although all foods are allowed, it is best to eat as balanced as possible. The goal is not to eat more sweets and fried products, for example. The following tips are not quick fixes, gaining weight sometimes takes time and persistence.

How to gain weight? Dietary recommendations Wondering how to get fat fast? Here are some high-calorie foods and nutritional strategies that will help you gain weight gradually. On the contrary, you will find in this sheet the mistakes not to do if you have a fast metabolism.

High-calorie foods to include in your menus for weight gain The following foods should be included in your menus to gain weight. They provide more calories to the body without increasing the volume of meals. This section also presents some nutritional strategies to put in place as part of the high-calorie diet.

High energy density foods The energy density of a food defines the quantity of calories per gram of this food. Energy density is influenced by the water, fiber, sugar and fat content of the food. Water and fiber decrease energy density, while fats and sugars increase it.

With a high energy density diet, we consume more calories for a certain volume. For people looking to gain weight, it is essential to choose foods with high energy density.

Here is a table of foods with high energy density to integrate into the high-calorie diet:

Categories Foods to consume Fruits Dried fruit Banana Mango Grape Cherries Fruit nectar Lawyer Olives Canned fruit Vegetables Peas Parsnip Yam Potato Legumes Cereals products Bread Muffin Nut, olive or cheese bread Cereal bars Milk and alternatives Cheese Cream Whole milk yogurts Whole milk Cream cheese Soy yogurt Meats and substitutes Oily fish (tuna, salmon, sardines, etc.) Liver Poultry legs Beef Pork Lamb Eggs Other Oilseed butter Humus Vegetal oils Chocolate Homemade cookies and cakes Stimulate appetite It is possible to whet your appetite by paying attention to small details. But how can you stimulate your appetite for weight gain? Here are some tips.

Set up a nice table with nice dishes Eat outside if the weather permits Add color to the plate by adding herbs and spices Eat fun foods Eating meals with people you like, we tend to eat more Try to be relaxed before eating Accompany the meal with a glass of wine if the state of health allows Start the meal with a glass of acidic juice (lemon, tomato, orange, etc.) Go for a walk or light exercise before a meal Increase calorie intake without increasing volume Hearty meals obviously promote weight gain. But you can also choose to add certain ingredients to meals to increase the calorie intake without necessarily increasing the volume of the meal. It is ideal for people who have difficulty eating large amounts.

To make a meal high in calories, here are some tips:

Systematically add a fatty substance to your dishes after cooking: vegetable oil in vegetables, in starchy foods, in soup or on your soup. Serve meats, poultry and fish with a fatty sauce Add avocados, olives, nuts and diced cheese to salads Add nuts and dried fruits in pastries Sprinkle parmesan or grated cheese over pasta, vegetables and soups Add egg yolk to dishes Include powdered milk in soups, dessert creams and milk Put honey in desserts and cereals Drink juice, milk or syrups throughout the day instead of water Include cream in dishes and desserts whenever possible: in soups, fruit salads, yogurts, etc. Integrate snacks In addition to high-calorie meals, you need to incorporate a few snacks throughout the day to achieve good caloric intake. You can choose to have a 500 calorie snack or several small 250 calorie snacks. You have to do it according to possibilities and tastes.

Examples of 500 calorie snacks:

Three dried dates and a large handful of nuts 50g cheese, 4 crackers and a small handful of almonds A piece of raisin cake, a glass of soy milk and a handful of nuts A bowl of cereal with whole milk Chicken and cheese and mayonnaise sandwich Examples of a 250 calorie snack:

50g of mixed dried fruits and nuts 2 slices of peanut butter bread 1 whole fruit yogurt and a handful of raisins 1 bowl of whole chocolate milk Bowl of whole milk enriched with 3 tablespoons of milk powder Food supplement bought in pharmacies Moderate physical activity Moderate physical activity is one of the best ways to stimulate appetite, even if it does burn a few calories. It is important to regularly practice a physical activity that involves all of the muscles such as swimming, skiing, brisk walking, etc. It is essential to maintain the density of muscles and bones, and general health. Without physical activity, weight gain is likely to be fat only which is harmful to health.

Other recommended foods:

Legumes Milk and Whole Dairy Products Food supplements Juices, soups and liquid foods that concentrate calories Foods to Avoid When You Have a Fast Metabolism If you want to gain weight, in addition to promoting high-calorie foods, you will need to avoid certain foods and bad eating habits. Indeed, the metabolism is very sensitive to certain elements which can undermine all your efforts to gain weight.

Low energy density foods Low energy density foods take up a lot of space in the stomach but provide very few calories. We thus reach satiety more quickly and we eat less. Although they are often of excellent quality, we must accept to consume less when we have a goal of gaining weight.

Some foods to avoid in a high-calorie diet:

Fresh fruits and vegetables Skim milk and dairy products White fish Skinless poultry breast We recommend consuming fruits and vegetables at the end of the meal in the form of soup, or cooked. Thus, they take up less space in the stomach and keeps the appetite for more caloric foods.

Light products Low-fat products are products relatively low in calories, by reducing the level of lipids or the rate of sugars. It is obviously not advisable to consume this kind of products to gain weight since their primary goal is to provide fewer calories to consumers. In a high-calorie diet, you should always take care to take the traditional version of current products.

Here are some examples of low-fat products to avoid:

Skim yogurts and 0% Skim milk Fresh cream with 15% fat Light sodas Low-fat cheeses Dressings and other low-fat sauces Avoid empty calories high calorie diet does not necessarily mean an anarchic diet. To gain healthy weight there is no question of rushing on sweets, fast food and other industrial dishes. By doing this, you risk gaining weight in the form of fat located around the belly. This type of weight gain can be dangerous for your health and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease in the long term.

Beware of intensive physical activity Moderate physical activity stimulates appetite and can promote weight gain. On the other hand, intensive physical activity risks burning many more calories than it is possible to provide to compensate. The resulting deficit can make weight gain even more difficult. It is therefore recommended to take care and avoid certain activities such as running, athletics, sprinting, high speed cycling, etc.

Avoid drinking during meals Always for the sake of not saturating the stomach, it is recommended not to drink during the meal as part of a high-calorie diet. Please note, however, you must keep good hydration by drinking at least 1.5 liters of water between meals.

In addition, it is recommended to avoid tea and coffee which can reduce appetite. It should ideally be consumed at the end of a meal only.

Other foods not recommended:

Industrial food Sweets Dishes based on vegetable broths Soft drinks Highly fibrous foods How to gain weight? Some practical advice on a daily basis Occasional use of food supplements Do not consume "light" products, low in calories or containing fewer calories than the current product Schedule meals and do not exceed 3 hours between each food intake Make snacks in the morning and afternoon Keep a bottle of olive oil, nuts or dried fruit on hand. This will make it easier to add to meals and snacks Sprinkle hemp seeds on vegetables, yogurts and soups. Writing: Léa Zubiria, Dietitian-Nutritionist January 2018

References Note: the hypertext links leading to other sites are not updated continuously. It's possible a link become not found. Please use the search tools to find the desired information.

Whitney EN, Rolfes SR. Understanding Nutrition. Ninth Edition. Wadsworth, United States, 2002. Online Clinic Nutrition Manual. Diet rich in energy and proteins. (Accessed March 28, 2011).

Notes

1. Package C, St-Arnaud-McKenzie D, et al. More than just not being alone: ​​the number, nature, and complementarity of meal-time social interactions influence food intake in hospitalized elderly patients, The Gerontologist, October 2008; 48 (5): 603-11.