Posted on December 20, 2007 in Diet and Weight Loss
Give a thought… Why do you want to gain weight?
Everyone is a different individual, it may take 2 to 4 years to fully develop and gain all the weight and muscle mass you will have as an adult. Most teens experience delayed puberty, you’ll eventually develop weight and muscle normally.
Your body is customized; there are certain things you can’t speed up or change. But one thing you can definitely do. Work to keep your body healthy so that you can develop properly.
What should matter is healthy growth, not size:
You as a teen should have no reason – medical or otherwise – to try to gain weight. An effort like this will simply not work and at worst increase your body fat, putting you at risk of health problems.
So focus on growing strong, not gaining weight. Keep your body healthy and fit so that it grows well. Here are some tips you must follow:
- Have a good nutritious food: High-fat foods won’t help you gain weight. Eat a variety of healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains.
Eating right at this stage in your life is important because it’s the key time of normal growth and development.
- Keep moving: Incorporate regular exercise. Try to get an hour or so of activity daily
- Weight training: If you are in the adolescent stage, the right kind of weight training will help your muscles become stronger and bulk up a bit. But work with a certified trainer as overdoing strength training during teen years increases risk of injuring bones that haven’t finished growing yet.
Keep in mind that genes influence body shape and weight. If your parents and siblings are lean, you’re likely to be thin too.
If you still think, that you need to put on weight, you can try out the following formulae. But your focus should be on a healthy and not flabby body.
- Eat more: You need to eat more calories than you burn. Carefully plan your meals with foods that will help you gain lean mass, not fat. Go for a weight gain high protein diet.
- Weight lifting:: If you do not go for strength lifting, the majority of the gained weight will be fat – that means a loose floppy body.
When trying to gain weight, you need to work out three times a week especially exercises that will turn extra calories into muscle. Since you have high metabolism, you need to train with more intensity, but less frequently.
- You can try out supplements: To gain weight, you do not require supplements, but they help gain weight quicker. That’s what they are. Just stick to the basics; like whey protein, egg whites.
Remember, changes in weight and body shape take time.
If you want more individualized advice on gaining weight, consult a dietitian. Sometimes being “too skinny” can be as difficult a problem as being “too fat.” Achieving a desirable body weight involves changes in diet, exercise and behaviour that supports health.
» Filed Under Diet and Weight Loss
Comments
Leave a Reply
