Weight gain is defined as an increase in body weight, contributing to an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits or accumulation of excess body fluids. In today’s day and age, wherein everyone is jumping on this weight loss bandwagon, shall how to gain weight be an addressed question?

According to a study, underweight people are associated with the risk of early death, with men being at an increased risk of 140% as compared to 100% in women, while obese people were at a risk of 50%.

Read also: How To Lose Weight In 2 Weeks

Another study found that being underweight also increases the risk of infertility, causes osteoporosis, fractures and infections.

Underweight people are also associated with the risk of age-related muscle wasting and a higher risk of dementia. Thus, it becomes very necessary for skinny people to increase weight or underweight people to know how to put on weight.‍

Causes of Being Underweight:

It is essential to take into consideration the following causes and know how to gain weight:

Thyroid: Hyperthyroidism caused by an overactive thyroid, boosts metabolism and leads to drastic unhealthy weight loss. (Read more about your thyroid here)

Eating Disorder: Serious mental disorders like anorexia nervosa can cause extreme weight loss.

Infections: Malarial or parasitic infections, diarrhea, tuberculosis, etc may lead to unhealthy loss of weight.

Diabetes: Uncontrolled type 1 diabetes (Read more on Diabetes here )

Cancer: Cancer patients tend to get weaker and experience more and more weight loss.

Genetics: Sometimes, it's just heredity which makes a person underweight.

Stress: These days, many individuals experience stress which may be either due to work life or personal life, irrespective of that stress is what leads to loss of sleep and appetite which eventually disrupts the metabolism, a person gets weaker and thereby experiences unhealthy weight loss.

‍How To Gain weight In A Week

14-Tips to Gain Weight Fast:

 

Now as we have already discussed, it is very important for underweight people to know how to gain weight. When you talk about ways to put on weight, usually one might think of it as a cakewalk, simply just go on eating and eating without thinking. However, in this scenario it is very important to know the best way to gain weight in a healthy way.

 

Following are some of the tips to gain weight fast for skinny people or can be followed by those who want to know how to gain weight in a week:

1. Eat more calories than your body can burn: There is no rocket science behind this tip but simple mathematical logic. If a system has a greater influx as compared to an outflux, there are most likely chances that the system may resort to the accumulation of material.Include a protein-rich diet: Protein helps build lean muscle mass. Thus, a greater amount of protein-rich foods like soybean, fish, eggs, dairy products, nuts or whey protein helps gain weight. 
2. Increased carbs and high-fat foods: It is very important to consume high carbohydrate and high-fat foods like bananas, oats, quinoa, blueberries, sweet potatoes, cheese, dark chocolate, etc. Also, make sure to have at least three wholesome meals a day.
3. Weight lifting and exercise: The excess calories consumed will bulk up onto the muscle rather than the abdomen or other parts if an individual performs regular weightlifting. 
4. Consumption of energy-rich foods: Make sure to eat, energy-dense foods like nuts including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, dried fruits including raisins or prunes, dark chocolate, high-fat dairy foods like condensed milk, full-fat cream, cheese, milk, veggies like potatoes and yams, etc. 
5. Drink Milk: Prefer full-fat milk and have at least one full glass in a day. 
6. Protein and weight gain supplements: Such supplements are available in the form of powders which can be prepared as shakes with milk and consumed. Avoid getting into a habit of only relying on these products and conveniently skipping healthy diets. Use such supplements from credible brands, in limited amounts and for a limited time. 
7. Sleep and Yoga: It is not a contemporary saying but rather a quite old one, that the secret of good health lies not just in healthy, tasty food but also in plenty of sleep. Sleep plays a crucial role not just in your mental well being throughout the day, but also has been scientifically proven to be a contributing factor in aiding digestion and the overall metabolic process. Similarly, incorporation of yoga in your daily routine also helps destress as well as stabilize your sleep patterns and uplift your mental and emotional health. All these factors eventually culminate into a calmer, relaxed mind and prevent any unnecessary weight loss, improves appetite and indirectly contribute to weight gain.
8. Avoid smoking: Smoking is detrimental to your health as it first tampers with your respiratory health and later traverses its way to an overall loss of weight and efficient body functions.
9. Eat Pattern: Whenever, there is a choice in a mixed platter, prefer eating your carb-rich or calorie-rich diet and protein-rich diet first and the veggies later. This commissions the digestive system to digest carbs and protein ahead of fats, vitamins or minerals. Such a trend in digestion aids in the early burning of the digested calories and gradually you end up eating again. 
10. Take Creatine: It is a muscle-building supplement; creatine monohydrate which when included regularly in a diet at certain intervals, helps build upon muscle mass. 
11. Bigger plate size: Simply call it a placebo effect, but it is a known fact that when you dine in larger sized plates, in an attempt to make it look filled, you usually end up filling it a tad bit more. This creates an increase in appetite and helps in weight gain.
12. Additional meals: Make passage for additional meals like morning snacks or evening snacks; that can also help increase body weight.
13. Drinking water: It is necessary to avoid drinking water before having any meal. This just fills the stomach and leaves no room for food. Make it a habit to drink water regularly but only after meals.
14. Quit intermittent fasting: Intermittent fasting is a concept associated with weight loss and it works also quite perfectly. However, when you think of gaining weight rather than shedding some, it is very necessary to have regular meals, or even more additional meals throughout the day.